Lightweight alternatives to glass fiber/epoxy sheet molding compound composites: A feasibility study Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The focus of this study is to (i) understand the effect of the fiber type and content on the mechanical properties of sheet-molding compounds composites and (ii) investigate possible lightweight alternatives to glass fibers-sheet molding compound composites. Glass fiber and basalt fibers are used to make sheet-molding compound composites and the mechanical performance are determined as a function of the fiber type and content. In addition, cellulose nanocrystals are used to enhance the properties of the sheet-molding compound resin system. The possibility of lightweighting the basalt fiber/epoxy and glass fiber/epoxy sheet-molding compound composites is explored by replacing a portion of the fibers, i.e. 1216wt%, with a small amount cellulose nanocrystals, i.e. 12wt%. No significant difference was found between the basalt fiber/epoxy and glass fiber/epoxy sheet-molding compound composites in terms of mechanical and impact properties. When cellulose nanocrystals were added to the composites, the properties of glass fiber/epoxy sheet-molding compound composites were enhanced while those of basalt fiber/epoxy sheet-molding compound composites deteriorated.

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS

author list (cited authors)

  • Asadi, A., Baaij, F., Moon, R. J., Harris, T., & Kalaitzidou, K.

citation count

  • 1

complete list of authors

  • Asadi, Amir||Baaij, Ferdinand||Moon, Robert J||Harris, Tequila AL||Kalaitzidou, Kyriaki

publication date

  • June 2019