Mechanical and Fatigue Characterization of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Containing Rubber Micro particles and Silica Nano-Particles
Date
2016-08
Authors
Kannabiran Vasudevan, Dinesh Kumar
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Abstract
Composite materials play a vital role in a wide range of applications. Their adaptability to different situations and desirable properties attracted many industries. In the automotive industry the demand for lighter weight components is increasing day by day. Carbon-fiber reinforced epoxy composites are making inroads used in the automotive industry because of their superior properties such as high specific strength and stiffness, and chemical resistance. Since epoxy resins are brittle in nature, their toughness can be enhanced by reactive liquid rubbers and inorganic fillers. In this study carbon fiber reinforced composites were manufactured using epoxy resin modified by reactive liquid rubber particles carboxyl terminated butadiene acrylonitrile (CTBN) and nanosilica. Since fatigue failure of composite material is a complex phenomenon; the major aim of this study is to examine the effect of CTBN, nanosilica and hybrid (CTBN and nanosilica) under axial tension- tension fatigue performance. This research was first initiated by performing mechanical characterization (tensile and flexural) on neat, rubber and nanosilica modified resin specimens. Carbon fiber-reinforced nanomodified epoxy composite panels were manufactured by Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM). To obtain a qualitative dispersion of rubber particles and nanoparticles in resin, centrifugal planetary mixer (THINKY™) was utilized in this research. Two different concentrations of rubber and nanoparticle particles were tested under tensile, flexural, and interlaminar shear loadings. Then the data was compared against a control (0 wt% of rubber particles and nanoparticles) composite. Based on mechanical characterization, one particular loading was selected for fatigue studies. Extensive axial tension-tension fatigue testing was performed on control, rubber modified, nano modified and hybrid composites.
Description
Keywords
Epoxy resin, CTBN, Nanoslica, Mechanical characterization, Fatigue characterization, VARTM
Citation
Kannabiran Vasudevan, D. K. (2016). <i>Mechanical and fatigue characterization of carbon fiber reinforced containing rubber micro particles and silica nano-particles</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.