Glass Fiber–Epoxy Composites with Boron Nitride Nanotubes for Enhancing Interlaminar Properties in Structures

Abstract

Hybrid composite materials are a class of materials where more than one type of reinforcement is integrated into a matrix to achieve superior properties. This typically involves nanoparticle fillers employed within traditional advanced composites with fiber reinforcements such as carbon or glass. The current study builds on previous investigations of boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) hybrid composites, specifically glass fiber (GF)–epoxy/BNNT composite laminates. GF is an effective and affordable primary reinforcement fiber in many applications, and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) exhibit impressive mechanical properties comparable to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with distinct functional properties, such as electrical insulation, which is desirable in manufacturing insulating composites when combined with GF. GF–epoxy/BNNT composite laminates, incorporating BNNT materials with different loadings (1 and 2 wt %) and purity, were manufactured using a hand layup technique and prepared for three-point bending, modified Charpy, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and fracture toughness (mode I and mode II) measurements. A comprehensive microscopy study was also performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showing prominent failure mechanism, nanotube dispersion, and their mode of reinforcement in different loading scenarios. Enhanced properties, including a 43% increase in mode II fracture toughness, were observed in hybrid composites with 1 wt % BNNT compared to the GF composites with neat epoxy, and the reinforcement mechanisms were discussed.

Statistical analysis to examine the influence of thermal aging on hybrid glass epoxy polymer composites with fillers of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes

“…Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer many advantages in the construction of new materials. 27,28 They have unique and interesting properties such as mechanical, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties, which can be tuned to some extent. CNTs can improve the mechanical and electrical properties of materials, making them suitable for applications in strengthenhanced structural materials, wearable thermoelectric devices, smart textiles, and flat panel displays.…”

“…Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer many advantages in the construction of new materials 27,28 . They have unique and interesting properties such as mechanical, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties, which can be tuned to some extent.…”

Plain-Woven Areca Sheath Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites: The Influence of the Fiber Fraction on Physical and Mechanical Features and Responses of the Tribo System and Machine Learning Modeling

“…ML approaches are useful for evaluating large data sets, predicting material behavior, improving composite qualities, and speeding up the creation of novel materials. 40,41 By identifying the optimal mix of fibers, epoxy resin, and other additives, ML algorithms can aid in the design and optimizing FRECs. These algorithms may examine material attributes, processing circumstances, and cost limitations to recommend formulations that satisfy specific needs.…”

Effect of TiO2 Nanofillers on the Mechanical and Abrasive Wear Properties of Epoxy Reinforced with Carbon Fabric Hybrid Composites

“…Al-Zubaydi et al 31 studied the effect of nano TiO 2 particles on the properties of carbon fiber-epoxy composites and showed improved mechanical and wear resistance properties with the addition of 4% TiO 2 . Vaddar et al 32 investigated glass fiber-epoxy composites with carbon nanotube fillers for enhancing properties in structure modeling and analysis using artificial intelligence technique, and the results revealed that a load of 1.005 kg, a sliding velocity of 1.499 m/s, a sliding distance of 150 m, and 15 wt % of filler were found to be the optimal parameters for the efficient reduction of specific wear rate. Navaneeth et al 33 investigated "Damped Free Vibration Analysis of Woven Glass Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composite Laminates" which showed a good agreement.…”