Role of graphene oxide surface chemistry on the improvement of the interlaminar mechanical properties of resin infusion processed epoxy‐carbon fiber composites

Abstract

The present study deals with the influence of graphene oxide functional groups on their ability to reinforce an epoxy resin when forming carbon fiber composites. Composites were processed through the direct vacuum infusion of the doped resin into carbon fiber fabrics. We used graphene oxide nanosheets with two different chemical characters: as‐produced graphene oxide, with a high oxygen content and acid character, and a simple ammonia base‐washed graphene oxide, which to a great extent removes the oxidative debris or highly oxidized fulvic‐like entities, resulting in an average lower oxygen content and cleaner surface sheets than as‐produced graphene oxide. Base‐washed graphene oxide performed considerably better in both tensile and mode‐I interlaminar properties of carbon fiber composites. The fracture energy required for the onset of mode I interlaminar fracture toughness was enhanced 31% when using as‐produced graphene oxide and 60% when using base‐washed graphene oxide by adding 0.2 wt% only. More interestingly, base‐washed graphene oxide produces a higher delamination resistance along the entire range of crack growth. The effect of adding graphene oxide with a cleaner surface and lower oxygen surface chemistry allows direct chemical bonding matrix‐graphene when the resin is curing, promoting a better interface fiber‐resin and consequently, improving the reinforcement efficiency. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E2116–E2124, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers

The influence of graphene oxide filler on the electrical and thermal properties of unidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy laminates: Effect of out‐of‐plane alignment of the graphene oxide nanoparticles

“…[21,[52][53][54] Considering the polymer dominated interlaminar regions, the ILSS is greatly improved by the addition of GO as the matrix properties have a significant influence on the fiber/matrix stress transfer of the laminate. [55] In general the addition of a highmodulus filler into a low modulus matrix, like epoxy, allow to arrest or deflect the cracks initiated within the polymer medium. [56] Since the ILSS is designed to target these polymer-rich regions, improvements in the ILSS signify enhanced fracture toughness of the polymer matrix.…”

Enhancing catalytic epoxide ring-opening selectivity using surface-modified Ti3C2T x MXenes

“…X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was carried out in a K-Alpha Spectrometer (Thermo-Scientific). The assignment of the C 1s binding energies was done according to the criteria used by Ganguly et al 284.5 eV for C=C (aromatic double bonds), 285.5 eV for C-OH and sp 3 C-C, 286.5 eV for epoxy, 287.5 for sp 2 C=O (carbonyls, lactones) and 289 eV for carboxylic groups [44]. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were carried out on a Rigaku Miniflex x-ray diffractometer from 4 • to 70 • using a 2.0 • min −1 scan rate.…”

Effect ofGOagglomeration on the mechanical properties of graphene oxide and nylon 66 composites and micromechanical analysis

“…Still, graphene oxide has an essential role in enhancing the mechanical properties of materials. [ 32 ] The number of oxygen‐containing functional groups in graphene oxide are able to be regulated by the degree of oxidation of graphite, and therefore, graphene oxide is relatively designable. Pei et al [ 33 ] investigated the effect of H‐element distribution on the mechanical properties of graphene oxide, and the mechanical properties of graphene oxide decreased sharply when the hydrogen content was more excellent than 30%.…”