Tensile and flexural properties of hybrid graphene oxide/epoxy carbon fibre reinforced composites.

Watson, G.; Starost, Kristof; Bari, Pravin; Faisal, Nadimul Haque; Mishra, Satyendra; Njuguna, James

Abstract

In this study, nano-sized graphene oxide sheets were homogenously dispersed via sonication methods in epoxy followed by vacuum resin infusion for the fabrication of the epoxy, graphene oxide (GO) and micro-sized carbon fibre reinforced nanocomposites (EP/CF/GO). Graphene oxide concentrations ranging from 0.1 - 0.5 wt. % were studied to investigate the effect on tensile and flexural strength. It was observed that the tensile strength of the EP/CF decreased with the addition of GO but increased with GO weight concentration in the nanocomposites studied from 498MPa to 519 MPa for the inclusion of 0.1 to 0.5 wt.% GO respectively. The 0.5 wt. % EP/CF/GO recorded a 10% increase in Young's modulus compared to the classical epoxy / carbon fibre composites, and similar trend was observed for the flexural properties. However flexural strength of the GO samples did not surpass the control sample (epoxy /carbon fibre composites) with the 0.3 wt.% GO samples (EP/CF/GO) providing the greatest flexural strength of >580 MPa compared to the 0.1 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% GO samples.

• Journal Article Type: Conference Paper
• Start Date: Sep 12, 2016
• Publication Date: May 11, 2017
• Journal: IOP conference series: materials science and engineering
• Print ISSN: 1757-8981
• Electronic ISSN: 1757-899X
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 195
• Article Number: 012009
• Institution Citation: WATSON, G., STAROST, K., BARI, P., FAISAL, N., MISHRA, S. and NJUGUNA, J. 2016. Tensile and flexural properties of hybrid graphene oxide/epoxy carbon fibre reinforced composites. IOP conference series: materials science and engineering [online], 195: proceedings of the 3rd International conference on structural nano composites (NANOSTRUC 2016), 12-16 September 2016, Aberdeen, UK, article number 012009. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/195/1/012009
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/195/1/012009
• Keywords: Graphene oxide; Tensile; Flexural strength; Epoxy/carbon fibre composites