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Toughening of cycloaliphatic epoxy resin by multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Author(s) -
Zhang XiaoHua,
Zhang ZhengHua,
Xu WeiJian,
Chen FanCai,
Deng JianRu,
Deng Xiao
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.28590
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , ultimate tensile strength , epoxy , toughness , raman spectroscopy , composite number , scanning electron microscope , carbon nanotube , fracture toughness , toughening , physics , optics
The toughness of cycloaliphatic epoxy resin 3,4‐epoxycyclohexylmethyl‐3′,4′‐epoxycyclohexane carboxylate (ERL‐4221) has been improved by using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) treated by mixed acids. The MWCNT/ERL‐4221 composites were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and their mechanical properties were investigated. A significant increase in the tensile strength of the composite from 31.9 to 55.9 MPa was obtained by adding only 0.05 wt % of MWCNTs. And a loading of 0.5 wt % MWCNTs resulted in an optimum tensile strength and cracking energy, 62.0 MPa and 490 N cm, respectively. Investigation on the morphology of fracture surface of the composites by field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the crack pinning‐front bowing and bridging mechanisms of toughening. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008