Premium
Fatigue behaviour of innovative multifunctional epoxy resins
Author(s) -
Pantelakis Sp. G.,
Polydoropoulou P. V.,
Katsiropoulos Ch. V.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
fatigue and fracture of engineering materials and structures
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1460-2695
pISSN - 8756-758X
DOI - 10.1111/ffe.12604
Subject(s) - materials science , scanning electron microscope , epoxy , polymer , composite material , carbon nanotube , energy dispersive x ray spectroscopy
Multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and glycidyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (GPOSS) are common additives to enhance electrical conductivity and flame resistance of polymer resins, respectively. Yet, these additions may appreciably influence the mechanical behaviour of the polymers. In this work, the synergistic effect of MWCNTs and GPOSS on the fatigue behaviour of the polymer RTM6‐2 was investigated. The results were discussed supported by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses. By enhancing the polymer with MWCNTs, a slight decrease in the fatigue life is observed in the range of the low stress levels; however, it tends to coincide with the reference material at fatigue limit. The incorporation of the flame retardant GPOSS into the polymer enhanced with MWCNTs seems to have a significant deteriorating effect on the fatigue life. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy investigation revealed MWCNTs and GPOSS agglomerations; they seem to act as defects leading to a degradation of the fatigue resistance.