Mechanical and thermal properties of basalt fiber reinforced epoxy composites modified with CaCO3 nanoparticles

In this study, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles were added to basalt fiber reinforced epoxy (BFRP) composites in varied weight fractions to examine their effects on the materials' mechanical, thermal, and physical properties. Through magnetic stirring and sonication, the epoxy matrix was altered with various weight fractions of CaCO3 nanoparticles (0%, 0.5%, 0.7%, 1%, and 1.5%). It has been found that adding 1 wt% of nanoparticles to the matrix produced the greatest results in terms of tensile, flexural, impact, and inter-laminar shear strength (ILSS). With 1.5 wt% of nano CaCO3 in the composites, the best results for the micro-hardness and glass transition temperature were obtained. The diffraction peaks of the nanocomposites have been identified using XRD investigation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses has been done on the fracture surfaces of the nanocomposites to analyze the influence of the nanoparticles on the interfacial adhesion of fiber and the matrix.