SC-15 Epoxy Reinforced with Magnetic Nanofillers under Uniform Magnetic Field An Investigation of Anisotropic Physical Properties

In this work, SC-15 epoxy is reinforced with magnetically-active nanofillers cured in a modest magnetic field. Several systems were prepared- a dilute system of various concentrations of Fe2O3 nanoparticles in SC-15 epoxy, a combination of Fe2O3 nanoparticles and chemically-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT(COOH)s) in SC-15 epoxy, and a dilute system of SWCNT(COOH)s decorated with Fe3O4 particles in SC-15 epoxy. The use of magnetic nanofillers allows for significant structural anisotropy in the nanocomposites with an application of only a modest curing field. Stress-strain analysis of the systems shows that the tensile strength and modulus are enhanced with the aligned nanofillers. Modulus of toughness and fracture strain of the samples with decorated nanotube inclusion are drastically enhanced after curing the systems in a modest magnetic field.