Characterization of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites Modified with Nanoclay and Carbon Nanotubes

Fiber reinforced polymer composites show significantly superior performance over many traditional metallic materials because of their superior strength to weight ratio and higher stiffness. Enhancement of properties of FRP composites can be possible by the modification of matrix properties. Significant development in the use of nanoparticles for modification of epoxy matrix has led to improved mechanical properties of the FRP composites. In this study, carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites were modified with 2 wt.% Montmorillonite nanoclay and 0.3 wt.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). 3 point bending test, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and low velocity impact test (LVI) were conducted for characterizing modified samples. Results obtained from these experiments were compared with unmodified carbon/epoxy composites. Reinforcement with nanoparticles was found to significantly improve the mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.