Contrasts on Fracture Toughness and Flexural Strength of Varying Percentages of SLG-reinforced Phenolic Composites

Many previous studies had reported the improvement in the mechanical properties of vinyl ester resin reinforced with SLG. Among these material properties, fracture toughness and flexural properties are important material characteristics. This article investigates the relationship between these two sets of material properties in envirospheres (SLG)-reinforced phenolic composites. The material properties of the phenolic resin composites containing different percentage by weight of SLG are experimentally measured using the short bar method and the three-point test. The findings indicated that the PF/E-SPHERES (30%) constitute the best compromise with respect to cost, fracture toughness, and flexural strength. It is hoped that the discussion and results in this work would not only contribute towards the development of SLG-reinforced phenolic composites with better material properties, but also be useful for the investigations of fracture toughness and flexural strength in other composites.