The Synthesis and Research of Glass Fiber Felts Coated with Graphene Oxide/Phenolic Resin Binder

Glass fiber felts (GFFs) coated with reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/phenolic resin (PF) binder was prepared by in-situ reduction reaction, subsequently spraying, and curing process. The effects of the RGO content on the thermal, anti-ablative, hydrophobic, and mechanical properties of GFFs were studied. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electronic differential system (EDS) analysis revealed that the graphene oxide (GO) was reduced to RGO by phenol during the in-situ polymerization. Thermogravimetry (TG) and DTG analytical diagram demonstrated that the thermal stability of GFFs was also significantly improved with the addition of GO due to the barrier effect of the lamellar structure. Also, by addition of 0.4 wt% of GO, hydrophobicity was improved by 39% and the tear strength was improved by 57% owning to its unique structure and the effective external load transfer. Moreover, the compatibility with PF matrix was improved, endowing good anti-ablative, excellent hydrophobicity and mechanical properties for GFFs.