Mathematical modeling of the fracture toughness of phenol formaldehyde composites reinforced with E-spheres

The fracture toughness of SLG filled phenolic composites have been determined by short bar tests. It is expensive to prepare the samples for the tests. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a mathematical model that will predict the fracture toughness of particulate filled phenolic composites. Mathematical models for tensile strength, Young’s modulus are available but not for impact strength and fracture toughness. There is no sign that it can be built up from simple mathematical model; polynomial interpolation using Lagrange’s method was therefore employed to generate the fracture toughness model using the data obtained from experiments. From experiments, it was found that the trend of the fracture toughness of the samples cured conventionally was similar to that cured in microwaves; it is therefore possible to predict the fracture toughness of the samples cured in microwaves from shifting the mathematical model generated for fracture toughness of samples post-cured in conventional oven. The shifted model represented the fracture toughness of the samples cured in microwaves vey well.