Low cost composite materials are widely used in civil and structural engineering applications. This project uses EPON to plasticize a commonly used resin, epoxy resin to lower the cost of the composite and to find out the mechanical and thermal properties of the plasticized epoxy resin to see if it is suitable for the said applications. Three point bending tests were carried out to evaluate the...

Dispersion of nanomaterials in polymeric matrices plays an important role in determining the final properties of the composites. Dispersion in nano scale, and especially in single layers, provides best opportunity for bonding. In this study, we propose that by proper functionalization and mixing strategy of graphene its dispersion, and bonding to the polymeric matrix can be improved. We then ap...

This research describes the effects of shear flow-induced alignment of dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes in viscous polymer solutions and the application of this alignment strategy to produce epoxy-based composites with superior mechanical properties. Previously, it was shown that the use of an anionic surfactant (i.e. sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, NaDDBS) in conjunction with a weakly...

The hydrostatic piezoelectric properties of [011] poled Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) crystals and corresponding 2-2 crystal/epoxy composites were investigated. The crystal volume ratio and compositional dependencies of the hydrostatic charge and voltage coefficients (dh and gh ) and hydrostatic figure of merit (FOM) dh  × gh were determined, where large FOM value of 3.2 pm2/N with high stab...

Metal–polymer composites were investigated for their microwave properties in the frequency range of 30–1000 MHz to assess their application as inductor cores and electromagnetic isolation shield structures. NiFe and Fe nanoparticles were dispersed in epoxy as nanocomposites, in different volume fractions. The permittivity, permeability, and loss tangents of the composites were measured with an ...

We investigated the effects of hygrothermal aging on the tension–tension fatigue behavior of unidirectional (UD) glass/polydicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) composites. Samples were immersed in deionized (DI) water and salt water, and glass/epoxy composites were used as a benchmark for comparison. Composites of pDCPD showed less water uptake and superior fatigue performance compared to similarly aged e...

A series of thermoelectric responsive shape memory hydro-epoxy (H-EP) composites filled with different contents of graphene were developed and characterized. Compared with traditional actuation materials, these novel shape memory composites exhibit attractive properties, such as light weight, large deformation, good processability and high response speed, making them good candidates for actuato...

This study characterizes the acoustical behavior of natural fiber composites. Regenerated cellulose fibers (Lyocell), hemp fibers, and flax fibers were embedded in an epoxy-matrix. These unidirectional composites were tested for their logarithmic damping decrement, the resonance frequency, the ultrasound velocity, the dynamic and static modulus of elasticity, and bending strength and density. G...

Polymer modified fillers in composites has attracted the attention of numerous researchers. These fillers are composed of core-shell structures that exhibit enhanced physical and chemical properties that are associated with shell surface control and encapsulated core materials. In this study, we have described an apt method to prepare polyimide (PI)-modified aluminum nitride (AlN) fillers, AlN@...

Curing rates of an epoxy amine system were varied via different curing cycles, and glass-fiber epoxy composites were prepared using the same protocol, with the aim of investigating the correlation between microstructure and composite properties. It was found that the fast curing cycle resulted in a non-homogenous network, with a larger percentage of a softer phase. Homogenized composite propert...