Development of new graphene/epoxy nanocomposites and study of cure kinetics, thermal and mechanical properties

Rehman, Sheikh, Akram, Sufyan, Kanellopoulos, Antonios, Elmarakbi, Ahmed and Karagiannidis, Panagiotis (2020) Development of new graphene/epoxy nanocomposites and study of cure kinetics, thermal and mechanical properties. Thermochimica Acta, 694. p. 178785. ISSN 0040-6031

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2020.178785

Abstract

New graphene/polymer nanocomposites were prepared using graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and the epoxy system Epilok 60-566/Curamine 32-494. The GNPs were first dispersed into the curamine hardener using bath ultrasonication, followed by the addition of the epoxy resin. The cure kinetics were studied by DSC under non-isothermal and under isothermal conditions. The kinetic parameters of the curing process were determined using the non-isothermal Kissinger and Ozawa-Flynn-Wall models. The degree of curing increased with the addition of GNPs, while the activation energy decreased by 13.7% for the first reaction and by 6.6% for the second as obtained from Kissinger. An increase in thermal stability by the addition of GNPs was identified in the range of 360-580℃ using TGA. In terms of mechanical properties, addition of an optimum amount of 0.5%wt of GNPs in the hardener improved the Young’s Modulus by 37%. Nanoindentation measurements showed 9.4% improvement in hardness at 0.7%wt.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Graphene/Epoxy Nanocomposites, Differential Scanning, Calorimetry, Mechanical Properties, Nanoindentation
Subjects: H300 Mechanical Engineering
H900 Others in Engineering
Department: Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mechanical and Construction Engineering
Depositing User: John Coen
Date Deposited: 01 Oct 2020 09:05
Last Modified: 01 Oct 2021 03:30
URI: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/44366

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