TY - JOUR
T1 - High performance multiscale glass fibre epoxy composites integrated with cellulose nanocrystals for advanced structural applications
AU - Kumar, Sandeep
AU - Falzon, Brian G.
AU - Kun, Jeffery
AU - Wilson, Emma
AU - Graninger, Georg
AU - Hawkins, Stephen C.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Recently, considerable effort has been devoted to develop cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)/epoxy (EP) composites with improved properties. However, work on CNC-enhanced continuous fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has received little attention. In this study, a CNC/epoxy mixture was infused through plain-woven glass fabric (GF) reinforcement to develop hierarchical CNC/GFRP composites. The results show that CNC/GFRP composites exhibit significantly enhanced mechanical properties compared to the GFRP control composite. The addition of 2 wt% CNC to GFRP yielded increases of 56% in storage modulus, 50% in flexural modulus, 55% in flexural strength, 14% in tensile modulus and 24% in tensile strength. Morphological studies (SEM) confirm the strong anchoring of CNCs with GF and the EP interphase thin layer around the GF. These results show that CNCs can be effective for strengthening the interface in fibre-reinforced composites for structural applications.
AB - Recently, considerable effort has been devoted to develop cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)/epoxy (EP) composites with improved properties. However, work on CNC-enhanced continuous fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has received little attention. In this study, a CNC/epoxy mixture was infused through plain-woven glass fabric (GF) reinforcement to develop hierarchical CNC/GFRP composites. The results show that CNC/GFRP composites exhibit significantly enhanced mechanical properties compared to the GFRP control composite. The addition of 2 wt% CNC to GFRP yielded increases of 56% in storage modulus, 50% in flexural modulus, 55% in flexural strength, 14% in tensile modulus and 24% in tensile strength. Morphological studies (SEM) confirm the strong anchoring of CNCs with GF and the EP interphase thin layer around the GF. These results show that CNCs can be effective for strengthening the interface in fibre-reinforced composites for structural applications.
UR - https://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:75674
U2 - 10.1016/j.compositesa.2020.105801
DO - 10.1016/j.compositesa.2020.105801
M3 - Article
SN - 1359-835X
VL - 131
JO - Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
JF - Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
M1 - 105801
ER -