Volume 2, No. 2, December, 2014
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Mechanical and Mode-I Fracture Properties of Epoxy-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Ultrasonic Dispersion Method

Mohammad T. Bashar and Pierre Mertiny
University of Alberta, Mechanical Engineering Department, Edmonton, Canada
Abstract—In the present study, the effect of organically modified nanoclay on mechanical and mode-I fracture behavior of epoxy-clay nanocomposite was investigated. In epoxy few exfoliated and mostly intercalated nanoclay structures were observed when I.30E clay was dispersed by an ultrasonic blending method. The epoxy-clay nanocomposites exhibited superior tensile stiffness with slight reduction in tensile strength. However, the exfoliated and intercalated nanoclay did not influence the fracture energy of the epoxy-clay nanocomposite, as crack deflection was found to be the predominant crack resistance mechanism that resulted insignificant energy dissipation. It was also manifested that the presence of nanoclay in the matrix has less pronounced effect on delamination fracture toughness, although decreasing fiber volume fraction improved interlaminar fracture energy by aiding unconstrained matrix deformation.

Index Terms—clay, epoxy, nanocomposite, microstructure, mechanical property, fracture behavior

Cite: Mohammad T. Bashar and Pierre Mertiny, "Mechanical and Mode-I Fracture Properties of Epoxy-Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Ultrasonic Dispersion Method," International Journal of Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 87-92, December 2014. doi: 10.12720/ijmse.2.2.87-92

General Information

ISSN: 2315-4527 (Print)
Abbreviated Title: Int. J. Mater. Sci. Eng.
Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Emeritus Dato' Dr. Muhammad Yahaya
DOI: 10.17706/ijmse
Abstracting/ Indexing: Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, Google Scholar, Crossref
E-mail: ijmse@iap.org