Effect of sonication on the mechanical response of graphene nanoplatelets/glass fabric/epoxy laminated nanocomposites

This study focuses on the effect of sonication process time on the morphological characteristics of the graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and the mechanical performance of the produced GNPs/glass fabric/epoxy nanocomposites. Specifically, three different times, 20, 40 and 60 min, were tested. The rest of the sonication process parameters were kept constant, i.e. 100 W and 28 kHz. Both a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM) were used for the morphological investigation of the GNPs. Based on the microstructural investigations, the effect of the sonication time on the mechanical performance was explained and discussed.