Facile fabrication of epoxy-TiO2 nanocomposites: A critical analysis of TiO2 impact on mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms

Optimized ultrasonic assisted dispersion of un-functionalized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (0.5-20 wt%) into epoxy resin is reported. The investigation shows that there is a direct relation among nanoparticles content, inter-particle spacing and cluster size of the particles on the glass transition temperature (Tg) and tensile properties of the prepared nanocomposites. A significant improvement in tensile strength and modulus with minimal detrimental effect on the toughness was observed for the prepared composites, where compared to pristine epoxy resins, about 26% and 18% improvement in tensile strength and strain-to-break %, respectively, was observed for 10 wt% particles loading, whereas a maximum improvement of about 54% for tensile toughness was observed for 5 wt% particles loaded resins. The investigations found that a strong particle-matrix interface results in the enhancement of the mechanical properties due to leading toughening mechanisms such as crack deflection, particle pull out and plastic deformation.