Nano-silica inclusion effects on mechanical and dynamic behavior of fiber reinforced carbon/Kevlar with epoxy resin hybrid composites

The effects of nano-silica (NS) particles inclusion on the tensile, flexural, vibration and damping characteristics of intraply and woven fiber reinforced carbon/Kevlar/epoxy (CKFRE) hybrid composites were experimentally investigated. Test samples were prepared according to ASTM standards for five different weight contents of NS particles (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.5 and 3 wt%). Experimental modal analysis was performed only for fundamental frequency to measure damping and natural frequency for characterization of vibration properties. Results showed that 20% improvement in tensile strength was seen at NS content of 3 wt%, while flexural strength was increased by 35.7% according to unmodified CKFRE samples. It was concluded that interaction of NS particles with epoxy and fiber leading to improve interfacial stress resulted in a significant effect on dynamic properties in terms of natural frequency and damping ratio.