Fabrication and characterization of nano-particles-enhanced epoxy

Epoxy has been widely used as adhesives in retrofitting structures with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). In this study, different weight fractions of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Silicon Carbide nanopowder (SiC) will be dispersed into epoxy to produce toughened adhesives that can effectively improve the CFRP/structure bonding performance. The preliminary experimental results indicate that adding 2 wt.% MWCNTs into Araldite-420 will increase its ultimate strength by 17% and its elastic modulus by 14%. On the other hand, Araldite-420’s elastic modulus will increase by nearly 50% when 1.0 wt.% of SiC powder is added. Ultrasonic mixing may increase the elastic modulus of Sikadur-30 but reduce its strength and ductility regardless of the amount of nanoparticles dispersed. No significant effect of nano-particle infusion on the glass transition temperature of the epoxies was found. The mechanism of nanoparticles infusion effects on the mechanical properties of the epoxies is also examined using SEM.