Optimization of magnetic and dielectric properties of surface-treated magnetite-filled epoxy composites by factorial design

The effect of surface modification parameters such as 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (3APTES) coupling agent concentration (5, 10, and 20 wt%) and treatment duration (3, 5, and 7 h) were studied using design of experiment (DOE) approach. A quadratic model was developed based on response surface analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), R-squared (R-Sq), and normal plot of residuals were applied to determine the accuracy of the models. Multiple responses were simultaneously analyzed by optimization. Magnetic and dielectric properties were used as composite system responses. Solution 1 with 16.66 wt% silane and 7 h treatment time was selected for optimum response. Confirmation study showed that predicted response values match the experimental results.