Nanoparticle type effects on flexural, interfacial and vibration properties of GFRE composites

Damping improvement in composite structures via introducing nanofillers generally has remarkable negative effects on the other mechanical properties. Therefore, in the present work, SiC and Al2O3 nanoparticles’ infusion effects on the flexural, interfacial and vibration properties of epoxy matrix and glass fiber reinforced epoxy (GFR/E) laminates were investigated. Unidirectional (UD-GFR/E) and quasi-isotropic (QI-GFR/E) laminates with [0/±45/90]s and [90/±45/0]s stacking sequences were hybridized by the optimum nanoparticles percentages. Results from off-axis flexural strengths of UD-GFR/E demonstrate good fiber/nanophased-matrix interfacial bonding. The interlaminar shear stress between the adjacent layers with different orientations/strains of ductile QI-GFR/SiC/E laminates results in decreasing the flexural strengths respectively by 24.3% and 9.1% for [0/±45/90]s and [90/±45/0]s stacking sequences and increasing the dissipated interfacial friction energy and thus the damping by 105.7% and 26.1%. The damping of QI-GFR/E, QI-GFR/SiC/E and QI-GFR/Al2O3/E laminates with [90/±45/0]s stacking sequence was increased by 111.4%, 29.7% and 32.9% respectively compared to [0/±45/90]s stacking sequence.