Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Glass Fiber/Epoxy Nanocomposites

This research is aimed to fabricate glass fiber/epoxy nanocomposites containing organoclay as well as to understand the organoclay effect on the in-plane shear strength of the nanocomposites. To demonstrate the organoclay effect, three different loadings of organoclay, were dispersed in the epoxy resin using mechanical mixer followed by sonication. The corresponding glass/epoxy nanocomposites were prepared by impregnating the organoclay epoxy mixture into the dry glass fiber through a vacuum hand lay-up process. Off-axis block glass/epoxy nanocomposites were tested in compression to produce in-plane shear failure. It is noted only the specimens showing in-plane shear failure mode were concerned in this study. Through coordinate transformation law, the uniaxial failure stresses were then converted to a plot of shear stress versus transverse normal stress from which the in-plane shear strength was obtained. Experimental results showed that the fiber/epoxy nanocomposite exhibit higher in-plane shear strength than the conventional composites. This increased property could be ascribed to the enhanced fiber/matrix adhesion promoted by the organoclay.