Manufacturing and Characterization of Epoxy Matrix Hybrid Nanocomposite

Abstract

Abstract Advanced recent materials such as continuous reinforced polymer matrix composites provide important enhancements to a variety of structures (especially resistance to breakage), compared to their bulk, monolithic counterparts. In this research work, flexural strength and tensile or mode I fracture resistance of the hybrid polymer composite, and a detailed investigation on the processing (using Hand Lay Up method) of reinforced, unidirectional hybrid composite has been extensively discussed. Microstructral studies have also been carried out to know the material fracture behaviour and its effect on the orientation of notch. The obtained results are critically examined and discussed elaborately to find: (i) orientation of fiber and its effect on the anisotropy in flexural strength and fracture behaviour, (ii) effect of notch root radii on the conditional fracture toughness and concurrence to linear elastic controlled fracture, and (iii) the nature of J integral resistance curves. The effectiveness of the conventionally used hand layup technique is amply demonstrated by the achievement of significantly higher strength (flexural) values and also, a very importantly combination of strength and fracture resistance; qualifying the composite thus manufactured to declare this hybrid composite as a novel composite material with high specific strength when compared with other polymer matrix composite (PMCs) for a wide group of aeronautical and aerospace structural applications.