Mechanical, Tribological, and Biological Properties of Short Carbon Fiber/ Nano Hydroxyapatite Reinforced Hybrid Epoxy Composites

Abstract

This investigation intends to examine the mechanical, tribological, and biological properties of hybrid epoxy composites reinforced with nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) and short carbon fiber (SCF). Due to its advantageous mechanical, tribological, and biocompatibility features, the proposed E/SCFs-nHA hybrid composites are meant to be recommended for composite structures that can be used to develop fixation plates used in orthopedic applications. In this study, single-layer hybrid composites reinforced with SCFs and nHA in varying ratios, as well as pure epoxy (E) and epoxy-carbon fiber composites, were all fabricated by hand lay-up method. Tensile tests, 3-point bending tests, and Izod impact tests were performed to investigate their mechanical characteristics. Moreover, the hybrid composite samples were tested for their biological properties in simulation body fluid (SBF). Mechanical and biological properties were found to be enhanced according to the results. Consequently, the hybrid composite (E-10CF-3nHA) of 10% carbon fiber (CF) and 3% nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) performed the best in all tests.