A Thermomechanical and Adhesion Analysis of Epoxy/Al2O3 Nanocomposites

Abstract

The thermomechanial properties of polymeric nanocomposites are related to the quality of the adhesion between matrix and nanoparticle. Since the adhesion is related to the nature of the materials and the surface available for chemical, electrostatic and mechanical interactions among these materials, weak bonding forces between alumina (inorganic) and polymer matrices (organic) were expected. Furthermore, using nanoparticles with greater diameters means that the specific surface area reduction will have an adverse impact on the adhesive process. For epoxy matrices reinforced with alumina nanoparticles, different volume fractions and sizes were observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): a relation between the glass transition temperature (Tg) and the nanoparticle size. This observation was tested by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and the cross-link density was calculated. In addition, the thermal stability enhanced by alumina addition to organic resins and the quality of the adhesion was observed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).