A Review on Mechanical Properties of Epoxy-Glass Composites Reinforced with Nanoclay

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposites are currently one of the most rapidly growing families of materials, and they are finding use in a wide range of industrial applications, including aerospace and defense. The broad usage of composites is because of their consolidated mechanical properties. Glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites are available for the last few decades. The idea of adding nano clay into it has emerged in the late first decade of this century. This study is aimed at reporting the effects of the addition of nano clay into GFRP on its mechanical properties. The new composite formed is epoxy-glass composites reinforced with nano clay (EGCN). Nano clay has a crystal structure that facilitates the formation of intercalated and exfoliated mixture with liquid epoxy during mixing which results in good dispersion of Nano clay thereby resulting in improved mechanical properties compared to GFRP. The work done by several researchers in this area and the results obtained are reported in this article. The improved mechanisms of failures were discussed with the addition of nano clays.