Enhancing the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Kevlar Composites for Advanced Vehicle Components using Montmorillonite Nano Clay Integration

Abstract

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The automobile industry is searching for materials that offer superior mechanical and thermal properties. With this objective, the current study delves into the potential advantages of integrating nanofillers into hybrid composite structures tailored for vehicle applications. The investigation employed Kevlar fiber, a renowned material in vehicular composites, and reinforced it with an epoxy matrix, crafting a nanocomposite surface. This method was paralleled by incorporating nanoparticle-infused resin into the Kevlar fiber. The concentration of nano clay within the epoxy resin was adjusted across different weight percentages: 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%. Both composite and nanomaterial panels were meticulously crafted using the hand layup method post-curing. The outcome was enlightening: the tensile strength of the clay/epoxy/Kevlar composite surged by 10.54% at the 7.5 wt% clay concentration. This enhancement, however, saw a decline in higher clay incorporations. The study also unveiled that the elastic modulus of these hybrid composites resonated better performance at reduced clay levels, peaking impressively at 381.47 MPa and 9.14 GPa for the 7.5 wt% variant. The same clay concentration bore witness to a zenith in flexural strength and modulus, registering 421.58 MPa and 15.01 GPa remarkable 13.15% upsurge when juxtaposed against the baseline Kevlar mix. Notably, the Interlaminar shear strength for this composition reached 96.21 MPa, overshooting the baseline Kevlar by 23%. However, shifting to a 10% clay mix reduced the interlaminar shear strength to 61.94 MPa, marking a 9% decrease from the baseline. Thermally, the composite showcased optimal stability at the lower clay concentrations from 0°C to 180°C. SEM imaging further buttressed these findings, highlighting that a 7.5% clay-enriched hybrid composite possessed distinct and advantageous surface features, making it a promising candidate for next-generation vehicle applications.</div></div>