EFFECT OF MICRO-BALLOON VOLUME FRACTION ON THE TENSILE BEHAVIOR OF EPOXY SYNTACTIC FOAMS REINFORCED WITH GLASS MICRO-BALLOONS

Abstract

In this study, the effects of volume fraction on the tensile behavior of epoxy syntactic foam reinforced with glass micro-balloons are investigated. Nine different samples with various volume fractions of glass micro-balloons (0%-68%) were prepared. Elastic modulus, maximum tensile stress, and strain at failure of epoxy syntactic foams reinforced with glass micro-balloons are investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images are taken from the broken samples' surfaces and used to discuss the results. Results show that the specific elastic modulus and specific maximum tensile stress (MTS) of epoxy syntactic foams increased by about 108% and 28% by increasing the micro-balloon volume fraction from 0% to 68%. However, the samples' modulus and strength are respectively decreased by about 5% and 39% with increasing the volume fraction of the glass micro-balloons from 0% to 34%. The main growth of specific strength and elastic modulus was for samples with more than 34% micro-balloon volume fraction. Moreover, the elastic modulus increased by about 11%, and the samples' maximum tensile stress (MTS) decreased by about 32%, increasing the micro-balloon volume fraction from 0% to 68%. With increasing the micro-balloon volume fraction from 0% to 68%, the strain at failure of epoxy syntactic foams is decreased by about 41%.