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Mechanical properties of epoxy based nanocomposites containing MWCNT as a filler

Polymer and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites are nowadays in focus of scientific community. Dispersion of the nano material (1 and 3 wt% of MWCNTs) in epoxy resin was studied by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). In order to examine mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, microhardness test, flexural test and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were performed. The composites characteristics were compared with those of neat epoxy resin. Nanocomposite containing 3 wt% of MWCNTs shows 8 % increase in microhardness as compared to neat epoxy resin. Surprisingly three-point bending test shows that modulus and strength of the neat epoxy resin are higher than the flexural properties of the nanocomposites. Flexural modulus of the composite with 3 wt% of MWCNTs is close to that of the neat epoxy resin while the modulus of the nanocomposite with 1 wt% shows a drop. Similar effect is found in flexural strength, even though the results for both concentrations of nanofiller in composites overlap partially. Tan  obtained by DMA shows that the onset of the glass transition shifts to lower values with MWCNTs addition.

nanocomposites, epoxy resin, MWCNT, mechanical testing

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