Impact of Cure Temperature and suspension viscosity on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Epoxy Resin Nanocomposites J. M. Parente1, P. N. B. Reis2, A. P. Silva1 1 C-MAST, Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, Calçada Fonte do Lameiro, 6201-100 Covilhã, Portugal 2 University of Coimbra, CEMMPRE, ARISE, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal ∗ joao.miguel.parente@ubi Keywords: Carbon nanofibers, Nanocomposites, Cure temperature, Mechanical properties. The use of nanocomposite materials in many industrial applications has been increasing in recent years due to their improved mechanical performance and lower weight. Among the nanoparticles available for use in this type of new materials, carbon-based nanoparticles such as carbon nanofibers appeared as one of the more promising due to their good mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties [1, 2]. In epoxy resins with added carbon-based nanoparticles for use in various industrial fields (especially in railways, aircraft, or process industries) it is necessary to understand how they interact during the manufacturing process [3, 4]. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to analyze the properties of an epoxy resin enhanced with carbon nanofibers, with special emphasis on the effect of suspension viscosity on mechanical properties. Resin viscosity tests, measurement of the contact angle between the carbon nanofiber particles and the resin as well as shrinkage tests will be carried out. The effect of pre-cure temperature, between 7◦Cand 40◦C, on the mechanical response of the nanocomposite was also evaluated. The results obtained showed that the presence of carbon nanofibers increased the viscosity between 45% and 74% and the shrinkage effect decreased from 3.18 to 0.70%. The mechanical properties were maximized for a temperature of 5◦C, representing an increase in maximum bending stress between 13% and 32% depending on the resin used. References [1] Al-Saleh, M.H. and U. Sundararaj, Review of the mechanical properties of carbon nanofiber/polymer composites. Compos Part a-Appl S, 2011. 42(12): p. 2126-2142. [2] Feng, L., N. Xie, and J. Zhong, Carbon Nanofibers and Their Composites: A Review of Synthesizing, Properties and Applications. Materials, 2014. 7(5): p. 3919-3945. [3] Schmidt, G. and M.M. Malwitz, Properties of polymer-nanoparticle composites. Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 2003. 8(1): p. 103-108. [4] Parente, J.M., et al., Fatigue behaviour of graphene composites: An overview. Procedia Structural Integrity, 2020. 25: p. 282-293. 124
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