Toughening of cycloaliphatic epoxy resin by multiwalled carbon nanotubes |
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Authors: | Xiao‐Hua Zhang Zheng‐Hua Zhang Wei‐Jian Xu Fan‐Cai Chen Jian‐Ru Deng Xiao Deng |
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Affiliation: | State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China |
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Abstract: | The toughness of cycloaliphatic epoxy resin 3,4‐epoxycyclohexylmethyl‐3′,4′‐epoxycyclohexane carboxylate (ERL‐4221) has been improved by using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) treated by mixed acids. The MWCNT/ERL‐4221 composites were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and their mechanical properties were investigated. A significant increase in the tensile strength of the composite from 31.9 to 55.9 MPa was obtained by adding only 0.05 wt % of MWCNTs. And a loading of 0.5 wt % MWCNTs resulted in an optimum tensile strength and cracking energy, 62.0 MPa and 490 N cm, respectively. Investigation on the morphology of fracture surface of the composites by field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the crack pinning‐front bowing and bridging mechanisms of toughening. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 |
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Keywords: | cycloaliphatic epoxy resin nanocomposites multiwalled carbon nanotubes toughness Raman spectroscopy |
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