By: Jitendra S. Tate, Swayam Shree, Shelby E. Vasconcellos-Murphy, William J. Schneider, Roger Faria, and Oluwasola Arigbabowo
This study investigates the fatigue behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites modified with nanosilica, core-shell rubber particles, and a hybrid of both additives. Specifically, the composites were formulated with 10 wt% nanosilica, 10 wt% core-shell rubber particles, and a hybrid containing 10 wt% of each additive. The research aimed to assess how these modifications influence the mechanical performance and fatigue resistance of the composites under cyclic loading conditions.
The addition of nanosilica and core-shell rubber particles individually enhanced the tensile, flexural, and short beam strengths of the composites when compared to unmodified epoxy-carbon fiber composites. However, the most significant improvements were observed in the hybrid composite containing both nanosilica and core-shell rubber particles. This hybrid composite exhibited superior mechanical performance across all tests, showing an increase in the tensile and flexural strength as well as enhanced resistance to interlaminar shear failure, as measured by short beam testing.
In tension-tension fatigue testing, the hybrid composite outperformed all other formulations, demonstrating the highest fatigue life and the least amount of stiffness degradation. This was attributed to the combined effects of the nanosilica, which reinforced the matrix and improved the interfacial bonding, and the core-shell rubber particles, which enhanced the composite’s ability to absorb and dissipate cyclic energy, preventing premature crack initiation and growth. The hybrid composite’s superior fatigue performance highlights the synergy between these two additives, which individually contribute to improving the composite’s resistance to cyclic loading.
Stiffness degradation models were developed to quantify the modulus loss over time during fatigue testing. These models were crucial for understanding the composite’s performance under repeated loading and for predicting its longevity in practical applications. The findings suggest that the hybrid composite represents a promising material for structural applications where both high strength and long-term durability under cyclic loading are required.
Keywords: Nanosilica; Core-shell rubber particle; Carbon fiber reinforced composites; Tension-tension fatigue
Citation:
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