An experimental study on the interfacial characteristics of fiber reinforced polymeric composites enhanced with nano-scale materials

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b1606947 (Table of Contents)

Fiber reinforced composites can be engineered to present excellent mechanical, thermal, electrical properties and corrosion resistance with low density if primary components are enhanced with the nano-phase materials. The nano-reinforcement should be integrated by using the industrially applicable and economically feasible method. Furthermore, the nano reinforcement strongly depends on the nanotube distribution at the interface between fiber and polymer matrix in the case of efficient load transfer from the matrix to the fiber. Therefore, we have to eliminate or even remove the common restrictions of carbon nanotube applications during our experiments. For this reason, chemical functionalization and surface characterization of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are significantly investigated prior to the electrospray deposition of functionalized CNTs at the interface of fiber reinforced polymeric composites which are manufactured by vacuum infusion method. The surface characterization of nanotube deposited reinforcing fibers and mechanical characterization of nano-integrated composites are presented in this thesis. Alternatively, RTM-manufactured electrospun nanofiber integrated glass-epoxy composites are also another approach in this thesis for testing the applicability and repeatability of the previous studies by performing comprehensive thermo-mechanical characterizations.