Fabrication and Property Evaluation of a Epoxy-Clay-PET Nanocomposite System

Abstract

Nanocomposites are reported to be the materials of 21st century in the view of their unusual properties and unique design possibilities that are not exhibited by conventional composites. The objective of this work is to gain insight with regards to properties of nanocomposites mainly comprising of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as fiber, montmorillonite (MMT) clay as nano-filler and Epoxy as the matrix. Nano–particles and nano–layers have very high surface–to–volume and aspect ratios and this makes them ideal for use in polymeric materials. Such structures combine the best properties of each component to possess enhanced mechanical and superconducting properties for advanced applications. The physical, chemical and biological properties of nano materials differ from the properties of individual atoms and molecules or bulk matter. By creating nano particles, it is possible to control the fundamental properties of materials, such as their melting temperature, magnetic properties, charge capacity and even their color without changing the materials chemical compositions. The present work describes the fabrication, characterization and subsequent mechanical testing of a nanocomposite system containing both nano (clay) and micro (PET fibers) fillers. The experimental work describes the sequence of processing steps required to prepare nanocomposites. The study evaluates the effect of change in filler concentration on the tensile strength, bending strength and flexural modulus of nanocomposites. The study also describes the surface modification procedure for PET fibers to achieve enhanced interfacial bonding between these micro fillers and the epoxy matrix. Fibers have been treated in an alkaline solution of fixed concentration subjected to different treatment time and temperature conditions. The work also compares the properties of the nanocomposites with the treated fibers under the selected treatment conditions with those with untreated fibers.