A Comparative Study on Mechanical Properties of Yttrium Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide Reinforced Epoxy Nanocomposites
Authors :- Singh P., Sharma S., Kumar K., Iyer G., Kumar A.
Publication :- Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, (Springer) 2024
Epoxy-based nanocomposites are important materials for coating and adhesive applications. The mechanical strength of these materials is desired to be large. The current work aims to enhance the mechanical properties of epoxy polymer by reinforcement of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) or yttrium oxide (Y2O3). Highly efficient and multifunctional epoxy nanocomposites were synthesized by ultrasonication along with magnetic stirring, which helps the proper dispersion of nanoparticles in the epoxy matrix. This work presents a comparative analysis of the two nanofillers. The reduced graphene oxide is synthesized from graphite powder using Hummer’s method. The nanocomposites are prepared using the ultrasonic dual mixing method. The mechanical properties like tensile strength, yield strength, toughness, Young’s modulus, and percentage elongation are determined using the universal testing machine. The composition (1.6 wt.%) Y2O3-reinforced epoxy nanocomposites showed the maximum increment in tensile strength, toughness, and percentage elongation by about 44.8, 135.7, and 50.2%, respectively, and also the composition (0.8 wt.%) RGO-reinforced epoxy nanocomposites showed the maximum increment in tensile strength, toughness, and percentage elongation by about 33.2, 57.3, and 14.7%, respectively, as compared to pure epoxy. The improvement in mechanical performance of composites has been correlated with fracture surface images of tensile surfaces using FESEM images. In the present study, it has been shown that adding rare-earth materials like Y2O3 and carbon-based nanomaterials like RGO in epoxy resin, significantly improves the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites.