Effects of adding multiwall carbon nanotubes on mechanical properties of Epoxy resin and Glass/Epoxy laminated composites

The purpose of the present research is to investigate effects of long multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on mechanical properties of epoxy resin and unidirectional glass fiber reinforced laminated polymeric composites. Therefore, mechanical properties of polymer (pristine resin), 0.5 wt.% MWCNT/epoxy nano-composites, E-glass/epoxy laminated composites and 0.5 wt.% MWCNT/E-glass/epoxy laminated nano-composites were evaluated. The tensile, flexural and shear moduli and strengths of epoxy polymer and nano-composites were experimentally characterized. Next, the longitudinal and transverse tensile stiffness and strength, also in-plane shear and flexural moduli and the strength of glass fiber laminated composites and glass fiber laminated nano-composites were determined. The experiment results of tensile specimens of laminated nano-composites reveal that the presence of the long MWCNTs improves the bounding properties of fibers in adjacent plies and postpones the failure mechanisms like fiber fracture under tension or edge delamination under shear loading conditions. It can be concluded that the improvement of mechanical properties in laminated composites are more significant than those of the pure epoxy with addition of long multiwall carbon nanotubes. For instance, the longitudinal tensile strength and shear strength of laminated nanocomposites increased by 34% and 26% in comparison with laminated composites, respectively.