Improvement in Mechanical Properties of Epoxy/Kevlar/Modified Graphene Nanocomposite

In this study, the effect of grapheme and grapheneoxide on the mechanical properties of epoxy/Kevlar was investigated. Epoxy/Kevlar/grapheme and epoxy/Kevlar/graphene oxide nanocomposites were made as 4-layer nanocomposites with Kevlar fiber. Based on the results of tensile and bending test, addition of graphene and graphene oxide to epoxy/Kevlar increases the tensile modulus, tensile strength, flexural modulus and flexural strength. The optimum amount of graphene in the matrix was 0.5% by weight at which nanocomposites had the highest mechanical performance. In higher amounts of graphene and graphene oxide (more than 0.5% by weight), the excess amount of graphene leads to agglomerati on of matrix which causes problems in transmission of the stress. Generally, the highest elastic modulus fo rgraphene and graphene oxidecorre sponded to1% by weight and the highest ensile strength of graphene and graphene oxide reported at5% by weight. The highest flexural modulus was observed at 1% by weight of graphene and graphene oxide. The highest flexural strength in both nanocomposites was found to be at 0.5% by weight. The morphology of the samples was characterized using SEM observations. Evaluation of SEM micrographs indicated that graphene and graphene oxide agglomerate at 1% by weight which results in a weak interaction and dispersion in.