FATIGUE ANALYSIS OF FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITE FILLED WITH NANO FILLERS

Abstract

In recent years, polymer composites made with glass fibre and epoxy resin are attracting various industries like automobile, marine, space and airline industries. Carbon nanoparticles have amazing potential to increase the strength of reinforcements and matrices in FRP composites. In this study, three different fibre reinforced composite laminates were made with and without adding the nanoparticles using a hand layup method. Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are employed as a filler material in the laminates which are made using glass fibre reinforced with epoxy resin.

Three types of glass fibre-reinforced epoxy laminates such as parent laminate, 0.5% MWCNT added laminate and 1% MWCNT added laminate are subjected to quasi static indentation, Tensile loading and fatigue loading. It was discovered that adding MWCNTs to GFRP changed the mechanical characteristics of the material. The addition of 0.5% carbon nanotubes showed noticeable changes in the mechanical behaviour with 18.86 % increase in tensile strength, 21.59% increase in impact strength and 18.63 % increase in fatigue cycle. Also, addition of 01% carbon nanotubes showed that 28.26% increase in tensile strength, 32.15 % increase in impact strength and35.06 % increase in fatigue cycle.