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. 2024 Feb 27;16(5):638.
doi: 10.3390/polym16050638.

The Effect of Carbon-Based Nanofillers on Cryogenic Temperature Mechanical Properties of CFRPs

Aldobenedetto Zotti  1 , Simona Zuppolini  1 , Anna Borriello  1 , Valeria Vinti  2 , Luigi Trinchillo  2 , Mauro Zarrelli  1
Affiliations

The Effect of Carbon-Based Nanofillers on Cryogenic Temperature Mechanical Properties of CFRPs

Aldobenedetto Zotti et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

In the present work, the effects of carbon-based nanofillers (0.5 wt%), i.e., graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), on the cryogenic temperature (77 K) mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) were investigated. The study utilized an ex situ conditioning method for cryogenic tests. The nanofillers were mixed with the epoxy matrix by a solvent-free fluidized bed mixing technique (FBM), while unidirectional carbon fibers were impregnated with the resulting nanocomposites to manufacture CFRP samples. Optical microscopy was employed to analyze the dispersion of the carbon-based fillers within the matrix, revealing a homogeneous distribution in nanocomposites containing GNPs and CNFs. Fracture toughness tests confirmed the homogeneity of the GNP-loaded systems, showing an improvement in the stress intensity factor (KC) by 13.2% and 14.7% compared to the unmodified matrix at RT (25 °C) and 77 K, respectively; moreover, flexural tests demonstrated a general increase in flexural strength with the presence of carbon-based nanofillers at both temperature levels (RT and 77 K). Additionally, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) tests were performed and analyzed using the same ex situ conditioning method.

Keywords: carbon-based nanofillers; cryogenic temperature properties; mechanical properties; nanocomposites.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author Valeria Vinti and Luigi Trinchillo were employed by the company Avio S.p.A. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Manufacturing process of composites and nanocomposites for cryogenic characterization.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Conditioning process in liquid nitrogen and (b) mechanical test (flexure) of the conditioned sample.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Optical microscopy of (a) HXE75 GNP, (b) HXE75 CNF, and (c) HXE75 CNT nanocomposites (yellow bar: 200 µm; red bar: 100 µm).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Critical stress intensity factor for the nanocomposites tested at 77 K and RT.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Fracture toughness raw data of tests performed at (a) 77 K and (b) RT.
Figure 6
Figure 6
SEM images of nanocomposites fractured at 77 K and RT: (a,b) HXE75, (c,d) HXE75 GNP, (e,f) HXE75 CNF, and (g,h) HXE75 CNT.
Figure 6
Figure 6
SEM images of nanocomposites fractured at 77 K and RT: (a,b) HXE75, (c,d) HXE75 GNP, (e,f) HXE75 CNF, and (g,h) HXE75 CNT.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Flexural test raw data of tests performed at (a) 77 K and (b) RT.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Flexural (a) modulus and (b) strength for the CFRCs tested at 77 K and RT.
Figure 9
Figure 9
ILSS results for the nanocomposites tested at 77 K and RT.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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