Browsing by Author "Silva, H."
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- Fatigue behaviour of glass fibre reinforced epoxy composites enhanced with nanoparticlesPublication . Borrego, L.P.; Costa, J.D.M.; Ferreira, J.A.M.; Silva, H.Nanoparticle reinforcement of the matrix in laminates has been recently explored to improve mechanical properties, particularly the interlaminar strength. This study analyses the fatigue behaviour of nanoclay and multiwalled carbon nanotubes enhanced glass/epoxy laminates. The matrix used was the epoxy resin Biresin CR120, combined with the hardener CH120-3. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) 98% and organo-montmorillonite Nanomer I30 E nanoclay were used. Composites plates were manufactured by moulding in vacuum. Fatigue tests were performed under constant amplitude, both under tension–tension and three points bending loadings. The fatigue results show that composites with small amounts of nanoparticles addition into the matrix have bending fatigue strength similar to the obtained for the neat glass fibre reinforced epoxy matrix composite. On the contrary, for higher percentages of nanoclays or carbon nanotubes addition the fatigue strength tend to decrease caused by poor nanoparticles dispersion and formation of agglomerates. Tensile fatigue strength is only marginally affected by the addition of small amount of particles. The fatigue ratio in tensio –tension loading increases with the addition of nanoclays and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, suggesting that both nanoparticles can act as barriers to fatigue crack propagation.
- Interlaminar Adhesive Strength of Nano-Reinforced Glass/Epoxy LaminatesPublication . Silva, H.; Ferreira, J. A. M.; Costa, J. D. M.; Capela, C.Interlaminar fracture is significantly influenced by the adhesive strength of fiber=matrix interfaces. Critical strain energy release rate (GC) is the most common parameter used to quantify the interfacial strength. However, subcritical debonding can occur at lower mechanical loads than those required for interlaminar fracture toughness (IFT). This study was performed using nanoclayreinforced epoxy=glass fiber laminates in order to analyze the influence of the addition of nanoclay and hydro aging on IFT and subcritical crack growth. Hydro aging was done immersinga batch of specimens in distilled water at 25 C for 30 days. Mode I IFT was significantly improved by the incorporation of nanoclays into the resin, the improvement reaching 31% for 3% of nanoclays content. The results of subcritical debonding were plotted in terms of da=dt versus G curves, for dry materials and long term hydro aged composites. Hydro aged composites exhibit not only a reduction of GIc, of about 14% for 3% of nanoclays, but also a higher subcritical crack propagation rate. The addition of nanoparticles reduces subcritical crack propagation rate.
- Mixed mode interlaminar fracture of carbon nanotubes enhanced epoxy/glass fiber compositesPublication . Silva, H.; Ferreira, J. A. M.; Costa, J.D.M.; Capela, C.Present paper studied the improvement of the fracture toughness under mixed mode loading obtained by using carbon nanotubes reinforcement in fiber glass mats/epoxy laminates. Mixed-mode bending tests were performed considering different loading ratios GII/GI. Laminates were manufactured using the epoxy resin Biresin® CR120 reinforced with fiber glass triaxial mats ETXT 450 and multiwalled carbon nanotubes with 98% of carbon. It was observed that the total fracture toughness increases linearly with the mode II loading component and that linear mixed-mode fracture criteria reproduces the GI versus GII relationship. The incorporation of small quantity, up to 0.5%, of carbon nanotubes into matrix improves significantly mixed-mode fracture toughness.
- Mixed Mode interlayer fracture of glass fiber/nano-enhanced epoxyPublication . Silva, H.; Ferreira, J. A. M.; Capela, C.; Richardson, M.O.WIncreasing interlaminar fracture toughness (IFT) has long been an important goal in the fiber reinforced composites field. For that purpose some research has recently explored the use of nanoparticle reinforced matrices to improve interlaminar strength. In this present paper a small quantity of nanoclays (NC) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were used in order to enhance the IFT of glass fiber/epoxy composite laminates. The composites sheets were produced by a vacuum molding process. Mode I, Mode II, and Mixed-Mode I/II tests were performed to determine critical strain Energy release rates, using double cantilever beam, end-notched flexure, and Mixed-Mode Bending specimens, respectively. Significant improvements in IFT were obtained for all loading modes by the incorporation of NC into the epoxy resin, whilst MWCNT produced only moderate improvements. For Mode I, IFT improvement by the incorporation of nanoparticle fillers, reached about 31% for 3 wt% of NC and 17% for 1 wt% of MWCNT. In Mode II the increase was about 50% for 3 wt% of NC and 30% for 1 wt% of MWCNT. The dispersion of small quantities NC and MWCNT into matrices significantly improved Mixed-Mode IFTs for all loading mode ratios GII/G. The total fracture toughness G increased under Mode II loading components and linear Mixed-Mode fracture criteria reproduced the Gc versus Mode ratios GII/G and GI versus GII relationship.
- Stress analysis of lap joints involving natural fibre reinforced interface layersPublication . Ferreira, J.A.M.; Silva, H.; Costa, J.D.M.; Richardson, M. O. WThis paper is concerned with a fatigue study of composite adhesive lap joints. The tests were carried out on specimen joints manufactured using different stacking sequences: solely bi-directional woven E-glass fibres and polypropylene composites; and hybrid stacked composites. The main objective of the work was to improve the fatigue strength using hybrid fibre composites with a polypropylene/hemp natural fibre layer adjacent to the bond interface which was expected to produce more uniform stresses in transient regions. The adhesive used was a Bostik 7452 (Rubber and Plastics Grade) ethyl cyanoacrylate type. The results are presented in the form of curves of stress amplitude versus number of cycles to failure. The failure mechanisms (together with peak stresses in the regions adjacent to the bond obtained by finite elements analysis and experimental values of interlaminar toughness) are discussed in order to explain the lower fatigue strength in hybrid stacked joints than in the original thermoplastic composite joints (contrary what was expected) and the decrease with the natural fibre content. q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- A study of mixed mode interlaminar fracture on nanoclay enhanced epoxy/glass fiber compositesPublication . Silva, H.; Ferreira, J. A. M.; Costa, J. D. M.; Capela, C.Fiber reinforced laminate are widely used in aerospace, automobile and marine industries, despite its poor interlaminar fracture toughness (IFT), as consequence of the absence of fibers to sustain transverse load. One way recently explored with relative success in order to improve IFT is the use of nanoparticles to reinforce the matrix. Present paper intends to assess and discuss the fracture toughness on mixed mode loading of fiber glass mats/nanoclay enhanced epoxy matrix laminates. The matrix used was the epoxy resin Biresin® CR120 combined with the hardener CH120-3, the fiber glass was triaxial mats ETXT 450 and the nanoparticles were montmorillonite nanoclay (NC). The results were discussed in order to understand the effects of the percentage of nanoclay and the shear load quantified in terms of the GII/GI ratio on the total fracture toughness G. The incorporation of a small quantity of NC into matrices improves significantly mixed-mode IFT for all loading mode ratios GII/G. The total fracture toughness G increases with the mode II loading component and a linear mixed-mode fracture criteria reproduces the Gc against GII/G relationship.