1D/2D CNF/GNP Hybrid Nanofillers: Evaluation of the Effect of Surfactant on the Morphological, Mechanical, Fracture, and Thermal Characteristics of Their Nanocomposites with Epoxy Resin

Abstract

This work explores the morphological, mechanical, fracture, dynamic mechanical, and thermal characteristics of epoxy nanocomposites using carbon nanofibers (CNFs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and a hybrid combination of CNFs/GNPs as fillers. These composites were processed with and without the use of surfactants. The addition of surfactant alone to neat epoxy reduced the fracture toughness, elongation at break, and the glass transition temperature. CNFs were found to significantly counteract the effect of surfactants to increase the fracture toughness and glass transition of the surfactant processed composites as compared to control. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed a marked increase in the damping, above neat epoxy, of all the nanocomposites.