A detailed thermal analysis of nanocomposites filled with SiO2, AlN or boehmite at varied contents and a review of selected rules of mixture

In order to investigate and compare the thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites filled with various nanoparticles multiple experiments have been carried out. The aim of this study was to enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy resin for fiber reinforces structures by the addition of nanoparticles. These altered properties were analyzed and reconciled with each other as well as compared to data developed from different rules of mixture. A hot curing epoxy system based on bisphenol-A (DGEBA) has been filled with different contents of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum nitride (AlN) and boehmite nanoparticles to examine the effects in the material's thermal and mechanical behavior with variable filler materials and contents compared to the unfilled epoxy. The glass transition temperature fluctuates very little with varied filler content. The coefficient of thermal expansion can be reduced with increasing filler content. This improvement recurs also in thermal conductivity and during dynamic mechanical analysis. Several rules of mixture have been applied to be verified on the basis of varied materials and filler contents. The results did not always match the experiments. The deviations are ascribed to the influence of interphases that build up in the vicinity of the nanoparticles during the process of curing. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.