Improvement of the impact properties of composite laminates by means of nano-modification of the matrix—a review

Saghafi, H., Fotouhi, M. and Minak, G. (2018) Improvement of the impact properties of composite laminates by means of nano-modification of the matrix—a review. Applied Sciences, 8(12), 2406. (doi: 10.3390/app8122406)

Abstract

This paper reviews recent works on the application of nanofibers and nanoparticle reinforcements to enhance the interlaminar fracture toughness, to reduce the impact induced damage and to improve the compression after impact performance of fiber reinforced composites with brittle thermosetting resins. The nanofibers have been mainly used as mats embedded between plies of laminated composites, whereas the nanoparticles have been used in 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D dimensional patterns to reinforce the matrix and consequently the composite. The reinforcement mechanisms are presented, and a comparison is done between the different papers in the literature. This review shows that in order to have an efficient reinforcement effect, careful consideration is required in the manufacturing, materials selection and reinforcement content and percentage. The selection of the right parameters can provide a tough and impact resistant composite with cost effective reinforcements.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Fotouhi, Dr Mohammad
• Authors: Saghafi, H., Fotouhi, M., and Minak, G.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity
• Journal Name: Applied Sciences
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• ISSN (Online): 2076-3417
• Published Online: 27 November 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Applied Sciences 8(12): 2406
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License