Interfacial, fire retardancy, and thermal stability evaluation of graphite oxide (GO)-phenolic composites with different GO particle sizes

Mechanical and thermal properties of graphite oxide (GO)-phenolic composites were evaluated for different sizes of GO. Tensile tests on the composites with larger sizes of GO particles typically exhibited better mechanical properties. After ageing tests at 200 degrees C a decline in the mechanical properties of GO-phenolic composites was observed but this decline was less than that for neat phenolic resin. This was attributed to the GO absorbing thermal energy and thereby reducing damage to the molecular chain in the resin. The ageing tests, also suggested that the wettability of specimens improved with the addition of GO, which might be attributed to microvoid formation on specimen's surface during the elapsed time at the elevated temperature. The chemical structures of neat phenolic resin was relatively easily broken-up by thermal damage, whereas GO-phenolic composites exhibited better thermal stability in both thermal analysis and flame retardant testing. The GO particles exhibited reinforcing effects that served to protect chemical bonding in the phenolic resin. It appears, therefore, that GO composites may be good candidates for us as heat and flame resisting materials, for various applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.