Demystifying the role of graphene nanoplatelets percentage and sonication duration on the mechanical properties of the glass fabric/graphene nanoplatelets hybrid nano-composite

In this study, the effect of sonication time on the mechanical properties of graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) glass fiber composites were discussed. The Sonication process is one of the best techniques to ensure uniform dispersion of nanofillers into the polymer matrix; otherwise, they form agglomerates of multilayers. To fulfill the massive demand for mass production, ultrasonic bath-type sonication were deployed. In this study, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt% of GnPs were added with epoxy at different sonication durations, precisely 0, 20, 40, and 60 min. Other sonication process parameters were kept constant with a sonication frequency of 28 KHz. Bidirectional glass fabric materials was used as reinforcement material in the fabrication of the laminates. In total, 21 laminates were fabricated using the hand lay-up technique in various amalgamations. The tensile and flexural specimens were cut from the laminates as per the standards to determine their mechanical properties. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were used for the structural analysis of the glass fiber reinforced GnPs/epoxy composite. Surface morphology of GnPs becomes more wrinkled, resulting in a stronger graphene/epoxy matrix interface, enhancing the tensile strength and tensile modulus performance of the nano-composites increases up to 37.12% and 66.30%, the flexural strength and flexural modulus performance of the nano-composites increases up to 55.74% and 91.23% respectively. Based on the investigations, the influence of the GnPs percentage and the sonication duration for the preparation of the nano-composites with the help of technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) optimization technique.