Sol-gel template preparation of alumina nanofillers for reinforcing the epoxy resin

Alumina nanofibers were prepared by sol-gel template method. Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) of feather-like morphology obtained by chemical vapor deposition of C-2-C-4 hydrocarbons mixture have been used as a template. The distinctive feature of CNF is a friable disordered structure consisting of separate fragments of graphite-like phase. To simplify the sol-gel synthetic procedure, the impact of preparative conditions such as type of precursor and ratio of starting components was studied. CNFs were coated with corresponding alumina precursor and subjected to a high temperature treatment. The resulted alumina nanofibers were explored by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), physical nitrogen adsorption (BET), and X-ray diffraction. The optimal Al2O3:CNF ratio was found to be 1:6. According to SEM and BET, surface area of prepared alumina fibers 70-90 nm in diameter lies in a range of 149-174 m(2)/g. The thermal and strength properties of epoxy composites reinforced with alumina nanofibers are compared. It was demonstrated that used nanofillers affect noticeably the properties of the epoxy matrix.