Properties of natural amorphous silica fibers as epoxy resin reinforcement

A novel kind of short natural fiber obtained from mineral resources, which consists mainly of pure amorphous SiO2, was characterized and applied as a reinforcing agent in epoxy resin. Natural amorphous silica fibers (NASF) were incorporated in epoxy resin and the obtained composites were mechanically tested. The effect of the treatment of NASF chemically modified with aminosilane as well as the aspect ratio of the fibers on the mechanical properties of the composite were evaluated and compared with properties obtained with FNSA without treatment. The results obtained show that these natural fibers are potential candidates for the substitution of short glass fibers as a reinforcement phase in polymer composites, since the mechanical properties obtained were in all cases similar or superior to the ones obtained with commercial short glass fibers.