Characterization of ceramic-reinforced epoxy-based composite materials

Composite materials based on 2,2-bis (p-2-hydroxy-3-methacryloxpropoxy phenyl) propane (HMAPP) for different applications have been studied. Diametrical tensile strength (DTS), compressive strength (CS) and Vickers micro-hardness (VMH) have been found to decrease with increasing diluent concentration and decreasing filler concentration. Exotherm during setting was found to decrease sharply with increase in filler content for quartz and silica filled composites. Water sorption studies indicate that the amount of water contents are relatively higher for the quartz filler as compared to silica filler. Comparison of mechanical properties show quartz to be better filler than silica for the given formulations studied. The effect of acid and/or heat treatment for quartz filler on the DTS and CS of the final composite have also been studied; the two treatments improved the aesthetic appearance of the composite.