Superior thermal-mechanical properties of the epoxy composite reinforced with rGO-ATMP; Combined DFT-D theoretical modeling/experimental studies

In this work, aminotrimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) functionalized graphene oxide (GO) was used for the construction of an epoxy composite coating with superior thermal and mechanical properties. The successful synthesis of the GO-ATMP and GO-ATMP-Zn nano-hybrids was confirmed using FT-IR, XRD, and UV-visible techniques. The TGA test proved the excellent thermal stability of the GO-ATMP-Zn nanoparticle, revealing only 30% weight loss until 600 degrees C. The prepared nanoparticles were incorporated into the epoxy matrix and characterized via FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. The results proved that the GO-ATMP-Zn nanoparticles did not negatively affect the curing process and resulted in a less hydrophilic surface (86 degrees water contact angle) than the unfilled coating (68 degrees water contact angle). The DMTA analysis proved the increase of storage modulus (E') and T-g in GO-ATMP-Zn nanocomposite. 0.15% wt. of GO-ATMP-Zn could diminish the thermal decomposition of the epoxy matrix by about 15.7% (at 600 degrees C), due to its chemical nature and good dispersion in the nanocomposite. Moreover, the flame resistance of the GO-ATMP-Zn/EP nanocomposite was improved significantly compared with the unfilled epoxy coating. The tensile strength tests demonstrated 70% and 74% improvements in the tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break, respectively. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.