Tensile, impact, and mode-I behaviour of glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite modified by graphene nanoplatelets

This paper reports the tensile, impact, and mode-I behaviour of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites modified by incorporating graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) on the fiber surface and in the epoxy matrix. The composites were fabricated through a hand lay-up technique followed by hot compression moulding. The homogeneous dispersion of GnPs in the matrix was achieved by mechanical mixing followed by ultra-sonication. The glass fibers were coated with varying quantities of GnPs (GnPs in epoxy) by the dip-coating technique. The composites containing 1 wt% GnPs on both the fiber surface and the matrix (0.5 wt% deposited on the fiber and 0.5 wt% dispersed in epoxy) enhanced the impact resistance by 45% and tensile strength by 114% over the pristine composite. The mode-I fracture toughness of the composite containing 1 wt% GnPs on both the fiber surface and the matrix was increased by 55% with the crack parallel to the fiber direction and 64% in a crack perpendicular to the fiber direction over the pristine composite. The presence of GnPs at the fiber/matrix interface toughened the fiber surface by preventing the matrix from cracking.