1.

EFFECT OF PARTICLE SIZE ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF

PARTICULATE COMPOSITES

Jae-soon jang et.al[x] studied the shape effect of glass filler in epoxy having the sizes 10um and 20nm
over wide range of volume fractions. They observed that Coefficient of thermal expansion of filled
composites decreases whereas Young’s modulus increases over neat epoxy by decreasing particle size.
2. VOLUME-FRACTION EFFECT ON MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF
PARTICULATE COMPOSITES
Nano/micro filler particles are commonly used in polymer matrix to enhance its mechanical
properties such as stiffness, strength, thermal resistance and fracture toughness. Over the years,
potential research is undergoing in this field to enhance its mechanical performance and
predicting its behavior theoretically with wide variations of volume fraction, particle size and
wall thickness (in case of syntactic foams). Present report shows the complete review on what has
been done in the study of mechanical performance of particulate composites with variation of
volume fraction.
Mechanical properties like Young’s modulus, yield stress, flow stress with varying volume
fraction have been studied experimentally at different temperatures for silica-filled epoxy
composites by H.Wang et.al. [1]. Their results show that the material properties (Young’s
modulus, yield stress) increase with increase in volume fraction at low temperatures and at
elevated temperatures, material properties (yield stress and flow stress) vary immonotonically
with filler volume fraction.

G.Ragosta et.al [2] have studied on silica-organosol nanoparticle filled TGDDM/DDS

epoxy. Their study shows reaction between epoxy and silanol groups was present leading to an
increase in interfacial adhesion. Increase of yield strength and elastic modulus was observed with
increasing filler content. Up to 10% w/w nanosilica can be reinforced and addition up to this
brings about a considerable increase in fracture toughness. The activation energy and activation
volume for yielding decrease with increasing filler content in the opposite manner.

Yuan xu et. al [3] have studied fracture toughness and flexural strength of carbon fiber
reinforced epoxy/clay nanocomposites. Their study shows the interlaminar fracture toughness of
CFRENCs were increased by 85% with addition of 4phr nanoclay and the flexure strength was
increased by 38% with addition of 2phr nanoclay but adding more than 2phr did not show any
improvement in flexural strength.

George I. et.al [4] have studied the fundamental mechanism behind the enhancement of
mechanical property of particle filled polymer composites.

Modeling schemes to predict effective elastic properties for syntactic foams has been done
by Lee and Westmann[5] for low volume fractions and by Maurizo P[6] using differential scheme
for high volume fractions.
 G.Tagliavia et.al. [7] have studied the effect of Vf and wall thickness on flexural
properties of vinyl ester-glass hollow-particle filled composites which are used in marine
applications. Their results show that the flexural strength decreases with increase in Vf and is
independent on wall thickness. The elastic modulus increases with increase in Vf and the specific
modulus of all composites are higher than the neat epoxy resin providing considerable weight
saving. R.Poveda et.al.[8] measured Poisson’s ratios for various volume fractions for vinyl ester-
glass balloon syntactic foams.

Electrical and thermal properties of hollow glass particle-filled epoxy composites with
filler volume fraction were studied by K.C. Yung et.al. [9]. They have measured the glass
transition temperature, electrical properties like dielectric constant (Dk) and dielectric loss (Dl)
and also thermal properties like coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), thermal conductivity
with filler volume fraction.

N. Gupta et.al [10] compared the tensile and compressive properties of vinyl ester
syntactic foams with epoxy matrix systems. Their tests indicate that the tensile moduli of
composites are 15-30% higher than the compressive moduli due to particle fracture in stress range
where modulus is calculated.

References:
1. H. Wang, Y. Bai, S. Liu, J. Wu, C.P Wong, “ Combined effects of silica filler and its interface in
epoxy resin”, Acta Materialia, Vol. 50, 2002, pp. 4369-4377.
2. G. Ragostaa, M. Abbatea, P. Mustoa, G. Scarinzia, L. Mascia, “ Epoxy-silica particulate
nanocomposites: Chemical interactions, reinforcement and fracture toughness” , Polymer, Vol.
46, 2005, pp. 10506–10516
3. Yuan Xu, S. Van Hoa, “Mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy/clay
Nanocomposites”, Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 68, 2008, pp. 854-861.
4. George I, Anthoulis, E. Kontou, “Micromechanical behaviour of particulate polymer
nanocomposites”, Polymer, Vol. 49, 2008, pp. 1934-1942.
5. Lee KJ, Westmann RA, “Elastic properties of hollow-sphere-reinforced composites”, J Compos
Mater, Vol. 4, 1970, pp. 242–252.
6. Maurizio P, Nikhil Gupta, “Effect of volume fraction and wall thickness on the elastic properties
of hollow particle filled composites”, Composites: Part B, Vol. 40, 2009, pp. 166–173.
 7. G. Tagliavia, M. Porfiri *, N. Gupta, “Analysis of flexural properties of hollow-particle filled
composites”, Composites: PartB, Vol. 41, 2010, pp. 86-93.
8. R. Poveda, Maurizio P, Nikhil Gupta, “Poisson's ratio of hollow particle filled composites”,
Material Letters, Vol. 64, 2010, pp. 2360–2362.
9. K.C. Yung , B.L. Zhu , T.M. Yue , C.S. Xie , “Preparation and properties of hollow glass
microsphere-filled epoxy-matrix composites”, Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 69,
2009, pp.260–264.
10. Nikhil Gupta, Raymond Ye, Maurizio P, Nikhil Gupta, “Comparison of tensile and compressive
characteristics of vinyl ester/glass microballoon syntactic foams”, Composites: Part B, Vol. 41,
2010, pp. 236–245
11. G. Hua, D. Yua, “Tensile, thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of hollow polymer particle-
filled epoxy syntactic foam”, Materials Science and Engineering A, Vol. 528, 2011, pp. 5177-
5183.
12.

3. EFFECTIVE ELASTIC MODULUS CHARACTERIZATION FOR PARTICULATE

COMPOSITES: