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In this study, two types of composites, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and epoxy resin (ER), reinforced with 20% of glass fiber (GF) are used as the comparative research objects. Their mechanical properties after thermal aging at 85~145 °C are evaluated by tensile strength and fracture morphology analysis. The results show that the composites have similar aging laws. The tensile strength of GF/PBT and GF/ER decrease gradually with the increase of aging temperature, while their elastic moduli are independent of the thermal treatment temperature. Scanning electron microscopy study of the fracture surface shows that separation of glass fiber from PBT and ER matrix becomes more obvious at higher aging temperature. The fibers on the matrix surface appear clear and smooth, and the whole pulled out GFs can be observed. As a main mechanical strength degradation mechanism, the deterioration of interface adhesion between the matrix and GF is discussed. A large difference in coefficients of thermal expansion of the matrix and GF is a main factor of the mechanical degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are manufactured using various methods, with vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM or VARIM). This study's primary focus lies in assessing how the orientation of sampling impacts the mechanical properties of glass fiber-reinforced pure and nanocomposites. 2 wt.% nano Al2O3- doped and non-doped composites were produced using the VARTM process. Tensile, flexural, and density test specimens were extracted from three distinct zones and two distinc direction those aligned horizontally to the resin flow (HRF) and those oriented vertically to the resin flow (VRF). Remarkably, results showed up to a 3.91% increase in values from samples in the third zone, particularly on the vacuum outlet side. To facilitate precise stress value comparisons across plates, uniform sample orientation and consistent zone selection are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the utilization of hybrid basalt/glass fiber reinforced polymer (HBGFRP) nanocomposites has increased significantly in structural applications due to their light weight nature, superior strength-to-weight ratio, and excellent mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties. This study aims to investigate the effects of various drilling parameters and filler weight content on delamination and surface roughness on HBGFRP nanocomposites filled with combination of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and nano-silica particles (SiO2) in equal weight proportions of 0%, 1%, and 2%. These nanocomposite laminates were fabricated using the manual lay-up method followed by compression molding with a novel stacking order of fibers 01B/02G/02B/02G/02B/02G/01B consisting of 12 layers.. In this work, the Box-Benkhen Design of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the drilling parameters, including spindle speed, feed rate, drill diameter, and weight content of MWCNTs + SiO2. The nanocomposites containing 1.0wt. % MWCNTs + SiO2 demonstrated the most significant reduction in the delamination factor, achieving a 24% reduction. The lowest delamination factor recorded was 1.29, obtained with a spindle speed of 1350 rpm, a feed rate of 0.1 mm/rev, a drill diameter of 6 mm, and the addition of 1.0wt. % MWCNTs + SiO2. Increasing the spindle speed resulted in a further reduction in the delamination factor. The surface roughness measured was 1.213 µm, indicating a relatively smooth surface. It was evident that increase in feed rate and drill diameter corresponded to increase in both delamination factor and surface roughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]