TENSILE STRENGTH OF EPOXY COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH CARBON NANOTUBES.

Adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into epoxy resin of the composite plate can improve the mechanical properties like the tensile strength. In particular, carbon-Kevlar® hybrid fabrics epoxy resin, which reinforced with CNT obtained from noble fibres instead of the conventional fiberglass. Current research investigates the tensile properties of epoxy matrix composite systems that were incorporated with prior to 1.0% of CNT. The results obtained have shown a significant increase in stiffness (Young's modulus) and tensile strength with inclusion of the CNT at 0.3%. The increase in total fracture was revealed for more or less than 0.3 vol% of CNT incorporation. Therefore, fracture was restricted like the module and tensile strengths will improve. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis has observed a mechanism of crack capture by the fibres and proper ingrained in the composite matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]