@article{cc1acd9dd18549719e705a160b603cff,
title = "Highly dispersed nanosilica-epoxy resins with enhanced mechanical properties",
abstract = "Epoxy-nanocomposite resins filled with 12-nm spherical silica particles were investigated for their thermal and mechanical properties as a function of silica loading. The nanoparticles were easily dispersed with minimal aggregation for loadings up to 25 wt% as determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS). A proportional decrease in cure temperatures and glass transition temperature (for loadings of 10 wt% and above) was observed with increased silica loading. The morphology determined by USAXS is consistent with a zone around the silica particles from which neighboring particles are excluded. The {"}exclusion zone{"} extends to 10× the particle diameter. For samples with loadings less than 10 wt%, increases of 25% in tensile modulus and 30% in fracture toughness were obtained. More highly loaded samples continued to increase in modulus, but decreased in strength and fracture toughness. Overall, the addition of nanosilica is shown as a promising method for property enhancement of aerospace epoxy composite resins.",
keywords = "Mechanical properties, Nanocomposites, Small-angle scattering",
author = "Chenggang Chen and Justice, {Ryan S.} and Schaefer, {Dale W.} and Baur, {Jeffery W.}",
note = "Funding Information: The authors would also like to thank Dr. Peter Mirau (Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH) for his contribution to the collection and analysis of the NMR data, and Mr. Ron Esterline (University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, OH) for his assistance in sample preparation and collection of the mechanical data. This work is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials & Manufacturing Directorate, Contract No. FA8650-05-D-5052. Funding Information: The authors thank Prashant Rajan (University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH) and Dr. Doug Kohls (University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH) for collecting the dynamic light scattering data shown in Fig. 1 b. We also thank Dr. Jan Ilavsky (Advanced Photon Source) for his assistance in collecting and analyzing the USAXS data presented in this work. The USAXS data were collected on the X-ray Operations and Research beam line 32-ID-B at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne, IL). The use of the Advanced Photon Source is supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38. ",
year = "2008",
month = aug,
day = "11",
doi = "10.1016/j.polymer.2008.06.023",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "49",
pages = "3805--3815",
journal = "Polymer",
issn = "0032-3861",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
number = "17",
}