TITLE:
Enhancing the Mechanical Strength for a Microwave Absorption Composite Based on Graphene Nanoplatelet/Epoxy with Carbon Fibers
AUTHORS:
Maryam Jahan, Richard Osuemeshi Inakpenu, Kuo Li, Guanglin Zhao
KEYWORDS:
Microwave Absorption, Mechanical Strength, Graphene Nanoplatelet/Epoxy/Carbon Fiber Composite, Multifunctional Composite
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Composite Materials,
Vol.9 No.2,
April
29,
2019
ABSTRACT: Microwave absorption (MWA) materials such as
graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)/epoxy
are mostly used as coatings on existing structures without considering
mechanical properties. In this work, we aim to enhance the mechanical strength
of the composite for multifunctional potentials. We used carbon fiber (four
layers) to reinforce GNP/epoxy composite (2 mm thick) and investigated their
multifunctional properties with GNP loading from 3 to 7 wt%. We measured the
tensile strength, hardness, and MW absorption (26.5 - 40 GHz) of composite
samples. Our results showed an increase in tensile strength to 109.1 ± 7.9 MPa
with 7 wt% GNP in
the composite from 15.3 MPa for pure epoxy. The hardness of the composites was
also substantially enhanced with GNP loading up to 7 wt%. A MW absorption ratio of 72% was attained for the sample with 7 wt% GNP loading near
40 GHz. The homogenous dispersion of GNPs in the matrix reduces the stress
concentration and minimizes the influence of the defects. The high MW
absorption and large transmission loss together with enhanced
mechanical strength provides a novel
multifunctional material for potential applications.