Enhanced mechanical performance of epoxy/micro balloon/micro fibril cellulose composites
Lightweight and strong polymer composites are essential for improving the fuel efficiency of transportation. The syntactic foams composed of a polymer matrix and hollow microspheres are lightweight but often fragile. This study investigates a hybrid epoxy composite incorporating microballoons and mi...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425019374 |
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| Summary: | Lightweight and strong polymer composites are essential for improving the fuel efficiency of transportation. The syntactic foams composed of a polymer matrix and hollow microspheres are lightweight but often fragile. This study investigates a hybrid epoxy composite incorporating microballoons and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), with 5 phr dioctyl phthalate (DOP) added to enhance its ductility and mechanical strength. The results indicate that DOP has improved the mechanical properties, with the composite containing 1 phr MFC that shows the highest flexural strength (51.09 MPa; 55.53 MPa cm3/g) and tensile strength (28.41 MPa; 30.88 MPa cm3/g). All the composites have exhibited a low density of approximately 0.92 g/cm3, remaining below 1 g/cm3. These findings highlight the significant role of DOP and MFC to improve the mechanical performance of lightweight syntactic foam composites, offering valuable insights into their application in various engineering fields. |
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| ISSN: | 2238-7854 |