Experimental investigation of the effects of nanoparticle reinforcement on mechanical and ballistic properties of aramid fiber reinforced composites

Woven fabric reinforced laminated composites provide excellent resistance to in-plane direction stresses. However, when exposed to out-of-plane loads, they become useless due to delamination damage. Delamination damage occurs as a result of poor interfacial bonding between the matrix and reinforcement materials and it creates a significant structural problem by restricting the material’s efficient usage. This study aims to enhance the mechanical and ballistic properties of epoxy/aramid composites by strengthening their interfacial bonds by using graphene nanoplatelet (GNP), carboxyl (COOH) functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and their hybrid combinations. Tensile test, short beam shear (SBS) test, single edge notch bending (SENB) test, quasi-static penetration test (QSPT), and Charpy impact test of the composites were carried out in this context to better understand the changes in mechanical behavior. In addition, ballistic tests were performed to examine the behavior of composites against high-speed impacts. As a result of all tests, the damages on the samples were examined by taking macro images, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyzes of the fracture surfaces of the tensile and notch impact test samples were carried out. According to the data obtained from the experimental results, it was determined that there were significant improvements in the mechanical properties of epoxy matrix aramid fiber reinforced composites (AFRCs) modified with different nanoparticle types and ratios.