Improving the mechanical properties of glass fiber composites with microparticle addition

Fiber-reinforced composite materials are used in industry, aviation and space technologies, food and automotive sectors with the gradual advancement of technology. In addition, composite materials produced from glass fibers can show higher mechanical properties compared to metal alloy materials. It is possible to increase the mechanical properties of glass fiber composite materials by reinforcing with various microparticles. In this study, glass fiber reinforced composite materials were produced by hand lay-up technique, without reinforcement and with Al2O3, SiO2 and mica microparticle reinforcement at various ratios such as 1%, 3% and 5%. These glass fiber composite materials were subjected to tensile and bending tests. Tensile and bending tests were performed with a Shimadzu brand AG-IC test device atroom conditions and with a constant speed of 1 mm/min. At least two tensile and bending samples were tested for each composite material produced. As a result, the highest tensile and bending strength values were obtained in 1% Al2O3microparticle reinforced composite materials. The lowest tensile and bending strength values were obtained in 5% mica microparticle reinforced composite materials. In SEM analysis, it was observed that the glass fibers were not distributed homogeneously in the matrix material, the fibers and the matrix material were broken, voids were formed among the fiber bundles, the fibers were separated from the matrix material and they fractured as bundles in some regions.