Investigation of production of glass fiber and graphene nanotube reinforced LED curing polyester composite

Developing technology and industrialization have led to the discovery and development of new materials, enabling the production of composites with high mechanical and physical properties as well as high corrosion resistance, hardness, temperature, lightness and electrical conductivity. In addition to glass or carbon fiber reinforcement in polymer composite production, the production of nanoparticle added composites has increased significantly in recent years. In this context, Graphene Nanotubes (GNT) have attracted the attention of researchers in recent years due to their good hardness, outstanding strength, electrical properties, excellent optics, ultra-low weight and thermal properties. Although polymer technology cured with Light Emitting Diode (LED) is used in certain areas, its use in engineering applications is a very new subject. Photoinitiator-containing polymer matrices allow rapid curing under LED light of a certain wavelength. Thus, composite production rates increase and the use of peroxides, which are in the dangerous substance class, can be reduced. In addition, since the polymerization starts from the surface under LED light, a significant reduction in styrene emissions during the production process can be achieved. In the study, LED-cured polyester resin (LED-PE) containing photoinitiator was used as matrix material, glass fiber as reinforcement and graphene nanotube (GNT), known as single-walled carbon nanotube. Woven glass fiber and GNT at the rates of 0%, 0.001%, 0.003%, 0.005%, 0.01%, and 0.015% were added as reinforcement material in the composite production. Experiments were carried out by producing two groups of composites, GNT added LED-PE composite and glass fiber woven reinforced GNT LED-PE composite with these ratios. Gelling time, gelling temperature, peak exotherm and curing temperature, viscosity and rheological properties were investigated for uncured resin properties. On the LED-PE composites with GNT produced, flexural strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, elastic limit, elongation percentage, compressive strength, Shore-D hardness, impact strength, thermal conductivity tests and impedance spectroscopy, SEM, FT-IR and TGA analyzes were applied. In conclusion; High-performance polymer composite with LED-cured Polyester matrix, glass fiber and GNT reinforcement with superior mechanical, physical and electrical properties that can be used in industrial applications has been produced.