Improving the mechanical performance of peek matrix composites with nano additives

Polymer-based materials have now begun to provide alternatives to metal and ceramic-based materials. Polymer-based materials are widely used in automotive, medical, space and aviation, electronics, construction and many other industrial fields. In addition to their performance and cost advantages, polymer materials also have disadvantages such as melting temperatures and mechanical performance properties. These disadvantages, which restrict the use of polymer materials in more application areas, are being tried to be eliminated by polymeric composite materials produced by adding different types of additives to the matrix polymer. In this context, researchers are conducting a lot of work to improve the properties of polymeric composites. Studies in the literature have clearly demonstrated that polymer matrix composites are produced by adding many additives in the form of nano/micro-sized particles or fibers to polymer materials, and that the mechanical properties of the polymer improve as a result of the tests performed on these materials. It is known that there is a lack of information about polymeric composites due to the large number of polymers and additive materials. For this reason, polymeric composites are among the issues that need to be researched and presented with evidence. In this study, composite production of different ratios of graphene nano platelet (GNP) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nano additives to the thermoplastic polyether ether ketone (PEEK) polymer material, which is one of the engineering polymers generally used in aircraft and aviation applications, was produced by the hot press method. The effects of these two carbon-based nano additives on the mechanical properties of the polymer matrix were examined. The production of tensile, impact, three-point bending and hardness test samples required for the examination of mechanical properties was completed with the help of mechanical mixing and hot press. While the increase in the highest hardness value was 15% with the 5% MWCNT additive by weight, there was a slight increase with the GNP additive. Tensile and yield strengths increased with both nano additives to the PEEK matrix, and the highest tensile strength was observed with a 40% increase with a 10% MWCNT additives by weight. The bending test revealed that the structure became brittle and the bending strength decreased at more than 0.5% MWCNT by weight and 1% GNP by weight. In the impact test results, it was seen that MWCNT increased the strength by 200% and GNP increased the strength by more than 300% at an additive rate of 0.1% by weight. The SEM analysis revealed the agglomeration and matrix/additive interfacial bonding in the structure.