Sains Malaysiana 43(4)(2014): 603–609

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Graphene Oxide Filled Epoxy Nanocomposites

(Sifat Mekanik dan Terma Nanokomposit Epoksi Berpengisi Grafin Oksida)

NOORHAFANITA NORHAKIM¹, SAHRIM HJ. AHMAD¹, CHIN HUA CHIA¹*

& NAY MING HUANG²

¹School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

²Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Received: 20 July 2012/Accepted: 14 August 2013

ABSTRACT

In this study, graphene oxide (GO) filled epoxy nanocomposites were prepared using hot pressed method. The GO was produced using modified Hummers' method. The produced GO at different compositions (0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 wt%) were mixed with epoxy before the addition of hardener using ultra-sonication. The produced epoxy nanocomposites were characterized in terms of mechanical and thermal properties. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were significantly enhanced by the addition of GO. About 50% of increment in the flexural strength of the composite sample filled with 0.3 wt% of GO as compared to the neat epoxy sample. However, only slight improvement in the impact strength of the composite were obtained by adding 0.1 wt% of GO.

Keywords: Epoxy; graphene oxide; mechanical; nanocomposite

ABSTRAK

Dalam kajian ini komposit epoksi berpengisi grafin oksida (GO) disediakan menggunakan kaedah penekanan panas. GO tersebut dihasilkan melalui kaedah Hummers. Penyediaan campuran GO pada komposisi yang berbeza (0.1, 0.3 dan 0.5 wt%) bersama epoksi dilakukan dengan ultrasonik sebelum penambahan agen pengeras. Pencirian sifat mekanik dan terma nanokomposit epoksi dijalankan. Sifat mekanik nanokomposit berjaya dipertingkatkan dengan penambahan GO. Kekuatan lenturan bagi sampel 0.3 wt% GO meningkat sebanyak 50% jika dibandingkan dengan epoksi tanpa pengisi. Walau bagaimanapun, peningkatan yang sedikit telah diperoleh bagi kekuatan impak nanokomposit berpengisi 0.1 wt% GO.

Kata kunci: Epoksi; grafin oksida; mekanik; nanokomposit

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*Corresponding author; email: chia@ukm.my