Enhancement of thermoset polymer properties incorporating modified graphene

Abstract

Thermoset polymers are extensively used across various industries due to their superior mechanical and thermal properties. However, their inherent limited flexibility and low tensile strength have constrained their application in high-performance fields. This study explores the reinforcement of thermoset polymers with modified graphene, specifically graphene oxide (GO), to overcome these limitations. GO is chemically or physically treated to enhance its dispersion and compatibility with thermoset polymers. Epoxy resin is used as the thermoset polymer, and GO is incorporated in varying weight percentages (0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5) using a solution mixing technique. The resultant GO/epoxy nanocomposites are characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). Mechanical testing reveals that incorporating 0.3 wt.% GO into the epoxy matrix increases hardness and flexural strength by 11% and 28.48%, respectively, compared to pure epoxy. These findings indicate that GO-epoxy nanocomposites exhibit superior properties, highlighting their potential applications in the automotive, aerospace, and electronic industries