Fabrication and Characterization of TiO2 Nanotube-Epoxy Nanocomposites

A systematic study has been conducted to investigate the polymer matrix properties resulting from the introduction of TiO2 nanotubes (1-5% by weight) that had been surface modified with phenyl dichlorophosphate (PDCP), into an epoxy resin. The thermal, mechanical, and combustion properties of the nanocomposites and the neat resin Were measured by thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and microscale combustion calorimetry. The nanofiller infusion improved the thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy resin. The nanocomposites resulted in an increase in the storage modulus and glass transition temperature compared to those of the neat epoxy resin. In addition, the combustion characteristics of the epoxy polymer were effectively improved by addition of the surface-modified nanotubes. Thermogravimetric analysis/infrared spectrometry and direct pyrolysis mass spectrometry confirmed that the TiO2 nanotubes were able to improve the thermal stability and combustion behavior of the polymer matrix because the TNTs retard the release of inflammable gas and change the degradation pathway.