Study of mechanical, flame, and water stability of phenolic resin/carbon fiber/nanosilica composites

Phenolic resin-carbon fiber composites are used in various industries due to their high flame resistance, high strength to weight ratio, and high thermal stability as an insulator. In this study, to expand the applications of this composite in marine structures, phenolic resin-carbon fiber-nanosilica composites were fabricated with eight layers of twill carbon fibers and 0, 1, 2, and 3 wt% of nanosilica then flexural and flame resistance was investigated. To evaluate the stability of the composites in seawater, the samples were placed in seawater for 30, 60, and 90 days then the flexural test was performed and the percentage of strength reduction was calculated. Thermogravimetric analyzer test was performed on a sample that had the highest strength after 90-day immersion. Finally, it was found that nanosilica particles had a significant effect on increasing the flexural strength and flame resistance of samples so that the sample with 3 wt% silica had flexural strength and burning rate of 690 MPa, 0.098 g/s, respectively.

Automated summary

Phenolic resin-carbon fiber-nanosilica composites with improved flexural strength and flame resistance were fabricated and evaluated for stability in seawater in this study. It was found that nanosilica particles significantly enhanced the mechanical and fire performance of the composites.