Accelerated Weathering on Glass Fiber/Epoxy/Organo-montmorillonite Nanocomposites

The glass fiber/epoxy composites with different loading of organo-montmorillonite (OMMT) were prepared using the hand lay-up technique. The effects of OMMT loading on the mechanical and morphological properties of glass fiber/epoxy/OMMT nanocomposites have been investigated. In this study, the effect of UV exposure on flexural properties and fracture toughness of glass fiber/ epoxy/OMMT nanocomposites has been studied using accelerated weathering test. The epoxy hybrid nanocomposites were subjected to UV radiation for 100 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy were performed to characterize the fractography of the glass fiber/epoxy/OMMT nanocomposites. The XRD analysis showed that glass fiber/epoxy/OMMT (1-3 wt%) exhibit exfoliated structures while glass fiber/epoxy/OMMT (4 wt%) showed intercalated structures. The retention-ability in flexural modulus and strength of epoxy hybrid nanocomposites after being subjected to accelerated weathering are considerably excellent. However, the fracture toughness of the glass fiber/epoxy/OMMT nanocomposites was reduced upon exposure to UV radiation.