Interlaminar fracture toughness properties of hybrid glass fiber-reinforced composite interlayered with carbon nanotube using electrospray deposition

The electrospray deposition (ESD) method was used to deposit carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto the surface of glass fiber (GF). The morphology of the hybrid CNTs-GF was analyzed using a field emission scanning electron microscope, and the images indicated that the CNTs were uniformly and homogenously deposited onto the GF's surface. Laminated composite based on GF and hybrid CNTs-GF were then fabricated via vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding. The mode I interlaminar fracture tough-ness was measured using the double cantilever beam test method. The hybrid CNTs-GF showed a 34% increase in fracture toughness relative to the control sample. The mechanism of interlaminar fracture toughness enhance-ment was elucidated via fractography, where fiber brid-ging, adhesive and cohesive failures, hackles, and coarse matrix surface were observed along the crack pathways.

Automated summary

The study utilized the ESD method to deposit CNTs onto the surface of GF, followed by fabricating laminated composites with enhanced fracture toughness. The hybrid CNTs-GF exhibited a 34% increase in fracture toughness compared to the control sample, with fractography revealing mechanisms such as fiber bridging and different failure modes contributing to this enhancement.