Silicon

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-019-00297-0

ORIGINAL PAPER

Low Velocity Impact and Mechanical Behaviour of Shot Blasted SiC

Received: 19 March 2019 / Accepted: 10 October 2019

Abstract
In this research the effect of adding silicon carbide nano whiskers (SiCw) into epoxy resin and the impact of reinforcing surface
treated SiC wire-mesh (SiCwm) and woven aloevera/hemp/flax fibers (NF) were studied. The principal aim of this work was
demonstrating the importance of adding SiCw (0.5 and 1.0 vol.%) and SiC wire-mesh with economical natural fibres (50 vol.%)
and silane surface treatment on natural fibres in mechanical and low velocity impact behavior. The SiCw and natural fibres were
surface treated by 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane whereas SiC wire-mesh was shot blasted. The composites were cured at room
temperature using an aliphatic hardener Triethylenetetramine (TETA). The strength factor results showed that the silane surface
modified composite designation ‘H4’ gave highest normalized strength of 98%. The highest tensile and flexural strength of 141
and 240 MPa was observed for silane surface modified composite designation ‘H4’. The low velocity impact damage behavior of
‘H4’ composite designation showed higher resistance against to penetration. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) morpho-
logical images showed uniform dispersion of surface-modified SiCw in epoxy resin. Similarly the silane treated natural fibre and
shot blasted SiC wire-mesh given improved adhesion with matrix. These high damping polymer composites offers their appli-
cation in automobile, structural and domestic sector.

Keywords Polymer matrix composite . SiC wire-mesh . SiC whiskers . Mechanical properties . Impact damage characteristics

1 Introduction component applications [1]. The low weight to size ratio, sim-
ple fabrication methods and economical process methodolo-
High impact damage resistance polymer matrix composites gies are the key advantages hence, these composites as a high
are promising materials in structural, automobile and space potential material for many engineering applications [2].
Natural fibre reinforced polymer composites serve enormous
applications as synthetic fibres, hence lot of demand raised for
* V. R. Arun Prakash
[email protected]
natural fibre-reinforced polymer matrix composites. The nat-
ural fibre-reinforced polymer matrix composites also have at-
1
Department of Automobile Engineering, B.S.Abdur Rahman tractive features like eco-friendly nature, cheaper in its class
University, Chennai, India and high cost effective [3]. The addition of natural fibres into
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prathyusha Engineering polymers may improve the mechanical properties but inferior
College, Anna University, Chennai, India in impact damage characteristics and thermal stability phe-
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sriram Engineering nomenon. In view of eco-friendly and cheaper in cost the
College, Anna University, Chennai, India valuable mechanical strength and thermal stability found to
4
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha School of be lower in these types of natural composites. To overcome
Engineering, Chennai, India these issue metal or ceramic wire-meshes would be reinforced
5
Department of Mechanical Engineering, MEA Engineering college, into polymer matrix composite. SiC micro wire-mesh could
Malapuram, Kerala, India be selected as reinforcement because of its high wear resis-
6
Department of Mechanical Engineering, J.N.N Institute of tance, good thermo-mechanical properties and excellent
Engineering, Anna University, Chennai, India chemical resistance. Similarly the special properties like wear
 Silicon

resistance, dielectric, magnetic and electromagnetic could be Amino-silanes could be used as surface treating elements
developed by the additions of ultra fine metallic or ceramic where silane substance covers the fibre and even whiskers as
particles [4, 5]. Whiskers are pure and defect free materials a cap. The attached NH2 functional group further reacts with
could offer better mechanical and thermal properties on com- epoxy resin thereby the interfacial adhesion could be im-
paring with multi grain particles. In general particle may con- proved. The silane surface-modification could be done via
tain residual stress and voids hence they may led the particle to aqueous-solution method where low process parameters are
deform quickly under external loading. But in whiskers they employed such as low operating temperature, no atmospheric
are single crystal materials and not having defects (theoreti- constrains, low pressure process and also economically sound
cally). These characteristics woo whiskers as potential mate- [12]. Gokul Dass et al. [13] studied the effect of ply orientation
rials to boost mechanical and thermal properties in polymer and stacking sequence of composite in various mechanical
matrix composites compare than particle. SiC nano whiskers properties. They reported that the stacking sequence of
could be selected as second phase additions because of its high aligned orientation with 0°/0°/0° produced better results
tensile and flexural modulus, high network forming ability, among all composites.
lower density, very low thermal expansion coefficient, and From the previous studies it is clear that stacking se-
good thermal conductivity and relatively cheaper than com- quence of fibre, wire mesh and particle addition fetched
pare than other oxide whiskers [6, 7]. Particle volume of 0.5 better thermo-mechanical results in polymer composites.
and 1.0 could be selected since more volume of whiskers may But the combined effect of surface-treated wire mesh, si-
create negative effects in strength improving due to agglom- lane treated natural fibre and SiC whiskers in thermo-
eration issues. mechanical properties were not reported yet. Thus this
Junwei Gu et al. [8] fabricated and analyzed a high thermal current study focused on the above stated properties with
conductivity polystyrene/SiCw/SiCp nano-composite. The surface-treated second phase additions. The hybrid com-
authors reported that addition of 40 vol.% of surface- posites could be prepared using hand layup method where
functionalized SiCw and SiCp in the volume fraction (3:1) low process parameters like low pressure, low tempera-
improved the thermal conductivity of native polystyrene from ture and easy molding techniques were employed. Thus
0.18 W/mK to 1.29 W/mK. Moreover the thermal stability this present study aims to expose the importance of
and dielectric constant also were increased by this addition. adding surface-treated metal wire-mesh along with natural
This improvement is because of effective network formability fibres while making polymer matrix composites and iden-
of functionalized SiCw than SiCp on matrix medium. Surface tifying the best natural fibre among the natural fibre coun-
modification of reinforcements could improve mechanical terparts. These mechanically strengthened impact damage
and thermal properties in polymer matrix composites. The resistance improved hybrid composites could be used in
surface modification may activates reactive functional groups automobile body manufacturing, surveillance aero-plane
on reinforcement’s surface thereby improves the chemical at- manufacturing, structural and domestic appliances
tachment between reinforcement and matrix [9 and 10]. The manufacturing industries.
SiC wire-mesh could be surface treated by shot blasting it by
very small spherical balls with controlled pressure. In the re-
sult of shot blasting the wire-mesh surface acquire macro pits, 2 Experimental
which may improve adhesion with matrix by inter-locking
principle. Karunagaran et al. [9] studied the effect of surface 2.1 Materials
treated (shot blasted) stainless steel wire-mesh in epoxy resin
composite. They confirmed that surface treated wire-mesh The epoxy resin used for this present study was a liquid
improved adhesion with matrix due to self locking of resin. diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol-A (DGEBA) type epoxy resin
Similarly Julyes et al. [10] studied the effect of silane surface- (Huntsman India Ltd. Mumbai, Araldite LY556) having
modified iron(III) oxide particle in thermo-mechanical behav- density of 1.18 g/cm3 with an equivalent weight per epoxide
ior of epoxy resin composite. Their research study explicated group of 195 g/mol at 25 °C. Triethylenetetramine
that the silane modified iron(III) oxide particles improved me- an aliphatic hardener having density of 0.98 g/cm3 was
chanical and thermal stability of epoxy composite. The silane used as curing agent. The silane surface modifier 3-
surface-treatment process have an advantage over acid and Aminopropyletriethoxysilane and SiC nano whisker of length
base surface treatment techniques since there would be no < 2.5 μm with density of 3.22 g/ml was purchased from Sigma
alteration in cross-sectional area, whereas in acid and base Aldrich, USA. Figure 1(a) shows the scanning electron mi-
reaction the cross section of fibre get reduces, which may croscopy (SEM) image of SiC nano whisker. The whiskers
led poor load bearing characteristics [11]. Hence the silane having diameter of 10–15 nm and in linear form, 1(b) shows
surface-treatment could be a foremost method to activate the woven hemp fibre (Cannabis sativa) of cross tex width of 2–
reinforcement’s surface with reactive functional groups. 3 mm with weft of 1.5 mm, Fig. 1(c) shows woven aloevera