Fabrication of Glass Fiber Composite: A Practical Approach

Abstract

Because of numerous applications, high standard performance, and desired level of characteristics various fillers are blended in with the composite materials to conserve material expenses, to build the standard of composites, enhance production techniques, and to upgrade item quality. As such, improvements in the physical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties of this class of materials are still under research for selecting their suitable components and fabrication technique to meet different applications criterion. These days usually utilized fillers are carbon dark, calcium carbonate, mud, alumina, alumina trihydrate, magnesium hydroxide, bone powder, coconut powder, hematite powder, TiO2, SiO2, ZnS, graphite, and so forth. Therefore, it is conceived that different types of composites are required for different applications which deserve the individual type of fabrication process and technique. Commercially these techniques are very important to the manufacturers to select their intended production method. These ultimately help the industry to maintain the properties of the composites, meet the requirement of intended demand, and as well as the expectation of the customers in the practical field. In this work, the epoxy-based glass fiber composites modified with some functional filler are prepared in traditional hand lay-up strategy followed by a light pressure applying measure. Accordingly, with a fixed weight percentage of plain woven fiber glass and epoxy matrix, four distinct kinds of modifying fillers like Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3), Magnesium Oxide (MgO), and Titanium Oxide (TiO2) or Copper Oxide (CuO) at various weight proportions (5, 10 and 15 gm) are added. The purity of these functional fillers was not possible to ensure as these were collected from the available local vendors in the market and may have some property variations. In the beginning, fiber mats are cut into a size of 200×150 mm2. Matrix is prepared by mixing unsaturated epoxy (LY556) as well as hardener Araldite (HY951) in the following ratio - 10:1 - and adding the filler material (powder particle) in various wt (%) intermittently into the mixture. In order to obtain the desired level of homogeneity, the mixer is stirred using a magnetic stirrer for a period of 10-15 minutes. OHP sheets are then placed on the floor and the mold is prepared accordingly. Subsequently, the wax is applied to the mold for easily removing the composite from the OHP sheet. At that point, the blended solution is applied to the mold to get the increasing strength and toughness in the prepared composite. The fiber tangle is kept as a first layer and moved appropriately on the tangle by a roller. Again the blended mixture is applied to the primary layer of fiber and overflowed with an appropriate way. Then, the second layer of fiber mats are kept over the principal layer and applied blended mixture and again applied pressure appropriately. Back to back five layers were then shaped up to get the necessary thickness. The complete fabrication process of composites is carried out at ambient temperature. Finally, the laminates are allowed for curing in atmospheric conditions for two days. It is mentioned here that all the composites are prepared in the same way and similar light compression pressure is applied in all the cases.