Curvature changes and weight loss of polymeric nano-composite plates with consideration of the thermal cycle fatigue effects and different resin types: An experimental approach

Abstract

The cured shape of nano-composite laminates is one of the most important issues in structural engineering studies due to the direct effects of the curvature on the residual stresses. In this study, the curvature changes and weight loss of nano-composite plates with different epoxy resins are studied. Also, the effects of thermal fatigue, stacking sequence and thickness are investigated experimentally and residual stress relaxation over the time is reported. Experimental results showed that addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can cause different reactions on the various epoxy resins and the effects of addition of nanoparticles highly depend on the resin type and curing condition. It was also stablished that the curvature of lamina is closely dependent on thermal cycling numbers.