A review on improved physical and thermal properties of oxide nanoparticles reinforced epoxy composites

Abstract

Epoxy resins are well-known because of their desirable thermal and mechanical characteristics in a variety of fields, including the automotive, construction, and aerospace sectors. However, the inherent brittle nature of highly cross-linked epoxy resins generally leads to weakness in resisting the formation of cracks and their movement. The brittleness of the epoxy resins is one of the major obstacles inhibiting its use at a wider scale. Therefore, many researchers focused on reinforcement of epoxy resins by different types of nanostructures including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), organic/inorganic nanofillers to provide higher strength, without diminishing other essential thermo-physical characteristics of the nanocomposites. Most of the review articles focused on the CNT-reinforced epoxy composites and very limited review articles are available that focus on the oxide nanofiller reinforced epoxy composites. In this review article, epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with alumina (Al2O3), titania (TiO2), silica (SiO2), and zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles have been investigated. The influence of the oxide nanoparticles in modifying the physical and thermal properties of the epoxy nanocomposites has been presented, compared, and critically analysed to optimize the performance of epoxy nanocomposites.