Modification of epoxy resin by silane-coupling agent to improve tensile properties of viscose fabric composites

摘要

The modification of epoxy resin by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to improve the tensile properties of warp knitted viscose fabric composites is reported in this study. The study evaluates the efficiency of modification methods adopted to modify the epoxy resin and the influence of the resin modification on various properties of the cured castings. The influence of matrix resin modification on the tensile properties of viscose fabric composite is compared to those prepared from chemically modified fibre. The efficiency of the modification was determined through titration method to determine the epoxide content of epoxy resin, viscosity measurement and FTIR. The effect of APTES modification on various properties of cured castings is studied through differential scanning calorimeter, contact angle measurement and tensile testing. The addition of APTES into the epoxy resin decreased the epoxide content in the resin as evident from the titration method. The tensile strength of cured castings decreased after the resin modification. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the viscose fabric composites prepared from modified resin, increased up to 14 and 41%, respectively. The improved adhesion of APTES-modified epoxy resin to the viscose fibre is confirmed from SEM analysis of tensile fracture surface.