Short-Beam Three-Point Bend Test Study in Syntactic Foam. Part III: Effects of Interface Modification on Strength and Fractographic Features

摘要

Syntactic foam slabs having uncoated microballoons and paraffin oil surface-treated microballoons were fabricated and tested for short-beam three-point bend test. The work points to the role of paraffin oil coating first weakening the interface between the microballoons and the matrix and hence lowering the efficiency of load transfer from matrix to the fillers (i.e., microballoons). This led to an overall decrement of 71% in the experimentally measured strength value compared to the deduced value for uncoated microballoons specimens. The large strengths for uncoated microballoons specimens can be traced to the presence of the curvilinear marks in the matrix that, incidentally, are absent in the case of paraffin oil coated specimens. These observations are revealed distinctly in the microscopy of test-failed specimens.