Dynamic mechanical and thermogravimetric analysis of glass/hemp reinforced hybrid polymer composites modified with Graphene and MXene fillers

Abstract

Hybrid polymer composites are immensely beneficial in a range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, marine and construction, due to their versatility and adaptability. Therefore, this study examined the thermo-mechanical properties of hybrid polymer composites reinforced with glass and hemp fibers using two different 2D fillers, MXene and graphene. For this purpose, hybrid composites with various layup configuration such as Glass/Hemp (G/H) fiber, Glass/Hemp (G/H) fiber with Graphene filler (G/H-G), and Glass/Hemp fiber with MXene filler (G/H-M) reinforced with epoxy LY 556 with hardener HY951, were used and tested. The composites were fabricated using vacuum bag assisted hand lay-up technique. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was then performed to evaluate the significant viscoelastic parameters, including storage modulus E', loss modulus E'' and damping (Tan δ). In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed to find the residual mass %. The results show that hybrid composites using 2D filler materials exhibited superior dynamic mechanical characteristics and thermal stability compared to pure Glass/Hemp composites. The G/H-M hybrid composite showed the highest storage modulus value. The incorporation of graphene and MXene into the glass-hemp hybrid composites exhibits an identical degradation pattern, resulting in a residual mass increase of up to 44% at temperatures up to 600 °C. The G/H-G hybrid composite demonstrated remarkable thermal stability at elevated temperatures, as well as resistance to deformation.