Investigation of thermal behaviour and mechanical property of the functionalised graphene oxide/epoxy resin nanocomposites

Graphite oxide (GO) and functionalised graphite oxide (FGO) were successfully prepared with -NH₂-terminated GO in the paper, and their chemical structures were characterised with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), UV spectrum analysis and XRD, their microstructures were researched by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and their thermal properties were characterised by TG. The result showed the carbon residue of FGO was 82.1% and the residual char of GO was 48%, the composite materials were prepared with curing for epoxy resin. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, and morphology after impacting tests of composite materials were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, tensile and charpy impact tests and SEM. The result showed when the 0.2% FGO was filled into the epoxy, the tensile strength was 55.4 MPa, the impact strength was 17.3 KJ/m², the flexural strength was 82 MPa, and the flexural modulus was 2760 MPa. The mechanical properties of composite materials were higher than those of pure epoxy and improved the strength and toughness of epoxy nanocomposites.