The Effect of Boron Nanoparticle Reinforcement on the Structural and Mechanical Performance of Nanocomposites and Bonded Joints Exposed to an Acid Environment

Abstract

Polymer materials and adhesively bonded metal joints are subjected to different harsh environments, resulting in degradation in their structural and mechanical properties. The objective of the presented research is to investigate in detail the effect of the sulfuric acid (H<inf>2</inf>SO<inf>4</inf>) environment on the structural and mechanical performance of boron nanoparticles reinforced epoxy-based composites and adhesively bonded joints. Epoxy-based composites and single lap joint (SLJ) samples were produced with and without 2 wt% silane-modified boron nanoparticles (BN and B<inf>4</inf>C) to that end. The epoxy composites and SLJ samples were exposed to H<inf>2</inf>SO<inf>4</inf> solution at 40 °C for 20, 40 and 60 days to assess the effect of acid environment, exposure time and boron nanoparticles. The weight gain, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses were performed to examine the interaction of the composites with the acid environment, while Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and tensile tests were performed to specify the changes in mechanical properties of the epoxy composites. Similarly, a tensile test was applied to examine the effects of the acid environment on the SLJ samples. When the results were analyzed, it was seen that the boron nanoparticles reinforced composites and bonded joint samples showed higher performance in terms of structural and mechanical properties in the acid environment compared to the unreinforced samples. Degradation of epoxy composites and bonded SLJ samples in the acid environment was significantly improved with boron nanoparticle reinforcement to the epoxy. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd