Influence of silica aerogel filler on strength-to-weight ratio of carbon/epoxy composite made by vacuum resin infusion

Abstract

Thermoset matrix composites are a competitive solution in high-performance applications due to their superior characteristics. Several previous studies have shown that the addition of particles to thermosetting resins-particularly epoxy resins, which are currently the most widely used-can improve many of the physical properties of composites. In this context, this study aims to investigate the effect of silica aerogel content on the mechanical and weight properties of composites made via vacuum infusion. The results have shown that the strength-toweight ratio increases with increasing filler percentage. However, the experiments also made it possible to recognise process limits, which occur when the percentage of aerogel in the resin exceeds 2%.