Effect of reduced graphene oxide on mechanical behavior of an epoxy adhesive in glassy and rubbery states

Abstract

The mechanical behavior of an adhesive, in neat state and reinforced with up to 0.5 wt% of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was investigated here. Tests were done at temperatures between the ambient temperature and the glass transition temperature (T_g $)$ of the adhesive. Using a metal mold, cured plates of the neat and RGO reinforced epoxy adhesive were prepared. The adhesive powder and the bulk dumbbell-shaped specimens, obtained from cured adhesive plates, were subjected to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile tests, respectively, to obtain the T_g as well as mechanical properties of the adhesives. The results indicated that adding RGO up to 0.5 wt% increased the glass transition temperature, the modulus of elasticity, and the strength of the adhesive. It was found that the presence of RGO reduced the adhesive’s strain at the break at the ambient temperature. However, at high temperatures, near the T_g, the ultimate strain of RGO-reinforced adhesives decreased slightly when compared to the ultimate strain of the neat specimens. This explains the reduction in toughness at ambient temperature obtained by adding RGO and the increase at high temperatures. Finally, the failure morphology of the neat and RGO-reinforced adhesive specimens was investigated using microscopic imaging of the specimens’ failure cross-sections, which supported and justified the experimental observations.