Mechanical and thermal properties of a nanocomposite made of a polymer matrix reinforced by a binary nanoparticle TiO2 - SiO2 produced by sol-gel method

Abstract This study investigated the effect of adding 5% wt of SiO 2 -TiO 2 nanoparticles to polyester-fiberglass on the structural, mechanical and thermal behaviours of the nanocomposite. For this purpose, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to examine the surface modification and morphology of the nanocomposites. After the heat treatment of this materialat different compositions, it was observed that its crystalline state was changed and a rutile structure appeared in the treated nanofillers. However, the presence of SiO2 seemed to prevent the complete conversion to this structure. Hence, this change in the microstate affected the mechanical and behavior of the nanocomposite. Indeed, theaddition of 5% wt divided in 75%SiO2-25%TiO2 to the nanocomposite increasedits Young’s modulus by 15.15% and its microhardness by 14%. Furthermore, in terms of thermal behaviour, the addition of 5% wt divided in 75%SiO2-25%TiO2 yieldeda thermal resistance of TG = 49.66 °C. These results would imply the production of nanocomposite with a specific high resistance, a high modulus and a good fatigue resistance which would present a potential replacement for other materials in various industrial applications.