FTIR investigation and performance evaluation of nano-sized indium oxide-epoxy composite

Purpose The purpose is to investigate the effect of Indium oxide nanoparticles on thermoset epoxy. In more details, the filler used is pure Indium oxide nanoparticles (50 nm) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis (FTIR) analyses has been done to understand the structural changes on epoxy network. Also, the effect of Indium oxide on the epoxy matrix is explored comprehensively to encompass the thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. Accordingly, a series of experiments have been conducted and are presented in the next section. Design/methodology/approach In all the experiments, the polymerisation of epoxy was carried out under constant pressure (1 atm) and temperature (30 °C) using a water bath. The monomers of epoxy were mixed according to the stoichiometric ratio recommended by providing Company to ensure getting the optimum properties after curing the samples. To create a mixture, three concentrations (1%, 3% and 5%, w/w) of the indium oxide nanoparticles In2O3 NP were manually added to the polymer solution. After that, the samples were dried for 4 h at 40 °C in a drying oven and then they are post-cured for 24 h at ambient temperature. Findings Interestingly, the FTIR spectra showed that there are aromatic rings in the nanocomposites structure which might be responsible for the notable increase in mechanical strength and thermal stability. Further, an enhancement in electrical properties has been observed. In general, the results are promising and might open up many applications of such system (i.e. Indium oxide/epoxy) in many areas such as conductive coatings, electrical and electronic gadgets, alternative energy……….etc. Originality/value While there are many studies used different types of metal-oxide fillers to produce epoxy nanocomposite, a little amount of work has been reported on indium oxide in the last decade. Most the reported studies are limited to exploring the impact of Indium tin oxide nanopowders on the composite’s electrical and optical properties. Here, the work is different than these studies. The filler used is pure Indium oxide nanoparticles (50 nm) and FTIR analyses has been done. Further, the effect of Indium oxide on the epoxy matrix is explored comprehensively, for the first time, to encompass the thermal, electrical and mechanical properties.