Impact of flyash on mechanical and Visco-elastic properties of woven glass fabric-epoxy composites and their correlation with interfacial interaction parameters

This study presents a novel approach to enhance the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of woven glass fabric reinforced epoxy composites through the strategic incorporation of fly ash. Composites with 5–20 wt% FA were fabricated using hand lay-up followed by compression molding. Comprehensive characterization, including tensile, flexural, and dynamic mechanical analysis, revealed that 15 wt% FA yielded optimal improvements in mechanical and viscoelastic properties. These enhancements are attributed to superior fiber-matrix and filler-matrix interfacial bonding and uniform FA dispersion within the matrix. The findings not only validate FA as an eco-friendly and cost-effective filler but also advance the understanding of filler-matrix interaction in composite systems using a novel correlation between interface interaction factors (N, C, and b) and mechanical properties.