Synergistic Effects of Halloysite Nanotubes and Montmorillonite on the Mechanical Behavior of E‐Glass Fiber/Epoxy Composite

ABSTRACT This work explores the mechanical properties of E‐glass fiber/epoxy (GF/EP) composite under the simultaneous addition of halloysite nanotubes (HNT) and montmorillonite (MMT). With this aim, fixed total HNT‐MMT contents of 1 and 3 wt.% were utilized in the EP matrix. For each loading level, five series of specimens with varying HNT‐to‐MMT weight ratios (0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0) were fabricated. Mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated using tensile, bending, impact, and mode I fracture toughness tests. Results showed that the simultaneous inclusion of HNT and MMT significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the GF/EP composite. The best tensile, flexural, and impact strengths were observed in the 1H25M75 specimen (1 wt.% total nanofiller: 25% HNT & 75% MMT). Compared with the unmodified GF/EP composite, this specimen showed improvements of 55%, 57%, and 58% in tensile, flexural, and impact strengths, respectively. Furthermore, the 1H25M75 specimen showed 58% and 128% increases in crack initiation and propagation fracture toughness, respectively, over the unmodified specimen. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed enhanced GF‐matrix interfacial bonding in nanofiller‐reinforced composites. Given their improved mechanical properties, the developed HNT–MMT reinforced GF/EP composites have potential applications in high‐performance components like aerospace, automotive, and marine structures.