Dual nanofiller strategy for enhanced mechanical properties in carbon fiber reinforced polyamide blends

Abstract The polyamide/thermoplastic copolyester (PA/CoPe) blend is unique among the limited selection of thermoplastic matrices due to its enhanced mechanical and physical characteristics. Exploring the sway of silane-treated silica and graphene nanofillers on the mechanical behavior of short carbon fiber/PA6/CoPe blend (CF/PA blend) composites is the central aim of this work. Two distinct nanocomposites were made by extrusion and injection molding. The first incorporated silica nanofillers, while the second used a combination of graphene and silica. Hardness, tensile, short beam, flexure, and impact tests were performed to ascertain the effect of the nanofillers on mechanical behavior. Experimentally, nanofillers noticeably improved the composite’s mechanical properties, with silane treatment fostering superior nanofiller-matrix bonding. The synergistic effect of silica and graphene led to a significant 32.3 % increase in interlaminar shear strength. Moreover, this combination yielded substantial gains in hardness (14.1 %), tensile strength (16 %), flexural strength (19 %), and impact strength (33.2 %) over the unfilled blend. Conversely, using 1.5 % silica as the sole reinforcement resulted in smaller increases of 8.5 %, 5.6 %, 5.4 %, and 8.5 % for the same mechanical attributes. Together, these nanofillers improve network structure formation and silica and graphene dispersion, strengthening the CF/PA blend composite’s mechanical characteristics. Additionally, this will open the door to creative structural engineering designs and more environmentally friendly solutions.