Investigations on mechanical characteristics of nano silica reinforced aa2024t3 e glass epoxy fiber metal laminate composite

Abstract

Fiber Metal Laminate (FML) is a hybrid composite material that newlinecombines thin, high-strength aluminum alloy sheets with plies of newlinefiber-reinforced epoxy adhesive, offering the advantages of both metal and newlinecomposite materials. The first generation of FML, called ARALL (Aramid newlineReinforced Aluminum Laminate), utilized aramid fibers, while the second newlinegeneration, known as GLARE (Glass Laminate Aluminum Reinforced newlineEpoxy), employed high-strength glass fibers. GLARE was classified into newlinegrades ranging from GLARE 1 to GLARE 7, based on the orientation of the newlineunidirectional glass fibers in the prepreg. The material found applications in newlinevarious sectors due to its metal and composite properties, including fatigue newlineand impact strength. Before fabricating the laminate, both sides of the newlineGLARE sheets were anodized and coated with a corrosion-preventing primer. newlineThe inclusion of metal in the composite structure made FML suitable for newlinehigh-temperature applications due to their excellent thermal stability. GLARE newlineoffered a lightweight, damage-tolerant, and cost-effective option for aircraft newlinestructural designs, featuring outstanding fatigue resistance, high specific static newlinecharacteristics, ease of production, and excellent impact resistance. newline This research focuses on investigating the effect of nano-silica as a newlinesecondary reinforcement in an epoxy resin matrix on the bonding between newlinealuminum and glass fiber in the fabrication of fiber metal laminate composites. newlineDifferent compositions of nano-silica ranging from 0 wt.% to 7 wt.% were newlinedispersed in the epoxy matrix to create hybrid laminates. newline