Mechanical characterization of nanofiber-reinforced composite adhesives

Tensile and shear strength tests of metal/metal and polymer/polymer joints featuring a new functionalized nanofiber/epoxy composite adhesive were conducted. Strength increase is not as high as we expected (only up to 30%) although we used GCNF-ODA reactive linkers to improve the interface. The moderate strength increase is due to high interfacial stress developed in nanocomposites because of the high stiffness property mismatch, and inefficient interfacial shear stress transfer through shear-lag mechanism. In order to design strong nanocomposite materials, continuous or at least aligned nanofibers/nanotubes should be employed.