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Journal of Applied Polymer Science Volume 98 Issue 2 2005 (Doi 10.1002 - App.22097) Kishore Ravi Shankar S. Sankaran - Short-Beam Three-Point Bend Tests in Syntactic Foams. Part II - Effect of Micro
Journal of Applied Polymer Science Volume 98 Issue 2 2005 (Doi 10.1002 - App.22097) Kishore Ravi Shankar S. Sankaran - Short-Beam Three-Point Bend Tests in Syntactic Foams. Part II - Effect of Micro
ABSTRACT: Epoxy binders containing microballoons scope. The failure features involving the microballoons and
ranging from 38.5 to 57.7% by volume were cast in a mold interface regions are highlighted in this article. The works
and cured, and the resulting slabs were sectioned to yield show the existence of a dependence of strength parameters
short-beam test coupons. The strength changes with micro- on the inter-microballoon distances. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals,
balloons content were noted. These reveal an increase from Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 680 – 686, 2005
3.87 to 5.79 MPa for a decrease in microballoons content
from 57.7 to 38.5%. Mechanical data were correlated with Key words: composites; shear; microballoons content; SBT
fractographic features employing scanning electron micro- strength; density
TABLE I TABLE II
Densities of Constituent Materials for Syntactic Foam Details of Fabricated Syntactic Foam Slabs
Bulk Density Density of the
Materials (kg/m3) Foam Volume % of cast slab Strength in short
designation microballoons (kg/m3) beam test (MPa)
Microspheres 250
Epoxy (LY-556)/hardener (HT-972) Slab 4 38.5 827.5 5.79
(Weight ratio 100 : 27) 1180 Slab 3 50.2 722.5 4.77
Slab 2 54.5 680.0 4.05
Slab 1 57.7 648.8 3.87
Figure 2 Trends in strength with microballoons content for (a) as tested syntactic foams and (b) normalized case bringing
in the matrix strength.
is given a low priority as compared to other mechan- few publications.21–23 Further, as regards the core ma-
ical properties. terials (used in structural sandwich structures), only
To evaluate this less explored shear-related experi- limited reference is available.24 Thus, reports of three-
mental parameter, different testing methods like lap point bending (TPB) test on PVC foam show that core
shear, double lap shear,12 butt, torsion, and compres- shear behavior is better represented by TPB, whereas
sion shear tests13 exist. A greater part of such efforts ISO 1922 specification is unsuitable to correctly mea-
has seen the data being generated by three-point bend sure the core shear strength.24 Another key factor ev-
(short beam) tests.14 –20 Thus, the effects of interface ident from a perusal of the published material is the
control and matrix microstructure on the interlaminar fact that no reports are available on the effect of vari-
shear strength and mode II interlaminar fracture ation of microballoons content on the strength of the
toughness of 5H satin woven C/C composites were syntactic foam in short-beam test conditions. There-
investigated by Hojo et al.14 by three-point short-beam fore, to fill the gap that exists in the literature, the
flexure tests. Blackketter et al.15 studied the evaluation present effort, for the first time, looks at the effect of
of fiber surface treatment and sizing on the shear and microballoons content on the shear strength of the
transverse tensile strengths of carbon fiber-reinforced syntactic foams by short-beam three-point bend (SBT)
thermoset and thermoplastic matrix composites. Cui test. While doing so, the information gathered from
et al.19 studied the failure mechanism in the three- and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination
four-point bending tests. The short beam shear and from the earlier part (i.e., Part I)25 will be made use of
interlaminar shear tests are compared as methods of and the structural variations with respect to filler con-
determining interlaminar shear strength of thermo- tent and its effect on strength, in the short beam tests,
plastic composite rings by Rosselli and Santare.20 will be looked into.
Shear strength studied so far has been limited to nar-
row ranges such as comparison of different shear tests
parameter, and further towards noting the effect of
processing variations like surface treatment of the fill-
ers on the shear strength. It is therefore important to
study the dependence of this parameter on the filler
content so that a better design of the components can
be made, which can extend their service life.
Published reports, which are fewer in number for
syntactic foams, become even scarcer when a search
for a microballoons-filled system concerning the
shear-related properties is conducted. Thus, with re-
gards to glass hollow microballoons-filled epoxy, Figure 3 Low-magnification macropicture of a sample (i.e.,
known as syntactic foams, the available reports on the slab 1) displaying the maximum amount (i.e., 57.7%) of
evaluation of this parameter are mentioned in only a microballoons.
SHORT-BEAM THREE-POINT BEND TESTS. II 683
Figure 4 The distribution of microballoons in another sam- Figure 6 Shear deformation bands on the matrix seen on
ple having 54.5 vol % of microballoons (slab 2). the least microballoons (38.5%) bearing cast and cured slab
(i.e., slab 4).
MATERIALS
All the syntactic foams employed in this study were tion could result in dough formation, was filled into a
prepared by using epoxy matrix consisting of Araldite metallic mold with dimensions of 150 ⫻ 150 ⫻ 25 mm.
LY-556 (bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether) and Hardener Curing cycle employed is same as listed in our previ-
HT-972 (aromatic amine) having resin to hardener ous article.25 Briefly stated, it is cured at room temper-
ratio of 100 : 27 by weight. Epoxy resin having an ature for 24 h, then cured first at 100°C for 4 h fol-
epoxy equivalent weight value of 190, as specified by lowed by postcuring at 160°C for 3 h. Burn-out test at
the manufacturer, is supplied by Vantico Performance 650°C for 4 h was done for the failed short-beam test
Polymers Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai, India). The density of the samples to determine the exact amount of the micro-
cured resin system was 1180 kg/m3. Glass hollow balloons present in each of the specimens. The data
microspheres (called glass microballoons), Ecospheres were useful in knowing the actual microballoons con-
SI (supplied by Grace Electronic Materials, Westerlo, tent and hence in precisely determining the role of
Belgium), constitute the filler material. Density of the microballoons in influencing SBT strength value. De-
glass microballoons is 250 kg/m3. Microballoons, used tails of the compositions of the four different syntactic
here, were chosen in the narrow diameter range of foams slabs, labeled slabs 4 to 1, are listed in ascending
75–90 m for making the two-phase syntactic foams order of vol % for microballoons in Table II.
unlike the earlier section (i.e., Part I25), where they had
a size range of 44 –175 m. Details of the constituents Short-beam three-point bend tests
used in making syntactic foams are given in Table I.
Short-beam three-point loading tests for this series of
experiments were carried out on a MTS 810 model
Materials processing machine. The machine was programmed to apply the
Syntactic foam slabs were processed by varying the load at a constant crosshead rate of 1.3 mm/min. Tests
volume fraction of resin and microballoons. Weighed were performed on samples having dimensions of 3
quantity of resin was heated in a beaker to 95°C upon ⫻ 15 ⫻ 21 mm and conforming to the ratio 1 : 5 : 7 for
which microballoons were added in small lots. The thickness : span length : total length. Five samples
slurry, which, depending upon microballoons propor-
Figure 10 The flow pattern showing the shear deformation Figure 12 A high-magnification micrograph showing as to
bands for the lowest vol % (i.e., 38.5% microballoons) bear- how the matrix responds to deformation when inter-micro-
ing slab 4. balloons (marked A and B) distance is small. Note the lack of
matrix support to accommodate deformation and the atten-
dant defects that spread on the lower right part.
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