Enhancement of Interlaminar Shear Strength and Wear Resistance of E‐Glass Fiber/Epoxy Composite With ZnO Nanoparticle‐Anchored Graphene Oxide

The present work is focused on developing and characterizing multiscale epoxy (EP)‐based composite reinforced with E‐glass chopped strand mat (CSM) and ZnO nanoparticle‐anchored graphene oxide nanoplatelets (ZnO@GONPs). The formation of nano‐ZnO on the GONP surface was verified through X‐ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), and elemental X‐ray mapping analyses. The multiscale E‐glass CSM/EP composites incorporating varying loadings of ZnO@GONPs in the matrix (ranging from 0 to 0.8 wt.% in 0.2 wt.% increments) were fabricated and subjected to the short beam shear and dry‐sliding wear tests. According to the results, the 0.2 and 0.4 wt.% ZnO@GONPs‐loaded composites exhibited the highest interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and the most favorable wear behavior, respectively. Incorporating 0.2 wt.% ZnO@GONPs resulted in enhancement of 36.7% in ILSS of the E‐glass CSM/EP composite. Moreover, at a loading of 0.4 wt.% ZnO@GONPs, the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate of E‐glass CSM/EP composite dropped by 28.3% and 36.3%, respectively. Detailed analyses of the fracture and worn surfaces were also conducted to elucidate the mechanisms contributing to the enhancement of mechanical properties.