Preparation and Properties of Nano‐SiO2/Epoxy Composites Cured by Mannich Amine

Nano‐SiO2/epoxy composites cured by Mannich Amine (type T‐31) were prepared and studied and the results are reported in this paper. The nano‐SiO2 was pretreated by a silane coupling agent (type KH‐550) and mixed with epoxy resin (type E‐51) using an ultrasonic processor. Amounts of filler loading ranged from 1% to 5% of the weight of the epoxy resin. Some properties of the resulting composites were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results of tensile tests and impact tests showed that the composite with 3% nano‐SiO2 loading presented the best mechanical performances. The tribological performance and thermal stability of the materials were also improved with the addition of nano‐SiO2.