The mechanisms and mechanics of the toughening of epoxy polymers modified with fullerene C 60

This study examined the effect of fullerene C 60 on the mechanical properties of epoxy‐based polymer nanocomposites with different C 60 loadings. Mechanical testing shows that compared with neat epoxy, mechanical and toughening properties of composites are greatly improved. Young's modulus increased 6–20% by inducing 0.01–0.12 wt% of fullerene into the matrix resin. Furthermore, the toughness of the composite was improved up to about 200%. The toughening mechanism has been discussed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012.