This study investigated the reinforcing effects of nanoparticles on epoxy resin and examined the aging behavior of the resin before and after modification. Two nanofillers, i.e., silane-modified graphene oxide (MGO) and zirconia-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Zr-MWCNTs), were comparatively evaluated. The mechanical, thermal, and hydrophobic properties of the modified resins were systematically characterized through tensile tests, contact-angle measurements, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that a nanoparticle loading of 0.5 wt % yielded an optimal performance. At this concentration, MGO-modified composites exhibited an increase of 44.5% in tensile strength and a rise of 47.9% in contact angle, while Zr-MWCNT composites achieved gains of 30.96% in tensile strength and 35.6% in contact angle. After aging, the optimized composites maintained superior property retention, with only a 20.84% loss in tensile strength (vs 27.93% for the control), 83.5% retention of flexural strength (12.7% higher than the control), and a 26.0% rise in glass transition temperature (Tg). Microstructural analysis revealed synergistic mechanisms: MGO improved interfacial bonding via chemical cross-linking, whereas Zr-MWCNTs constructed a three-dimensional network that physically hinders moisture ingress. Together, these barrier and chemical effects effectively suppressed the diffusion of corrosive species, highlighting the potential of nanoparticle-enhanced epoxies for durable fiber-reinforced polymer applications in aggressive environments.
Huang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.