Self-sacrificial templating synthesis of flower-like nickel phyllosilicates and its application as high-performance reinforcements in epoxy nanocomposites

Abstract

The nanocomposites of flower-like nickel phyllosilicate particles incorporated into epoxy resin were fabricated via an in-situ mixing process. The flower-like nickel phyllosilicate particles were firstly synthesized using a mild self-sacrificial templating method, and the morphology and lamellar structure were examined carefully. Several properties of mechanical, thermal and tribological responses of epoxy nanocomposites were performed. It was demonstrated that adequate flower-like nickel phyllosilicate particles dispersed well in the matrix, and the nanocomposites displayed enhanced tensile strength and elastic modulus but decreased elongation at break as expected. In addition, friction coefficient and wear rate were increased first and then decreased along with the particle content, and showed the lowest values at a mass fraction of 5%. Nevertheless, the incorporated flower-like nickel phyllosilicate particles resulted in the continuously increasing thermal stability of epoxy resin (EP) nanocomposites. This study revealed the giant potential of flower-like particles in preparing high-quality EP nanocomposites.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

nickel phyllosilicate / flow-like structure / mechanical property / thermal stability / tribological performance

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51775001), Anhui Province Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 1908085J20), University Synergy Innovation Program of Anhui Province (Grant No. GXXT-2019-027) and the Leading Talents Project in Colleges and Universities of Anhui Province.

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