Performance of aluminium/vinylester particulate composite

Abstract

The performances of aluminum/vinylester particulate-composites were studied in detail in order to investigate its suitability for engineering applications. This study examined the suitability of atomised aluminum particles for particulate reinforcement of a vinyl ester resin. Mechanical properties were obtained for the composite by testing various percentages of aluminium powder (75-150 μm) and vinylester resin. It has been found that the inclusion of Al powder has not significantly changed the properties of vinylester resin, however an improvement in the ductility of the composite has been recorded. The optimal performances of the composite were exhibited by 15% Al composition. The properties of the particulate composites were modeled using numerous empirical models. Unfortunately a significant difference was found between some of the experimental and predicted properties of the Al/vinylester particulate composite. This paper intends to detail the variation of mechanical properties with the change of Al volume fraction in the composite and the performances of empirical models in prediction of the properties of particulate composites.