Improving the Tensile Strength of a Novel Double Hook Design Manufactured by Nanosilica Epoxy Reinforced Aramid/Carbon Composites

This paper presents the novel design of a double hook manufactured with advanced composite materials and nanomaterials. For the preparation of the composite materials an epoxy resin was used while the fiber reinforcement was in the form of hybrid aramid/carbon twill fabric. The nanoparticles were silica nanospheres dispersed in the epoxy matrix. The nanospheres were in the form of a colloidal silica-sol and they were added in the epoxy resin so to form a carefully prepared masterbatch. A series of tensile and fracture toughness tests were performed in order to evaluate the effect of the nanosilica concentration as well as the strength of the hybrid aramid/carbon composites. Upon the design and the manufacture of the innovative geometry of the double hook, comparative uniaxial tensile tests were performed. The results proved that the use of the silica nanoparticles significantly increase the strength of the hook, while affect considerably its tensile fracture behavior.