Ritesh Dixit,
Anil Kumar,
Shakun Srivastava,
Ashwani Sharma,
Kheelraj Pandey,
- Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amity University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amity University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amity University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amity University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Abstract
Halloysite nanotube (HNT)-reinforced epoxy nanocomposites were prepared by mixing HNT with bisphenol-A epoxy (LY 556) using ultrasonication, followed by compression molding. HNT contents of 0–5 wt.% were used. The composites were evaluated for tensile strength, flexural strength, Shore D hardness, Izod impact strength, and thermal stability using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The fractured tensile surfaces were also examined to understand the failure mechanism and interaction between HNT and the epoxy matrix. Among all compositions, the composite containing 3 wt.% HNT showed the best overall performance. Compared with the neat epoxy, it achieved improvements of 110.5% in Izod impact strength, 55.4% in ultimate tensile strength, 34.8% in flexural strength, and 30.7% in thermal stability. The addition of HNT also improved the Shore D hardness of the epoxy composites. However, higher HNT contents reduced the performance due to particle agglomeration and poor dispersion. Although several studies have investigated HNT/epoxy composites, limited attention has been given to achieving uniform HNT dispersion and establishing a clear relationship between dispersion quality, processing conditions, and mechanical and thermal properties. The effect of ultrasonication on filler dispersion, viscosity, and processability has also not been studied sufficiently. The present study addresses these gaps by using an ultrasonication-assisted dispersion method to achieve better HNT distribution in the epoxy matrix. The mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties were studied systematically. The results establish a clear relationship between HNT dispersion, interfacial bonding, and composite performance. The study identifies 3 wt.% HNT as the optimum filler content, while higher contents lead to agglomeration and reduced properties. Overall, the work provides a useful understanding of the relationship between processing, microstructure, and performance of HNT/epoxy nanocomposites.
Keywords: Epoxy, halloysite nanotube (HNT), tensile, thermal stability, microstructure.
[This article belongs to Journal of Polymer & Composites ]
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Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 | |
| Issue | 05 | |
| Received | 30/07/2026 | |
| Accepted | 14/08/2026 | |
| Published | 17/08/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 18 Days |