%0 Journal Article
%T Lightweight alternatives to glass fiber/epoxy sheet molding compound composites: A feasibility study
%A Amir Asadi
%A Ferdinand Baaij
%A Kyriaki Kalaitzidou
%A Robert J Moon
%A Tequila AL Harris
%J Journal of Composite Materials
%@ 1530-793X
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0021998318817814
%X The focus of this study is to (i) understand the effect of the fiber type and content on the mechanical properties of sheet-molding compounds composites and (ii) investigate possible lightweight alternatives to glass fibers-sheet molding compound composites. Glass fiber and basalt fibers are used to make sheet-molding compound composites and the mechanical performance are determined as a function of the fiber type and content. In addition, cellulose nanocrystals are used to enhance the properties of the sheet-molding compound resin system. The possibility of lightweighting the basalt fiber/epoxy and glass fiber/epoxy sheet-molding compound composites is explored by replacing a portion of the fibers, i.e. 12¨C16£¿wt%, with a small amount cellulose nanocrystals, i.e. 1¨C2£¿wt%. No significant difference was found between the basalt fiber/epoxy and glass fiber/epoxy sheet-molding compound composites in terms of mechanical and impact properties. When cellulose nanocrystals were added to the composites, the properties of glass fiber/epoxy sheet-molding compound composites were enhanced while those of basalt fiber/epoxy sheet-molding compound composites deteriorated
%K Cellulose nanomaterials
%K sheet-molding compounds
%K polymer-matrix composites
%K lightweighting
%K mechanical properties
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0021998318817814