ABSTRACT
A multiscale micromechanics technique has been proposed to characterize an advanced multiscale composite system constituting continuous microscale diameter fibers and a matrix reinforced/infused with spherical-shaped nano-size particles of silica. Research work has indicated that infusing matrix with nanoparticles can significantly enhance both strength and stiffness properties of the neat matrix. Using the stiffened matrix material improves the fiber-reinforced polymer material system as well. Manufacturing these advanced multiscale composite material systems is also quite challenging, and the challenges include uniformly dispersing the nanoparticles in the matrix, improving the interface between the matrix and the particles for proper load transfer from matrix to the nanoparticles, and removing voids, among others. M. F. Uddin and C. T. Sun presented their experimental process to create a multiscale composite material system constituted of E-glass fibers reinforcing silica-nanoparticle-infused epoxy. The epoxy used in their experimental work was diglycidylether of bisphenol A.
