Impact response of Kevlar composites with nanoclay enhanced epoxy matrix

Abstract Kevlar fibres have been widely used as impact-resistant reinforcement in composite materials. However, there are very few works about the effects of nanoclays on the impact strength of Kevlar/epoxy laminates. Therefore, this paper intends to study the ideal amount of nanoclays to obtain the best impact performance. Nanoclays Cloisite 30B were dispersed in the epoxy system of at 1.5%, 3% and 6% in weight. For better dispersion and interface adhesion matrix/clay, nanoclays were previously subjected to a silane treatment appropriate to the epoxy resin. The laminates manufactured with epoxy resin filled by 6 wt.% of nanoclays shown the best performance in terms of elastic recuperation and penetration threshold. The opposite tendency was observed for the displacement at peak load. However marginal benefits can be found when compared the results obtained for laminates filled by 3% and 6% of nanoclays.