Investigation on the digital image correlation and charge trap characteristics of Al/epoxy nanocomposites

The influence of nanofiller on the tensile and surface charge properties of Al/Epoxy nanocomposite materials is investigated with respect to their structural composition. The formation of conductive network nearing the percolation limit with the addition of nanofiller has strongly influenced the mechanical and electrical characteristics of nanocomposites. The digital image correlation technique is employed to acquire the strain variation at the distinct locations on the tensile specimen. The load-displacement, as well as shape deformation, were analysed for the various nano filled composites. The improved tensile characteristics were achieved up to certain wt% of filler addition, beyond which the load and time required for the material fracture were reduced drastically. Likewise, the addition of filler up to 5 wt% has shown the improved charge decay characteristics viz. quicker charge decay and enhancement in shallow energy states under the applied DC voltage. The direct analogy in mechanical and electrical characteristics was formulated in terms of structural composition (defects, additives and filler) of respective materials.