Synergetic Effect of Micro-bamboo Filler and Graphene Nanoplatelets on Thermomechanical Properties of Epoxy-Based Hybrid Composite

A hybrid composite material is comprised of two or more substantially different materials whose fusion generates combined features which are different from those of its individual constituents. In this work, a hybrid composite material was developed by varying the weight percentage of chemically treated micro-bamboo filler with a fixed amount of graphene nanoplatelets to eliminate problems associated with fiber alignment, delamination, and anisotropic properties in the thermoset composite. The developed filler-based hybrid composite may be utilized as a thermal interface material and in circuit boards and electronic packaging. The characteristics of the specific grade epoxy matrix were investigated by tensile and flexural testing at different strain rates and by dynamic mechanical analysis conducted over a range of temperature. Thermal conductivity and corrosion analyses were also carried out to address its potential for use in heat transfer application. The results revealed that the hybrid composite material offers better thermomechanical properties than existing bamboo filler composites.