In the present study, fracture toughness at various strain rates was measured as well as fatigue crack propagation properties to investigate the effect of addition of calboxy terminated copolymers butadiene-acrylonotrile (CTBN) on mechanical properties of glass particles reinforced epoxies.
Glass transition temperature decreased with increasing rubber content. Both tensile strength and yield stress decreased with increasing rubber content. Fracture toughness and fatigue crack propagation resistance were strength improved by adding CTBN. These improvements are due to an increase of intrinsic ductility brought by add CTBN. The dynamic fracture toughness showed the minimum value between the loading velocities of 4m/s and 10m/s. The loading velocity where the dynamic fracture toughness becomes increases with increasing the CTBN content. According to fracture surface observation it was fund test crack is attributed to interface decohesion between the epoxy matrix and the SiO2 particles. However, cracks grew through the matrix and CTBN when consolidated CTBN particles were large.
