Surface modification of magnesium oxide/epoxy composites with significantly improved mechanical and thermal properties

This work demonstrated the effect of functionalized magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles with 3-(aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) as fillers on the mechanical and thermal properties of epoxy composite. The functionalization of MgO (S-MgO) considerably improved the interface between the MgO and epoxy resin. The mechanical properties of the composites revealed that the addition of functionalized MgO improved their tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and ductility when compared to neat epoxy. In comparison to neat epoxy, the in-plane thermal conductivity of the epoxy composite with S-MgO filler is improved by 10 folds. These observations indicated that the silane functionalization on MgO contributes to the formation of a strong interfacial bond and a compact interconnected network between the filler and the epoxy matrix.