Epoxy-Functionalized POSS and Glass Fiber for Improving Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Resins

To improve the thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy resins, epoxy-functionalized POSS (E-POSS) and glass fiber (GF) were used to reinforce epoxy resin (E51) composites. The tensile, thermo-mechanical, fractured, and thermal tests were carried out to characterize these hybrid materials. The results show that E-POSS and GF could significantly improve the mechanical and thermal properties of epoxy resins due to high crosslink density of resin matrix and synergistic interaction between the epoxy resin, E-POSS, and GF. Compared with the pure E51 resin, the tensile strength of the E51 + E-POSS (10%) + GF (16%) sample increased by 257.6%, and the thermal decomposition temperature (Td5%) of the E51 + E-POSS (10%) + GF (16%) sample increased by 32 °C to 378 °C.