How nanocarbon fillers influence properties of the composite materials

Introduction. Currently the most promising type of repair uses composite materials to fill in fractures or fracture-like defects. In order to be effective, the composite material must possess high fluidity in its liquid state to ensure it can fill the cavity of the defect, adhesion to steel to bond the edges of the crack, and plasticity to compensate for any deformation caused by regular and static loading of the structure. Methods and materials. Composite materials with nanocarbon fillers were studied, including fullerenes, nanotubes, and graphene. The solutions to the problems were obtained using both standard and independently developed methods, statistical data processing techniques, and modern software complexes. Results and discussion. The composite material with a fullerene filler demonstrates a sustainable fluidity in comparison to other studied composites. This allows to recommend such a material for fixing cracks with a slight opening. The composite with a carbon nano tube filler maintains the fluidity at the same level within 35 minutes on average. It can be used as a repair material in cases where the location of the defect does not allow for its sealing to be carried out in a short period of time. Conclusion. The conducted research allows to solve the direct and inverse problem: a) studying properties of a composite material and designing its structure allow to determine, if it fit to certain dimensions of the crack; b) a detected crack with a certain configuration of the cavity can be offered the most suitable properties of the composite by adjusting its content.