Flexural Properties of Epoxy Composites Filled with Glass Powder: Preliminary Results

Epoxy resin was filled with glass powder with a view to increasing strength of the composite for structural applications by a research Centre on composites, University of Southern Queensland (USQ). In order to reduce costs, the Centre wishes to fill as much glass powder as possible subject to maintaining sufficient strength of the composites in structural applications. This project varies the percentage by weight of the glass powder in the composites which are then subjected to flexural tests. The results show that composite with 25 % by weight of the glass powder produces the highest flexural strength and Young’s modulus combined with a reasonable fluidity for casting; the highest flexural strain was achieved when the percentage by weight of glass powder is 10 %.