Flexural Properties and Electrical Conductivity of Epoxy Resin/Carbon Fiber Cloth/Metallic Powder Composites

In this study, epoxy-based composites were prepared using diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) as the matrix, carbon fiber cloth (CFC) as the reinforcing agent, and metallic powder as the conductive filler. The mechanical and electrical properties of DGEBA/CFC and DGEBA/CFC/metallic powder composites were investigated using several techniques. The morphology of the fracture surface was investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The flexural strength of the DGEBA/CFC composites was found to significantly increase with the addition of CFC. The electrical conductivity of the DGEBA/CFC composites significantly increased with the increasing amount of CFC and further increased after the addition of metallic powders. The electrical conductivity of the DGEBA/CFC composites significantly improved with the addition of a small amount of graphene.