Bio‐inspired basalt fiber reinforced epoxy laminates with wasted egg shell derived CaCO3 for improved thermal and mechanical properties

Basalt fiber (BF) reinforced polymer composite containing nanoparticles is an efficient approach to improve the matrix dominated features. The objective of this study is to investigate the static and dynamic mechanical properties of CaCO3 modified epoxy/BF composites. The composite laminates were fabricated through the hand‐layup process. Tensile and bending tests were conducted according to the ASTM D 3039 and ASTM D 790, respectively. The tensile and flexural properties were improved significantly when CaCO3 particles were embedded in the BF/epoxy composites. The tensile strength increased by ~25.05% at 1 wt% loading (B2) of CaCO3. The flexural strength improvement was ~61.3% for the same amount of CaCO3 loading. The viscoelastic as well as the thermal properties were also improved in the B2 composite specimen. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed to characterize the fracture surfaces. Therefore, BF reinforced composites combined low manufacturing costs with excellent mechanical and thermal capabilities, making them ideally suited to a variety of engineering applications. Highlights The calcinated CaCO3 effectively improved the mechanical properties. The effect of CaCO3 on the thermal behavior of laminates were studied. Eco‐friendly dispersion process required no solvents. The effect of the nanoparticles on the interfacial properties were investigated. CaCO3 modified epoxy/basalt fiber (BF) composites prepared by hand‐layup process exhibited improved mechanical strength compared with the epoxy/BF composites.