Multifunctional polymer materials with enhanced mechanical, thermal and gamma radiation shielding properties from dicyanate ester of bisphenol-A/bisphenol-A based benzoxazine resin and short kevlar/basalt hybrid fibers

In execution of obtaining outstanding functional materials that possess the features of advanced mechanical behaviour, high thermal resistance and enhanced gamma radiation shielding properties, this present article aimed to boost qualitatively and quantitatively the desired performances of dicyanate ester of bisphenol-A/bisphenol-A based benzoxazine resin using hybrid fibers consisting of kevlar fibers and basalt fibers. To achieve this, the desired amounts of the hybrid fibers were initially surface treated using the silane coupling agent technique and then incorporated within the blend matrix with a total weight selected to be 40 wt%. According to the mechanical results, a noteworthy increase in the flexural and impact strength properties of the reinforced hybrid composites was chiefly observed as compared to the unfilled samples’ properties. Based on the thermal stability studies, the reinforced hybrid composites also showed excellent thermal resistances. The hybrid composites’ shielding properties, which were evaluated using a Cobalt-60 (⁶⁰Co) as an irradiation source, revealed outstanding gamma-radiation shielding enhancements. The scanning electron microscope confirmed that the improvements in the investigated properties were essentially ascribed to the good dispersion and interfacial adhesion of the two high-performance hybrid fibers within the blend matrix with respect to their advanced properties. Therefore, the enhanced mechanical, thermal and nuclear shielding properties promote the use of the as-developed hybrid composites in domestic and industrial applications.