The Effect ofSilicon CarbideAddition into Fibreglass Reinforced Composites

In today’s modern world the composite materials have been widely used not only for aerospace/aeronautics, but also automotive, sports and construction industries. The flexural strength of laminated composites depends on the characteristics of dispersive and matrix phases, considering the presence of tensile and compressive loadings. For this reason, the addition of particles into the matrix phase has been investigated to enhance its stiffness and consequently the elastic modulus of the composite. This work investigates a glassfibre composite reinforced with silicon carbide particles. The following responses were evaluated: apparent density, water absorption, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity. The results were compared to those manufactured with no silicon carbide particles. It was observed that the silicon carbide particles provided the increase of the apparent density and flexural strength of the composites.