Reinforcement of mechanical properties in unsaturated polyester resin with nanosheet

In the oil and gas industry, composite materials should exhibit high flexibility and strength for offshore structures. Therefore, weak points in the composites should be improved, such as brittleness, moisture penetration, and diffusion of detrimental ions into nanometric pores. This study aimed to increase the strength, flexibility, and plugging of nanopores using single-layer graphene oxide (SGO) nanosheets. Therefore, SGO is added to unsaturated polyester resin at concentrations of 0.015 and 0.15 % with Normal Methyl Pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent for the formation of Nanographene Oxide Reinforced Polymer (NGORP). The mechanical properties of the prepared samples were tested using tensile testing (ASTM-D 638). It has been shown that incorporating SGO, approximately 0.015%, into the base resin resulted in enhanced properties such as rupture resistance forces increased by 745.61 N, applied stress tolerances increased by 4.1 MPa, longitude increased to 1.58 mm, elongation increased by about 2.38%, and rupture energy increased by about 204.51 J. Despite the decrease in tensile force strength properties in the manufactured nanocomposite with 0.15% SGO, it has exclusive flexibility properties such as a high required energy level for rupture of 5,576 times and a formability of 40% more than the base sample. It would be best to use NGORP manufactured from 0.015% nanosheets with exclusive properties rather than base samples for constructing parts and equipment, such as rebars, composite sheets, and transmission pipes, on offshore platforms.