Mechanical Characterization of Nanosilica-enhanced Glass Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composites

Glass Fiber-reinforced Polymers (GFRP) are widely recognized for their superior mechanical performance and resistance to environmental degradation. Incorporating nano-scale fillers into these composites offers a promising way to further enhance their structural and functional properties. In this study, nanosilica particles were used as reinforcement in a polymer matrix composite system containing E-glass fibers to evaluate the improvement in mechanical properties. The composites were fabricated using the hand lay-up technique with Nano silica content varied from 0.5 wt.% to 3.5 wt.% in 0.5% increments. Mechanical characterization included tensile strength, flexural strength, and surface hardness testing. Results indicated a consistent improvement in all evaluated properties with increasing nanosilica content, attributed to better stress transfer and enhanced interfacial bonding between the fibers, matrix, and nano-fillers. Among all the samples, the composite containing 2.5% nanosilica exhibited the highest performance, demonstrating optimal dispersion and reinforcement efficiency. The observed enhancement confirms that even small additions of nanosilica can significantly influence the mechanical response of GFRP composites. These findings suggest that nanosilica-reinforced GFRP composites hold strong potential for high-performance applications in aerospace structures, defense components, marine systems, and advanced sporting equipment where weight reduction and mechanical reliability are critical. The successful integration of nanosilica with traditional glass fiber systems provides a viable pathway for the development of next-generation lightweight structural materials.