Preparation and mechanical properties of green epoxy/chitosan/silver nanocomposite

Epoxy is being extensively used in various engineering and structural applications. Epoxy is non-biodegradable, thus creating ecological problems. Apart from ecological problems, epoxy resin shows poor biofouling prevention in marine, freshwater and offshore environments. In the search for an eco-friendly solution to this problem, epoxy/chitosan/silver nanocomposites were devised. Chitosan was extracted from shrimp shells following deacetylation of chitin, and silver (Ag) nanoparticles synthesized using a chemical reduction process of silver salts. All the composite samples were prepared utilizing the solution casting method. The X-ray diffraction pattern and Fourier transform infrared analysis predict the successful creation of silver nanoparticles and chitosan, respectively. Different mechanical testings elaborate the fact that addition of chitosan into epoxy resin increases hardness, lowering tensile and flexural strength, whereas incorporation of silver nanoparticles reverses those properties, resulting in mechanical properties analogous with neat epoxy resin. Additionally, soil burial biodegradation testing ensured relatively greener characteristics of the final nanocomposites. Herein, the combined effect of chitosan and silver nanoparticles on an epoxy matrix is reported for the first time.