It has been demonstrated in a previous study that carbon nanotube (CNT)/epoxy/basalt composites produce better flexural properties than epoxy/basalt composites. In this study, mode I fracture tests were conducted using CNT/epoxy/basalt composites with and without seawater absorption in order to investigate the effect of the seawater absorption on the mode I fracture toughness (GIC) of the CNT/epoxy/basalt composites. The results demonstrated that the compliance of the seawater-absorbed specimen was larger than that of the dry specimen at the same crack length, while the opposite result was obtained for the fracture load. The GIC value of the seawater-absorbed CNT/epoxy/basalt composites was approximately 20% lower than that of the dry CNT/epoxy/basalt composites.

This study investigates the flexural properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced basalt/epoxy composites under conditions with and without moisture absorption. The basalt/CNT/epoxy composites were fabricated using 1 wt% silanized MWCNTs and kept in seawater for over 4 months. The flexural properties of the moisture absorbed specimens were evaluated and compared with those of dry specimens. The flexural properties of basalt/CNT/epoxy composites were found to decrease with moisture absorption. The flexural strength and modulus of moisture absorbed specimens were 22% and 16% lower, respectively, than those of the dry specimen. Scanning electron microscope examination of the fracture surfaces revealed that the decreases of flexural properties in the moisture absorbed specimen were due to the weakening of interfacial bonding from swelling of the epoxy matrix.

The use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a reinforcing material in a polymer matrix has in-creased in various industries. In this study, the flexuralbehavior of CNT-modifiedepoxy/basalt (CNT/epoxy/basalt) composites is investigated. The effects of CNT modificationwith silane on the flexuralproperties of CNT/epoxy/basalt composites were also examined. Flexural tests were performed using epoxy/basalt, oxidized CNT/epoxy/basalt, and silanized CNT/epoxy/basalt multi-scale composites. After the flexuraltests, the fracture surfaces of the specimens were examined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the fracture mechanisms of the CNT/epoxy/basalt multi-scale composites with respect to the CNT modificatio process. The flexuralproperties of the epoxy/basalt composites were im-proved by the addition of CNTs. The flexuralmodulus and strength of the silane-treated CNT/epoxy/basalt multi-scale composites increased by approximately 54% and 34%, re-spectively, compared to those of epoxy/basalt composites. A SEM examination of the frac-ture surfaces revealed that the improvement in the flexuralproperties of the silane-treated CNT/epoxy/basalt multi-scale composites could be attributed to the improved dispersion of the CNTs in the epoxy.