Preparation and characterization of three phase epoxy syntactic foam filled with carbon fiber reinforced hollow epoxy macrospheres and hollow glass microspheres

The present study focuses on the preparation and characterization of three phase epoxy syntactic foam (ESF) filled with carbon fiber reinforced hollow epoxy macrospheres (CFR‐HEMS) and hollow glass microspheres (HGMS). The ESF was produced by embedding CFR‐HEMS into a mixture of epoxy‐hardener and 30 wt% HGMS. An innovative approach and simple procedure was implemented in the preparation of CFR‐HEMS where expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads were used as initiation template. The EPS beads were coated with epoxy resin and carbon fiber using “rolling ball method,” and these coated EPS beads were later cured and post‐cured at high temperature which will shrink the EPS beads thus producing a hollow macrosphere structure. The compressive property of ESF was characterized and the mechanical model was issued. The ESF (450 kg/m3, 30.74 MPa) can withstand 2049 m water pressure and provide 550 kg/m3 buoyancy, the higher strength are due to the fiber spherical x–y network throughout the macrosphere epoxy matrix, which can give some support to the preparation of buoyancy material used in deepwater oil exploration. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:497–502, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers