The effect of fullerene C$_{60}$ on the mechanical and dielectrical behavior of epoxy resins at low loading

Fullerene C$_{60}$ / epoxy polymers nanocomposites with different C$_{60}$ loadings (0.01–0.12 wt. %) have been prepared. Mechanical testing shows that compared with the neat epoxy, the mechanical and toughening properties of the composites are greatly improved. The addition of fullerene C$_{60}$ increased the modulus of the epoxy (up to 20 %), but the glass transition temperature was unaffected. The measured impact strength was also increased, from 38 to 115 kJ/m$^{2}$ with the addition of 0.12 wt.% of fullerene C$_{60}$. The toughening mechanism has been discussed. Dielectric spectroscopy was used to investigate the influence of nanoparticles on the relaxation processes in the polymer matrix.