An experimental study on the bearing strength behavior of Al2O3 particle filled glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites pinned joints

An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the bearing strength behavior of pinned joints of glass fiber reinforced composite filled with different proportions of Al2O3 particles, as a function of filler loading and joint geometry. The weight fractions of the filler in the matrix were 7.5, 10, and 15%. Single-hole pin-loaded specimens of each composite material were tested in tension. The results show that the bearing strength of glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites pinned joints is associated with the filler content and geometric parameters. The increase of the Al2O3 particle loading in the matrix improved the bearing strength of the composites. The highest bearing strengths were obtained for composite specimens with 10 wt.% Al2O3 particle content. Further increases in the Al2O3 particle content in the matrix resulted in a decrease of the bearing strength, but remains above that of the unfilled glass reinforced epoxy composites.