Microwave Absorption Properties of Polyester Composites Incorporated with Heterostructure Nanofillers with Carbon Nanotubes as Carriers

Carbonaceous nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes （CNTs）, magnetic metal nanomaterials and semicon- ductor nanomaterials are superior candidates for microwave absorbers. Taking full advantage of the features of CNTs, nanophase cobalt and nanophase zinc oxide, whose main microwave absorption mechanisms are based on resistance loss, magnetic loss and dielectric loss, we fabricate CNT/Co and CNT/ZnO heterostructure nanocom- posites, respectively. By using the CNTs, CNT/Co nanocomposites and CNT/ZnO nanocomposites as nanofillers, composites with polyester as matrix are prepared by in situ polymerization, and their microwave absorption per- formance is studied. It is indicated that the synergetic effects of the physic properties of different components in nano-heterostructures result in greatly enhanced microwave absorption performance in a wide frequency range. The absorption peak is increased, the absorption bandwidth is broadened, and the maximum peak shifts to a lower frequency.

Energy Consumption and Erosion Mechanism of Polyester Fiber Reinforced Cement Composite in Wind-blown Sand Environments

Considering the economic and environmental benefits associated with the recycling of polyester(PET)fibres,it is vital to study the application of fibre-reinforced cement composites.According to the characteristics of the wind-blown sand environment in Inner Mongolia,the erosion resistance of the polyester fibre-reinforced cement composites(PETFRCC)with different PET fibre contents to various erosion angles,velocities and sand particle flows was investigated by the gas-blast method.Based on the actual conditions of sandstorms in Inner Mongolia,the sand erosion parameters required for testing were calculated by the similarity theory.The elastic-plastic model and rigid plastic model of PETFRCC and cement mortar were established,and the energy consumption mechanism of the model under particle impact was analyzed.The experimental results indicate that the microstructure of PETFRCC rafter hydration causes a spring-like buffering effect,and the deformation of PETFRCC under the same impact load is slightly smaller than that of cement mortar,and the damage mechanism of PETFRCC is mainly characterized by fiber deformation and slight brittle spalling of matrix.And under the most unfavorable conditions of the erosion,the erosion rate of 0.5PETFRCC is about 57.69%lower than that of cement mortar,showing better erosion resistance.

Tensile Behavior of the Flax/Polyester Composites after Water Treatment

With flax fabric as the reinforcement and unsaturated polyester as the matrix,composites of two,three,and four layers were fabricated respectively by the vacuum assisted resin infusion(VARI)technique.Tensile strength of the composites after being saturated in the water for different durations was tested.The tensile strength of the two-layer composites was decreased after being soaked in the water for two,three,and six month,respectively.For the three and four layers specimens,the tensile strength was decreased initially with water treatment.After reaching the minimum,the tensile strength was increased.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)confirmed that it might be contributed to the thickness of the two-layer composites.The thinner specimen is easier to be damaged by the penetrated moisture owing to the delamination between the fiber and the matrix after water immersion.For the three and four layers specimens,their contradictory tensile strength suggests that the thicker specimen can delay the moisture permeation and is of better water durability.

Humidity Diffusion on Jute/Polyester Laminated Composites and Its Effects on Mechanical Properties

Jute is a natural fiber widely used as reinforcement in composites due to its high tensile strength and stiffness,but they can easily absorb water and have their physical properties compromised.The water absorption properties of jute/polyester composites are evaluated according to ASTM D 570 and the effect of humidity in the composite mechanical behavior is also analyzed.The composite showed a pseudo-Fickian behavior and gained 13.37%in weight after the test.It also lost tensile strength and elasticity modulus,and increased its specific deformation.Scanning electron microscope images showed that wet specimens were more subject to cracks,voids and fiber pullout than dry specimens.Failures produced by water diffusion in composite and polymer plasticization,added to breakdown in the fibers’cellulosic structures,justify the change in mechanical properties due to water absorption.

Experimental investigation and prediction of wear behavior of cotton fiber polyester composites

The cotton fiber reinforced polyester composites were fabricated with varying amount of graphite fillers (0,3,5 wt.％) with a hand lay-up technique.Wear tests were planned by using a response surface (Box Behnken method) design of experiments and conducted on a pin-on-disc machine (POD) test setup.The effect of the weight percentage of graphite content on the dry sliding wear behavior of cotton fiber polyester composite (CFPC) was examined by considering the effect of operating parameters like load,speed,and sliding distance.The wear test results showed the inclusion of 5 wt.％ of graphite as fillers in CFPC increase wear resistance compared to 3 wt.％ of graphite fillers.The graphite fillers were recommended for CFPC to increase the wear resistance of the material.A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the wear mechanism.To predict the wear behavior of the composite material,comparisons were made between the general regression technique and an artificial neural network (ANN).The conformation test results revealed the predicted wear with the ANN was acceptable when compared with the actual experimental results and the regression mathematical models.