Carbon-Coated-Nylon-Fiber-Reinforced Cement Composites as an Intrinsically Smart Concrete for Damage Assessment during Dynamic Loading

Concrete containing short carbon-coated-nylon fibers (0.4-2.0 vol. pct) exhibited quasi-ductile response by developing a large damage zone prior to fracture localization. In the damage zone, the material was microcracked but continued to local strain-harden. The carbon-coated-nylon-fiber-reinforced concrete composites (NFRC) were found to be an intrinsically smart concrete that could sense elastic and inelastic deformation, as well as fracture. The fibers served to bridge the cracks and the carbon coating gave the conduction path. The signal provided came from the change in electrical resistance, which was reversible for elastic deformation and irreversible for inelastic deformation and fracture. The resistance decrease was due to the reduction of surface touch resistance between fiber and matrix and the crack closure. The resistance irreversible increase resulted from the crack opening and breakage of the carbon coating on nylon fiber.

SYNTHESIS OF NATURAL RUBBER-g-MALEIC ANHYDRIDE AND ITS USE AS A COMPATIBILIZER IN NATURAL RUBBER/SHORT NYLON FIBER COMPOSITES

Natural rubber grafted maleic anhydride （NR-g-MAH） was synthesized by mixing maleic anhydride （MAH） and natural rubber （NR） in solid state in a torque rheometer using dicurnyl peroxide （DCP） as initiator. Then the self-prepared NR-g-MAH was used as a compatibilizer in the natural rubber/short nylon fiber composites. Both the fimctionalization of NR with MAH and the reaction between the modified rubber and the nylon fiber were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）. Composites with different nylon short fiber loadings （0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 phr） were compounded on a two-roll mill, and the effects of the NR-g-MAH on the tensile and thermal properties, fiber-rubber interaction, as well as the morphology of the natural rubber/short nylon fiber composites were investigated. At equal fiber loading, the NR-g-MAH compatibilized NR/short nylon fiber composites showed improved tensile properties, especially the tensile modulus at 100% strain which was about 1.5 times that of the corresponding un-compatibilized ones. The equilibrium swelling tests proved that the incorporation of NR-g-MAH increased the interaction between the nylon fibers and the NR matrix. The crosslink density measured with NMR techniques showed that the NR-g-MAH compatiblized composites had lower total crosslink density. The glass transition temperatures of the compatibilized composites were about 1 K higher than that of the corresponding un-compabilized ones. Morphology analysis of the NR/short nylon fiber composites confirmed NR-g-MAH improved interfacial bonding between the NR matrix and the nylon fibers. All these results signified that the NR-g-MAH could act as a good compatilizer of NR/short nylon fiber composites and had a potential for wide use considering its easy to be prepared and compounded with the composites.