Mechanical Properties of Bio-Based Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Hybrid-Interlayer Ramie and Recycled Carbon Fibres

The growing environmental concerns have led to attention on bio-based composite materials, such as the natural fibres, recycled carbon fibres and bio-based resins. Herein, the bio-based epoxy composites were reinforced with ramie fibre (RF) and recycled carbon fibre (rCF) via inter-layer hybridisation. The dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile, flexural and impact properties characterisation were conducted to analyse the mechanical behaviour of the specimens. Also, the morphology of fractured surface after mechanical tests was studied under a scanning electron microscope. When the volume ratio between RF and rCF was varied from 100/0 to 0/100, the flexural and tensile strength of composites was significantly increased, while the impact strength was reduced. Thus the maximum values of flexural strength (182 MPa) and tensile strength (165 MPa) were observed for rCF reinforced composite, whilst impact strength of 24 kJ/m2 was found for RF reinforced composite. Furthermore, the values of storage and loss modulus were increased with the rCF incorporation due to a greater degree of restriction with the addition of rCF into the matrix. The hybridisation was able to combine the specific properties of RF and rCF and optimise the mechanical performance of composites. Therefore, the alternative low-cost green composites are prepared which can replace synthetic materials for semi-structural applications.

3D Printing of Polylactic Acid Bioplastic–Carbon Fibres and Twisted Kevlar Composites Through Coextrusion Using Fused Deposition Modeling

Polylactic acid(PLA)bioplastic is a common material used in Fused Deposition Modeling(FDM)3D printing.It is biodegradable and environmentally friendly biopolymer which made out of corn.However,it exhibits weak mechanical properties which reduced its usability as a functional prototype in a real-world application.In the present study,two PLA composites are created through coextruded with 3K carbon fibres and twisted Kevlar string(as core fibre)to form a fibre reinforced parts(FRP).The mechanical strength of printed parts was examined using ASTM D638 standard with a strain rate of 1 mm/min.It has been demonstrated that the FRPs coextruded with 3K carbon fibres had achieved significant improvement in Young’s modulus(+180.6%,9.205 GPa),ultimate tensile strength(+175.3%,103 MPa)and maximum tensile strain(+21.6%,1.833%).Although the Young’s modulus of Kevlar FRP was found to be similar to as compared to unreinforced PLA(~3.29 GPa),it has gained significant increment in terms of maximum tensile strain(+179.7%,104.64 MPa),and maximum tensile strain(+257%,5.384%).Thus,this study revealed two unique composite materials,in which the 3K carbon FRP can offer stiff and high strength structure while Kevlar FRP offers similar strength but at a higher elasticity.

Preparation of pitch precursor with excellent spinnability for general-purpose carbon fibre using coal tar pitch as raw material

Tetrahydrofuran(THF) extract of coal tar pitch(CTP) was used instead of blending CTP with pretreated pyrolysis fuel oil to prepare an isotropic pitch precursor with excellent spinnability for general-purpose carbon fibre through bromination-dehydrobromination. The feasibility and effectiveness of synthesising an isotropic pitch precursor derived from THF-soluble(CTP-THFs) is demonstrated in this study.The results show that CTP-THFs contains more light components than CTP;CTP-THFs and CTP monomer proportions were 62.52% and 45.32%, respectively. However, based on comparisons of CTP-THFsBr0 and CTPBr0 characterisations, CTP-THFs exhibits better polycondensation than CTP. Bromination-dehydrobro mination promotes polycondensation of pitch precursors, leading to greater carbon aromaticity in CTP-THFsBr5, CTP-THFsBr10, and CTP-THFsBr15 than that in CTP-THFsBr0 and CTPBr0. CTP-THFsBr5 and CTP-THFsBr10 have excellent spinnability even with softening points as high as 230 ℃. The pericondensed carbon and carbon aromaticity of CTP-THFsBr5 and CTP-THFsBr10 are high owing to the higher degree of polycondensation;however, they still possess a more linear molecular structure. The as-prepared carbon fibre exhibits homogeneity and uniformity, and the mechanical performance is comparable with that of commercial general-purpose carbon fibre products.

NOVEL OXIDATION RESISTANT CARBON SILICON ALLOY FIBRES

Anovel silicon containing carbon precursor was synthesised by reacting a petroleum pitchfraction and polydimethylsilane. The precursor containing about 26wt% Si was meltspunintofibresand then oxidativelystabilised in airto renderthefibresinfusiblebefore pyrolysisat1200℃underinertatmospheretoproduceC Sialloy( CSA) fibres. Theextentofstabili sation wasfoundto becriticalto the development of mechanicalstrength of thefibres which varied with heattreatmenttemperature, showing a maximum at 1200 ℃when thestrength was 1 4 1 6 GPa. Thesestrengthsareremarkably goodconsideringthelow modulus whichis duetothe quite high failurestrains. Thefibrescanshow excellentresistanceto oxidation if given an initialshortexposureto oxygen athigh temperature duetotheformation of an im perceptiblelayer of silica. CSAfibreshavethe advantagesof both carbon fibresand SiCfi bres,thusextended application areascan beenvisaged .

Carbon Fiber from Biomass Sources:A Comprehensive Review

Global energy demand is rising,fossil fuel prices are rising,fossil fuel reserves are running out,and fossil fuel use contributes to the greenhouse effect.As a clean alternative source of energy to fossil fuels,biomass is becoming more and more essential.Carbon fiber(CF),often known as graphite fiber,is a thin,strong,and adaptable material utilized in both structural(capacity)and non-structural applications(e.g.,thermal insulation).Precursors are the raw materials used to create carbon fiber,which is mostly derived from fossil fuels.Because of the high cost of precursors and manufacture,carbon fiber has only found employment in a few numbers of high-performance structural materials(e.g.,aerospace).To reduce the price of CF and reliance on fossil fuels,numerous alternative precursors have been studied throughout the years,including biomass-derived precursors such as rayon,lignin,glycerol,and lignocellulosic polysaccharides.This study’s goal is to present a detailed study of biomass-derived CF precursors and their market potential.The authors look into the viability of producing CF from these precursors,as well as the state of technology,potential applications,and cost of production(when data are available).We go over their benefits and drawbacks.We also talk about the physical characteristics of CF made from biomass and contrast them with CF made from polyacrylonitrile(PAN).Additionally,we go into bio-based CF manufacturing and end-product concerns,logistics for biomass feedstock and plant sites,feedstock competition,and risk-reduction techniques.This paper offers a comprehensive overview of the CF potential from all biomass sources and can be used as a resource by both novice and seasoned professionals who are interested in producing CF from non-traditional sources.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SHORT CARBON FIBRE REINFORCED SILVER COMPOSITES

The electric contact is always made of silver and graphite, the electric conductivity of contact materials decreases as the graphite content increased. The hardness of silver-graphite is low, for example, the hardness of the 3wt% graphite-silver is HB 24.5-39.8MPa, and the electric conductivity is 72% IACS. The present work reports the similarity of electric conductivity for the 3wt% short carbon fibre-Ag composite and 3wt% graphite-silver. However, the hardness of the short carbon fiber-Ag composite is two times harder than that of graphite-silver. The specific gravity of graphite is 2.2 g/cm3, and that of carbon fibre is 1.75 g/cm3, so the 3wt% short carbon fibre-Ag composite contact will still save 5-7%Ag. The electric life of Ag-carbon fibre is much higher than silver-graphite at the same Ag contact.

Influence of coal properties on coal conversion processes-coal carbonization,carbon fiber production,gasification and liquefaction technologies:a review

Coal due to its relatively large quantities and wide distribution worldwide has generated renewed interest in research and development with the aim of establishing coal conversion technologies that are technically reliable,envi-ronmentally and economically feasible.It has proved to be a prominent energy source in emerging markets with increasing energy demand by accounting for the largest increase in the demand of energy amongst all other energy sources.Fur-thermore,with its higher mesophase content,coal tar is an appropriate raw material for precursors in the production of carbon fiber.However,whenever a material is put to use,it is important to be able to associate its properties to the behavioral characteristics during a conversion process so as to have a basis for opting for the material in a given process or adjusting the operating conditions in order to optimize the material utilization.Therefore,as with any other material,it is important to be able to relate the properties of coal to its utilization.A review was carried out on the influence of coal properties on four main utilization technologies:gasification,carbonization,liquefaction and carbon fibre production.Among several properties rank,type,mineral matter content,distribution of trace elements,structural composition and pore structure were found to be most influential on the behavior of coal during conversion processes.

CHEMICAL VAPOUR GROWTH OF CARBON WHISKERS ON CARBON FIBERS

The secondary reinforcement,crbon whiskers,may grow on the surface of parent rein- forcement,carbon fibres,by chemical vapour growth from acetylene using Fe salt as catalyzer.The optimal growing temperature is about 1000℃,and while the concentra- tion of catalytic solution is appropriate,the carbon whiskers may deposite uniformly and link each other on the parent carbon fibre surface.If the temperature or concentration is too high,the coarse clusters of carbon may deposite on the fibre surface.The mechanism of carbon whisker growth is believed that the carbon atoms in vapour phase dissolve in the Fe salt drops over fibres,then the solid carbon grains precipitate on the fibre surface.

Critical Thrust Force Forecasting for Drilling Exit Delamination of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics

Exit delamination is excessive drilling thrust force.Therefore,it is necessary to investigate the critical thrust force which cause exit delamination when carbon fibre reinforced plastics(CRFP)is drilled.According to the linear elastic fracture mechanics,the mechanics of composite material and the classical thin plate bending theory,a common theoretical model of the critical drilling thrust force for CFRP plates is established.Compared with the experimental data of previous studies,the results show that the theoretical values agree well with the experimental values.This model can be used to forecast the critical thrust force for the drilling-induced delamination of CFRP.

ELECTRIC RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT OF CARBON FIBRE SMART CONCRETE

After having measured the electric resistance of carbon firbre reinforced concrete (CFRC) by applying a D. C. current, it was found that the current passing through the specimen under a constant voltage decreased with the time, and if changing the value of voltage, the electric resistance was obviously affected. When current flew through the specimen, polarisation emerged under a high votage (>5 upsilon), but that could be neglected under a low voltage (<5 upsilon).(1)

Recipe Development and Mechanical Characterization of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Recycled Polypropylene 3D Printing Filament

Recycled polypropylene filaments for fused filament fabrication were investigated with and without 14 wt% short fibre carbon reinforcements. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the filaments and 3D printed specimens were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and standard tensile testing. It was observed that recycled polypropylene filaments with 14 wt% short carbon fibre reinforcement contained pores that were dispersed throughout the microstructure of the filament. A two-stage filament extrusion process was observed to improve the spatial distribution of carbon fibre reinforcement but did not reduce the pores. Recycled polypropylene filaments without reinforcement extruded at high screw speeds above 20 rpm contained a centreline cavity but no spatially distributed pores. However, this cavity is eliminated when extrusion is carried out at screw speeds below 20 rpm. For 3D printed specimens, interlayer cavities were observed larger for specimens printed from 14 wt% carbon fibre reinforced recycled polypropylene than those printed from unreinforced filaments. The values of tensile strength for the filaments were 21.82 MPa and 24.22 MPa, which reduced to 19.72 MPa and 22.70 MPa, respectively, for 3D printed samples using the filaments. Likewise, the young’s modulus of the filaments was 1208.6 MPa and 1412.7 MPa, which reduced to 961.5 MPa and 1352.3 MPa, respectively, for the 3D printed samples. The percentage elongation at failure for the recycled polypropylene filament was 9.83% but reduced to 3.84% for the samples printed with 14 wt% carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene filaments whose elongation to failure was 6.58%. The SEM observations on the fractured tensile test samples showed interlayer gaps between the printed and the adjacent raster layers. These gaps accounted for the reduction in the mechanical properties of the printed parts.

High temperature tensile,compression and creep behavior of recycled short carbon fibre reinforced AZ91 magnesium alloy fabricated by a high shearing dispersion technique

The present study seeks the feasibility of using short carbon fibres recycled from polymer matrix composites as alternative to virgin carbon fibres in the reinforcement of magnesium alloys.The microstructures,high temperature mechanical and creep properties of AZ91 alloy and its composites with various recycled carbon fibre contents(2.5 and 5 wt.%)and lengths(100 and 500μm)were investigated in the temperature range of 25-200℃.The microstructural characterization showed that the high shear dispersion technique provided the cast composites with finer grains and relatively homogenous distribution of fibres.The materials tested displayed different behaviour depending on the type of loading.In general,while enhancements in the mechanical properties of composites is attributed to the load bearing and grain refinement effects of fibres,the fluctuations in the properties were discussed on the basis of porosity formation,relatively high reinforcement content leading to fibre clustering and interlayer found between the matrix and reinforcement compared to those of AZ91 alloy.The compressive creep tests revealed similar or higher minimum creep rates in the recycled carbon fibre reinforced AZ91 in comparison to the unreinforced AZ91.

Interfacial Interaction in Coated Carbon Fibre Reinforced Aluminous Mg-based Composites

Four kinds of Mg alloys reinforced with carbon fibres were fabricated by a gas pressure infiltration technique. The fibres were pre-coated a SiO2 layer prior to fabrication. DifFerent microstructures and interactions in the fibre-matrix interface of these composites were observed by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The results showed that the interracial interaction strongly depended on the content of Al in the Mg-based matrices. The microstructure of the interface could then be controlled by adjusting the Al content of the Mgbased matrix. In addition, fibres extracted from different Mg-based matrix all had some degradation owing to the interracial reaction and the fibre-matrix interdiffusion.

INTERFACE AND PROPERTIES OF ALKALI-TREATED CARBON FIBRE REINFORCED CEMENT COMPOSITES

The surface of carbon fibre is studied which has been treated with heated sodium hydrate solution (NaOH) . It is found that the surface of carbon fibre is not corroded during the treatment. But at the same time, it is also found that after this treatment, a certain number of carbonyl groups (C O) and (-COOH or ?COONa) are produced on the treated surface of carbon fibre. When carbon fiber is mixed with cement paste, the above reactive groups will link with Ca+2 in the paste, which will result in an early stage hydration of cement in inter facial areas. In addition, the experiments show that the rheological properties of cement paste reinforced with alkali-treated carbon fibre differ greatly from that of untreated carbon fibre reinforced cement paste.

Influence of voids on interlaminar shear strength of carbon/epoxy fabric laminates

The effects of voids(void content,void shape and size)on the interlaminar shear strength of[(±45)_(4)/(0,90)/(±45)_(2)]_(S) and [(±45)/0_(4)/(0,90)/0_(2)]_(S) composite laminates were investigated.Specimens with void contents in the range of 0.2%-8.0%for [(±45)_(4)/(0,90)/(±45)_(2)]_(S) and 0.2%-6.1%for[(±45)/0_(4)/(0,90)/0_(2)]_(S) were fabricated from carbon/epoxy fabric through varying autoclave pressures.The characteristics of the voids were studied by using optical image analysis to explain the interlaminar shear strength results.The influences of voids on the interlaminar shear strength of the two stacking sequences were compared in terms of the void content and size and shape of the void.The effect of voids on the initiation and propagation of interlaminar failure of both stacking sequence composites was found.

Determination of Epinephrine Using Poly(Neutral Red)Modified Carbon Fibre Microelectrodes by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

Poly(neutral red) film modified carbon fibre microelectrodes offer substantial improvement in voltammetric sensitivity and selectivity towards epinephrine (EP). The poly(neutral red) film was electropolymerized by cycling the potential between -0.8 V and +0.8 V. The anodic stripping voltammetric response for EP was found to be dependent on accumulation time and potential. By using a poly(neutral red) film modified carbon fibre microelectrode with a 1 min preconcentration at -1.2 V in biological phosphate buffer solution (pH=7.4), a good linear relationship between the anodic stripping peak currents and EP concentrations was obtained in the range of 2.0×10 -7 ￣ 2.0×10 -5 mol/L. The detection limit was up to 9.0 ×10 -8 mol/L. Moreover, 400 times higher concentrations of vitamin C did not interfere with the measurement of EP. This method was used for determining EP concentrations in epinephrine hydrochloride injection solution with satisfactory results.

Significantly enhancing fracture toughness of epoxy composite with promisingγ-FeOOH@Fe_(2)O_(3)hybrid nanoparticles by magnetic field assistance

The toughening of epoxy resin(EP)and the interlaminar toughening of carbon fiber reinforced composite(CF/EP)laminates have been widely concerned.In this work,the needle-likeγ-FeOOH nanoparticles were prepared by liquid phase deposition-air oxidation method,and then were calcined under different conditions to obtainγ-FeOOH andγ-Fe_(2)O_(3) hybrid nanoparticles(γ-FeOOH@Fe_(2)O_(3)).Effect of calcination condition ofγ-FeOOH@-Fe_(2)O_(3) and magnetic field assistance on fracture toughness(KIC)of EP was systematically investigated.Then the selectedγ-FeOOH@Fe_(2)O_(3) with the best toughening effect were used to improve the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness(GIC)of CF/EP laminate.The resultingγ-FeOOH@Fe_(2)O_(3) have a length of around 1μm,a diameter of around 100 nm and the Ms of 8.99–45.96 emu/g.After calcinated at 250℃ for 1 h,theγ-FeOOH@Fe_(2)O_(3) containing 24 wt%FeOOH and 76 wt%Fe_(2)O_(3) achieved the best toughening effect.Under a magnetic field of 0.09 T,the KIC of theγ-FeOOH@Fe_(2)O_(3)/EP composite(2.45 MPa m^(1/2)) is 81.7%and 66.7%higher than that of neat epoxy and the composite without magnetic field induction,respectively.Furthermore,the GIC of theγ-FeOOH@Fe_(2)O_(3)/CF/EP composite(0.914 kJ/m^(2)) is also significantly increased by 88.8%and 51.8%compared to that of CF/EP and the corresponding composite without magnetic field induction,respectively.

Fiber Line Optimization in Single Ply for 3D Printed Composites

In conventional manufacturing processes of composites, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) laminates have been made by stacking unidirectional or woven prepreg sheets. Recently, as a manufacturing process of CFRP, 3D printing of CFRP composites has been developed. The 3D printing process of CFRP composites enables us to fabricate CFRP laminates with arbitrary curvilinear fibre plies. This indicates that the optimization of the in-plane curved carbon fibre placement in a planar ply is strongly required to realize superior 3D printed composites. In the present paper, in-plane curved carbon fibre alignment of a ply with an open hole is optimized in terms of maximization of the fracture strength. For the optimization process, a genetic algorithm is adopted. To describe curved carbon fibre alignments in a planar ply, stream lines of perfect flow is employed. By using the stream lines of the perfect flow, number of optimization parameters is significantly reduced. After the optimization, the fracture strength of CFRP laminate is compared with the results of unidirectional CFRP ply. The curved fibre placement in a planar ply shows superior fracture improvement.

Enhancing adhesive bond strength of CFRP/titanium joints through NaOH anodising and resin pre-coating treatments with optimised anodising conditions

Adhesively Bonded Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic(CFRP)and titanium alloy have been extensively used as a hybrid structure in modern aircrafts due to their excellent combination of mechanical properties and chemical stabilities.This study utilised NaOH anodising method to create micro-rough titanium surfaces for enhancing adhesive bonding between titanium alloy and CFRP laminates.A special and simple technique named Resin Pre-Coating(RPC)was also employed to improve the surface wetting of anodised titanium and grinded CFRP substrates.The influences of anodising temperature and duration on the surface morphology,wettability and adhesive bond strength were investigated.The single lap shear test results showed that the bond strength of specimens anodised at 20℃for 15 min improved by 135.9%and 95.4%,respectively,in comparison with that of acid pickled and grinded specimens(without RPC treatment).Although increasing the anodising temperature and duration produced rougher titanium surfaces,the adhesively bonded joints were not strong enough due to relatively friable titanium oxide layers.

Design and Manufacturing of a Composite Lattice Structure Reinforced by Continuous Carbon Fibers

New techniques have been developed to make materials with a periodic three-dimensional lattice structure. The high stiffness per unit weight and multifunction of such lattice structures make them attractive for use in aeronautic and astronautic structures. In this paper, epoxy-soaked continuous carbon fibres were first introduced to make lattice composite structures, which maximize the specific load carrying capacity. A micromechanical analysis of several designs, each corresponding to a different manufacturing route, was carried out, in order to find the optimized lattice structure with maximum specific stiffness. An intertwining method was chosen and developed as the best route to make lattice composite materials reinforced by carbon fibers. A sandwich-weaved sample with a three-dimensional intertwined lattice structure core was found to be best. The manufacturing of such a composite lattice material was outlined, In addition to a high shear strength of the core and the integral manufacturing method, the lattice sandwich structure is expected to possess better mechanical capability.