Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of high-boron steel with different ratios of boron and carbon

Boron and carbon contents are the main factors influencing the properties of high-boron steel.In this study,experimental samples with different boron-to-carbon ratios(%B/%C)were prepared.The microstructures of the different samples were observed,and their hardness,bending strength,and impact toughness were investigated.Results show that the main microstructures in the investigated high-boron steel samples are the eutectic Fe_(2)B structure with a fishbone shape and the ternary peritectic Fe_(3)(C,B)structure with a chrysanthemum shape.When the boron content is 2.5wt.%and the carbon content is 0.43wt.%(i.e.,%B/%C=5.82),the overall mechanical properties of the alloy are the best.The alloy's hardness,bending strength and impact toughness reach their maximums,which are 67.3 HRC,1,267.36 MPa and 6.19 J·cm^(-2),respectively.The optimized alloy is compared with conventional materials exhibiting excellent wear resistance(namely,high-manganese steel and high-chromium cast iron)through two-body and three-body abrasion tests.The wear resistance of this high-boron steelinvestigated in this work is found to be superior to those of the more common materials.

Improved wettability and mechanical properties of metal coated carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composites by squeeze melt infiltration technique

In order to improve the wettability and bonding performance of the interface between carbon fiber and aluminum matrix,nickel-and copper-coated carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composites were fabricated by the squeeze melt infiltration technique.The interface wettability,microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were compared and investigated.Compared with the uncoated fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composite,the microstructure analysis indicated that the coatings significantly improved the wettability and effectively inhibited the interface reaction between carbon fiber and aluminum matrix during the process.Under the same processing condition,aluminum melt was easy to infiltrate into the copper-coated fiber bundles.Furthermore,the inhibited interface reaction was more conducive to maintain the original strength of fiber and improve the fiber−matrix interface bonding performance.The mechanical properties were evaluated by uniaxial tensile test.The yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus of the copper-coated carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composite were about 124 MPa,140 MPa and 82 GPa,respectively.In the case of nickel-coated carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composite,the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus were about 60 MPa,70 MPa and 79 GPa,respectively.The excellent mechanical properties for copper-coated fiber-reinforced composites are attributed to better compactness of the matrix and better fiber−matrix interface bonding,which favor the load transfer ability from aluminam matrix to carbon fiber under the loading state,giving full play to the bearing role of carbon fiber.

Effects of SiC interfacial coating on mechanical properties of carbon fiber needled felt reinforced sol-derived Al2O3 composites

3D carbon fiber needled felt and polycarbosilane-derived SiC coating were selected as reinforcement and interfacial coating,respectively,and the sol-impregnation-drying-heating(SIDH)route was used to fabricate C/Al2O3 composites.The effects of Si C interfacial coating on the mechanical properties,oxidation resistance and thermal shock resistance of C/Al2O3 composites were investigated.It is found that the fracture toughness of C/Al2O3 composites was remarkably superior to that of monolithic Al2O3 ceramics.The introduction of SiC interfacial coating obviously improved the strengths of C/Al2O3 composites although the fracture work diminished to some extent.Owing to the tight bonding between SiC coating and carbon fiber,the C/SiC/Al2O3 composites showed much better oxidation and thermal shock resistance over C/Al2O3 composites under static air.

Microstructural and Mechanical Characterization of SiBNC Coated Carbon Fibers Prepared via PIP Method

The preparation of SiBNC ceramic oxidation-resistant coating on carbon fiber via precursorsolution infiltration and pyrolysis（PIP） method was presented and discussed in detail. Moreover, the microstructures and the components of the coating were characterized. The experiment results showed that the 0.5% polyborosilazane（PBSZ） solution in the coating preparation gave fewer defects, in contrast with the 1% and the 5% PBSZ solutions. The strength of the carbon fiber coated with SiBNC-0.5 wt%（3.08 GPa） was decreased by 12%. Compared with uncoated carbon fiber, the starting oxidation temperature and the reaction activation energy of the coated carbon fibers（SiBNC-0.5 wt%） have increased by about 300 ℃ and 104%, respectively. The oxidation resistance of the SiBNC coated carbon fiber was improved dramatically.

Effect of carbon nanotube on physical and mechanical properties of natural fiber/glass fiber/cement composites

The objective of this investigation was to introduce a cement-based composite of higher quality. For this purpose new hybrid nanocomposite from bagasse fiber,glass fiber and multi-wall carbon nanotubes（MWCNTs）were manufactured. The physical and mechanical properties of the manufactured composites were measured according to standard methods. The properties of the manufactured hybrid nanocomposites were dramatically better than traditional composites. Also all the reinforced composites with carbon nanotube, glass fiber or bagasse fiber exhibited better properties rather than neat cement.The results indicated that bagasse fiber proved suitable for substitution of glass fiber as a reinforcing agent in the cement composites. The hybrid nanocomposite containing10 % glass fiber, 10 % bagasse fiber and 1.5 % MWCNTs was selected as the best compound.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CARBON/GLASS FIBER REINFORCED POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)COMPOSITES

Artificial bone, carbon/glass fiber reinforced PM-MA composites have been prepared by hot press moulding of pre-preg -which monofilments of CF and GF impregnated by MMA prepolymer. When the PMMA volume fraction in com-posites is 50% > theoretical and experimental results show that strength and modules of these hybrid composites are in accord with 'rule of mixture'. The tensile and flexure strength are the lowest when the raletive volume fraction of carbon fiber in rein-forcements is 50%,SEM examinations further explained re-sults.

Effect of electropolymer sizing of carbon fiber on mechanical properties of phenolic resin composites

Carbon fiber/phenolic resin composites were reinforced by the carbon fiber sized with the polymer films of phenol, m-phenylenediamine or acrylic acid, which was electropolymerized by cyclic voltammetry or chronopotentiometry. The contact angles of the sized carbon fibers with deionized water and diiodomethane were measured by the wicking method based on the modified Washburn equation, to show the effects of the different electropolymer film on the surface free energy of the carbon fiber after sizing by the electropolymerization. Compared with the unsized carbon fiber, which has 85.6°of contact angle of water, 52.2°of contact angle of diiodomethane, and 33.1 mJ/m2 of surface free energy with 29.3 mJ/m2 of dispersive components (γL) and 3.8 mJ/m2 of polar components (γsp), respectively. It is found that the electropolymer sized carbon fiber tends to reduce the surface energy due to the decrease of dispersiveγL with the increase of the polymer film on the surface of the carbon fiber that plays an important role in improving the mechanical properties of carbon/phenolic resin composites. Compared with the phenolic resin composites reinforced by the unsized carbon fiber, the impact, flexural and interlaminar shear strength of the phenolic resin composites were improved by 44 %, 68% and 87% when reinforced with the carbon fiber sized by the electropolymer of m-phenylenediamine, 66%, 100%, and 112% by the electropolymer of phenol, and 20%, 80 %, 100% by the electropolymer of acrylic acid. The results indicate the skills of electropolymerization may provide a feasible method for the sizing of carbon fiber in a composite system, so as to improve the interfacial performance between the reinforce materials and the matrix and to increase the mechanical properties of the composites.

Effect of Post-spinning Modification on the PAN Precursors and Resulting Carbon Fibers

The impregnation of a special grade PAN precursor,fibers wus carried out in a 8 wt% KMnO4 aqueous solution to obtain modified PAN precursor fibers. The effects of modification on the chemical stncture and the mechanical properties of precursor fibers thermally stabilized and their resulting carbon fibers u＇ere characterized by the combiination use of densities, wide-angle X-ray diffraction （WAXD）, X-ray photoelectron speetroscopy （XPS）, elemental analysis （ EA ）, Fourier traasform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR） and scanning electron microscope （SEM）, etc.KMnO4 as a strong oxidizer can swell, oxidize and corrode the skin of a precursor.fiber, and transform C≡N groups to C≡N ones, meamchile , it can decreuse the crystal .size increuse the orientation index and the costallinity index, furthermore it can increuse the densities of modified PAN precursors and resuhing thermally stabilized fibers. As a result, the carbon fibers developed from modified PAN fibers show an improvement in tensile strength of 31.25 % and an improvement in elongation of 77.78 % , but a decrease of 16. 52% in Young＇s modulus.

Effect of Cold Plasma Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of RTM Composites

Cold plasma technology was used to treat the surface of carbon fibers braided by PET in this paper and SEM was used to analyze the fracture microstructure of composite interlaminar shear stress (ILSS). The result shows that the surface polarity of carbon fibers was modified by cold plasma treatment, which increases the impregnation of PET braided carbon fibers during the process of resin flowing, improves the interfacial properties of RTM composites, and therefore enhances the mechanical properties of the KTM composites.

Pyrolytic Recycling of Carbon Fibers from Prepregs and Their Use in Polyamide Composites

Carbon fibers composites are well-known as high tech materials but are also recognized as a problem after use as they have to be deposited in landfills. Pyrolysis is an attractive process for recycling carbon fibers from used composites as well as offcuts from prepregs. Pyrolysis of carbon fiber composite prepregs is carried out in a pilot plant with a single screw reactor. The pyrolysis products, carbon fibers and pyrolysis vapor are fully characterized. Variation of pyrolysis temperature is carried out to obtain carbon fibers with the best possible surface properties. In order to compare the mechanical properties of the recycled carbon fibers with virgin material, composite materials with polyamide are produced and their properties compared.

Comparative study on the interface and mechanical properties of T700/Al and M40/Al composites

T700/Al and M40/Al composites were fabricated by squeeze casting technology, and their interface and mechanical properties were investigated comparatively. The results showed that both of the composites were dense, and the fibers were distributed uniformly in aluminum matrix. Aluminum carbide （Al4C3） was observed on the interface of the two carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum （Cf/Al） composites. There was little Al4C3 with a length of 300-500 nm and a width of 30-60 nm in the M40/Al composite, whereas there was a great deal of Al4C3 with a length of 200-400 nm and a width of 100-200 nm in the T700/Al composite, due to a higher graphitization of M40Cf than T700Cf. The M40/Al composite showed a much higher tensile strength than the TT00/Al composite, and it was related to interracial bonding between carbon fibers and aluminum matrices.

Effects of Fiber Surface Pretreatment and Composite Posttreatment on Mechanical Properties of 2D⁃Cf/Phosphate Geopolymer Matrix Composites

Geopolymers are an important class of materials with potential applications because of their heat resistance,flame resistance,environmental friendliness,and possibilities of being transformed into ceramic matrix composites at low cost.However,the low mechanical properties as well as the intrinsic brittleness limit their technological implementations,and it is necessary to enhance the mechanical properties of geopolymers by adopting various kinds of reinforcements.In this work,therefore,two⁃dimensional continuous carbon fiber(Cf)reinforced phosphate⁃based geopolymer composites(Cf/geopolymer)were prepared through ultrasonic⁃assisted impregnation method.Effects of acetone treatment and high⁃temperature treatment on the properties of Cf/geopolymer composites were studied by X⁃ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),X⁃ray diffraction(XRD),and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Results of the study proved that acetone treatment plays a key role in ameliorating the interfacial interaction between Cf and phosphate matrix,which can thus enhance the mechanical properties of Cf/geopolymer composites.The Cf/geopolymer composites prepared by acetone⁃treated Cf had a flexural strength of 156.1 MPa and an elastic modulus of 39.7 GPa in Y direction.Moreover,an additional Sol⁃SiO2 re⁃impregnation treatment could further enhance the mechanical properties of the acetone⁃treated Cf/geopolymer composites by repairing the cracks and filling the pores.The results in this paper not only provide insights into the surface modification of Cf,but also report a facile and low⁃cost preparation route for Cf/geopolymer composites with potential applications in aerospace and defense technology.

Mechanical properties of C_f/Si-O-C composites prepared by hot-pressing assisted pyrolysis of polysiloxane

Silicon oxycarbide composites reinforced by three-dimensional braided carbon fiber （3D-B Cf/Si-O-C） were fabricated via precursor infiltration and pyrolysis of polysiloxane, and the effects of processing variables on mechanical properties and microstructures of 3D-B Cf/Si-O-C composites were investigated. It is found that the mechanical properties and densities of 3D-B Cf/Si-O-C composites can be increased if the first pyrolysis cycle is assisted by hot-pressing. Pyrolysis temperature has great effects on mechanical properties and microstructures of 3D-B Cf/Si-O-C composites. The composite, which is hot-pressed at 1 600 ℃ for 5 min with pressure of 10 MPa in the first pyrolysis cycle, exhibits high mechanical properties: bending strength 502 MPa and fracture toughness 23.7 MPa·m1/2. The high mechanical properties are mainly attributed to desirable interfacial structure and high density.

Synergistic Optimization of Toughness and EMI Shielding Properties in Rigid Polyurethane Composites by Designing Ring Structures on the Surface of Carbon Fibers

How to achieve both toughness and enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness(EMI SE)of carbon fibers(CFs)reinforced rigid polyurethane(RPU)composites is a significative challenge at present.In this work,a ring-shaped zinc coating was deposited on the short CFs by electrodeposition technique.It is expected to improve the interfacial properties between the fibers and the resin matrix as well as enhance the EMI shielding properties of the composites by changing the surface morphology and roughness of the fibers.Results showed that the surface free energy of the ring-shaped zinc modified carbon fibers(RS-CFs)increased from 49.0 mJ/m^(2) to 53.2 mJ/m^(2),indicating that the surface roughness and wettability of the CFs were effectively improved.In comparison with the pristine short carbon fibers/rigid polyurethane(CFs/RPU)composites,tensile strength and tensile toughness of RS-CFs modified composites were increased by 27.1% and 121.4%,respectively.In addition,the bending and impact strengths of RS-CFs reinforced RPU composites were also improved.Notably,the electrical conductivity of RS-CFs/RPU composites reached 1.2×10^(-5) S/m,which was much higher than that of CFs/RPU composites at 1.4×10^(-10) S/m.Moreover,the EMI SE of the modified composites reached 22 dB,which was 152.9% higher than that of CFs/RPU composites.The enhanced electrical conductivity and EMI shielding properties of the composites could be attributed to the synergistic effect of the porous structure in the RPU matrix and the CFs modified by the metal coating.

Properties and Structure of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes/Cellulose Composites Fibers Using Ionic Liquid as Solvent

To take advantage of cellulose material and prepare a kind of high performance fiber,multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWNTs) were used as fillers to produce MWNTs/cellulose composite fibers using ionic liquid as solvent.The thermal properties,mechanical properties,and structure of the composite fibers were investigated.The wide angle X-ray diffraction(WAXD) measurements show that MWNTs/cellulose composite fibers have cellulose Ⅱ crystal structure.The results obtained from thermal gravimetric analysis(TGA) indicate that the addition of low nanotubes amounts leads to an increase in the degrade temperature.The tensile mechanical properties show that initial modulus and tensile strength considerably increase in the presence of nanotubes with a maximum for 66.7% and 22.7%.

Mechanical properties and thermal stability of carbon fiber cloth reinforced sol-derived mullite composites

For the wide application as thermal protection materials,it is very necessary for mullite ceramics to improve fracture toughness.In this paper,the laminated and stitched carbon fiber cloth preform reinforced mullite(C/mullite)composites were prepared through the route of sol impregnation and heat treatment using the Al2O3-SiO2 sol with a high solid content as raw materials.The C/mullite composites showed a flexural strength of 228.9 MPa that was comparable to that of dense monolithic mullite although the total porosity reached 13.4%.Especially,a fracture toughness of 11.2 MPa·m1/2that was 4–5 times that of dense monolithic mullite was obtained.Strength deterioration due to the carbothermal reduction between carbon fiber and the residual SiO2 in matrix was found above 1200℃.A pyrolytic C(Py C)coating was deposited on carbon fibers as interfacial coating.The chemical damage to carbon fibers was obviously alleviated by the sacrifice of PyC coating.Accordingly,the C/PyC/mullite composites kept strength unchanged up to 1500℃,and showed much higher strength retention ratio than C/mullite composites after annealing at 1600℃.

Mechanical Property Evaluation of Glass-carbon-durian Skin Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites

The main objective of this work was to study and develop composite materials by experiments with mixtures of synthetic(glass fiber, carbon fiber) and natural fiber(durian skin fiber) reinforcements on a polylactic acid(PLA) matrix composite, because of its excellent mechanical properties. Durian skin fiber(DSF) is a natural waste throughout Thailand, and an alternative to recycling is to realize its potential as a new reinforcement through mixing and the injection molding processes. The flexural strength(σ_(F)) and flexural modulus(E_(F)) of the composites from specimens showed a maximum value by content of durian skin fiber at 10 wt%, for good performance relative to particle dispersion between the matrix and the fiber, and showed a minimum value by content of durian skin fiber at 20 wt%, because the reinforcement material affects the mechanical properties in the experiments.

Effects of Zr and chopped C fiber on microstructure and mechanical properties of SiBCN ceramics

To further improve the thermal shock resistance and ablation resistance of SiBCN system ceramics targeted much harsh environment,both ultra-high temperature ceramic phases and carbon fibers are expected to be incorporated simultaneously as the reinforcements.However,tough problems like difficulty in densification as well as degradation of C fibers(Cf)due to interfacial reaction usually cannot be avoided.Thus,in this study,Zr as well as chopped Cf with BN coating were introduced into SiBCN ceramics by mechanical alloying and after hot-pressing sintering to prepare Cf/SiBCNZr composites.The structure and phase component development have been characterized in detail by XRD,SEM,TEM and XPS etc.,and mechanical properties,fracture behavior and toughening mechanisms were also investigated.Zr-B and Zr-O bonds are detected besides Si-C,N-B and N-B-C bonds when pre-alloyed ZrB2 amorphous powder was incorporated into SiBCN system by further mechanical-alloying treatment.After hot-pressing,the ultra-high temperature phases of ZrB2 and ZrN were formed as expected besides the original matrix phases of BN(C)and SiC.Excellent mechanical properties can be obtained for SiBCNZr ceramic.The BN coating on carbon fibers successfully avoids the severe fiber degradation and makes it possible for moderating strong interface bonding,which ensuring the debonding,crack deflection,fiber pulling-out and bridging during the fracture.As a result,the Cf/SiBCNZr composites retain good mechanical properties and fractures in a pseudoplastic fracture manner,showing better potential applications in harsh environments.Optimization of the BN coating on Cf and Zr incorporation by pre-mechanical alloying can be a good route to achieve Cf/SiBCNZr composites with a better balance between thermal shock resistance,ablation resistance and mechanical properties.

Fabrication and Properties of Three-dimensional Braided Carbon Fiber Reinforced SiO2-rich Mullite Composites

In order to enhance the fracture toughness of mullite, three-dimensional braided carbon fiber reinforced mullite(C/mullite) composites were prepared using the Al2O3-SiO2 sol with a high solid content as raw material. Mullitization behavior of the sol was characterized. Then, the microstructure, mechanical properties and oxidation resistance of C/mullite composites were investigated. It is found that the SiO2-rich mullite with desirable sintering shrinkage can be synthesized at 1 300 ℃ from the sol with an Al2O3/SiO2 mass ratio of 1:1. The C/mullite composites with a total porosity of 21.5% were fabricated by repeating 18 cycles of vacuum impregnation-drying-heat treatment, showing a flexural strength of 234.5 MPa and a fracture toughness of 13.1 MPa·m1/2. Since carbon fibers were protected by compact matrix, the C/mullite composites show favorable oxidation resistance during 1 200 ℃-1 600 ℃ even if an open porosity of 10.3% was detected.

Semisolid-rolling and annealing process of woven carbon fibers reinforced Al-matrix composites

Semisolid-rolling method was successfully developed to prepare the Ni-coated woven carbon fibers reinforced Al-matrix composite. Due to the appropriate matrix flowability and rolling pressure, the Al-matrix could infiltrate into the woven fibers sufficiently and attach to the reinforcements closely forming a smooth interface. The rolling speed of 4 rad/min offered a subtle equilibrium between the heat transfer and the material deformation. The covering matrix should be controlled at semisolid state to provide a better infiltration behavior and a protective effect on the carbon fibers. With the addition of fibers, an improvement for more than 25% was obtained in the bending strength of the materials. Furthermore, the woven carbon fibers could strengthen the composite in multiple directions, rather than only along the fiber longitudinal directions. The annealing process promoted the Ni coating to react with and to diffuse into the matrix, resulted in an obvious increase of the bending strength.