Experimental investigation on the anti-detonation performance of composite structure containing foam geopolymer backfill material

The compression and energy absorption properties of foam geopolymers increase stress wave attenuation under explosion impacts,reducing the vibration effect on the structure.Explosion tests were conducted using several composite structure models,including a concrete lining structure(CLS)without foam geopolymer and six foam geopolymer composite structures(FGCS)with different backfill parameters,to study the dynamic response and wave dissipation mechanisms of FGCS under explosive loading.Pressure,strain,and vibration responses at different locations were synchronously tested.The damage modes and dynamic responses of different models were compared,and how wave elimination and energy absorption efficiencies were affected by foam geopolymer backfill parameters was analyzed.The results showed that the foam geopolymer absorbed and dissipated the impact energy through continuous compressive deformation under high strain rates and dynamic loading,reducing the strain in the liner structure by 52%and increasing the pressure attenuation rate by 28%.Additionally,the foam geopolymer backfill reduced structural vibration and liner deformation,with the FGCS structure showing 35%less displacement and 70%less acceleration compared to the CLS.The FGCS model with thicker,less dense foam geopolymer backfill,having more pores and higher porosity,demonstrated better compression and energy absorption under dynamic impact,increasing stress wave attenuation efficiency.By analyzing the stress wave propagation and the compression characteristics of the porous medium,it was concluded that the stress transfer ratio of FGCS-ρ-579 was 77%lower than that of CLS,and the transmitted wave energy was 90%lower.The results of this study provide a scientific basis for optimizing underground composite structure interlayer parameters.

Graphene Aerogel Composites with Self‑Organized Nanowires‑Packed Honeycomb Structure for Highly Efficient Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

With vigorous developments in nanotechnology,the elaborate regulation of microstructure shows attractive potential in the design of electromagnetic wave absorbers.Herein,a hierarchical porous structure and composite heterogeneous interface are constructed successfully to optimize the electromagnetic loss capacity.The macro–micro-synergistic graphene aerogel formed by the ice template‑assisted 3D printing strategy is cut by silicon carbide nanowires(SiC_(nws))grown in situ,while boron nitride(BN)interfacial structure is introduced on graphene nanoplates.The unique composite structure forces multiple scattering of incident EMWs,ensuring the combined effects of interfacial polarization,conduction networks,and magnetic-dielectric synergy.Therefore,the as-prepared composites present a minimum reflection loss value of−37.8 dB and a wide effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 9.2 GHz(from 8.8 to 18.0 GHz)at 2.5 mm.Besides,relying on the intrinsic high-temperature resistance of SiC_(nws) and BN,the EAB also remains above 5.0 GHz after annealing in air environment at 600℃ for 10 h.

In-situ additive manufacturing of high strength yet ductility titanium composites with gradient layered structure using N_(2)

It has always been challenging work to reconcile the contradiction between the strength and plasticity of titanium materials.Laser powder bed fusion(LPBF) is a convenient method to fabricate innovative composites including those inspired by gradient layered materials.In this work,we used LPBF to selectively prepare Ti N/Ti gradient layered structure(GLSTi)composites by using different N_(2)–Ar ratios during the LPBF process.We systematically investigated the mechanisms of in-situ synthesis Ti N,high strength and ductility of GLSTi composites using microscopic analysis,TEM characterization,and tensile testing with digital image correlation.Besides,a digital correspondence was established between the N_(2) concentration and the volume fraction of LPBF in-situ synthesized Ti N.Our results show that the GLSTi composites exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to pure titanium fabricated by LPBF under pure Ar.Specifically,the tensile strength of GLSTi was more than 1.5times higher than that of LPBF-formed pure titanium,reaching up to 1100 MPa,while maintaining a high elongation at fracture of 17%.GLSTi breaks the bottleneck of high strength but low ductility exhibited by conventional nanoceramic particle-strengthened titanium matrix composites,and the hetero-deformation induced strengthening effect formed by the Ti N/Ti layered structure explained its strength-plasticity balanced principle.The microhardness exhibits a jagged variation of the relatively low hardness of 245 HV0.2 for the pure titanium layer and a high hardness of 408 HV0.2 for the N_(2) in-situ synthesis layer.Our study provides a new concept for the structure-performance digital customization of 3D-printed Ti-based composites.

Improving the ductility and toughness of nano-TiC/AZ61 composite by optimizing bimodal grain microstructure via extrusion speed

In this study,the nano-TiC/AZ61 composites with different heterogeneous bimodal grain(HBG)structures and uniform structure are obtained by regulating the extrusion speed.The effect of HBG structure on the mechanical properties of the composites is investigated.The increasing ductility and toughening mechanism of HBG magnesium matrix composites are carefully discussed.When the extrusion speed increases from 0.75 mm/s to 2.5 mm/s or 3.5 mm/s,the microstructure transforms from uniform to HBG structure.Compared with Uniform-0.75 mm/s composite,Heterogeneous-3.5 mm/s composite achieves a 116.7%increase in ductility in the plastic deformation stage and almost no reduction in ultimate tensile strength.This is mainly because the lower plastic deformation inhomogeneity and higher strain hardening due to hetero-deformation induced(HDI)hardening.Moreover,Heterogeneous-3.5 mm/s composite achieves a 108.3%increase in toughness compared with the Uniform-0.75 mm/s composite.It is mainly because coarse grain(CG)bands can capture and blunt cracks,thereby increasing the energy dissipation for crack propagation and improving toughness.In addition,the CG band of the Heterogeneous-3.5 mm/s composite with larger grain size and lower dislocation density is more conducive to obtaining higher strain hardening and superior blunting crack capability.Thus,the increased ductility and toughness of the Heterogeneous-3.5 mm/s composite is more significant than that Heterogeneous-2.5 mm/s composite.

Functionally graded structure of a nitride-strengthened Mg_(2)Si-based hybrid composite

The ex-situ incorporation of the secondary SiC reinforcement,along with the in-situ incorporation of the tertiary and quaternary Mg_(3)N_(2) and Si_(3)N_(4) phases,in the primary matrix of Mg_(2)Si is employed in order to provide ultimate wear resistance based on the laser-irradiation-induced inclusion of N_(2) gas during laser powder bed fusion.This is substantialized based on both the thermal diffusion-and chemical reactionbased metallurgy of the Mg_(2)Si–SiC/nitride hybrid composite.This study also proposes a functional platform for systematically modulating a functionally graded structure and modeling build-direction-dependent architectonics during additive manufacturing.This strategy enables the development of a compositional gradient from the center to the edge of each melt pool of the Mg_(2)Si–SiC/nitride hybrid composite.Consequently,the coefficient of friction of the hybrid composite exhibits a 309.3%decrease to–1.67 compared to–0.54 for the conventional nonreinforced Mg_(2)Si structure,while the tensile strength exhibits a 171.3%increase to 831.5 MPa compared to 485.3 MPa for the conventional structure.This outstanding mechanical behavior is due to the(1)the complementary and synergistic reinforcement effects of the SiC and nitride compounds,each of which possesses an intrinsically high hardness,and(2)the strong adhesion of these compounds to the Mg_(2)Si matrix despite their small sizes and low concentrations.

Strain-Insensitive Fiber Bragg Grating Composite Structure for Wide-Range Temperature Sensing

This paper reports on the design,fabrication,and temperature strain sensing performance of a fiber Bragg grating composite structure for surface mounted temperature measurements over a wide temperature range,with highly reduced strain cross-sensitivity.The fiber Bragg grating sensor is encapsulated in a polyimide tube filled with epoxy resin,forming an arc-shaped cavity.This assembly is then placed between two layers of glass fiber prepreg with a flexible pad in between and cured into shape.Experimental results,supported by finite element simulations,demonstrate an enhanced temperature sensitivity is 26.3 pm/°C over a wide temperature range of–30°C to 70°C,and high strain transfer isolation of about 99.65%.

High-temperature effect on continuous glass fiber reinforced polypropylene multilayer composite and corrugated sandwich panels

The high-temperature mechanical behaviors of Multi-Layer Composite Panels(MCP)and Corrugated Sandwich Panels(CSP)of Continuous Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene(CGFRPP)are critical for their application in aerospace fields,which have been rarely mentioned in previous studies.High-temperature quasi-static tensile and compression tests on CGFRPP MCP are conducted first.The results showed that the tensile and compression strength,stiffness,and tensile modulus of MCP decreased with increasing temperature.The Gibson model was found to be more suitable for predicting the high-temperature mechanical performance of MCP after comparing the calculated results of different theoretical models with experimental data.Secondly,hightemperature planar compression tests were conducted on the CGFRPP CSP,revealing that the main failure modes were corrugated core buckling and delamination between the face panel and core material,with delamination being intensified at higher temperatures.Therefore,we proposed a strength theoretical model that considers structural buckling failure and interface delamination failure,and introduced the influence factor to evaluate the effect of interface delamination on structural strength.

Microstructure stability of Ti_2Al N/Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb composite at 900 °C

Microstructure stability of in situ synthesized Ti2AlN/Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb composite during aging at 900 ℃ was investigated by XRD, OM and TEM, and the unreinforced Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy was also examined for comparison. The result showed that in the TiAl alloy,α2 lamellae thinned and were broken down, and became discontinuous with increasing aging time. The decomposition ofα2 lamella toγ which was characterized by parallel decomposition and breakdown ofα2 lamellae led to the degradation of the lamellar structure. While in the composite, lamellar structure remained relatively stable even after aging at 900 ℃ for 100 h. No breakdown ofα2 lamellae except parallel decomposition and precipitation of fine nitride particles was observed. The better microstructural stability of the composite was mainly attributed to the precipitation of Ti2AlN particles at theα2/γ interface which played an important role in retarding the coarsening of lamellar microstructure in the matrix of composite.

Formation and evolution of Al/steel interface structure in composite casting

Al/steel composite materials were prepared using liquid-solid composite casting method,with aluminum as the liquid and 45 steel rods as the solid.The key factors affecting the formation and evolution of intermetallic compounds at the Al/steel reaction interface were studied.Results show that the defects present in the intermetallic compounds prepared at a liquid temperature of 900℃and a holding time of 20 s are the least.The average hardness of Fe_(2)Al_(5)phase is 3 times higher than that of 45 steel and more than 7 times higher than that of pure aluminum.The average shear strength of the sample obtained through air cooling is higher than that of water cooling,and Fe_(2)Al_(5)phase is the main reason for the brittle fracture of the sample.The activation energy calculation of intermetallic compounds reveals that Fe_(2)Al_(5)is easy to grow up than FeAl_(3)phase under air cooling conditions,and FeAl_(3)is easy to grow up than Fe_(2)Al_(5)phase under water cooling conditions.This work offers assistance in studying the formation of intermetallic compounds during composite casting processes.

Biomimetic 3D printing of composite structures with decreased cracking

The development of tissue engineering and regeneration research has created new platforms for bone transplantation.However,the preparation of scaffolds with good fiber integrity is challenging,because scaffolds prepared by traditional printing methods are prone to fiber cracking during solvent evaporation.Human skin has an excellent natural heat-management system,which helps to maintain a constant body temperature through perspiration or blood-vessel constriction.In this work,an electrohydrodynamic-jet 3D-printing method inspired by the thermal-management system of skin was developed.In this system,the evaporation of solvent in the printed fibers can be adjusted using the temperature-change rate of the substrate to prepare 3D structures with good structural integrity.To investigate the solvent evaporation and the interlayer bonding of the fibers,finite-element analysis simulations of a three-layer microscale structure were carried out.The results show that the solvent-evaporation path is from bottom to top,and the strain in the printed structure becomes smaller with a smaller temperaturechange rate.Experimental results verified the accuracy of these simulation results,and a variety of complex 3D structures with high aspect ratios were printed.Microscale cracks were reduced to the nanoscale by adjusting the temperature-change rate from 2.5 to 0.5℃s-1.Optimized process parameters were selected to prepare a tissue engineering scaffold with high integrity.It was confirmed that this printed scaffold had good biocompatibility and could be used for bone-tissue regeneration.This simple and flexible 3D-printing method can also help with the preparation of a wide range of micro-and nanostructured sensors and actuators.

Quantitative Identification of Delamination Damage in Composite Structure Based on Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors and Model Updating

Delamination is a prevalent type of damage in composite laminate structures.Its accumulation degrades structural performance and threatens the safety and integrity of aircraft.This study presents a method for the quantitative identification of delamination identification in composite materials,leveraging distributed optical fiber sensors and a model updating approach.Initially,a numerical analysis is performed to establish a parameterized finite element model of the composite plate.Then,this model subsequently generates a database of strain responses corresponding to damage of varying sizes and locations.The radial basis function neural network surrogate model is then constructed based on the numerical simulation results and strain responses captured from the distributed fiber optic sensors.Finally,a multi-island genetic algorithm is employed for global optimization to identify the size and location of the damage.The efficacy of the proposed method is validated through numerical examples and experiment studies,examining the correlations between damage location,damage size,and strain responses.The findings confirm that the model updating technique,in conjunction with distributed fiber optic sensors,can precisely identify delamination in composite structures.

Three-point bending performance of a new aluminum foam composite structure

A new composite structure based on aluminum foam sandwich and fiber metal laminate was proposed. A layer of glass fiber was provided at the interface between the metal panel and the aluminum foam core in this composite structure, using adhesive technology to bond the materials together by organic glue in the sequence of metal panel, glass fiber, aluminum foam core, glass fiber and metal panel. The experimental results show that the new composite structure has an improved comprehensive performance compared with the traditional aluminum foam sandwiches. The optimized parameters for the fabrication of the new aluminum foam composite structure with best bending strength were obtained. The epoxy resin and low porosity aluminum foams are preferred, the thickness of aluminum sheets should be at least 1.5 mm, and the type of glass fiber has little effect on the bending strength. The main failure modes of the new composite structures with two types of glues were discussed.

Floristic Composition, Population Structure, and Recruitment Status of Plant Species: A Case Study of Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration Practices in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands in Kenya

The technique of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) is being promoted as a cost-effective approach for restoring degraded arable dry lands. Its effectiveness has been observed in many countries across the globe, where it is a traditional practice, and is now being encouraged across the African continent. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of FMNR on floristic Composition, Vegetation Structure, and Regeneration Status of woody Plant Species in the severely degraded Central Rift, Kenya. The study systematically assessed how FMNR influenced species composition, vegetation structure and regeneration status from two sample plots involved in FMNR practices. Transect lines and quadrats methods were utilized to collect data, specifically regarding the floristic composition, vegetation structure, and regeneration status of woody plant species. Quadrats and sub-quadrats of varying sizes (10 m by 10 m, 5 m by 5 m, and 1 m by 1 m) were nested along the transect lines for data collection. Furthermore, measurements of tree growth and development, including root collar diameter, diameter at breast height (D130) and heights within the study blocks, were taken. The data was then analyzed using R-software. Results showed a marked progressive increase in numbers of trees, saplings, seedlings, shrubs and herbs in all FMNR sites and reductions in all non-FMNR sites. The study advocates for widespread promotion of the FMNR practice both as an environmental conservation and restoration strategy.

Fabrication,characterization and electrochemical properties of porous coral-structured Si/C composite anode for lithium ion battery

A porous coral-structured Si/C composite as an anode material was fabricated by coating Si nanoparticles with a carbon layer from polyvinyl alcohol（PVA）, erosion of hydrofluoric（HF） acid, and secondary coating with pitch. Three samples with different pitch contents of 30%, 40% and 50% were synthesized. The composition and morphology of the composites were characterized by X-ray diffractometry（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, respectively, and the properties were tested by electrochemical measurements. The results indicated that the composites showed obviously enhanced electrochemical performance compared with that without secondary carbon coating. The second discharge capacity of the composite was 773 m A·h/g at a current density of 100 m A/g, and still retained 669 m A·h/g after 60 cycles with a small capacity fade of less than 0.23%/cycle, while the content of secondary carbon source of pitch was set at 40%. Therefore, the cycle stability of the composite could be excellently improved by regulating carbon content of secondary coating.

Microstructure of Steel Fiber Reinforced Polymer-cement-based Composites

Mercury intrusion porosimetry was used to measure the pore structure of steel fiber reinforced polymer-cement-based composite. The results indicate that the large pore volume decreases by 57. 8% - 51.2% and by 87. 1% - 88% with the addition of steel fibers and polymers respectively. When both steel fibers and polymers are simultaneously added, the large pore volume decreases by 88.3% - 90.1% . As a surface active material , polymer has a favorable water-reduced and forming-film effect, which is contributed to the decrease of the thickness of water film and the improvement of the conglutination between the fibers and the matrix. Polymers could form a microstructure network. This network structure and the bone structure of cement hydration products penetrate each other and thus the interpenetrating network with sticky aggregate and steel fiber inside forms.

Solidified structure and solute segregation in Al_2O_3/A356-La alloy composites

Al2O3/A356-La alloy composites were fabricated by squeeze casting, and the effects of La on the solidified structure and the solute segregation during alloy solidification were studied. The results indicate that the structure of the matrix alloy becomes fine and small by the addition of La. La has been richened at the interface to help improve the wettability between the fiber and Al alloy, but there are no intermetallic compounds richening La found at the interface yet. There is no special influence of La on the Mg segregation in the matrix alloy. The distribution of Mg and La in the composites has been at the same position--near the interface.

Fabrication and abrasive wear properties of metal matrix composites reinforced with three-dimensional network structure

Reticulated polyurethane was chosen as the preceramic material for preparing the porous preform using the replication process. The immersing and sintering processes were each performed twice for fabricating a high-porosity and super-strong skeleton. The aluminum magnesium matrix composites reinforced with three-dimensional network structure were prepared using the infiltration technique by pressure assisting and vacuum driving. Light interfacial reactions have played a profitable role in most of the ceramic-metal systems. The metal matrix composites interpenetrated with the ceramic phase have a higher wear resistance than the metal matrix phase. The volume fraction of ceramic reinforcement has a significant effect on the abrasive wear, and the wear rate can be decreased with the increase of the volume fraction of reinforcement.

Internal Force Distribution in Steel-Concrete Composite Structure for Pylon of Cable-Stayed Bridge

Adopting a steel-anchor beam and steel corbel composite structure in the anchor zone on pylon is one of the key techniques for the design of Jintang bridge, a cable-stayed bridge in Zhoushan, China. In order to ensure the safety of the steel-concrete composite structure, a stud connector model for the joint section was put forward. Experiments were conducted to obtain the relation between load and slip of specimen, the failure pattern of stud connector, the yield bearing capacity and ultimate bearing capacity of a single stud, etc. The whole process of the structural behavior of the specimen was comprehensively analyzed. The features of the internal force distribution in the steel-concrete composite structure and the strain distribution of stud connector under different loads were emphatically studied. The test results show that the stud connector is applicable for the steel-concrete composite structure for pylon of Jintang bridge. The stud has a good ductility performance and a obvious yield process before its destruction. The stud connector basically works in a state of elasticity under a load less than the yield load.

Magneto-rheological elastomer (MRE) based composite structures for micro-vibration control

Magneto-rheological elastomers （MILEs） are used to construct composite structures for micro-vibration control of equipment under stochastic support-motion excitations. The dynamic behavior of MREs as a smart viscoelastic material is characterized by a complex modulus dependent on vibration frequency and controllable by external magnetic fields. Frequency-domain solution methods for stochastic micro-vibration response analysis of the MRE-based structural systems are developed to derive the system frequency-response function matrices and the expressions of the velocity response spectrum. With these equations, the root-mean-square （RMS） velocity responses in terms of the one-third octave frequency band spectrum can be calculated. Further, the optimization problem of the complex moduli of the MRE cores is defined by minimizing the velocity response spectra and the RMS velocity responses through altering the applied magnetic fields. Simulation results illustrate the influences of MRE parameters on the RMS velocity responses and the high response reduction capacities of the MRE-based structures. In addition, the developed frequency-domain analysis methods are applicable to sandwich beam structures with arbitrary cores characterized by complex shear moduli under stochastic excitations described by power spectral density functions, and are valid for a wide frequency range.

Structure, indentation and corrosion characterizations of high-silicon Ni-Si nano-composite coatings prepared by modified electrodeposition process

Ni-Si nano-composite coatings with various silicon contents were prepared by a modified electrodeposition process using electrolytes containing ball-milled Si/Ni particles. The effects of the concentration of the ball-milled Si/Ni particles in the electrolyte on the silicon content, structure, microhardness and corrosion behaviors of the coatings were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry were used for structural characterization. Also, the microhardness and corrosion behaviors of the deposited coatings were evaluated. According to the results, the Si level reaches about 10 wt.% in the coating, which is a significant content of Si incorporation for electrodeposition. It was also found that the crystallite size of the coatings was progressively decreased and the hardness was increased, by increasing the content of Si. Typically, the crystallite size and microhardness of the Ni-10 wt.%Si coating were 0.39 and 2.1 times those of the pure Ni coating, respectively. Also, the results showed that there is an optimal content of Si to meet the best acidic corrosion resistance of the coatings.