Physical and Mechanical Properties of Eco-Friendly Composites Made from Wood Dust and Recycled Polystyrene

The development of alternative wood composites based on the use of waste or recycled materials can be beneficial due to over exploitation of natural resources.Under this frame,an option for the successful utilization of waste polystyrene which avoids environmental problems that formaldehyde adhesives cause and also reduces waste dis-posal,is its potential application as a binder for the production of value-added environmentally friendly and low cost wood composites.Two types of panel were successfully made,consisting of wood dust and two recycled poly-styrene contents,namely,15%and 30%.Both physical properties,water absorption and thickness swelling,and mechanical properties,modulus of rupture,shear strength parallel in the plane of the board and glue line shear strength,were significantly improved as the recycled polystyrene content increased from 15%to 30%.Water absorption and thickness swelling after 24 h immersion in water were improved by 165%and 750%as the recycled polystyrene content increased from 15%to 30%.The magnitude of the improvement in mechanical properties however,was less pronounced than of the physical properties since modulus of rupture,shear strength parallel in the plane of the board and glue line shear strength were increased by 43.6%,50%and 61.5%,respec-tively.The low viscosity of the recycled polystyrene caused more mobility inside the panel matrix and therefore,an improved penetration took place into adequate depth of the compressed dust particles.It is concluded that boards can be successfully produced using these waste raw materials,wood dust and recycled polystyrene in organic solvent as a binder,and therefore it can reduce waste disposal and provide cleaner production for the development of wood-based boards.

Study of Rice Husks and Expanded Polystyrene Composites for Construction Applications

In the current context of environmental challenges, this study focuses on developing innovative and eco-friendly composites using rice husk and recycled expanded polystyrene. This dual-responsibility approach valorizes a by-product like rice husk, often considered waste, and reuses polystyrene, a plastic waste, thereby contributing to CO2 emission reduction and effective waste management. The manufacturing process involves dissolving recycled polystyrene into a solvent to create a binder, which is then mixed with rice husk and cold-compacted into composite materials. The study examines the impact of two particle sizes (fine and coarse) and different proportions of recycled polystyrene binder. The results show significant variations in the mechanical characteristics of the composites, with Modulus of Rupture (MOR) values varying from 2.41 to 3.47 MPa, Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) ranging from 223.41 to 1497.2 MPa, and Stiffness Coefficient (K) from 5.04 to 33.96 N/mm. These characteristics demonstrate that these composites are appropriate for various construction applications, including interior decoration, panel claddings, and potentially for furniture and door manufacturing when combined with appropriate coatings. This study not only highlights the recycling of agricultural and plastic waste but also provides a localized approach to addressing global climate change challenges through the adoption of sustainable building materials.

Ultraviolet‑Irradiated All‑Organic Nanocomposites with Polymer Dots for High‑Temperature Capacitive Energy Storage

Polymer dielectrics capable of operating efficiently at high electric fields and elevated temperatures are urgently demanded by next-generation electronics and electrical power systems.While inorganic fillers have been extensively utilized to improved high-temperature capacitive performance of dielectric polymers,the presence of thermodynamically incompatible organic and inorganic components may lead to concern about the long-term stability and also complicate film processing.Herein,zero-dimensional polymer dots with high electron affinity are introduced into photoactive allyl-containing poly(aryl ether sulfone)to form the all-organic polymer composites for hightemperature capacitive energy storage.Upon ultraviolet irradiation,the crosslinked polymer composites with polymer dots are efficient in suppressing electrical conduction at high electric fields and elevated temperatures,which significantly reduces the high-field energy loss of the composites at 200℃.Accordingly,the ultraviolet-irradiated composite film exhibits a discharged energy density of 4.2 J cm^(−3)at 200℃.Along with outstanding cyclic stability of capacitive performance at 200℃,this work provides a promising class of dielectric materials for robust high-performance all-organic dielectric nanocomposites.

Optimization Mechanism of Mechanical Properties of Basalt Fiber-Epoxy Resin Composites by Interfacially Enriched Distribution of Nano-Starch Crystals

Fibre reinforced polymer composites have become a new generation of structural materials due to their unique advantages such as high specific strength,designability,good dimensional stability and ease of large-area monolithic forming.However,the problem of interfacial bonding between the resin matrix and the fibres limits the direct use of reinforcing fibres and has become a central difficulty in the development of basalt fibre-epoxy composites.This paper proposes a solution for enhancing the strength of the fibre-resin interface using maize starch nanocrystals,which are highly yield and eco-friendly.Firstly,in this paper,corn starch nanocrystals(SNC)were prepared by hydrolysis,and were deposited on the surface of basalt fibers by electrostatic adsorption.After that,in order to maximize the modification effect of nano-starch crystals on the interface,the basalt fiber-epoxy resin composite samples were prepared by mixing in a pressureless molding method.The test results shown that the addition of basalt fibers alone led to a reduction in the strength of the sample.Deposition of 0.1 wt%SNC on the surface of basalt fibers can make the strength consistent with pure epoxy resin.When the adsorption amount of SNC reached 0.5 wt%,the tensile strength of the samples was 23.7%higher than that of pure epoxy resin.This is due to the formation of ether bond homopolymers between the SNC at the fibre-epoxy interface and the epoxy resin,which distorts the originally smooth interface,leading to increased stress concentration and the development of cracks.This enhances the binding of basalt fibers.The conclusions of this paper can provide an effective,simple,low-cost and non-polluting method of interfacial enhancement modification.

Effects of Sinusoidal Vibration of Crystallization Roller on Composite Microstructure of Ti/Al Laminated Composites by Twin-Roll Casting

A new,innovative vibration cast-rolling technology of “electromagnetic stirring+dendrite breaking+asynchronous rolling” was proposed with the adoption of sinusoidal vibration of crystallization roller to prepare Ti/Al laminated composites,and the effect of sinusoidal vibration of crystallization roller on composite microstructure was investigated in detail.The results show that the metallurgical bonding of titanium and aluminum is realized by mesh interweaving and mosaic meshing,instead of transition bonding by forming metal compound layer.The meshing depth between titanium and aluminum layers (6.6μm) of cast-rolling materials with strong vibration of crystallization roller (amplitude 0.87 mm,vibration frequency 25 Hz) is doubled compared with that of traditional cast-rolling materials (3.1μm),and the composite interfacial strength(27.0 N/mm) is twice as high as that of traditional cast-rolling materials (14.9 N/mm).This is because with the action of high-speed superposition of strong tension along the rolling direction,strong pressure along the width direction and rolling force,the composite linearity evolves from "straight line" with traditional casting-rolling to "curved line",and the depth and number of cracks in the interface increases greatly compared with those with traditional cast-rolling,which leads to the deep expansion of the meshing area between interfacial layers and promotes the stable enhancement of composite quality.

Rational design and synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites for solid-state thermoelectromagnetic cooling near room temperature

Materials with both large magnetocaloric response and high thermoelectric performance are of vital importance for all-solid-state thermoelectromagnetic cooling.These two properties,however,hardly coexist in single phase materials except previously reported hexagonal Cr_(1-x)Te half metal where a relatively high magnetic entropy change(-△S_(M))of~2.4 J·kg^(-1)·K^(-1)@5 T and a moderate thermoelectric figure of merit(ZT)of~1.2×10^(-2)@300 K are simultaneously recorded.Herein we aim to increase the thermoelectric performance of Cr_(1-x)Te by compositing with semiconducting Ag_(2)Te.It is discovered that the in-situ synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites by reacting their constitute elements above melting temperatures is unsuccessful because of strong phase competition.Specifically,at elevated temperatures(T>800 K),Cr_(1-x)Te has a much lower deformation energy than Ag_(2)Te and tends to become more Cr-deficient by capturing Te from Ag_(2)Te.Therefore,Ag is insufficiently reacted and as a metal it deteriorates ZT.We then rationalize the synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites by ex-situ mix of the pre-prepared Cr_(1-x)Te and Ag_(2)Te binary compounds followed by densification at a low sintering temperature of 573 K under a pressure of 3.5 GPa.We show that by compositing with 7 mol%Ag_(2)Te,the Seebeck coefficient of Cr_(1-x)Te is largely increased while the lattice thermal conductivity is considerably reduced,leading to 72%improvement of ZT.By comparison,-△S_(M)is only slightly reduced by 10%in the composite.Our work demonstrates the potential of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites for thermoelectromagnetic cooling.

Effects of BN on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of PP/BN Composites

In order to explore the thermal conductivity of polypropylene(PP)/hexagonal boron nitride(BN) composites,PP composites filled with different proportions of BN were prepared through extrution compounding,injection moulding and compression moulding.The composites were filled with BN particles of 5 and 20 μm respectively,and their mass fractions in composites were considered.Percentage of BN was varied from 0 to 25wt% in steps of 5wt%.The effects of BN filler on mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated.The thermal behaviors were studied using DSC and TGA,and the thermal conductivity was also investigated by Laser Flash Device and the Model of 3D Heat Conduction respectively.The experimental results show that impact strength of PP/BN can be enhanced with the addition of BN,but that composites exhibit lower breaking elongation & tensile strength when compared to unfilled ones.It is found that mass fraction of BN influenced the final thermal stability and degree of crystallization of PP matrix,the degree of crystallization of PP with 15wt% of 20 μm BN can be improved by 25% than neat PP.Meanwhile,crystallization temperatures of PP composites are elevated by about 10 ℃.The thermal conductivity results demonstrate that the maximum value of the thermal conductivity is achieved from PP/BN with 20wt% of 20 μm BN,higher than that of pure PP by 95.65%,close to the simulation one.

Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene/carbon composites for advanced supercapacitors:Synthesis,progress,and perspectives

MXenes are a family of two-dimensional(2D)layered transition metal carbides/nitrides that show promising potential for energy storage applications due to their high-specific surface areas,excellent electron conductivity,good hydrophilicity,and tunable terminations.Among various types of MXenes,Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) is the most widely studied for use in capacitive energy storage applications,especially in supercapacitors(SCs).However,the stacking and oxidation of MXene sheets inevitably lead to a significant loss of electrochemically active sites.To overcome such challenges,carbon materials are frequently incorporated into MXenes to enhance their electrochemical properties.This review introduces the common strategies used for synthesizing Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x),followed by a comprehensive overview of recent developments in Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)/carbon composites as electrode materials for SCs.Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)/carbon composites are categorized based on the dimensions of carbons,including 0D carbon dots,1D carbon nanotubes and fibers,2D graphene,and 3D carbon materials(activated carbon,polymer-derived carbon,etc.).Finally,this review also provides a perspective on developing novel MXenes/carbon composites as electrodes for application in SCs.

Understanding the corrosion and bio-corrosion behaviour of Magnesium composites – a critical review

Realising the potential of Magnesium(Mg),several globally leading ventures have invested in the Mg industry,but their relatively poor corrosion resistance is a never ending saga till date.The corrosion and bio-corrosion behaviour of Mg has gained research attention and still remains a hot topic in the application of automobile,aerospace and biomedical industries.The intrinsic high electrochemical nature of Mg limits their utilization in diverse application.This scenario has prompted the development of Mg composites with an aim to achieve superior corrosion and bio-corrosion resistance.The present review enlightens the influence of grain size(GS),secondary phase,texture,type of matrix and reinforcement on the corrosion and bio-corrosion behaviour of Mg composites.Firstly,the corrosion and bio-corrosion behaviour of Mg composites manufactured by primary and secondary processing routes are elucidated.Secondly,the comprehensive corrosion and bio-corrosion mechanisms of these Mg composites are proposed.Thirdly,the individual role of GS,texture and corrosive medium on corrosion and bio-corrosion behaviour of Mg composites are clarified and revealed.The challenges encountered,unanswered issues in this field are explained in detail and accordingly the scope for future research is framed.The review is presented from basic concrete background to advanced corrosion mechanisms with an aim of creating interest among the readers like students,researchers and industry experts from various research backgrounds.Indeed,the corrosion and bio-corrosion behaviour of Mg composites are critically reviewed for the first time to:(i)contribute to the body of knowledge,(ii)foster research and development,(iii)make breakthrough,and(iv)create life changing innovations in the field of Mg composite corrosion.

Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of(TiC+TiB)/TA15 composites prepared by an in-situ synthesis method

Titanium matrix composites reinforced with ceramic particles are considered a promising engineering material due to their combination of high specific strength,low density,and high modulus.In this study,the TA15-based composites reinforced with a volume fraction of 10% to 25%(TiB+TiC)were prepared using powder metallurgy and casting technique.Microstructural characterization and phase constitution were examined using optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD).In addition,the microhardness,room temperature(RT)and high temperature(HT)tensile properties of the composites were evaluated.Results revealed that the reinforcements are distributed uniformly even in the composites with a high volume of TiB and TiC.However,as the volume fraction exceeds 15%,TiB and TiC particles become coarsening and exhibit rod-like and dendritic-like morphology.Microhardness increases gradually from 321.2 HV for the base alloy to a maximum of 473.3 HV as the reinforcement increases to 25vol.%.Tensile test results indicate that a reinforcement volume fraction above 20% is beneficial for enhancing tensile strength and yield strength at high temperatures,but it has an adverse effect on room temperature elongation.Conversely,if the reinforcement volume fraction is below 20%,it can improve high-temperature elongation when the temperature exceeds 600℃.

Valorization of Tree Bark-Derived Suberin in Applications for the Bio-Based Composites Industry–A Recent Review

Bark extracts are sustainable sources of biopolymers and hold great promise for replacing fossil fuel-based polymers,for example,in wood-based composites.In addition to primary and secondary metabolites,tree bark also contains suberin,which plays a major role in protecting the tree from environmental conditions.Suberin is a natural aliphatic-aromatic cross-linked polyester present in the cell walls of both normal and damaged external tissues,the main component of which are long-chain aliphatic acids.Its main role as a plant ingredient is to protect against microbiological factors and water loss.One of the most important suberin monomers are suberin fatty acids,known for their hydrophobic and barrier properties.Therefore,due to the diverse chemical composition of suberin,it is an attractive alternative to hydrocarbon-based materials.Although its potential is recognized,it is not widely used in biocomposites technology,including wood-based composites and the polymer industry.The article will discuss the current knowledge about the potential of suberin and its components in biocomposites technology,which will include surface finishes,composite adhesives and polymer blends.

3D-printable Boron Nitride/Polyacrylic Hydrogel Composites with High Thermal Conductivities

Polyacrylic acid(PAA)hydrogel composites with different hexagonal boron nitride(h-BN)fillers were synthesized and successfully 3D-printed while their thermal conductivity was systematically studied.With the content of h-BN increasing from 0.1 wt%to 0.3 wt%,the thermal conductivity of the 3D-printed composites has been improved.Moreover,through the shear force given by the 3D printer,a complete thermal conductivity path is obtained inside the hydrogel,which significantly improves the thermal conductivity of the h-BN hydrogel composites.The maximum thermal conductivity is 0.8808 W/(m·K),leading to a thermal conductive enhancement of 1000%,compared with the thermal conductivity of pure PAA hydrogels.This study shows that using h-BN fillers can effectively and significantly improve the thermal conductivity of hydrogelbased materials while its 3D-printable ability has been maintained.

Supposition of graphene stacks to estimate the contact resistance and conductivity of nanocomposites

In this study,the effects of stacked nanosheets and the surrounding interphase zone on the resistance of the contact region between nanosheets and the tunneling conductivity of samples are evaluated with developed equations superior to those previously reported.The contact resistance and nanocomposite conductivity are modeled by several influencing factors,including stack properties,interphase depth,tunneling size,and contact diameter.The developed model's accuracy is verified through numerous experimental measurements.To further validate the models and establish correlations between parameters,the effects of all the variables on contact resistance and nanocomposite conductivity are analyzed.Notably,the contact resistance is primarily dependent on the polymer tunnel resistivity,contact area,and tunneling size.The dimensions of the graphene nanosheets significantly influence the conductivity,which ranges from 0 S/m to90 S/m.An increased number of nanosheets in stacks and a larger gap between them enhance the nanocomposite's conductivity.Furthermore,the thicker interphase and smaller tunneling size can lead to higher sample conductivity due to their optimistic effects on the percolation threshold and network efficacy.

Microstructural characterization,tribological and corrosion behavior of AA7075-TiC composites

Aluminum alloys are the potential materials in the automobile and aerospace sectors due to their lower density,easy forming and excellent corrosion resistance.The demand of high strength-to-weight ratio materials in structural applications needs the engineering industries to seek aluminum alloy with new versions of hard and brittle ceramic particles.The microstructure,hardness,wear and corrosion behaviors of AA7075 composites with 2.5wt.%and 5wt.%TiC particles were studied.Microscopic analysis is evident that the transformation of the strong dendritic morphology to non-dendritic morphology on the incorporation of TiC into AA7075.Furthermore,the precipitation of the second-phase compounds such as Al_(2)CuMg,Al_(2)Cu andFe-rich Al_6(Cu,Fe)/Al_(7)Cu_(2)Fe)is promoted by TiC particles at inter-and intra-dendritic regions.Accordingly,the hardness of composites is improved by grain boundary strengthening and particulate strengthening mechanisms.Both coefficient of friction and wear rate have an inverse relation with TiC concentration.The base alloy without TiC shows adhesive-type wear-induced deformation due to the formation of an oxide film,while composite samples exhibit a mechanically mixed layer and abrasive-type wear behavior.Composite samples shows a higher corrosion rate due to the presence of numerous precipitates which promote pitting corrosion.

Tailoring the texture and mechanical properties of 3%Y_(2)O_(3)p/ZGK200 composites fabricated by unidirectional and cross rolling followed by annealing

3%Y_(2)O_(3)p/ZGK200 composites were subjected to unidirectional rolling(UR)and cross rolling(CR)at 400℃and 350℃followed by annealing at 300℃for 1 h.The microstructure,texture and mechanical properties of rolled and annealed composites were systematically studied.The rolled composites exhibited a heterogeneous microstructure,consisting of deformed grains elongated along rolling direction(RD)and Y_(2)O_(3)particles bands distributed along RD.After annealing,static recrystallization(SRX)occurred and most deformed grains transformed into equiaxed grains.A non-basal texture with two strong T-texture components was obtained after UR while a non-basal elliptical/circle texture with circle multi-peaks was obtained after CR,indicating that rolling path had great influences on texture of the composites.After annealing process,R-texture component disappeared or weakened,as results,a non-basal texture with double peaks tilting from normal direction(ND)to transverse direction(TD)and a more random non-basal texture with circle multi-peaks were obtained for UR and CR composites,respectively.The yield strength of rolled composites after UR showed obvious anisotropy along RD and TD while a low anisotropic yield strength was obtained after CR.Some Y_(2)O_(3)particles broke during rolling.The fracture of the composites was attributed to the existence of Y_(2)O_(3)clusters and interfacial debonding between particles and matrix during tension,as a result,the ductility was not as superior as matrix alloy.

Overview of the Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Tannin-Glyoxal Adhesive for Wood-Based Composites

More than a century after its initial synthesis,urea-formaldehyde(UF)resins still have dominant applications as adhesives,paints,and coatings.However,formaldehyde in this industry produces formaldehyde emissions that are dangerous to health.Scientists have spent the last decade replacing formaldehyde and phenol with environmentally friendly substances such as glyoxal and tannin to create bio-based adhesives.This review covers recent advances in synthesizing glyoxal tannin-based resins,especially those made from sustainable raw material substitutes and changes made to synthetic processes to improve mechanical properties.The efficacy of using tannin-glyoxal adhesives in producing wood-based composites has been proven.The glyoxylate reaction forms cross-linked bridges between the aromatic sites of the tannin and glyoxal molecular structures.Glyoxal tannin adhesive with a greater percentage of glyoxal than tannin will produce an adhesive with better characteristics.The gel time reduces as the hardener concentration rises from 7.5%to 15%when glyoxal is used in adhesives.However,excessive amounts of glyoxal will result in a decrease in viscosity values.Glyoxal exhibits faster delivery degradation when it reaches a maximum temperature of approximately 130°C,although it initiates the curing process slightly slower at 110°C.Adding glyoxal to tannin-based adhesives can improve the mechanical properties of composite boards.The wet shear strength of the resulting plywood is increased by 105.4%with the addition of 5-weight percent tannin-based resin with glyoxal as a cross-linker in Soy Protein Adhesive.With glyoxal as a hardener,the panels produced showed good internal bond strengths(>0.35 MPa)and met the international standard specifications for interior-grade panels.

Controllable thermal rectification design for buildings based on phase change composites

Phase-change material(PCM)is widely used in thermal management due to their unique thermal behavior.However,related research in thermal rectifier is mainly focused on exploring the principles at the fundamental device level,which results in a gap to real applications.Here,we propose a controllable thermal rectification design towards building applications through the direct adhesion of composite thermal rectification material(TRM)based on PCM and reduced graphene oxide(rGO)aerogel to ordinary concrete walls(CWs).The design is evaluated in detail by combining experiments and finite element analysis.It is found that,TRM can regulate the temperature difference on both sides of the TRM/CWs system by thermal rectification.The difference in two directions reaches to 13.8 K at the heat flow of 80 W/m^(2).In addition,the larger the change of thermal conductivity before and after phase change of TRM is,the more effective it is for regulating temperature difference in two directions.The stated technology has a wide range of applications for the thermal energy control in buildings with specific temperature requirements.

Effect of Ni content on the wear behavior of Al-Si-Cu-Mg-Ni/SiC particles composites

In recent years,the addition of Ni has been widely acknowledged to be capable of enhancing the mechanical properties of Al-Si alloys.However,the effect of Ni on the wear behaviors of Al-Si alloys and Al matrix composites,particularly at elevated temperat-ures,remains an understudied area.In this study,Al-Si-Cu-Mg-Ni/20wt%SiC particles(SiCp)composites with varying Ni contents were prepared by using a semisolid stir casting method.The effect of Ni content on the dry sliding wear behavior of the prepared compos-ites was investigated through sliding tests at 25 and 350℃.Results indicated that theθ-Al_(2)Cu phase gradually diminished and eventually disappeared as the Ni content increased from 0wt%to 3wt%.This change was accompanied by the formation and increase inδ-Al_(3)CuNi andε-Al_(3)Ni phases in microstructures.The hardness and ultimate tensile strength of the as-cast composites improved,and the wear rates of the composites decreased from 5.29×10^(−4)to 1.94×10^(−4)mm^(3)/(N∙m)at 25℃and from 20.2×10^(−4)to 7×10^(−4)mm^(3)/(N∙m)at 350℃with the increase in Ni content from 0wt%to 2wt%.The enhancement in performance was due to the presence of strengthening network structures and additional Ni-containing phases in the composites.However,the wear rate of the 3Ni composite was approximately two times higher than that of the 2Ni composite due to the fracture and debonding of theε-Al_(3)Ni phase.Abrasive wear,delamination wear,and oxidation wear were the predominant wear mechanisms of the investigated composites at 25℃,whereas delamination wear and oxid-ation wear were dominant during sliding at 350℃.

Mechanical behaviors of backfill-rock composites: Physical shear test and back-analysis

The shear behavior of backfill-rock composites is crucial for mine safety and the management of surface subsidence.For exposing the shear failure mechanism of backfill-rock composites,we conducted shear tests on backfill-rock composites under three constant normal loads,compared with the unfilled rock.To investigate the macro-and meso-failure characteristics of the samples in the shear tests,the cracking behavior of samples was recorded by a high-speed camera and acoustic emission monitoring.In parallel with the experimental test,the numerical models of backfill-rock composites and unfilled rock were established using the discrete element method to analyze the continuous-discontinuous shearing process.Based on the damage mechanics and statistics,a novel shear constitutive model was proposed to describe mechanical behavior.The results show that backfill-rock composites had a special bimodal phenomenon of shearing load-deformation curve,i.e.the first shearing peak corresponded to rock break and the second shearing peak induced by the broken of aeolian sand-cement/fly ash paste backfill.Moreover,the shearing characteristic curves of the backfill-rock composites could be roughly divided into four stages,i.e.the shear failure of the specimens experienced:stage I:stress concentration;stage II:crack propagation;stage III:crack coalescence;stage IV:shearing friction.The numerical simulation shows that the existence of aeolian sand-cement/fly ash paste backfill inevitably altered the coalescence type and failure mode of the specimens and had a strengthening effect on the shear strength of backfillrock composites.Based on damage mechanics and statistics,a shear constitutive model was proposed to describe the shear fracture characteristics of specimens,especially the bimodal phenomenon.Finally,the micro-and meso-mechanisms of shear failure were discussed by combining the micro-test and numerical results.The research can advance the better understanding of the shear behavior of backfill-rock composites and contribute to the safety of mining engineering.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure,mechanical properties and fracture behaviors of ultra-high-strength SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites

A high-zinc composite,12vol%SiC/Al-13.3 Zn-3.27 Mg-1.07Cu(wt%),with an ultra-high-strength of 781 MPa was success-fully fabricated through a powder metallurgy method,followed by an extrusion process.The effects of solid-solution and aging heat treat-ments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite were extensively investigated.Compared with a single-stage sol-id-solution treatment,a two-stage solid-solution treatment(470℃/1 h+480℃/1 h)exhibited a more effective solid-solution strengthen-ing owing to the higher degree of solid-solution and a more uniform microstructure.According to the aging hardness curves of the com-posite,the optimized aging parameter(100℃/22 h)was determined.Reducing the aging temperature and time resulted in finer and more uniform nanoscale precipitates but only yielded a marginal increase in tensile strength.The fractography analysis revealed that intergranu-lar cracking and interface debonding were the main fracture mechanisms in the ultra-high-strength SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites.Weak regions,such as the SiC/Al interface containing numerous compounds and the precipitate-free zones at the high-angle grain boundaries,were identified as significant factors limiting the strength enhancement of the composite.Interfacial compounds,including MgO,MgZn2,and Cu5Zn8,reduced the interfacial bonding strength,leading to interfacial debonding.