Study of the Diffusion Behavior of Seawater Absorption in Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes/Halloysite Nanotubes Hybrid Nanofillers Modified Epoxy-Based Glass/Carbon Fiber Composites

In the maritime industry, cost-effective and lightweight Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites offer excellent mechanical properties, design flexibility, and corrosion resistance. However, their reliability in harsh seawater conditions is a concern. Researchers address this by exploring three approaches: coating fiber surfaces, hybridizing fibers and matrices with or without nanofillers, and interply rearrangement. This study focuses on evaluating the synergistic effects of interply rearrangement of glass/carbon fibers and hybrid nanofillers, specifically Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and Halloysite nanotubes (HNT). The aim is to enhance impact properties by minimizing moisture absorption. Hybrid nanocomposites with equal-weight proportions of two nanofillers: 0 wt.%, 1 wt.%, and 2 wt.% were exposed to seawater for 90 days. Experimental data was subjected to modelling through the application of Predictive Fick’s Law. The study found that the hybrid composite containing 2 wt.% hybrid nanofillers exhibited a 22.10% increase in impact performance compared to non-modified counterparts. After 90 days of seawater aging, the material exhibited enhanced resistance to moisture absorption (15.74%) and minimal reduction in impact strength (8.52%) compared to its dry strength, with lower diffusion coefficients.

Development,modeling and application of piezoelectric fiber composites

Piezoelectric materials are capable of actuation and sensing and have been used in a wide variety of smart devices and structures.Active fiber composite and macro fiber composite are newly developed types of piezoelectric composites,and show superior properties to monolithic piezoelectric wafer due to their distinctive structures.Numerous work has focused on the performance prediction of the composites by evaluation of structural parameters and properties of the constituent materials with analytical and numerical methods.Various applications have been explored for the piezoelectric fiber composites,including vibration and noise control,health monitoring,morphing of structures and energy harvesting,in which the composites play key role and demonstrate the necessity for further development.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON PEK -C MODIFIED EPOXIES AND THE CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATION

The morphological structure of various epoxies toughened with a special amorphous thermoplastic PEK-C and their carbon fiber composites were studied by using SEM. For both cases, phase separation and inversion took place to form fine epoxy-rich globules dispersing in the PEK-C matrix, in which the epoxy-rich phase had the absolutely higher volume fraction. The phase structure and the interfacial properties were also studied by means of FTIR, DSC, and DMTA as well. An accompanying mechanical determination revealed that an improved toughness was achieved both in the blend casts and in the carbon fiber composites. A composite structural model was hence suggested.

An investigation on anti-impact and penetration performance of basalt fiber composites with different weave and lay-up modes

The woven basalt fiber composites(WBFC) and the unidirectional [0°/90°/45°/-45°]s basalt fiber composites(UBFC) were prepared by hot-pressing.Three-point bending test,low velocity impact test,and ballistic test were performed to the prepared composites.After the tests,the specimens were recovered and analyzed for micromorphology.Three-point bending tests show that both the bending strength and stiffness of the WBFC surpass those of the UBFC.Low velocity impact test results show that the low velocity impact resistance to hemispherical impactor of the UBFC is higher than that of the WBFC,but the low velocity impact resistance to sharp impactor of the UBFC is lower than that of the WBFC.For the ballistic test,it can be found that the ballistic property of the UBFC is higher than that of the WBFC. After the tests,microscopic analysis of the specimens was applied,and their failure mechanism was discussed.The main failure modes of the UBFC are delamination and fibers breakage under the above loading conditions while the main failure mode of the WBFC is fibers breakage.Although delamination damage can be found in the WBFC under the above loading conditions,the degree of delamination is far less than that of the UBFC.

Analysis on the Bonding Failure Mechanism of High Modulus Carbon Fiber Composites

In order to explore the bonding failure mechanism of high modulus carbon fiber composite materials,the tensile experiment and finite element numerical simulation for single-lap and bevel-lap joints of unidirectional laminates are carried out,and the stress distributions,the failure modes,and the damage contours are analyzed. The analysis shows that the main reason for the failure of the single-lap joint is that the stress concentration of the ply adjacent to the adhesive layer is serious owing to the modulus difference,and the stress cannot be effectively transmitted along the thickness direction of the laminate. When the tensile stress of the ply exceeds its ultimate strength in the loading process,the surface fiber will fail. Compared with the single-lap joint,the bevel-lap joint optimizes the stress transfer path along the thickness direction,allows each layer of the laminate to share the load,avoids the stress concentration of the surface layer,and improves the bearing capacity of the bevel-lap joint. The improved bearing capacity of the bevellap joint is twice as much as that of the single-lap joint. The research in this paper provides a new idea for the subsequent study of mechanical properties of adhesively bonded composite materials.

High-Performance Recyclable Furan-based Epoxy Resin and Its Carbon Fiber Composites with Dense Hydrogen Bonding

The emerging biomass-based epoxy vitrimers hold great potential to fulfill the requirements for sustainable development of society.Since the existence of dynamic chemical bonds in vitrimers often reduces both the thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy resins, it is challenging to produce recyclable epoxy vitrimers with both excellent mechanical properties and good thermal stability. Herein, a monomer 4-(((5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-yl)methylene)amino)phenol(FCN) containing furan ring with potential to form high density of hydrogen bonding among repeating units is designed and copolymerized with glycerol triglycidyl ether to yield epoxy resin(FCN-GTE), which intrinsically has dual hydrogen bond networks, dynamic imine structure and resultant high performance. Importantly, as compared to the BPA-GTE, the FCN-GTE exhibits significantly improved mechanical properties owing to the increased density of hydrogen bond network and physical crosslinking interaction. Furthermore, density functional theory(DFT) calculation and in situ FTIR analysis is conducted to decipher the formation mechanism of hydrogen bond network. In addition, the FCN-GTE possesses superior UV shielding, chemical degradation, and recyclability because of the existence of abundant imine bonds. Notably, the FCN-GTE-based carbon fiber composites could be completely recycled in an amine solution.This study provides a facile strategy for synthesizing recyclable biomass-based high-performance epoxy vitrimers and carbon fiber composites.

Elevating mechanical and biotribological properties of carbon fiber composites by constructing graphene-silicon nitride nanowires interlocking interfacial enhancement

Carbon fiber reinforced dual-matrix composites(CHM)including carbon fiber reinforced hydroxyapatite-polymer matrix composites(CHMP)and carbon fiber reinforced hydroxyapatite-pyrolytic carbon matrix composites(CHMC)have great potential application in the field of artificial hip joints,where a combination of high mechanical strength and excellent biotribological property are required.In this work,the graphene-silicon nitride nanowires(Graphene-Si_(3)N_(4)nws)interlocking interfacial enhancement were designed and constructed into CHM for boosting the mechanical and biotribological properties.The graphene and Si_(3)N_(4)nws interact with each other and construct interlocking interfacial enhancement.Benefiting from the Graphene-Si_(3)N_(4)nws synergistic effect and interlocking enhancement mechanism,the mechanical and biotribological properties of CHM were promoted.Compared with CHMP,the shear and compressive strengths of Graphene-Si_(3)N_(4)nws reinforced CHMP were increased by 80.0% and 61.5%,respectively.The friction coefficient and wear rate were reduced by 52.8% and 52.9%,respectively.Compared with CHMC,the shear and compressive strengths of Graphene-Si_(3)N_(4)nws reinforced CHMC were increased by 145.4% and 64.2%.The friction coefficient and wear rate were decreased by 52.3% and 73.6%.Our work provides a promising methodology for preparing Graphene-Si_(3)N_(4)nws reinforced CHM with more reliable mechanical and biotribological properties for use in artificial hip joints.

Effect of Accelerated Aging Temperature under Artificial Seawater on the Properties of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites and the Erosion Mechanism

In order to explore the effect of artificial accelerated aging temperature on the performance of carbon fiber/epoxy resin composites,we used artificial seawater as the aging medium,designed the aging environment of seawater at different temperatures under normal pressure,and studied the aging behavior of carbon fiber/epoxy composites.The infrared spectroscopy results show that,with the increase of aging temperature,the degree of hydrolysis of the composite is greater.At the same time,after 250 days of aging of artificial seawater at regular temperature,40 and 60 ℃,the moisture absorption rates of composite materials were 0.45%,0.63%,and 1.05%,and the retention rates of interlaminar shear strength were 91%,78%,and 62%,respectively.It is shown that the temperature of the aging environment has a significant impact on the hygroscopic behavior and mechanical properties of the composite,that is,the higher the temperature,the faster the moisture absorption of the composite,and the faster the decay of the mechanical properties of the composite.

Synchronously constructing networked Si_(3)N_(4) nanowires and interconnected graphene inside carbon fiber composites for enhancing mechanical, friction and anti-ablation properties

Carbon fiber(C_(f))reinforced pyrolytic carbon(PyC)composites simultaneously possessing robust mechanical strength,excellent friction performances and outstanding anti-ablation properties are demanded for advanced aerospace applications.Efficient architecture design and optimization of composites are promi-nent yet remain high challenging for realizing the above requirements.Herein,binary reinforcements of networked silicon nitride nanowires(Si_(3)N_(4) nws)and interconnected graphene(GE)have been successfully constructed into C f/PyC by precursor impregnation-pyrolysis and chemical vapor deposition.Notably,net-worked Si_(3)N_(4) nws are uniformly distributed among the carbon fibers,while interconnected GE is firmly rooted on the surface of both networked Si_(3)N_(4) nws and carbon fibers.In the networked Si_(3)N_(4) nws and interconnected GE reinforced C_(f)/PyC,networked Si_(3)N_(4) nws significantly boost the cohesion strength of PyC,while GE markedly improves the interface bonding of both Si_(3)N_(4) nws/PyC and fiber/PyC.Benefiting from the synergistic reinforcement effect of networked Si_(3)N_(4) nws and interconnected GE,the C_(f)/PyC have a prominent enhancement in mechanical(shear and compressive strengths increased by 119.9% and 52.84%,respectively)and friction(friction coefficient and wear rate reduced by 25.40% and 60.10%,respectively)as well as anti-ablation(mass ablation rate and linear ablation rate decreased by 71.25% and 63.01%,respectively).This present strategy for networked Si_(3)N_(4) nws and interconnected GE reinforced C_(f)/PyC provides a dominant route to produce mechanically robust,frictionally resisting and ablatively resistant materials for use in advanced aerospace applications.

Microwave Absorption and Mechanical Properties of Short-cutted Carbon Fiber/glass Fiber Hybrid Veil Reinforced Epoxy Composites

This work aims at investigating the microwave absorption and mechanical properties of short-cutted carbon fiber/glass fiber hybrid veil reinforced epoxy composites.The short-cutted carbon fibers(CFs)/glass fibers(GFs)hybrid veil were prepared by papermaking technology,and composites liquid molding was employed to manufacture CFs/GFs hybrid epoxy composites.The microstructure,microwave absorbing properties and mechanical properties of the hybrid epoxy composites were studied by using SEM,vector network analyzer and universal material testing,respectively.The reflection coefficient of the composites were calculated by the measured complex permittivity and permeability in the X-band(8.2-12.4 GHz)range.The optimum microwave absorption properties can be obtained when the content of CFs in the hybrid veil is 6 wt%and the thickness of the composites is 2 mm,the minimum reflection coefficient of-31.8 dB and the effective absorption bandwidth is 2.1 GHz,which is ascribed to benefitting impedance matching characteristic and dielectric loss of the carbon fiber.Simultaneously the tensile strength and modulus can achieve 104.0 and 2.98GPa,demonstrating that the CFs/GFs hybrid epoxy composites can be a promising candidate of microwave absorbing materials with high mechanical properties.

Preparation of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Hybrid Fibers with Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing Properties by Wet Spinning

Silk is widely used in the production of high-quality textiles.At the same time,the amount of silk textiles no longer in use and discarded is increasing,resulting in significant waste and pollution.This issue is of great concern in many countries where silk is used.Hydrogen peroxide as a naturally occurring compound is an important indicator of detection in both biology and the environment.This study aims to develop a composite fiber with hydrogen peroxide-sensing properties using discarded silk materials.To achieve this goal,firstly,polydopamine(PDA)was used to encapsulate the ZnFe_(2)O_(4) NPs to achieve the improvement of dispersion,and then regenerated silk fibroin(RSF)and PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF hybrid fibers are prepared by wet spinning.Research has shown that PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF demonstrates exceptional sensitivity,selectivity,and stability in detecting hydrogen peroxide,while maintaining high mechanical strength.Furthermore,the complete hybridization of PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4) with silk fibroin not only results in the combination of the durability of silk fibroin and PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)’s rigidity,ensuring a reliable service life,but also makes PDA@ZnFe_(2)O_(4)/RSF exhibit excellent catalytic activity and biocompatibility.Therefore,the composite fiber exhibits exceptional mechanical properties and reliable hydrogen peroxide sensing capabilities,making it a promising material for biological and medical applications.

INTERFACE DAMAGE ANALYSIS OF FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES WITH DUCTILE MATRIX

A cohesive zone model is employed to simulate the fiber/matrix interface damage of composites with ductile matrix. The study is carried out to investigate the dependence of the interface damage and the composite tensile strength on the micro parameters of the composite. These parameters contain fiber packing pattern, fiber volume fraction, and the modulus ratio of the fiber to the matrix. The investigation reveals that though the high fiber vo lume fraction, the high fiber′s modulus and the square fiber packing can supply strong reinforcement to the composite, the interface damage is susceptible in these cases. The tensile strength of the composite is dominated by the interface strength when the interface debonding occurs.

Impact Responses of the Carbon Fiber Fabric Reinforced Composites

To study the response characteristics of the carbon fiber fabric reinforced composites under impact loading, one dimensional strain impact test, multi gauge technique and Lagrange analysis method are used. The decaying rule of the stress σ , strain ε , strain rate ε · and density ρ with time and space is obtained. By the theory of dynamics, the impact response characteristics of the material is analyzed and discussed.

A Review of Recent Advances in Hybrid Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites(NFRCs)have demonstrated great potential for many different applications in various industries due to their advantages compared to synthetic fiber-reinforced composites,such as low environmental impact and low cost.However,one of the drawbacks is that the NFRCs present relatively low mechanical properties and the absorption of humidity due to the hydrophilic characteristic of the natural fibre.One method to increase their performance is hybridization.Therefore,understanding the properties and potential of using multiple reinforcement’s materials to develop hybrid composites is of great interest.This paper provides an overview of the recent advances in hybrid natural fiber reinforced polymer composites.First,the main factors that affect the performance of hybrid fiber-reinforced composites were briefly discussed.The effect of hybridization on the mechanical and thermal properties of hybrid composites reinforced with several types of natural fibers(i.e.,sisal,jute,curauá,ramie,banana,etc.)or natural fibers combined with synthetic fibers is pre-sented.Finally,the water absorption behaviour of hybrid fiber-reinforced composites is also discussed.It was con-cluded that the main challenges that need to be addressed in order to increase the use of natural-natural or natural-synthetic hybrid composites in industry are the poor adhesion between natural fibers and matrix,thermal stability and moisture absorption of natural fibers.Some of these challenges were addressed by recent develop-ment in fibers treatment and modification,and product innovation(hybridization).

Modification of YSZ fiber composites by Al_(2)TiO_(5) fibers for high thermal shock resistance

Yttria-stabilized zirconia(YSZ)fiber composites are highly efficient thermal insulating materials;however,the poor thermal shock resistance limits their versatile applications.In the present study,YSZ fiber was mixed directly with Al_(2)TiO_(5)fiber,which had an extremely low thermal expansion coefficient,to prepare YSZ–Al_(2)TiO_(5)(ZAT)fiber composites by compression molding and heat treatment.The minimum thermal expansion coefficient of the prepared ZAT fiber composites was measured to be 7.74×10^(−6)K^(−1),which was 26%lower than that of the YSZ fiber composites(10.42×10^(−6)K^(−1)).It was shown that the prepared ZAT fiber composites maintain the integrity after undergoing 51 thermal shock cycles between 1100℃and room temperature.Whereas,YSZ fiber composites burst immediately after only one thermal shock cycle under the same condition.In addition,the ZAT fiber composites also exhibit considerable mechanical and thermal insulating performance.

Applications of Natural Fibers and Its Composites: An Overview

In the present scenario, there has been a rapid attention in research and development in the natural fiber composite field due to its better formability, abundant, renewable, cost-effective and eco-friendly features. This paper exhibits an outline on natural fibers and its composites utilized as a part of different commercial and engineering applications. In this review, many articles were related to applications of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. It helps to provide details about the potential use of natural fibers and its composite materials, mechanical and physical properties and some of their applications in engineering sectors.

Effect of Water Absorption on the Impact Properties of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites

In this paper, the effects of test temperatures and time on the impact damage behavior of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composites, immersed in pure water, on a pendulum impact tester, was studied. The results show that immersion in liquids has a significant effect on the impact resistance of the unidirectional composite material. It is obvious that after immersion, the mass of the material increases. The fracture initiation forces as well as the fracture initiation energy decrease as the immersion time lengthens. Moreover, the higher the temperature and the longer the time are, the more the crack propagation energy and the ductility index will be. Immersion makes the fracture mode change from the dominant fiber fracture into dominant delamination. All in all, immersion decreases the impact resistance of the composites and causes the fracture mode to change.

Effects of Matrix Features on Stress Transfer of Short Fiber Composites

By employing the elastic and elastic plastic finite element method(FEM), the effects of matrix feature on the stress transfer mechanisms of short fiber composites are studied. In the calculation, the variations in matrix modulus, yield strength and hardening modulus are considered. It is concluded that large deformation of matrix is harmful to the improvement of the mechanical performances of the composites.

Flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams with high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composites

This article presents an experimental study on the flexural performance of reinforced concrete(RC)beams with fiber reinforced cementitious composites(FRCC)and hybrid fiber reinforced cementitious composites(HFRCC)in the hinge portion.Beam specimens with moderate confinement were used in the study and tested under monotonic loading.Seven diverse types of FRCC including hybrid composites using fibers in different profiles and in different volumes are employed in this study.Companion specimens such as cylindrical specimens and prism specimens are also used to study the physical properties of composites employed.The moment?curvature,stiffness behavior,ductility,crack pattern and modified flexural damage ratio are the main factors considered in this study to observe the efficacy of the employed hybrid composites.The experimental outputs demonstrate the improved post yield behavior with less rate of stiffness degradation and better damage tolerance capacity than conventional technique.

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

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