Piezoresistivity in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Cement Based Composites

The results of some interesting investigation on the piezoresistivity of carbon fiber reinforced cement based composites (CFRC) are presented with the prospect of developing a new nondestructive testing method to assess the integrity of the composite. The addition of short carbon fibers to cement-based mortar or concrete improves the structural performance and at the same time significantly decreases the bulk electrical resistivity. This makes CFRC responsive to the smart behavior by measuring the resistance change with uniaxial pressure. The piezoresistivity of CFRC under different stress was studied, at the same time the damage occurring inner specimens was detected by acoustic emission as well. Test results show that there exists a marking pressure dependence of the conductivity in CFRC, in which the so-called negative pressure coefficient of resistive (NPCR) and positive pressure coefficient of resistive (PPCR) are observed under low and high pressure. Under constant pressures, time-dependent resistivity is an outstanding characteristic for the composites, which is defined as resistance creep. The breakdown and rebuild-up process of conductive network under pressure may be responsible for the pressure dependence of resistivity.

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.

Multiphysics processes in the interfacial transition zone of fiber-reinforced cementitious composites under induced curing pressure and implications for mine backfill materials: A critical review

The mesoscale fiber-matrix interfacial transition zone(FM-ITZ) under induced curing pressure plays a key role in the effectiveness of fiber reinforcement and the engineering application of fiber-reinforced cementitious composites(FRCCs). This critical review establishes the link among induced curing pressure(i.e., external loading condition), multiphysics processes(i.e., internal governing mechanism), and interface behavior(i.e., material behavior) for FRCC materials through analysis of the state-of-the-art research findings on the FM-ITZ of FRCC materials. The following results are obtained. For the mechanical process, the induced curing pressure changes the stress state and enhances multicracking behavior, which can strengthen the FM-ITZ. For the hydraulic process, the strengthened seepage of the FM-ITZ under induced curing pressure weakens the effective stress and exaggerates the deficiency in water retention capacity between the bulk matrix and the FMITZ. For the thermal process, the induced curing pressure causes a steep temperature gradient in the FM-ITZ and thus influences the temperature evolution and thermally-induced microcracks in the FM-ITZ. For the chemical process, the induced curing pressure enhances hydration kinetics and results in the formation of additional hydration products in the FM-ITZ. Moreover, recommendations are proposed on the basis of findings from this review to facilitate the implementation of fiber reinforcement in cemented paste backfill technology.

Smart Behavior of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Cement-based Composite

The electrical characteristics of cement-based material can be remarkably improved by the addition of short carbon fibers. Carbon fiber reinforced cement composite (CFRC) is an intrinsically smart material that can sense not only the stress and strain, but also the temperature. In this paper, variations of electrical resistivity with external applied load, and relation of thermoelectric force and temperature were investigated. Test results indicated that the electrical signal is related to the increase in the material volume resistivity during crack generation or propagation and the decrease in the resistivity during crack closure. Moreover, it was found that the fiber addition increased the linearity and reversibility of the Seebeck effect in the cement-based materials. The change of electrical characteristics reflects large amount of information of inner damage and temperature differential of composite, which can be used for stress-strain or thermal self-monitoring by embedding it in the concrete structures.

Electrical Resistance and Microstructure of Latex Modified Carbon Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites

The electrical resistance,flexural strength,and microstructure of carbon fiber reinforced cement composites（CFRC） were improved greatly by adding water-redispersible latex powder.The electrical resistance of CFRC was investigated by two-probe method.The input range of CFRC based strain sensors was therefore increased,whereas electrical resistance was increased and remained in the perfect range of CFRC sensors.The analysis of scanning electron microscopy indicated that elastic latex bridges and a latex layer existed among the interspaces of the adjacent cement hydration products which were responsible for the enhancement of the flexural strength and electrical resistance.The formation mechanism of the elastic latex bridges was also discussed in detail.The continuous moving of two opposite interfaces of the latex solution-air along the interspaces of the adjacent hydrated crystals or colloids was attributed to the formation of the elastic latex bridges.

Piezoresistivity of Carbon Fiber Graphite Cement-based Composites with CCCW

The electrical conductivity and piezoresistivity of carbon fiber graphite cement-matrix composites（CFGCC） with carbon fiber content（1% by the weight of cement）,graphite powder contents （0%-50% by the weight of cement） and CCCW（cementitious capillary crystalline waterproofing materials,4% by the weight of cement） were studied.The experimental results showed that the relationship between the resistivity of CFGCC and the concentration of graphite powders had typical features of percolation phenomena.The percolation threshold was about 20%.A clear piezoresistive effect was observed in CFGCC with 1wt% of carbon fibers,20wt% or 30wt% of graphite powders under uniaxial compressive tests,indicating that this type of smart composites was a promising candidate for strain sensing.The measured gage factor （defined as the fractional change in resistance per unit strain） of CFGCC with graphite content of 20wt% and 30wt% were 37 and 22,respectively.With the addition of CCCW,the mechanical properties of CFGCC were improved,which benefited CFGCC piezoresistivity of stability.

Study of damage behavior and repair effectiveness of patch repaired carbon fiber laminate under quasi-static indentation loading

Damage caused due to low-velocity impacts in composites leads to substantial deterioration in their residual strength and eventually provokes structural failure.This work presents an experimental investigation on the effects of different patch and parent laminate stacking sequences on the enhancement of impact strength of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers(CFRP)composites by utilising the adhesively bonded external patch repair technique.Damage evolution study is also performed with the aid of Acoustic Emission(AE).Two different quasi-isotropic configurations were selected for the parent laminate,viz.,[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/0°/45°/0°]s.Quasi Static Indentation(QSI)test was performed on both the pristine laminates,and damage areas were detected by using the C-scan inspection technique.Damaged laminates were repaired by using a single-sided patch of two different configurations,viz.,[45°/45°/45°/45°]and[45°/0°/0°/45°],and employing a circular plug to fill the damaged hole.Four different combinations of repaired laminates with two configurations of each parent and patch laminate were produced,which were further subjected to the QSI test.The results reveal the effectiveness of the repair method,as all the repaired laminates show higher impact resistance compared to the respective pristine laminates.Patches of[45°/0°/0°/45°]configuration when repaired by taking[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/0°/45°/0°]s as parents exhibited 68%and 73%higher peak loads,respectively,than the respective pristine laminates.Furthermore,parent and patch of configuration[45°/0°/45°/0°]s and[45°/0°/0°/45°],respectively,attain the highest peak load,whereas[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/45°/45°/45°]combinations possess the most gradual decrease in the load.

The Smart Behavior of Cement-based Composite Containing Carbon Fibers under Three-point-bending Load

The influences of the fiber volume fraction on the electrical conductivity and the fraction change of electrical resistance under three-point-bending test were discussed.It is found that the relationship beween the electrical conductivity of composites and the fiber volume fraction can be explained by the percolation theory and the change of electrical resistance of specimens reflects to the process of loading.The sensitivity and the response of the change of electrical resistance to the load for specimens with different fiber volume fractions are quite different.which provide an important guide for the manufacture of conductive and intrinsically smart carbon fiber composite.

Porosity Effects on Interlaminar Fracture Behavior in Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials have become materials of choice for manufacturing application due to their high specific stiffness, strength and fatigue life, low density and thermal expansion coefficient. However, there are some types of defects such as porosity that form during the manufacturing processes of composites and alter their mechanical behavior and material properties. In his study, hand lay-up was conducted to fabricate samples of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites with three different vacuum levels in order to vary porosity content. Nondestructive evaluation, destructive techniques and mechanical testing were conducted. Nondestructive evaluation results showed the trend in percentages of porosity through-thickness. Serial sectioning images revealed significant details about the composite’s internal structure such as the volume, morphology and distribution of porosity. Mechanical testing results showed that porosity led to a decrease in both Mode I static interlaminar fracture toughness and Mode I cyclic strain energy release rate fatigue life. The fractographic micrographs showed that porosity content increased as the vacuum decreased, and it drew a relationship between fracture mechanisms and mechanical properties of the composite under different modes of loading as a result of the porosity effects. Finally, in order to accurately quantify porosity percentages included in the samples of different vacuum levels, a comparison was made between the parameters and percentages resulted from the nondestructive evaluation and mechanical testing and the features resulted from fractography and serial sectioning.

Electromagnetic Shielding and Absorption Properties of Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites

In order to investigate the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness （SE） and absorbing properties of fiber reinforced concrete, steel fiber, carbon fiber and synthetic polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） fiber reinforced concrete were researched. The results show that with the increase of fiber Volume fraction, the SE and trend of frequency change of corresponding fiber reinforced concrete are enhanced. When the volume content of steel fiber is 3%, the SE of concrete is above 50 dB and its frequency is above 1.8 GHz. Moreover, in the range of 8-18 GHz, steel fiber, carbon fiber and PVA fiber all can improve the microwave absorption properties of concrete. The concrete with 0.5% carbon fiber can achieve the best absorbing property, the minimum reflectivity is about -7 dB; while steel fiber optimal volume fraction is 2%. The reflectivity curve of PVA fiber reinforced concrete fluctuates with the frequency, and the minimum value of the reflectivity is below -10 dB. The results show that fiber reinforced concrete could be used as EMI（electromagnetic interference） prevention buildings by attenuating and reflecting electromagnetic wave energy.

Influence of Water Content on Conductivity and Piezoresistivity of Cement-based Material with both Carbon Fiber and Carbon Black

The influence of water content on the conductivity and piezoresistivity of cement-based material with carbon fiber （CF） and carbon black （CB） was investigated. The piezoresistivity of cement-based material with both CF and CB was compared with that of cement-based material with CF only, and the changes in electrical resistivity of cement-based material with both CF and CB under static and loading conditions in different drying and soaking time were studied. It is found that the piezoresistivity of cement-based material with both CF and CB has better repeatability and linearity than that of cement-based material with CF only. The conductivity and the sensitivity of piezoresistive cement-based material with both CF and CB are enhanced as the water content in piezoresistive cement-based material increases.

Electrical resistance stability of high content carbon fiber reinforced cement composite

The influences of curing time, the content of free evaporable water in cement paste, environmental temperature, and alternative heating and cooling on the electrical resistance of high content carbon fiber reinforced cement (CFRC) paste are studied by experiments with specimens of Portland cement 42.5 with 10 mm PAN-based carbon fiber and methylcellulose. Experimental results indicate that the electrical resistance of CFRC increases relatively by 24% within a hydration time of 90 d and almost keeps constant after 14 d, changes hardly with the mass loss of free evaporable water in the concrete dried at 50 °C, increases relatively by 4% when ambient temperature decreases from 15 °C to ?20 °C, and decreases relatively by 13% with temperature increasing by 88 °C. It is suggested that the electric resistance of the CFRC is stable, which is testified by the stable power output obtained by electrifying the CFRC slab with a given voltage. This implies that such kind of high content carbon fiber reinforced cement composite is potentially a desirable electrothermal material for airfield runways and road surfaces deicing.

Fabrication of solid-phase-sintered Si C-based composites with short carbon fibers

Solid-phase-sintered Si C-based composites with short carbon fibers（Csf/SSi C） in concentrations ranging from 0 to 10wt% were prepared by pressureless sintering at 2100°C. The phase composition, microstructure, density, and flexural strength of the composites with different Csf contents were investigated. SEM micrographs showed that the Csf distributed in the SSi C matrix homogeneously with some gaps at the fiber/matrix interfaces. The densities of the composites decreased with increasing Csf content. However, the bending strength first increased and then decreased with increasing Csf content, reaching a maximum value of 390 MPa at a Csf content of 5wt%, which was 60 MPa higher than that of SSi C because of the pull-out strengthening mechanism. Notably, Csf was graphitized and damaged during the sintering process because of the high temperature and reaction with boron derived from the sintering additive B4C; this graphitization degraded the fiber strengthening effect.

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

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

THE EFFECT OF POLYMER IN STEEL FIBER REINFORCED CEMENT COMPOSITES

Three kinds of polymers, polymethyl acrylate emulsion (POLYVINYLformal solution (PV- FO), styrene acrylate copolymer emulsion (SA)are chosen To study the effect of polymer in steel fiber rein forcedce- Ment composites (SFRCC). The experimental results show That thebonding properties in SFRCC are remarkably im- Proved after theaddition of three kinds of polymer.

Orthogonal design of experiment and analysis of abrasive water jet cutting on carbon fiber reinforced composites

The carbon fiber reinforced composite is a new type of composite material with an excellent property in strength and elastic modulus,and has found extensive applications in aerospace,energy,automotive industry and so on.However,this composite has a strict requirement on processing techniques,for example,brittle damage or delamination often exists in conventional processing techniques.Abrasive water jet machining technology is a new type of green machining technique with distinct advantages such as high-energy and thermal distortion free.The use of abrasive water jet technique to process carbon fiber composite materials has become a popular trend since it can significantly improve the processing accuracy and surface quality of carbon fiber composite materials.However,there are too many parameters that affect the quality of an abrasive water jet machining.At present,few studies are carried out on the parameter optimization of such a machining process,which leads to the unstable quality of surface processing.In this paper,orthogonal design of experiment and regression analysis were employed to establish the empirical model between cutting surface roughness and machining process parameters.Then a verified model was used to optimize the machining process parameters for abrasive water jet cutting carbon fiber reinforced composites.

Toughness and Fracture Mechanism of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The fracture toughness of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite(CFRP)was investigated through mode I and mode II shaped fracture system in this paper.A novel polyimide with trifluoromethyl groups and grafted nanosilica were used to modify epoxy resin.Effect of modified resin and unmodified resin on fracture toughness of CFRP was compared and discussed.Lay-up angles and thicknesses effects on fracture toughness of composites were also investigated.The fracture toughness of CFRP was obtained through double cantilever beam(DCB)and end notched flexure(ENF)tests.The results showed that the composites prepared by modified resin exhibited high fracture toughness compared with unmodified composites.The fracture toughness value of mode I increased from 1.83 kJ/m2 to 4.55 kJ/m2.The fracture toughness value of mode II increased from 2.30 kJ/m2 to 6.47 kJ/m2.

Micro Model of Carbon Fiber/Cyanate Ester Composites and Analysis of Machining Damage Mechanism

Machining damage occurs on the surface of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites during processing. In the current simulation model of CFRP, the initial defects on the carbon fiber and the periodic random distribution of the reinforcement phase in the matrix are not considered in detail, which makes the characteristics of the cutting model significantly different from the actual processing conditions. In this paper, a novel three-phase model of carbon fiber/cyanate ester composites is proposed to simulate the machining damage of the composites. The periodic random distribution of the carbon fiber reinforced phase in the matrix was realized using a double perturbation algorithm. To achieve the stochastic distribution of the strength of a single carbon fiber, a novel method that combines the Weibull intensity distribution theory with the Monte Carlo method is presented. The mechanical properties of the cyanate matrix were characterized by fitting the stress-strain curves, and the cohesive zone model was employed to simulate the interface. Based on the model, the machining damage mechanism of the composites was revealed using finite element simulations and by conducting a theoretical analysis. Furthermore, the milling surfaces of the composites were observed using a scanning electron microscope, to verify the accuracy of the simulation results. In this study, the simulations and theoretical analysis of the carbon fiber/cyanate ester composite processing were carried out based on a novel three-phase model, which revealed the material failure and machining damage mechanism more accurately.

Determination of Water Diffusion Coefficients and Dynamics in Adhesive/Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin Composite Joints

To determinate the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in adhesive/carben fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis（EDX） is used to establish the content change of oxy- gen in the adhesive in adhesive/carbon fther reinforced epoxy resin composite joints. As water is made up of oxygen and hydrogen, the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in adhesive/carben fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints can be obtained from the change in the content of oxygen in the adhesive during humidity aging, via EDX analy-sis. The authors have calculated the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in the adhesive/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints with the aid of beth energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The de- termined results with EDX analysis are almost the same as those determined with elemental analysis and the results al- so show that the durability of the adhesive/carbon fther reinforced epoxy resin composite joints subjected to silane cou- pling agent treatment is better than those subjected to sand paper burnishing treatment and chemical oxidation treat- ment.

Resistance welding of carbon fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone composites using metal mesh and PEI film

Weldability of polyetheretherketone(PEEK) with polyetherimide(PEI) is tested. And carbon fiber reinforced PEEK laminates are resistance welded using stainless steel mesh heating element. The effects of the welding time and welding pressure on the lap shear strength of joints are investigated. Results show that PEEK can heal with PEI well in welding condition and the lap shear strength of PEEK/CF(carbon fibre) joint increases linearly with welding time, but reaches a maximum value when welding pressure ranging from 0.3 MPa to 0.5 MPa with constant welding time. The fracture characteristics of surface are analyzed by SEM techniques, and four types of fracture modes of lap shear joints are suggested.