Damping properties and mechanism of aluminum matrix composites reinforced with glass cenospheres

The damping properties were improved by preparing Al matrix composites reinforced with glass cenospheres through the pressure infiltration method.Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to characterize the microstructure of the composites.The low-frequency damping properties were examined by using a dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer,aiming at exploring the changing trend of damping capacity with strain,temperature,and frequency.The findings demonstrated that the damping value rose as temperature and strain increased,with a maximum value of 0.15.Additionally,the damping value decreased when the frequency increased.Dislocation damping under strain and interfacial damping under temperature served as the two primary damping mechanisms.The increase in the density of dislocation strong pinning points following heat treatment reduced the damping value,which was attributed to the heat treatment enhancement of the interfacial bonding force of the composites.

Performance of Thermal Insulation of Different Composite Walls and Roofs Materials Used for Energy Efficient Building Construction in Iraq

This study numerically involves the performance of thermal insulation of different types of composite walls and roofs to demonstrate the best model that can be used for energy-efficient building construction in Iraq.The mathematical model is solved by building its code using the Transmission Matrix Method in MATLAB software.The weather data of 21st July 2022 in Baghdad City/Iraq is selected as a test day.The wall types are selected:the first type consists of cement mortar,brick,and gypsum,the second type consists of cement mortar,brick,gypsum,and plaster and the third type consists of cement mortar,brick,gypsum,air cavity,and sheathing timber.The roof types are chosen:the first type consists of reinforced concrete,gypsum,and plaster,and the second type consists of the precast concrete flag,river sand,tar,reinforced concrete,gypsum,and plaster.The obtained solutions are compared with previous studies for the same city but with different types of walls and roofs.The findings display that the second and third types of walls reduce the entry heat flux by 4%and 10%as compared to the first type of wall.Also,the results indicate that the second type of roof reduces the entry heat flux by 21%as compared to the first type of roof.The results confirm that the best models of walls and roofs in Iraq are the third and second types,respectively,as compared to other models and hence,the performance of insulation material strongly depends on the materials used while building them.

Fabrication and Characterization of Bamboo—Epoxy Reinforced Composite for Thermal Insulation

As global warming intensifies, researchers worldwide strive to develop effective ways to reduce heat transfer. Among the natural fiber composites studied extensively in recent decades, bamboo has emerged as a prime candidate for reinforcement. This woody plant offers inherent strengths, biodegradability, and abundant availability. Due to its high cellulose content, its low thermal conductivity establishes bamboo as a thermally resistant material. Its low thermal conductivity, enhanced by a NaOH solution treatment, makes it an excellent thermally resistant material. Researchers incorporated Hollow Glass Microspheres (HGM) and Kaolin fillers into the epoxy matrix to improve the insulating properties of bamboo composites. These fillers substantially enhance thermal resistance, limiting heat transfer. Various compositions, like (30% HGM + 25% Bamboo + 65% Epoxy) and (30% Kaolin + 25% Bamboo + 45% Epoxy), were compared to identify the most efficient thermal insulator. Using Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) ensures uniform distribution of fillers and resin, creating a structurally sound thermal barrier. These reinforced composites, evaluated using the TOPSIS method, demonstrated their potential as high-performance materials combating heat transfer, offering a promising solution in the battle against climate change.

Composite Panels from the Combination of Rice Husk and Wood Chips with a Natural Resin Based on Tannins Reinforced with Sugar Cane Molasses Intended for Building Insulation: Physico-Mechanical and Thermal Properties

The objective of this work is to develop new biosourced insulating composites from rice husks and wood chips that can be used in the building sector. It appears from the properties of the precursors that rice chips and husks are materials which can have good thermal conductivity and therefore the combination of these precursors could make it possible to obtain panels with good insulating properties. With regard to environmental and climatic constraints, the composite panels formulated at various rates were tested and the physico-mechanical and thermal properties showed that it was essential to add a crosslinker in order to increase certain solicitation. an incorporation rate of 12% to 30% made it possible to obtain panels with low thermal conductivity, a low surface water absorption capacity and which gives the composite good thermal insulation and will find many applications in the construction and real estate sector. Finally, new solutions to improve the fire reaction of the insulation panels are tested which allows to identify suitable solutions for the developed composites. In view of the flame tests, the panels obtained are good and can effectively combat fire safety in public buildings.

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.

Numerical Optimization by Finite Element Method of Stainless Steel/Glass-Epoxy Composite Bolted Joint under Tension and Compression

The aim of this study was to optimize the geometry and the design of metallic/composite single bolted joints subjected to tension-compression loading. For this purpose, it was necessary to evaluate the stress state in each component of the bolted join. The multi-material assembly was based on the principle of double lap bolted joint. It was composed of a symmetrical balanced woven glass-epoxy composite material plate fastened to two stainless sheets using a stainless pre-stressed bolt. In order to optimize the design and the geometry of the assembly, ten configurations were proposed and studied: a classical simple bolted joint, two joints with an insert (a BigHeadR insert and a stair one) embedded in the composite, two “waved” solutions, three symmetrical configurations composed of a succession of metallic and composites layers, without a sleeve, with one and with two sleeves, and two non-symmetrical constituted of metallic and composites layers associated with a stair-insert (one with a sleeve and one without). A tridimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) was used to model each configuration mentioned above. The FE models taked into account the different materials, the effects of contact between the different sheets of the assembly and the pre-stress in the bolt. The stress state was analyzed in the composite part. The concept of stress concentration factor was used in order to evaluate the stress increase in the highly stressed regions and to compare the ten configurations studied. For this purpose, three stress concentration factors were defined: one for a monotonic loading in tension, another for a monotonic loading in compression, and the third for a tension-compression cyclic loading. The results of the FEM computations showed that the use of alternative metallic and composite layers associated with two sleeves gived low values of stress concentration factors, smaller than 1.4. In this case, there was no contact between the bolt and the composite part and the most stressed region was not the vicinity of the hole but the end of the longest layers of the metallic inserts.

Numerical Simulation of Contamination Accumulation Characteristics of Composite Insulators in Salt Fog Environment

To investigate the fouling characteristics of the composite insulator surface under the salt fog environment,the FXBW-110/120-2 composite insulator was taken as the research object.Based on the field-induced charge mechanism,the multi-physical field coupling software COMSOL was used to numerically simulate the fouling characteristics,explored the calculation method of ESDD,and demonstrated its rationality.Based on this method,the pollution characteristics of the composite insulator under the pollution fog environment were studied,and the influence of wind speed,droplet size,and voltage type on the pollution characteristics of the composite insulator was analyzed.The results showed that:with the increase in wind speed,the amount of accumulated pollution of insulator increases in the range of droplet size,and the relationship between wind speed and accumulated pollution is approximately linear;at the same wind speed,the amount of accumulated pollution increases with the increase of droplet size under the action of DC voltage;when there is no voltage,the amount of dirt on the upper surface of the insulator is more than that on the lower surface,while it is the opposite under DC voltage.

Composition Analysis and Identification of Ancient Glass Products Based on L1 Regularization Logistic Regression

In view of the composition analysis and identification of ancient glass products, L1 regularization, K-Means cluster analysis, elbow rule and other methods were comprehensively used to build logical regression, cluster analysis, hyper-parameter test and other models, and SPSS, Python and other tools were used to obtain the classification rules of glass products under different fluxes, sub classification under different chemical compositions, hyper-parameter K value test and rationality analysis. Research can provide theoretical support for the protection and restoration of ancient glass relics.

Microwave absorption and thermal properties of coral-like SiC aerogel composites prepared by water glass as a silicon source

As a heat-resistant wave-absorbing material,silicon carbide(SiC)aerogel has become a research hotspot at present.However,the most common silicon sources are organosilanes,which are costly and toxic.In this work,SiC aerogels were successfully prepared by using water glass as the silicon source.Specifically,the microstructure and chemical composition of SiC aerogels were controlled by adjusting the Si to C molar ratio during the sol–gel process,and the effect on SiC aerogel microwave absorption properties was investigated.The SiC aerogels prepared with Si:C molar ratio of 1:1 have an effective electromagnetic wave absorption capacity,with a minimum reflection loss value of-46.30 dB at 12.88 GHz and an effective frequency bandwidth of 4.02 GHz.They also have good physical properties,such as the density of0.0444 g/cm^(3),the thermal conductivity of 0.0621 W/(m·K),and the specific surface area of 1099 m^(2)/g.These lightweight composites with microwave-absorbing properties and low thermal conductivity can be used as thermal protection materials for space shuttles and reusable carriers.

Electromagnetic wave absorption and mechanical properties of SiC nanowire/low-melting-point glass composites sintered at 580°C in air

Si C nanowires are excellent high-temperature electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials. However, their polymer matrix composites are difficult to work at temperatures above 300℃, while their ceramic matrix composites must be prepared above 1000℃ in an inert atmosphere. Thus, for addressing the abovementioned problems, SiC/low-melting-point glass composites were well designed and prepared at 580℃ in an air atmosphere. Based on the X-ray diffraction results, SiC nanowires were not oxidized during air atmosphere sintering because of the low sintering temperature. Additionally, SiC nanowires were uniformly distributed in the glass matrix material. The composites exhibited good mechanical and EMW absorption properties. As the filling ratio of SiC nanowires increased from 5wt%to 20wt%, the Vickers hardness and flexural strength of the composite reached HV 564 and 213 MPa, which were improved by 27.7%and 72.8%, respectively, compared with the low-melting-point glass. Meanwhile, the dielectric loss and EMW absorption ability of SiC nanowires at 8.2–12.4 GHz were also gradually improved. The dielectric loss ability of low-melting-point glass was close to 0. However, when the filling ratio of SiC nanowires was 20wt%, the composite showed a minimum reflection loss (RL) of-20.2 dB and an effective absorption (RL≤-10 dB) bandwidth of2.3 GHz at an absorber layer thickness of 2.3 mm. The synergistic effect of polarization loss and conductivity loss in SiC nanowires was responsible for this improvement.

Investigation of Microstructure and Phase Composition of Chromic Oxide, AZS/Cr and High-alumina Refractories after Exposure of Basalt and Aluminaboronsilicate Glasses Melts

The microstructure and phase composition of high-alumina,chromic oxide,and AZS/Cr refractories containing 30%and 60%(by mass)Cr_(2)O_(3) after exposure to aluminaboronsilicate glasses and basalt melts depending on the type of melts and temperature have been studied.The mechanisms of refractory corrosion by the used melts and the factors contributing to the inhibition of corrosion development have been investigated by the method of petrographic analysis.On the basis of obtained results,the use of high-alumina,chromic oxide,and AZS/Cr refractories in the sections of glass furnace linings,experiencing the intensive impact of aluminaboronsilicate glasses and basalt melts,has been confirmed and scientifically substantiated.

Sodium Nitrate Passivation as a Novel Insulation Technology for Soft Magnetic Composites

Sodium nitrate passivation has been developed as a new insulation technology for the production of FeSiAl soft magnetic composites (SMCs). In this work, the evolution of coating layers grown at different pH values is investigated involving analyses on their composition and microstructure. An insulation coating obtained using an acidic NaNO_(3) solution is found to contain Fe2O_(3), SiO_(2), Al2O_(3), and AlO(OH). The Fe2O_(3) transforms into Fe3O4 with weakened oxidizability of the NO_(3)– at an elevated pH, whereas an alkaline NaNO_(3) solution leads to the production of Al2O_(3), AlO(OH), and SiO_(2). Such growth is explained from both thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives and is correlated to the soft magnetic properties of the FeSiAl SMCs. Under tuned passivation conditions, optimal performance with an effective permeability of 97.2 and a core loss of 296.4 mW∙cm−3 is achieved at 50 kHz and 100 mT.

Static Bending Creep Properties of Glass Fiber Surface Composite Wood

To study the static bending creep properties of glass fiber reinforced wood,glass fiber reinforced poplar(GFRP)specimens were obtained by pasting glass fiber on the upper and lower surfaces of Poplar(Populus euramevicana,P),the performance of Normal Creep(NC)and Mechanical Sorptive Creep(MSC)of GFRP and their influencing factors were tested and analyzed.The test results and analysis show that:(1)The MOE and MOR of Poplar were increased by 17.06%and 10.00%respectively by the glass fiber surface reinforced composite.(2)The surface reinforced P with glass fiber cloth only exhibits the NC pattern of wood and loses the MSC characteristics of wood,regardless of the constant or alternating changes in relative humidity.(3)The instantaneous elastic deformation,viscoelastic deformation,viscous deformation and total creep deflection of GFRP are positively correlated with the stress level of the external load applied to the specimen.Still,the specimen’s creep recovery rate is negatively correlated with the stress level of the external load applied to the specimen.The static creep deflection and viscous deformation of GFRP increase with the increase of the relative humidity of the environment.(4)The MSC maximum creep deflection of GFRP increased by only 7.41%over the NC maximum creep deflection,but the MSC maximum creep deflection of P increased by 199.25%over the NC maximum creep deflection.(5)The Burgers 4-factor model and the Weibull distribution equation can fit the NC and NC recovery processes of GFRP well.

Fabrication and Thermal Insulating Properties of ITO/PVB Nanocomposites for Energy Saving Glass

Chemical co-precipitation method was used to synthesize tin-doped indium oxide（ITO）nanoparticles,and the subsequent solution co-blend was employed to fabricate ITO/PVB nanocomposites.UV（Ultra-violet）-Vis（Visible）-NIR（Near Infrared） spectra show that the addition of ITO nano particles can significantly enhance the thermal insulating efficiency of ITO/PVB nanocomposites.With increasing ITO content,the thermal insulating efficiency is increased.UV is almost fully absorbed by all ITO/PVB nanocomposites.Vis transmittance-haze spectra reveal that ITO/PVB nanocomposites exhibit higher Vis transmittance over 71.3%and lower haze below 2%when ITO content is in the range of 0.1 wt%-0.7 wt%.The UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy shows that,under the premise of over 70%transmittance to the visible light,the screening effect of the NIR can be enhanced by 80%with 0.7%ITO/PVB nanocomposite membrane compared with the undoped PVB.The thermal insulating tests indicate that,in comparison with the pure PVB film,nanocomposite films with 0.1 wt%-0.9 wt%ITO can reduce temperature by 3-8 ℃.The results show that this novel nanocomposite can be used for energy-saving glass.

Fabrication and Thermal Insulating Properties of ATO/PVB Nanocomposites for Energy Saving Glass

The pechini method was used to synthesize antimony-doped tin oxide （ATO） nanoparticles, and the subsequent solution co-blend was employed to fabricate ATO/PVB nanocomposites. Uv-Vis-NIR spectra show that the addition ofATO nano particles can significantly enhance the thermal insulating efficiency of ATO/PVB nanocomposites. With the increase of ATO content, the thermal insulating efficiency is increased. Uv is almost fully absorbed by all ATO/PVB nanocomposites. Vis transmittance-haze spectra reveal that ATO/ PVB nanocomposites exhibit higher Vis transmittance of over 72.7% and lower haze of below 2% when ATO content is in the range of 0.1 wt%-0.5 wt%. The thermal insulating tests indicate that in comparison with the pure PVB film, nanocomposite films with 0.1 wt%-0.5 wt% ATO can reduce temperature of 1-3 ℃, suggesting that this novel nanocomposite can be used for energy-saving glass.

Preparation and Investigation of Mechanical and Physical Properties of Flax/Glass Fabric Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composites

Synthetic reinforced composites affect the environment adversely and have become a global concern, causing increased natural composite demand for sustainability and cost effectiveness. Glass is a popular material that is highly consumed in reinforced composites for its superior mechanical strength. As opposed to that, flax obtained from flax stalks can be used as an alternative reinforcing material with synthetic fibers to minimize manmade fiber consumption. Hence, this research work addresses a few flax/glass-reinforced hybrid composites by using a thermoset polyester matrix. Here, six categories of samples are made, like neat flax, neat glass, and flax/glass fabric reinforced hybrid composite, followed by different stacking layer sequences and hand layout techniques during processing. Afterwards, the mechanical behavior, thermal stability, morphological behavior, and water absorption of hybrid samples were investigated. Among the developed samples, neat glass (NG) composite exhibits superior mechanical properties, while neat flax (NF) shows the lowest result. It is apparent that the mechanical properties and thermal stability of hybrid samples are in between NF and NG because, by adding glass with flax fabric, the strength of hybrid samples is increased. Moreover, it is noticeable that, due to multiple stacking layers of flax and glass, hybrid 3 and hybrid 4 show better strength than consecutive single stacking layers in hybrid 1 and hybrid 2. Among all hybrid composites, the H4 shows comparatively better mechanical and thermal properties due to having the glass layers on the outermost surface. In summary, this research work demonstrated the feasibility of flax fabric with glass fabric as a reinforced hybrid composite that can be used in automobile inner bodies, household furnishing, and home interior decoration.

Preparation and Investigation of Mechanical and Physical Properties of Flax/Glass Fabric Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composites

Synthetic reinforced composites affect the environment adversely and have become a global concern, causing increased natural composite demand for sustainability and cost effectiveness. Glass is a popular material that is highly consumed in reinforced composites for its superior mechanical strength. As opposed to that, flax obtained from flax stalks can be used as an alternative reinforcing material with synthetic fibers to minimize manmade fiber consumption. Hence, this research work addresses a few flax/glass-reinforced hybrid composites by using a thermoset polyester matrix. Here, six categories of samples are made, like neat flax, neat glass, and flax/glass fabric reinforced hybrid composite, followed by different stacking layer sequences and hand layout techniques during processing. Afterwards, the mechanical behavior, thermal stability, morphological behavior, and water absorption of hybrid samples were investigated. Among the developed samples, neat glass (NG) composite exhibits superior mechanical properties, while neat flax (NF) shows the lowest result. It is apparent that the mechanical properties and thermal stability of hybrid samples are in between NF and NG because, by adding glass with flax fabric, the strength of hybrid samples is increased. Moreover, it is noticeable that, due to multiple stacking layers of flax and glass, hybrid 3 and hybrid 4 show better strength than consecutive single stacking layers in hybrid 1 and hybrid 2. Among all hybrid composites, the H4 shows comparatively better mechanical and thermal properties due to having the glass layers on the outermost surface. In summary, this research work demonstrated the feasibility of flax fabric with glass fabric as a reinforced hybrid composite that can be used in automobile inner bodies, household furnishing, and home interior decoration.

Surface Structure of Aged Composite Insulator Studied by Slow Positron Beam

Slow positron beam was applied to study the depth profile structure of the virgin and the aged high-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber(HTV). Scanning electron microscope(SEM) images show that the surface of virgin sample is smooth, while the outdoor aged samples are all rough. According to the S(E) curves obtained by slow positron beam, in a depth of more than 1 μm, the S parameter of the sample aged at low-potential side keeps the same value with the virgin one;while the S values of the highpotential side aged sample remain rather low in a depth of about 5 μm. Thermo gravimetric analysis(TGA) results show that the sample in high potential side contains more inorganic constituents than that of other samples. The results are attributed to the strong electric field induced corona aging at high potential side of the composite insulator.

Study on Glass Fiber Dispersion Technology in SiO_2 Aerogel-glass Fiber Composite Insulation Materials

In order to improve the mechanical properties of SiO_2 aerogel-glass fiber composites, effects of different solvents(cyclohexane, n-hexane, ethanol, acetone) and different dispersing modes(planetary ball milling, ultrasonic dispersion and mechanical stirring) and dispersing duration(10-40 min) on the dispersion of chopped alkali-free glass fiber bundles were studied to determine the best dispersion process. On this basis, the materials were batched according to the mass fraction of SiO_2 aerogel powder to chopped alkali free glass fiber bundles of 90:10, and a certain amount of zinc oxide light-screening agent and phenolic resin binder were added. SiO_2 aerogel glass fiber composite specimens were prepared by direct adding chopped alkali free glass fiber bundles and pre-dispersed chopped alkali free glass fiber bundles, respectively. The cold crushing strength and the thermal conductivity at different surface temperatures(300, 400, 500 and 600 ℃, respectively)of the specimens were measured. The results show that:(1) the optimum dispersion process of chopped alkali-free glass fiber bundles is using ethanol as solvent and mechanical stirring for 30 min;(2) pre-dispersion of chopped alkali-free glass fiber bundles has little effect on the thermal conductivity of SiO_2 aerogel-glass fiber composites but can improve the cold crushing strength.

Fiber Bragg grating monitors for thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines

Running composite insulators are prone to failure due to their harsh surrounding work environment, which directly affects the safe operation of transmission lines. This paper puts forward the method of using fiber Bragg grating(FBG) as the monitors to parameters correlated with thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines at working status. Firstly, monitoring points are found out by the mechanical test on composite insulator samples. Secondly, based on the monitoring theory, this paper introduces the feasibility design frame of the composite insulator with FBG implanted in the rod and the online monitor system. At last, it describes applications of this monitor system in the field of transmission lines.