The bending performances at different loading rate are studied for carbon fiber/honeycomb sandwich panels toughened by short aramid fiber tissues and carbon fiber belts. The carbon fiber belts are stitched cross the pores of honeycomb core for interfacial improvements. Three-point bending tests at different loading rates are carried out to investigate the effect of short aramid fiber tissue and carbon

Joining techniques for multi-material structures are critical for increased use of lightweight materials such as aluminium alloys and thermoplastic composites in the automotive industry. Interlocking adhesive joints (IAJs) can provide increased mechanical performance over standard adhesive joints, but manufacturing methods suitable for industrial applications must be developed. Here, three methods

To strengthen carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs), fiber placement along the principal stress directions have been studied as a promising approach. However, a method to sufficiently impregnate a resin between the curved carbon fibers has not established thus far, although arbitrary arrangement of carbon fibers is feasible using the automated fiber placement (AFP) machine. Previously, the authors

Porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs)@Tin oxide (SnOx) nanocomposites are synthesized by co-electrospinning using renewable alkali lignin-polyaniline (PAN) solution as the core and Sn precursors-polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) solution as the shell, followed by heat treatment. By changing the preheating temperature during heat treatment, PCNFs@SnOx nanocomposites with different nanostructures are obtained.

Fatigue tests were conducted on scarf adhesive joints (SAJs) with composite substrates at room temperature (RT) and 50 °C. The adhesive layer was modified with Al2O3-nanoparticles. Dynamic parameters such as damping factor, storage modulus, dissipated energy and potential energy (Up) were measured from the stress–strain hysteresis loops of the SAJs with the aim of knowing which ones are best for early

Eddy current testing methods to estimate the anisotropic electrical conductivity of multidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastics are proposed in this work. Finite element analysis was performed to investigate the contributions of the three-directional conductivities to the coil impedance. The coil impedance variation was expressed as an approximate function with respect to the anisotropic conductivity

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have been widely used as advanced functional materials due to their special nanostructures and various functionalities. Researchers working on 2D nanomaterials are facing several problems, the difficulties in synthesis, scarcity of species, largely unclear formation mechanism and non-universal preparation method. Herein, this paper reports a new method based on electrospinning

Phase change materials (PCMs) need to improve thermal conductivity and maintain stability to meet actual application requirements. Here, a novel composite based on hydroxylated boron nitride (BN-OH) as a thermally conductive filler with superior thermal energy storage and shape stability is reported. By combining kapok fiber (KF) and sodium alginate (SA), lightweight KF/SA aerogels were fabricated

Preforming is a common process in the manufacture of net-shaped composites, and there is a critical need for technologies that improve manufacturing speed without adversely impacting the interlaminar fracture toughness. Furthermore, composite structures that are repairable in-situ have potential for significant cost and performance benefits. This paper presents a new multi-functional composite system

The high stiffness and damping properties of flax fibres promote the integration of biocomposites in structural applications. However, the strength of flax/epoxy composites is still limited compared to glass/epoxy composites. Graphene oxide (GO) has proved to be a promising building block for nanocomposites due to its high toughness, stiffness and tunable interfacial interactions with polymers. This

Graphene nanosheet (GNS) films exhibit good thermal and electric conductivities due to low oxygen content and defect density. However, the weak interlayer interaction forces have resulted in poor mechanical properties and flexibility for GNS films. In order to meet this challenge, aramid nanofiber (ANF) is introduced into the GNS films by solution mixing, then a small amount of water is added to adjust

A modified 360 o netting vein bionic structure is proposed to improve the thermal properties of the composite. The influence of the fillers’ distributed configuration on the composite thermal conductivity is analyzed with finite element method to optimize the filling ratio, filling angle and distributed form. With the purity and prewetting processes, the surface roughness and wetting property of SiC

An experiment was designed and carried out to study the friction and deformation of carbon fibre tow under sliding transverse to the orientation of the fibres. A continuous frictional force was measured in reciprocal sliding tests over a sliding length of about one width of the tow, using incremental tests of 4 mm of sliding with a stop after each millimetre to measure the topography of the tow in

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) has significant applications in the aerospace and automobile industries. However, the relatively high thermomechanical loads generated when drilling CFRP is considerably detrimental to the cutting tool. To address this issue, in this work, a step-change in the performance of CFRP drilling was conducted by switching the cutting model from crushing/compression fracture

The compressive characteristics of egg-box energy-absorbing cores composed of plain-weave carbon/epoxy composites were analysed via a finite-element analysis (FEA) and experimentally validated. Through draping experiments and simulations, material behavioural aspects, including wrinkle generation according to the initial draping orientation (0° ([0/90]T), 30° ([30/-60]T), and 45° ([±45]T)) of uncured

PLA/sugarcane bagasse fiber composites were prepared by injection molding from two fractions of fibers with different fiber characteristics, which were determined before and after processing. Interfacial adhesion was modified by a maleated PLA coupling agent. The mechanical properties of the composites were characterized by tensile and impact testing, while local deformation processes by acoustic emission

A method based on dimensionless homogeneity factors (homogeneity coefficient ζ and deviation rate η) was proposed to assess the homogeneity of particle reinforced magnesium-lithium matrix composite industrial-sized ingot. The effectiveness of the method was investigated, and the correlation between microstructure homogeneity and mechanical properties was explored through the assessment of YAl2p/LA143

Electrostatic capacitors with excellent energy storage capacity and great thermal stability have become the researching focus. However, high-energy–density electrostatic capacitors are restricted through insurmountable drawbacks of low charge–discharge efficiency under high temperature/voltage working conditions. Herein, polyetherimide (PEI) nanocomposite films contains with two-dimensional boron nitride

The miniaturization, integration, and lightweight of modern electronics have posed serious challenges to the development of high-performance and multifunctional thermal management materials. Here, we reported SiO2-coated nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC)/boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) hybrid films with excellent thermal conductivity (TC) and hydrophobicity. These films were easily constructed via vacuum-assisted

Z-pins can enhance through-thickness direction of composite laminates effectively by reducing the delamination damage area. In this paper, the low velocity impact behaviors of [02/902]4S cross-ply composite laminates by inserting Z-pins with two different angle 0° and ±45° along the thickness direction were compared. T300 carbon fiber Z-pins were used as the reinforcements for Z-pinned laminates impacted

The interphase region between inclusions and a polymer matrix plays an important role in determining the interfacial bonding strength of polymer composites. We present the interplay between wettability and apparent viscosity of liquid epoxy composites to investigate the effect of physicochemical modification on the creation of interphase regions in basalt fiber composites. The combination of various

The evolution of crystalline structures under complicated dynamic conditions remains elusive in practical processing techniques including multi-melt multi-injection molding (M3IM), due to the obstacles in expressing the coupled external fields. Herein, we exploited the finite volume method (FVM) and the volume of fluid (VOF) method to uncover the coupled external fields of multi-melt flows in M3IM

This paper presents a taxonomy of the fibre mat misalignments found in a multi-celled pultruded GFRP deck, based on high-resolution images of the polished cross sections. A dual approach to misalignment taxonomy is presented, one based on misalignment morphology, the other grounded in the manufacturing provenance of the misalignments. Each misalignment is characterised using, alternately, a Gaussian

Coating is the most common method to offer better wettability between carbon fibers (CFs) and metal matrix of the composites. An optimal electroless Ni plating process was studied in this paper to improve the interfacial adhesion of CF reinforced Al-matrix composites. By using Pd-colloid activation, the typical island-like agglomeration on the coating surface was significantly eliminated, providing

Improvement of the interfacial fracture toughness of the layer interfaces is one way to increase the performance of interlayer hybrid laminates containing standard thickness carbon/epoxy plies and make them fail in a stable, progressive way. The layer interfaces were interleaved with thermoset 913 type epoxy or thermoplastic acrylonitrile–butadienestyrene (ABS) films to introduce beneficial energy

This paper reports the results of an international benchmark exercise on the measurement of fibre bed compaction behaviour. The aim was to identify aspects of the test method critical to obtain reliable results and to arrive at a recommended test procedure for fibre bed compaction measurements. A glass fibre 2/2 twill weave and a biaxial (±45°) glass fibre non-crimp fabric (NCF) were tested in dry

In this study, we proposed a test method to evaluate the strength of a curved section of 3D printed continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics. Curved beam tests were conducted using L-shape specimens to evaluate the strength of the curved section. To test thin L-shape specimens, test jigs were designed. In this process, finite element analyses were conducted to testify that the designed jigs

This study investigates the effect of component geometry on the wrinkling mechanisms of non-crimp fabrics (NCFs) during preforming. Using 3D digital image correlation, the wrinkling behaviour of a biaxial NCF formed over four benchmark geometries is characterised and related to the NCF’s surface strains. It is shown that the effect of geometry on the severity of wrinkling is highly significant and

This paper presents a novel experimental method for impacting microscale single fibers under dynamic multiaxial loading conditions. Experimental setup is developed by modifying a 0.25-inch diameter Hopkinson bar to directly impact fibers. Using this setup, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) Dyneema® SK76 single fibers, with average diameter 17 µm, are transversely impacted with indenter

This paper concerns non-isothermal flow in a thermoset resin-injection pultrusion process. Supported by temperature measurements from an industrial pultrusion line and a material characterisation study (curing kinetics, chemorheology, and permeability), the material flow was analysed for the manufacture of a thick glass-fibre profile saturated with a pultrusion-specific polyurethane resin. A central

Heat stress affects personal health and curtails work productivity, resulting in adversely influencing the entire economy. With global warming and expected climate change, the world faces more frequent and intense heatwaves that may cause severe sustainability-related challenges. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop and promote efficient technologies to regulate personal thermal comfort under

This paper addresses the characterisation of the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of a carbon fibre/epoxy composite material, toughened with thermoplastic particles in the ply interlayers. The characterisation is undertaken at −55 °C, 19 °C, and 90 °C, on both dry and fully moisture saturated coupons. Fractographic observations of the delamination surfaces allows identification of the failure

A one-step melt mixing strategy based on the synergism of steam explosion and alternating convergent-divergent flow, is innovatively developed to fabricate high-performance high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/expanded graphite (EG) nanocomposites within 4 min, without any chemical reagents or complex pretreatments. A successful synergy of the external forces from surrounding elongational melts and the

The geometric stability of bonded structural parts, such as self-stiffened panels, is a critical issue in aeronautics. However, autoclave curing and bonding of large complex integrated primary structures often induce distortions compromising their geometric stability. Composite cure-induced strains and distortions have been extensively studied in the literature but the influence of the adhesive on

In this study, we firstly used the MOF-derived Fe7S8/C rod-like composites as absorbers and systematically investigated the synergistic effect of Fe7S8 and carbon in electromagnetic wave absorption applications. By controlling the introduced dosage of ferric salt, the proportion of carbon and Fe7S8 in composites could be adjusted, which made a significant effect on the electromagnetic parameters and

Two kinds of carbon fiber reinforced copper/carbon composites were fabricated for new carbon based pantograph strip via chemical vapor deposition and impregnation/carbonization technologies. Morphology, conductivity, mechanical, tribological performances of the composites were investigated and compared with those of the pure carbon strip used in China’s high-speed railways. Fracture and wear mechanisms

This work presents an effort to scale down the short beam shear (SBS) test for measuring the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of polymer matrix composites (PMCs). The scale-down is performed to faciliate testing of new PMC systems with limited availability and high cost. The effect of specimen size on the failure mode and ILSS is investigated using digital image correlation and X-ray computed tomography

Thermosetting resins were formulated by mixing solid epoxy components, hardener and accelerator at elevated temperature. These mixtures were ground into uncured, solid resin powders and dispensed onto carbon fibres using a powder printer prior to vacuum curing. Using accelerators reduced curing time from 8 h to 16 min. Manufactured cross-ply carbon fibre laminates (0°/90°/0°) had comparable mechanical

Recently, it has been reported that low-melting-point alloy (LMPA) are used in thermal management materials, which has greatly attracted the attention of researchers due to their excellent thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. However, there is rare report on how to construct the segregated structure of the LMPA network in the polymer matrix for more efficiently improving its thermal conductivity

Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) manufacturing cycle time is a major driver of production rate and cost for aerospace manufacturers and manufacturers in other composite heavy industries. One major thread in optimizing liquid moulding manufacturing processes such as VARTM involves modifying variables affecting heat transfer while the composite is being processed. Modelling and control of these

A physics-based numerical model for prediction and compensation of the process-induced distortion of 3D woven composite (3DWC) is presented. A new tool-part interaction modelling method for the Resin Transfer Molding process is developed, in which the nonlinear material properties and non-thermoelastic distortion are taken into account. Flat and L-shaped 3DWC parts were fabricated and the process-induced

Two independent heating steps are currently involved for fabricating carbon fiber/ceramic composites, which include carbonization of fibers and ceramization of ceramic precursors with carbonized fibers together. In this work, silk fabric and silkworm cocoon were used as carbonaceous precursors for fabricating carbonized fiber/ceramic composites through one-step heating processing. This one-step manufacturing

Carbon nanomaterial-coated piezoresistive fiber sensors are finding applications in many industries for in-situ process and structural health monitoring of composites. These nanomaterials are embedded within the composite in two different ways; either by incorporating them in the matrix, or by depositing them on fibrous reinforcements. This review highlights the utility of carbon nanomaterials as deposition

Owing to their small size, good wettability, uniform dispersion ability and high thermal properties, the nickel-plated carbon nanotubes (Ni-CNTs) with different aspect ratios are used to reinforce reactive powder concrete (RPC) through modifying the nano/micro- structural units of concrete. Incorporating only 0.075 vol% of Ni-CNTs (0.03 vol% of CNTs) can significantly increase mechanical properties

Textile reinforcement forming quality with a complex shape depends strongly on the in-plane shear properties of the fabric. The tufting process is a relatively novel textile application to enhance the multi-layered reinforcement through-thickness. A new idea to influence the shear properties of a carbon woven fabric by incorporated tufts is investigated in the present paper. Based on the optical measurement

We propose a viscoelastic/plastic constitutive equation for viscoelastic media based on irreversible thermodynamics and the viscoelastic theory. Uniaxial tensile tests on a TriA-X polyimide resin are performed at different temperatures and strain rates to determine the material parameters for the constitutive equation. In the numerical analysis, the FORTRAN programming language is used to apply the

The paper describes an optimised strategy to measure the porosity in natural fibre composites. Particular emphasis is placed on thermoformed flax fibres reinforced poly-lactic acid (FFRPLA) laminates. Six different methods to measure the porosity were evaluated and compared: gravitometry in ethanol and in water, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), computed tomography (CT) scanning, optical microscope

Composite structures are generally considered to be difficult to apply to joining components. A T-joint is an important element in aircraft structures that transfers loads between vertical and horizontal panels. However, T-joints present cracks that occur in the deltoid during their manufacture because of process-induced cure and thermal stress. Such cracking significantly reduces the mechanical performance

Fiber-based architectures exhibit remarkable advantages in wearable electronics. Despite the various techniques to achieve strain sensitive fibers, important factors concerning the sensing performance, e.g. fiber arrangement, have been rarely explored. Herein, various fiber sensing patterns with anisotropic and isotropic microstructures were fabricated, and their localized strain distribution and conductive

Low thermal conductivity (TC) and poor flame retardancy of graphene oxide (GO) have limited its application in thermal management. Herein, a facile strategy is developed to fabricate flexible and free-standing graphene/MXene (GM) films by filtration of MXene and GO dispersions, followed by reduction and thermal welding. As results, interlamellar insertion of MXene into graphene has occurred and optimized

This paper investigates the use of multi-walled carbon nanotube/polypropylene (MWCNT/PP) films to enable ultrasonic welding and damage detection of glass fiber/polypropylene (GF/PP) composite joints in a single lap configuration. Three MWCNT concentrations above electrical percolation (15–25 wt%) were chosen to weld GF/PP adherends. The effect of MWCNT content on the welding process was evaluated by

Due to the increasing demand, carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) have become more and more important in many fields. In this study, a hybrid incremental sheet-forming technique for carbon fiber reinforced thermosets (CFRTS) was developed and applied. In this technique, a layer of CFRP sheet was placed under another layer of mild steel sheet called the dummy sheet. Various experiments were conducted

Out-of-plane wrinkling has a significant influence on the woven fabric behavior during the shear testing. This study aimed to introduce a new methodology combining non-destructive characterization and numerical analysis techniques for the automatic creation of a number of models having controlled wrinkle geometry and predict the new ones. First, 3D geometrical parameters of the fabric deformation at

Intelligent materials have the ability to sense the environment and respond to their surrounding accordingly. Herein, the thermally conductive hybrid films were intellectualized by using activated shape memory composite as matrix, which endows hybrid films with active heat dissipation behavior. The obtained hybrid films not only visualize the temperature of the device by the change of shape, but also

We apply Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) slices for characterization of individual fibers misalignment in continuous fiber composites. This is an atypical application of DIC since the input is slices of a CT tomogram acquired at one time step, whereas the input of the typical deformation analysis application is 2D images captured over consecutive loading steps. The

Carbon nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes and graphene) have been deemed as versatile building blocks to create a novel generation of nanocomposites desired for a variety of commercial applications. Different from that of the conventional fiber-based composites, the enormous interfacial areas, van der Waals forces dominated interface interactions as well as multiple scale load transfer mechanism