Standard magnetic levitation (MagLev) device consists of two identical square permanent magnets with like poles facing each other. Limited by the size of the permanent magnet, standard MagLev device cannot afford the levitation of samples with large size. This paper proposed a novel MagLev device using magnet arrays to replace the whole permanent magnet, which is a promising method to construct device

In recent years, shape memory smart materials have developed rapidly, and more and more novel shape memory polymers have been developed and applied. In sharp contrast to the rapid development of shape memory smart materials, its theoretical research is obviously lagging behind. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly understand and master the thermodynamic dynamic response mechanism of shape memory polymers

The modulus build-up and relative density evolution during the reactive foaming of four standard polyurethane formulations was monitored in-situ by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) with a customised set-up in parallel plate geometry. The modulus increased from 0.01 MPa in the first minutes to over 1.2 MPa within 20 min. The set-up also enabled the recording of vitrification followed by curing times

An IR-camera is used for investigating flame retarding mode of actions during UL94 standard flammability test. Commonly used UL94 tests give qualitative results of burning behavior and are improved by taking temperature profiles with an IR-camera. Analysis of these profiles leads to new insights into the underlying mechanism of the flame retardant. Lower peak temperatures and faster cooling are a hint

This work deals with the development and validation of an on-line infrared spectroscopic set-up for the real time quantification of the melt extrudate during reactive extrusion based processes. The arrangement consists of an infrared spectrophotometer operating in attenuated total reflectance ATR-FTIR, fitted on-line, along the extruder barrel. The setting helps understand the effects of extrusion

A hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) compound is subjected to ageing in a simulated oil and gas environment in accordance with ISO 23936-2 standard at two elevated temperatures (130 °C and 150 °C) for a period of up to 9 months. Shore D hardness, thermal expansion, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, compression and compression set (CS) measurements

This study focuses on the fabrication of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites with high thermal conductivity and dielectric constants, which can be used in electronic devices that are able to store charge and dissipate heat. To fabricate the samples, GO was reduced via sonication, and alumina-encapsulated GO particles were prepared with sonication and high-temperature magnetic stirring for 24 h

This study explored the impact response of two bio-inspired composite laminates with linear and non-linear helicoidal fibre architectures. The helicoidal laminates, together with quasi-isotropic and cross-ply control samples, were fabricated using heterocyclic aramid fibres and tested against a spherical projectile under high impact velocities. The results revealed that helicoidal lay-ups with small

Biopolymer-based slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) have attracted increasing interest because of their environmental benefits. Herein, a hydrophobic thermoplastic lignin with favorable film formation properties was synthesized through simple crosslinking followed by esterification reactions. The chemical structure, glass transition temperature, and hydrophobicity were determined using Fourier transform

Molecular models of the swollen nitrile rubber (NBR) matrix reinforced by the same weight percentage of the carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene (GN) were developed. The tensile and shear behaviors of the composites in swollen state were mainly studied via molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results showed that the introduction of CNT and GN significantly improved the mechanical properties

The high cycle fatigue behaviour of autoclave-cured carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite gears is investigated. The CFRP gears were milled from a composite plate and tested in mesh with a steel drive gear under five torque loads ranging between 0.4 and 0.8 Nm in unlubricated conditions. A detailed gear damage analysis is conducted by employing scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution

Excellent dielectric properties are essential for electromechanical applications of dielectric elastomer. This work confirms that acrylic resin elastomer (AE)-based percolative composites using MXene (Ti3C2Tx) nanosheets modified with PANI (referred to as PANI-Ti3C2Tx) as conductive fillers exhibit improved dielectric performances. Ti3C2Tx/AE and PANI-Ti3C2Tx/AE composites with different filler contents

Nowadays, environmental awareness is more and more important. Therefore, the importance of weight reduction and creating a circular economy has increased. In this study, we foamed bio-based polylactic acid (PLA) with thermally expandable microspheres to create homogenous, compostable polymer foams. The polylactic acid-based foamed sheet samples were produced with a flat sheet extruder at 190 °C. We

Fire resistance testing of components made of carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) usually demands intermediate-scale or full-scale testing. A bench-scale test is presented as a practicable and efficient method to assess how different fire protective systems improve the structural integrity of CFRPs during fire. The direct flame of a fully developed fire was applied to one side of the CFRP specimen

We report the design of a microcapillary rheometer (μCR) that allows to perform experiments rapidly and in a broad range of shear rates (i.e., from 0.1 to 1000 s−1), using small amounts of material (i.e., just few milligrams). Additionally, multiple measurement parallelization makes it suitable for High-Throughput Rheological Experimentation of polymer melts (HT-Rheo-E). The novel rheometer consists

This study focuses on the mechanical performance of pultruded glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) profiles developed for structural applications. Fibre content determines the tensile resistance of such components, and technical specifications describe this essential parameter. However, it does not determine the actual reinforcement efficiency. This manuscript illustrates the above inference both

The shape memory properties of olefin block copolymer (OBC)/polycaprolactone (PCL) crosslinked blends at different blend compositions were investigated. This is the first OBC-based two-way shape memory blends processes without external load under thermal and vapor stimuli. The deformation temperature of 80 °C was selected far away between the respective melting temperatures of PCL (56.5 °C) and OBC

Specialized polyamide-imide coating on a CuSn10Pb10 substrate, a material combination utilized often in modern bearing applications, is fabricated using the solvent casting method. The coating adhesion is studied using the well-known notched coating adhesion (NCA) test. Conventionally, the critical strain required to cause the debond propagation is determined by visual observation and indirectly linked

The actual application of polymer-based composites is obstructed by low thermal conductivity (TC) due to the weaker interfacial affinity and unordered distribution of filler. Herein, we report a breakthrough of heat transfer enabled by sulfonated polystyrene nanospheres-coated hydroxylated boron nitride (BN–OH/SPS) microrods with highly ordered structures via inorganic acid-assisted assembly and following

The insulation of high voltage power cables is aged due to the impact of water treeing. The voids created due to water treeing can be filled with the injection of nanofluids and restore the insulation of cables. In this work, cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation is restored with the help of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) rejuvenation nanofluid. The morphological changes in aged and rejuvenated

During curing of thermosetting polymers, crosslinking results in hardening or stiffening of the material. In electronics, for example in encapsulating integrated circuits (die bonding), thermosets are fully cured in a controlled environment (under UV-light or within a thermal oven) such that the highest stiffness possible has been achieved. In building materials, specifically in thermosets used in

3D-printed composites have promising potential for applications as structural or functional parts in different engineering fields. However, due to the presence of pores and weak interface interactions, 3D-printed parts have weaker mechanical performance than traditional processed ones. In recent years, polypropylene (PP) emerged as a new 3D printing material with enormous potential. In this work, two

Quantitative visualization of the full-field stress and strain in porous structures is of significance to reveal the mechanism of the damage and failure of engineering materials. To quantitatively characterize the full-field stresses and strains, optical measurement methods, such as photoelasticity for determining the stress fields, moiré and digital image correlation (DIC) methods for measuring the

The present paper determines the dynamic damage resistance of three-dimensional (3D) woven carbon/heterocyclic aramid fibre hybrid composites subjected to low-velocity impact. The main purpose of this article is to determine whether carbon/heterocyclic aramid fibre hybrid structures can improve the damage resistance of 3D woven composites. Four types of 3D woven composites, which are pure carbon, set

In this paper, the behavior of high-velocity impact of Kevlar fabric and elastomer composites was investigated both experimentally and numerically. The experimental tests were performed by a gas gun device and hemispherical projectiles at different velocities, ranging from 122 m/s to 152 m/s for 2- and 4-layer samples. The penetration resistance of these composites during impact was determined using

Due to its excellent anti-water property, superhydrophobic surfaces possess great potential applications in industrial and daily life. However, the durability makes a severe obstacle to their widely used. In this research, we developed a superhydrophobic rubber surface coatings (SHRSCs) with high abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance by embedding silanized silicon dioxide (SiO2) into the surface

Strain induced crystallization (SIC) of peroxide vulcanized natural rubber (NR)/ground tire rubber (GTR) composites is studied by combining mechanical and microstructural characterization techniques. It is found that the incorporation of GTR into the NR matrix leads to more effective reinforcement at large strains at room temperature in the NR/GTR composites as compared to the neat NR. It is attributed

The fabrication of biomaterials to be used in segmental bone defects, mimicking the bone's organic-inorganic architecture and mechanical properties to induce osteogenesis, persists as a key challenge. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effect of a lightweight, morphologically graded, and multiphase self-standing scaffold structure prepared from a combination of gelatine (Gel), collagen

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs)/3,3′,4,4′-Benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid (BPTA) antibacterial films were prepared by solvent casting and chemical grafting using PVA as the base material and TiO2 NPs and BPTA as antibacterial materials. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that the distribution of TiO2 NPs inside the polymer matrix was substantially uniform

Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane technology has drawn much attraction during the past decades to address the challenge of global clean water scarcity. Herein, we proposed a facile methodology to prepare a gradient polysulfone-based (PSf) UF membrane with effective antifouling properties via coupling magnetic field-assisted directional migration and in-situ hydrolysis of fluoro-agent during non-solvent

The widely used plastic products which became a part of our everyday life are produced almost entirely from crude oil. There are various estimates on oil resources, but there is an increasing need to use other, preferably renewable resources to produce plastic products. Although plastics from renewable resources, bio-based, and inherently biodegradable plastics, or so-called bioplastics/biopolymers

In the current work, the polypropylene composites filled with a M-T-ZnOw@Ag filler with antibacterial and antistatic properties was firstly synthesized. The composites and the fabricated nanocomposites were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR and XPS techniques. With the addition of M-T-ZnOw@Ag, the antibacterial and antistatic properties of composite materials are greatly improved by the synergistic

Acupoint embedding therapy is a treatment that embeds absorbable thread into target acupoints, so as to provide continuous stimulation to acupoints and to replace retained acupuncture. Many types of absorbable threads are available and generally can be divided into natural and synthetic polymers according to the source of material. According to the literature, the threads currently used in acupoint

This paper aims at elucidating which factors are effective in terms of influencing the die swell of unvulcanized rubber upon extrusion. To that end, compression, viscosity, and extrusion tests were performed on two types of ethylene–propylene–diene rubbers, while additional compression tests were performed on natural rubber. First, all three testing modalities were assessed separately, revealing that

To study the effect of electrical conductivity of nanomaterials on the space charge accumulation in low density polyethylene (LDPE), doped and dedoped polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers with the same diameter and different conductivity were prepared and added into LDPE. The PANI nanofibers and nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscope

The use of thermoplastics in the automotive industry is continuously increasing. Design of parts require the characterization and numerical modelling of thermo-mechanical behaviour of those materials under wide strain rate (0–300 s−1) and temperature ranges (−30 °C to +85 °C). Large and costly experimental campaigns are therefore necessary to identify all behaviour's sensitivities. Yet, the time-t

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and nutshell fiber reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites were exposed to accelerated weathering for total of 672 h. The effects of weathering exposure on the mechanical, surface and morphological properties of the composites were investigated. The results revealed that the weathering exposure caused a slight decrease on tensile and flexural strengths

Graphene oxide/carbon nanotube aerogel (GOCA) with honeycomb three-dimensional framework is an ideal reinforcement material which can significantly improve the dispersion in the polymer matrix, and enhance the mechanical properties, thermal and electrical conductivity of the composites. In this work, large-size GOCA and GOCA/polystyrene (GOCA/PS) composite sheet were prepared via critical drying and

In this work, energy storage devices based on plasticized chitosan biopolymer electrolytes were studied. The polymer electrolyte system of CS-LiClO4 with three different glycerol concentrations has been well prepared. The FTIR analysis revealed that the glycerol has interacted with the CS-LiClO4complex, which is confirmed bythe existence of several functional groups. The results of impedance spectroscopy

Investigating the frictional behavior of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with well-controlled roughness in complex fluids is important for biological and chemical applications. In this paper, we adopt an aqueous solution of a charged, hydrophobic acrylate copolymer as a lubricant. The scaling laws between the coefficient of friction (CoF) and the roughness of PDMS, as well as the concentration of the polymer

The development of new interfacial rheological setup (IRS) for characterizing the interfacial viscoelastic properties of polymer systems is a subject of growing interest and constitutes a well-known challenge of high scientific and industrial application value. Recently, biconical and double-wall Ring (DWR) devices that can easily be attached to standard rheometers have been marketed for this purpose

A novel ionic liquid-modified flake-NiNH4PO4·H2O (IL-ANP) hybrid material was prepared using a mechanochemical method with weak interactions. Characterization methods, including scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis indicated the successful synthesis of IL-ANP. The prepared IL-ANP was incorporated into epoxy resin (EP) to improve

In this work, multi-layer hot pressing (MLHP) method was used to prepare the graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) filled polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composites. Effect of GNP content on the viscoelastic behavior and thermomechanical properties of composites was studied via rheometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), infrared thermal imaging (ITI) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), etc.

This work aims at the production and characterization of promissory food packaging films based on chitosan (CS), zein (ZN), and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA). CS and ZN are biodegradable, biocompatible, and extracting from natural-sources and renewable. Although PVA is a synthetic polymer, it is also considered biocompatible and present water-solubility. From binary and ternary macromolecule mixtures

Recently, research on shape memory-based materials has increased because of their shape programming and shape recovery attributes. Compared with shape memory alloy, shape memory polymer polyurethane (SMPU) fiber and its fabric find applications in biomaterials and wearable devices because of its easy manufacturing and flexibility. However, generating high stress to support shape recovery in the SMPU

To develop an adequate matrix polymer for agricultural or packaging applications, thermoplastic starch (TPS)/chitosan composites were prepared in a wide composition range either by injection moulding or in an internal mixer followed by compression moulding. Chitosan behaves as filler forming dispersed structure in TPS samples prepared by thermomechanical methods without any additional acid. In the

The hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) are employed for the thermal and mechanical property enhancement of epoxy networks; however, the formation and evolution of H-bonds, especially in emerging bio-based furan epoxy, cannot be deeply understood at the atomic level in the traditional experimental method. Herein, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation is employed to clearly investigate the H-bonds, free volume and

Biobased plasticizers for polymers is a necessity to replace conventional phthalates based plasticizers. In the present study, Citrullus lanatusseed oil (ECLO) was epoxidized in a magnetically stirred reactor. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films were synthesized using different concentrations of ECLO. At 40% of ECLO, films showed better surface morphology and exhibited maximum strength and elongation at

3D woven fabrics (3DWF) have great potential in the field of electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption with the abilities of great mechanical properties, flexible properties and structural stability. Taking 3D bidirectional angle-interlock woven fabric (3DBWF) as an example, through analyzing the representative volume unit of this fabric, the equivalent electromagnetic parameters of 3DBWF were calculated

The aim of this article is to investigate how the stress triaxiality affects the plastic deformation behavior of high-density polyethylene using an approach combining experiments and micromechanics-based modeling. The stress-strain behavior along with the cavitation damage accumulation are experimentally quantified under well-controlled transversal response of hourglass-shaped tensile specimens with

To improve the performance of polyether ether ketone matrix (PEEK) in hard tissue repair and replacement applications, we fabricated graphene nanoplatelet (G) reinforced PEEK with different filler weight concentrations (0.1%–5%) through injection moulding. The mechanical properties, surface morphology, chemical composition and thermal stability of the composites have been characterized. The biocompatibility

Polyethylene constitutes more than one-third of the world's plastic and is one of the main components in municipal waste streams. Unfortunately, varying amounts of polypropylene (PP) are usually found in recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE), which erodes their mechanical properties and reduces the quality of these recyclates and their possible reuse in the industry. Differential Scanning Calorimetry

The scratch healing behavior of different polymers based on reversible interactions was investigated. For this purpose, scratches were induced via femtosecond laser ablation and were analyzed using laser-scanning microscopy. The healing process was monitored over time and the residual scratch volume was studied. Thus, healing kinetics of different self-healing polymers were obtained revealing a new