The potential of harakeke fibre as reinforcement in polymer matrix composites including modelling of long harakeke fibre composite strength

Mechanical properties of aligned long harakeke fibre reinforced epoxy with different fibre contents were evaluated. Addition of fibre was found to enhance tensile properties of epoxy; tensile strength and Young’s modulus increased with increasing content of harakeke fibre up to 223 MPa at a fibre content of 55 wt% and 17 GPa at a fibre content of 63 wt%, respectively. The flexural strength and flexural modulus increased to a maximum of 223 MPa and 14 GPa, respectively, as the fibre content increased up to 49 wt% with no further increase with increased fibre content. The Rule of Mixtures based model for estimating tensile strength of aligned long fibre composites was also developed assuming composite failure occurred as a consequence of the fracture of the lowest failure strain fibres taking account porosity of composites. The model was shown to have good accuracy for predicting the strength of aligned long natural fibre composites.     

New development of self-damping MWCNT composites

Epoxy resin modified with nanofillers cannot be used alone for high performance structural applications due to their low-mechanical properties. Therefore, the objective of this work is to hybridize unidirectional and quasi-isotropic glass fiber composite laminates with 1.0 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Results from flexural and damping characterizations showed that the flexural strength and modulus, storage modulus, and damping ratio of MWCNT/E nanocomposite are improved by about 7% ± 1.5% compared to neat epoxy. The enhancement in the flexural strength of quasi-isotropic laminate (20.7%) is about ten times higher than that for unidirectional laminate (2.1%). The flexural moduli of the nano-hybridized laminates are reduced by about 7.5–10.8%. Accordingly, the ultimate failure strain and damping properties are evidently improved. The improvement in damping ratio in some cases is about 100%. The high correlation coefficient (0.9995) between flexural and storage moduli suggests using the dynamic nondestructive tests for evaluation the elastic properties of composites.     

Multiscale fiber reinforced composites based on a carbon nanofiber/epoxy nanophased polymer matrix: Synthesis, mechanical, and thermomechanical behavior

Vacuum assisted resin infusion molding (VARIM) was used to produce multiscale fiber reinforced composites (M-FRCs) based on carbon nanofibers dispersed in an epoxy resin. Flexural, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and thermomechanical tests are presented for the 0.1 wt% and 1 wt% M-FRCs and compared with the neat fiber reinforced composites (FRCs). Flexural strength and modulus increased (16–20%) and (23–26%), respectively for the 0.1 wt% and 1 wt% M-FRCs when compared to the neat FRCs. ILSS properties increased (6% and 25%) for the 0.1 wt% and 1 wt% M-FRCs, respectively when compared to neat FRCs. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of both M-FRC samples were 25 °C higher than the neat FRC. Coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the M-FRC samples improved compared to the neat FRC. The improved T_g and CTE properties in the M-FRC samples are attributed to synergistic interactions between the CNF/PNC matrix and glass fibers.     

Mechanical properties of aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube/epoxy composites processed using a hot-melt prepreg method

This study examined the mechanical properties of aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT)/epoxy composites processed using a hot-melt prepreg method. Vertically aligned ultra-long CNT arrays (forest) were synthesized using chemical vapor deposition, and were converted to horizontally aligned CNT sheets by pulling them out. An aligned CNT/epoxy prepreg was fabricated using hot-melting with B-stage cured epoxy resin film. The resin content in prepreg was well controlled. The prepreg sheets showed good drapability and tackiness. Composite film specimens of 24-33 μm thickness were produced, and tensile tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties. The resultant composites exhibit higher Young’s modulus and tensile strength than those of composites produced using conventional CNT/epoxy mixing methods. For example, the maximum elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of a CNT (21.4 vol.%)/epoxy composite were 50.6 GPa and 183 MPa. These values were, respectively, 19 and 2.9 times those of the epoxy resin.     

Soybean oil-based thermosets with N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone as crosslinking agent for hemp fiber composites

Soybean oil-based thermosets from acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) with a highly reactive vinyl monomer, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP), as crosslinking agent to replace styrene (St) were formulated for the fabrication of hemp fiber composites. The theoretical miscibility of NVP–AESO and St–AESO systems were discussed based on the group contribution method. The AESO resin with 30 wt% NVP exhibited a slightly higher viscosity than the counterpart with St, while the maximum curing temperature of the former was considerably lower than that of the latter. The composites from 20 wt% NVP resin gained comparable mechanical properties and higher glass transition temperature (T_g) to the composites with 30 wt% St. Further increase in NVP usage to 40 wt% resulted in the composites with higher tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, storage modulus, and T_g of 29.6%, 22.4%, 22.5%, 20.6%, 21.6%, and 47.2%, respectively, when compared to those of the St-based composites.     

Fabrication and characterization of carbon fiber reinforced clay/epoxy composite

In this study, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and flexural tests were performed on unfilled, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% clay filled SC-15 epoxy to identify the effect of clay weight fraction on thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy matrix. The flexural results indicate that 2.0 wt% clay filled epoxy showed the highest improvement in flexural strength. DMA studies also revealed that 2.0 wt% system exhibit the highest storage modulus and T _g as compared to neat and other weight fraction. However, TGA results show that thermal stability of composite is insensitive to the clay content. Based on these results, the nanophased epoxy with 2 wt% clay was then utilized in a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding set up with carbon fabric to fabricate laminated composites. The effectiveness of clay addition on thermal and mechanical properties of composites has been evaluated by TGA, DMA, tensile, flexural, and fatigue test. 5 °C increase in glass transition temperature was found in nanocomposite, and the tensile and flexural strengths improved by 5.7 and 13.5 %, respectively as compared to the neat composite. The fatigue strength was also improved significantly. Based on the experimental result, a linear damage model combined with the Weibull distribution function has been established to describe static failure processing of neat and nanophased carbon/epoxy. The simulated stress–strain curves from the model are in good agreement with the test data. Simulated results show that damage processing of neat and nanophased carbon/epoxy described by bimodal Weibull distribution function.     

Uniaxially aligned electrospun fibers for advanced nanocomposites based on a model PVOH-epoxy system

This work demonstrates the potential of aligned electrospun fibers as the sole reinforcement in nanocomposite materials. Poly(vinyl alcohol) and epoxy resin were selected as a model system and the effect of electrospun fiber loading on polymer properties was examined in conjunction with two manufacturing methods. A proprietary electrospinning technology for production of uniaxially aligned electrospun fiber arrays was used. A conventional wet lay-up fabrication method is compared against a novel, hybrid electrospinning–electrospraying approach. The structure and thermomechanical properties of resulting composite materials were examined using scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and tensile testing. The results demonstrate that using aligned electrospun fibers significantly enhances material properties compared to unreinforced resin, especially when manufactured using the hybrid electrospinning–electrospraying method. For example, tensile strength of such a material containing only 0.13 vol% of fiber was increased by ∼700%, and Young’s modulus by ∼250%, with concomitant increase in ductility.     

Green polypropylene/waste paper composites with superior modulus and crystallization behavior: Optimizing specific energy in solid-state shear pulverization for filler size reduction and dispersion

Solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP) is a continuous process that overcomes challenges in producing well-dispersed polymer composites that cannot be made by twin-screw melt extrusion. We use SSSP to produce 85/15 wt% polypropylene/waste paper biocomposites with polypropylene pellets and 2-cm-square waste paper pieces as starting material. Single-pass SSSP achieves effective filler size reduction and dispersion within the polypropylene matrix. We determine how waste paper size reduction and composite properties are functions of specific energy input and tune specific energy input by SSSP screw design and throughput. Composites made at moderate to high specific energy input (14–35 kJ/g) have 25 to nearly 50% of filler particles at sub-micron size; relative to neat polypropylene, composites exhibit a 70% increase in Young’s modulus, retention of neat polypropylene yield strength, and a ∼50% reduction in crystallization half-time. Estimates indicate that the cost of such biocomposite materials made by SSSP is less than that of virgin polypropylene.     

Manufacturing and mechanical properties of soy-based composites using pultrusion

Two primary cost driving factors for the composites industry are raw materials and labor. Inexpensive alternative epoxy resin systems based on epoxidized soyate resins are developed for fiber reinforced composite applications. This research investigated on the manufacturing and mechanical characterization of fiber/epoxy composites using chemically modified soy-based epoxy resins. Co-resin systems with up to 30 wt% soyate resins were used to manufacture composites through pultrusion. Mechanical tests show that the pultruded composites with soy based co-resin systems possess comparable or improved structural performance characteristics such as flexural strength, modulus, and impact resistance. Maximum mechanical properties enhancement is demonstrated by the enhanced epoxidized allyl soyate (EAS) formulation. Further property improvement is obtained through using a two-step prepolymer process. The EAS holds great potential as partial supplement for polymer and composites applications from renewable resources.     

Processing,characterization, and modeling of carbon nanotube-reinforced multiscale composites

Carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites modified with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were fabricated and characterized. High-energy sonication was used to disperse CNTs in the resin, followed by infiltration of fiber preform with the resin/CNT mixture. The effects of sonication time on the mechanical properties of “multiscale” composites, which contain reinforcements at varying scales, were studied. A low CNT loading of 0.3 wt% in resin had little influence on tensile properties, while it improved the flexural modulus, strength, and percent strain to break by 11.6%, 18.0%, and 11.4%, respectively, as compared to the control carbon fiber/epoxy composite. While sonication is an effective method to disperse CNTs in a resin, duration, intensity, and temperature need to be controlled to prevent damages imposed on CNTs and premature resin curing. A combination of Halpin–Tsai equations and woven fiber micromechanics was used in hierarchy to predict the mechanical properties of multiscale composites, and the discrepancies between the predicted and experimental values are explained.     

Facile synthesis of lanthanum hypophosphite and its application in glass-fiber reinforced polyamide 6 as a novel flame retardant

This work developed flame retarded glass fiber reinforced polyamide 6 (FR-GFPA) composites with excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability and flame retardancy using a novel flame retardant, lanthanum hypophosphite (LaHP). The flame-retarded properties of FR-GFPA composites were characterized by limiting oxygen index, Underwriters Laboratories 94 testing and cone calorimeter test. FR-GFPA composite with 20 wt% LaHP reached V-0 rating and a high LOI value (27.5 vol%). The mechanical performance analysis showed that both the storage modulus and tensile strength increased and then decreased with the increase of LaHP loading. For FR-GFPA composite with 15 wt% LaHP loading, the storage modulus was 164% higher than that of glass fiber reinforced polyamide 6 (GFPA). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and char residue characterization showed that the addition of LaHP can promote the formation of compact physical char barrier, reduce the mass loss rate and thus improve the flame retardancy of FR-GFPA composites.     

Carbon black/graphite nanoplatelet/rubbery epoxy hybrid composites for thermal interface applications

Hybrid composites were developed by dispersing carbon black (CB) nanoparticles and graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) at 4–6 and 12–14 wt%, respectively, into rubbery epoxy resin. SEM analysis showed that CB particles improved the dispersion of GNPs in the hybrid composite. The thermal conductivity of 4 wt% CB/14 wt% GNP-15/rubbery epoxy hybrid composite, 0.81 W/m K, is ca. four times higher than that of rubbery epoxy. When silane-functionalised, the fillers reduced the viscosity of the hybrid dispersion and made the hybrid composite highly electrically insulating. Nevertheless, filler functionalisation decreased the composite’s thermal conductivity by only 16.6%. Compression testing showed that the hybrid fillers increased the compressive modulus and strength of rubbery epoxy by nearly two and three times, respectively. Overall, the hybrid composites with their thermal paste-type morphology, low viscosity, high compliance, improved thermal conductivity and, when fillers are functionalised, low electrical conductivity makes them promising materials as thermal interface adhesives.     

High strain rate compression of epoxy based nanocomposites

This work aimed to investigate the strain-rate effect (0.001–3000 s⁻¹) on compressive properties of the highly cross-linked epoxy and the epoxy sample filled with 10 wt% sol-gel-formed silica nanoparticles. As the strain rate increased, the compressive modulus and transition strength of both samples went up distinctly, the strain at break and ultimate strength decreased more or less, while the strain energy at fracture nearly did not change. Adding the sol-gel-formed silica nanoparticles can improve effectively the compressive modulus, transition strength as well as strain energy at fracture of the epoxy polymer owing to their homogeneous dispersion in epoxy matrix.     

Supramolecular aromatic interactions to enhance biodegradable film properties through incorporation of functionalized cellulose nanocrystals

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were grafted with an aliphatic and an aromatic isocyanate (octadecyl and 4-phenylbutyl isocyanate) and composites of poly(butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) – PBAT – with 5 and 10 wt% of modified and non-modified CNC were prepared through solvent casting. Rheological analysis confirmed that the degree of grafting contributed to CNC dispersion and allowed the formation of a percolated structure. The treated-CNC reinforced composites displayed improved mechanical properties, namely: an increase by 120% and 40% in the elastic modulus and the tensile strength, respectively. The best results were obtained with 4-phenylbutyl isocyanate-modified CNC, due to the π–π interactions between the phenyl rings grafted onto the CNC molecules and the aromatic rings of the polymeric chain, as indicated by Raman spectroscopy. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that the CNC incorporation is studied in a PBAT pure matrix.     

A facile method for preparing CNT-grafted carbon fibers and improved tensile strength of their composites

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-grafted carbon fibers (CFs) have emerged as new reinforcements for improving the mechanical properties of CF-reinforced composites but such enhancement in macroscale composites has not been realized. This paper reports a facile method for preparing CNT-grafted CFs and improving the tensile strength of their composites. A CNT/polyacrylonitrile solution was sprayed onto the surface of the CF woven fabrics, and the CNTs were grafted by a thermal treatment at 300 °C. CNT-grafted CF composites were fabricated using the CNT-grafted CF woven fabrics using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process with epoxy resin. The CNT-grafted CF composite exhibited 22% enhancement in the tensile strength compared to that of the pristine CF composite. Fracture surfaces of the CNT-grafted CF composites showed that the grafted CNTs obstructed the propagation of micro-cracks and micro-delamination around the CFs and also yarn boundaries, resulting in improved tensile strength of CNT-grafted CF composites.     

Multifunctional graphene nanoplatelets/cellulose nanocrystals composite paper

We demonstrate a water-based method to fabricate strong, electrically and thermally conductive hybrid thin films (papers) made from the combination of graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Unpressed and hot-pressed GnP papers containing CNC ranging from 0 wt% to 25 wt% were prepared. It is found that the GnP is well aligned within the hybrid paper, and a higher degree of alignment is induced by the hot-pressing process. The mechanical properties of the resulting papers increased with increasing content of CNC. The hot-pressed 25 wt% CNC hybrid paper showed the best mechanical properties among all the papers studied and improved the tensile strength by 33% and the modulus by 57% compared to neat GnP paper. Both the highest in-plane and though-plane thermal conductivity of 41 W/m K and 1.2 W/m K were measured respectively for the hot-pressed 15 wt% CNC hybrid paper. The electrical conductivity decreased continuously with increasing content of CNC but the thin film was still conductive at the highest CNC content in this study. The low-cost, environmental-friendly, thermally and electrically conductive flexible GnP/CNC hybrid papers have a set of properties making them suitable for many potential applications.     

纳米增韧三维正交玻璃纤维机织物增强环氧树脂复合材料的力学性能

为研究纳米改性对复合材料力学性能的影响,以纳米黏土改性环氧树脂与固化剂混合胶液为基体,以三维正交机织玻璃纤维织物为增强体,利用真空辅助树脂传递模压工艺（Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding,VARTM）,制备纳米增韧三维正交玻璃纤维机织物增强环氧树脂复合材料。分别测试不同质量分数（1wt%、2wt%、3wt%、4wt%）纳米黏土改性复合材料沿0°和90°方向的弯曲和拉伸性能。结果表明:当纳米黏土质量分数为1wt%时,复合材料弯曲强度最大,沿0°和90°方向的弯曲强度分别增大了约7.21%和13.71%,弯曲模量分别增大了约5.69%和16.64%。当纳米黏土质量分数为3wt%时,复合材料拉伸强度最大,沿0°和90°方向的拉伸强度分别增大了约24.96%和27.93%,拉伸模量分别增加了约21.35%和13.26%。这是由于纳米黏土呈纳米尺度以片层状分散于环氧树脂中,增加了两相间的接触面积,提高纤维/树脂界面的结合力,进而增强了复合材料的力学性能。      

Strong and optically transparent biocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanofibers isolated from peanut shell

Cellulose nanofibers–reinforced PVA biocomposites were prepared from peanut shell by chemical–mechanical treatments and impregnation method. The composite films were optically transparent and flexible, showed high mechanical and thermal properties. FE-SEM images showed that the isolated fibrous fragments had highly uniform diameters in the range of 15–50 nm and formed fine network structure, which is a guarantee of the transparency of biocomposites. Compared to that of pure PVA resin, the modulus and tensile strength of prepared nanocomposites increased from 0.6 GPa to 6.0 GPa and from 31 MPa to 125 MPa respectively with the fiber content as high as 80 wt%, while the light transmission of the composite only decreased 7% at a 600 nm wavelength. Furthermore, the composites exhibited excellent thermal properties with CTE as low as 19.1 ppm/K. These favorable properties indicated the high reinforcing efficiency of the cellulose nanofibers isolated from peanut shell in PVA composites.     

Mechanical and thermal characterization of epoxy composites reinforced with random and quasi-unidirectional untreated Phormium tenax leaf fibers

The present work investigates tensile and flexural behavior of untreated New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Two series of laminates were produced using the same reinforcement content (20 wt%), arranged either as short fibers or quasi-unidirectional ones. Composites reinforced using quasi-unidirectional fibers showed higher modulus and strength both in tensile and flexural loading, when compared to neat epoxy resin. Short fiber composites, although still superior to epoxy resin both for tensile and flexural moduli, proved inferior in strength, especially as concerns tensile strength. These results have been supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which allowed characterizing fiber–matrix interface, and by acoustic emission (AE) analysis, which enabled investigating failure mechanisms. In addition, thermal behavior of both untreated phormium fibers and composites has been studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), revealing the thermal stability of composites to be higher than for phormium fibers and epoxy matrix alone.     

纤维素纳米晶/环氧树脂复合材料的制备及性能研究

以过硫酸铵氧化微晶纤维素得到纤维素纳米晶(CNC),与二乙烯三胺在N,N-二甲基甲酰胺(DFM)中发生缩合接枝反应,制备胺化纤维素纳米晶(ACNC)。采用溶液共混法,分别将CNC和ACNC与环氧树脂复合得到纤维素纳米晶/环氧树脂复合膜,纤维素纳米晶不仅起到增强剂的作用,还起到固化交联剂的作用,进而改善环氧树脂的性能。利用万能力学试验机、动态热机械性能、环境扫描电子显微镜、热重分析等对复合材料的性能加以表征分析。结果证明,当CNC和ACNC的添加量均为0.1%时,环氧树脂复合膜的机械强度最大;纤维素纳米晶的加入不仅能够提高环氧树脂的力学性能,还能显著改善其柔韧性,ACNC对环氧树脂复合膜的增强作用高于CNC,CNC的增韧作用强于ACNC。