Effects of carbon nanofiller functionalization and distribution on interlaminar fracture toughness of multi-scale reinforced polymer composites

Carbon nanofillers with different surface functional groups and aspect ratios, including carboxyl carbon nanotubes, un-functionalized carbon nanofibers (CNFs), glycidyloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane carbon nanotubes (GPS-CNTs) and nanofibers were evaluated for their potential for increasing the interlaminar fracture toughness of an S2-glass fiber/epoxy composite. The fillers were added in the matrix of the fiber reinforced plies, in the resin interlayer between plies, or in both regions. Comparisons were made based on mode I and mode II interlaminar fracture toughness. For composites made with CNTs dispersed in the matrix, fracture toughness was largely unaffected except for a slight increase seen with long GPS-CNTs. However, adding a CNF or CNT modified resin interlayer significantly increased the fracture toughness, with the highest improvement over the baseline material achieved by adding long GPS-CNTs in the interlayer (79% and 91% for mode I and mode II onset toughness, respectively). Important material parameters identified for improving interlaminar fracture toughness are the nanofiller aspect ratio and concentration at the fracture plane. Based on microscopic evaluations of the fracture surfaces, a high density of high aspect ratio nanofillers causes the best entanglement between the filler and glass fibers and effectively obstructs interlaminar crack propagation.     

Mode II interlaminar fracture behavior of carbon bead‐filled epoxy/glass fiber hybrid composite

To investigate the effect of including carbon beads on the mechanical properties of epoxy resin, the fracture toughness of carbon bead‐filled epoxy was earlier evaluated using a CT (compact tension) specimens and Mode I fracture toughness was observed. Based on those results, in this study, the Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of carbon bead filled epoxy/glass fiber hybrid composites was evaluated using end notch flexure (ENF) specimens. The hybrid composites showed increased Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness. The optimal bead volume fraction was around 15%.     

Mechanical properties of carbon woven reinforced epoxy matrix composites. A study on the influence of matrix modification with polysulfone

An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the influence of thermoplastic addition on the mechanical properties of woven carbon fiber/epoxy matrix composites. As toughening agent bisphenol‐A polysulfone, PSu, has been added to the epoxy matrix. Flexural tests haved been performed to characterize the mechanical behavior of unmodified and PSu‐modified bulk tetra‐ and bifunctional epoxy matrices and also for the corresponding woven carbon fiber, CF, composite materials. Three‐point notched flexural tests been used to investigate the influence of polysulfone addition in the mode‐I fracture properties of the bulk epoxy matrices, relating them to their microstructural features investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The double‐cantilever bea (DCB) and the end‐notched flexural (ENF) tests have been applied to characterize the interlaminar fracture toughness of the corresponding composites. For composites, the flexural properties were simmilar independent of the funcetionality of the epoxy matrix and of the thermoplastic content. Nevertheless, PSu addition to the epoxy matrix celarly enhanced the ode‐I and II interlaminar fracture toughness of the corresponding composites, the immprovement being higher for the composites manufactured with the bifunctional epoxy matrix at every thermoplastic content because of the lower crosslink density of the epoxy matrix.     

Fracture toughness improvement of epoxy resins with short carbon fibers

This study examined the thermal stability and fracture toughness of diglycidylether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA)/short carbon fiber (SCF) composites using several techniques. The thermal stability of the DGEBA/SCF composites was similar to that of neat epoxy resin. The fracture toughness of the composites was significantly improved relative to the neat resin. The SEM micrographs indicated that a relatively rough surface with shear deformation and tortuous cracks was formed, thereby preventing deformation and crack propagation and inducing higher fracture toughness in the DGEBA/SCF composites.     

Effect of carbon nanofiber functionalization on the in-plane mechanical properties of carbon/epoxy multiscale composites

In this work, vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were functionalized using an optimized route and dispersed in the matrix of carbon fabric-reinforced epoxy composites to develop multiscale carbon/epoxy composites. Functionalization was carried out through an oxidative treatment with a mixture of HNO₃/H₂SO₄ (1 : 3) using a combination of ultrasonication and magnetic stirring. Functionalized CNFs (F-CNFs) were characterized for their morphology, length, functional groups, and degradation due to oxidative treatment. The results showed that it was possible to efficiently functionalize CNFs without any degradation through proper selection of treatment duration. F-CNFs were dispersed homogeneously into the epoxy matrix using ultrasonication in combination with high-speed mechanical stirring. The incorporation of 0.1 wt % F-CNFs led to a 65% increase in Young's modulus and a 36% in tensile strength of neat carbon/epoxy composites. The fracture surfaces were studied using scanning electron microscopy to understand the property enhancement due to F-CNFs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

短切碳纤维含量对Csf/SiC复合材料力学性能的影响

以Si作为主要烧结助剂,采用热压烧结法制备了短切碳纤维-碳化硅(short carbon fiber reinforced SiC composite,Csf/SiC)复合材料.采用X射线衍射仪、扫描电镜、硬度仪以及力学性能试验机等,研究了Csf含量对所制备材料的结构、组成、形貌及复合材料的弯曲强度、Vickers硬度和断裂韧性的影响.结果表明:采用热压法能制备出致密且Csf分布均匀的Csf/SiC复合材料.Csf/SiC复合材料的弯曲强度随Csf含量增加先增大后减小,含15%(体积分数,下同)Csf的Csf/SiC样品强度最高,达到466MPa,并且Csf含量小于30%的Csf/SiC样品强度高于无纤维SiC材料.材料的Vickers硬度随Csf含量增加而降低.Csf/SiC样品的断裂韧性随Csf含量增加而逐渐增大,Csf含量为53%时,达到最大为5.5MPa·m1/2,与无纤维SiC样品相比,增加近2倍.     

The effect of silicon carbide whiskers on the Mode I interlaminar fracture of carbon fiber composites

This paper reports on the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness improvement of carbon fiber-epoxy composites as a result of incorporating SiC whiskers in the epoxy matrix. Five laminates of unidirectional carbon fiber-epoxy composites at different weight fractions of SiC whiskers were manufactured using hand layup vacuum bagging process. Optical and scanning electron microscopic analysis were conducted to give an insight into the fracture morphogoloy, failure mechanisms, and the energy dissipation mechanisms created by the presence of the whiskers in the composite. Experimental results showed that composites containing 5 wt% whiskers exhibited 67% increase in the crack initiation interlaminar fracture toughness G_IC, whereas it exhibited 55% increase in the maximum G_IC compared to pristine composite. The optical and SEM fractographs revealed a strong relation between the microstructure of the fractured surfaces and the energy release rate trend of the composites.     

酸化处理对纳米碳纤维及其复合材料性能的影响

本文采用浓酸(浓硫酸/浓硝酸)氧化法对纳米碳纤维进行表面处理,在水热和超声分散条件下,制备纳米碳纤维/环氧树脂复合材料.X射线光电子能谱分析表明,酸化处理在纳米碳纤维表面引入了羟基和羧基等能参与环氧树脂固化反应的官能团.流变试验结果表明,酸化处理在一定程度上提高了复合材料流体的流动性.断裂韧性测试结果和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析也显示了酸化处理能有效改善纤维与树脂的界面结合状况,提高复合材料的断裂韧性.     

碳纤维补强氧化铝陶瓷的研究

采用热压的方法制备了碳纤维／氧化铝复合陶瓷，与未加碳纤维的氧化铝陶瓷相比，其抗弯强度有明显提高，但断裂韧性提高不大。为了改善碳纤维与氧化铝基体的结合状态，利用化学气相沉积的方法分别在碳纤维表面沉积了ＳｉＣ，ＴｉＣ和ＳｉＯ２＋ＳｉＣ。研究结果表明，当采用有沉积层的碳纤维补强氧化铝陶瓷时，抗弯强度和断裂韧性都有明显提高。     

Preparation and properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy‐amine composites

Different amounts of multiwalled carbon tubes (MWCNTs) were incorporated into an epoxy resin based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and both epoxy precursor and composite were cured with 4,4′‐diamino diphenyl sulfone. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the carbon nanotubes are dispersed well in the epoxy matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements confirmed the decrease in overall cure by the addition of MWCNTs. A decrease in volume shrinkage of the epoxy matrix caused by the addition of MWCNTs was observed by pressure–volume–temperature measurements. Thermomechanical and dynamic mechanical analysis were performed for the MWCNT/epoxy composites, showing that the T_g was slightly affected, whereas the dimensional stability and stiffness are improved by the addition of MWCNTs. Electrical conductivity measurements of the composite samples showed that an insulator to conductor transition takes place between 0.019 and 0.037 wt % MWCNTs. The addition of MWCNTs induces an increase in both impact strength (18%) and fracture toughness (38%) of the epoxy matrix with very low filler content. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

玻纤表面处理对于玻纤增强PET复合材料断裂韧性的影响

本文以三组分别经脱蜡处理、涂层处理及未经任何处理的玻纤为增强纤维，ＰＥＴ为基体纤维，采用混纤纱浸渍技术，制备连续玻纤增强混纤纱复合材料单向板。通过对所制备材料力学性能的对比，研究了玻纤表面处理对玻纤增强ＰＥＴ复合材料断裂韧性的影响。     

Enhanced mechanical toughness of carbon nanofibrous-coated surface modified Kevlar reinforced polyurethane/epoxy matrix hybrid composites

High-performance Kevlar fiber had extensively been explored to upgraded mechanical properties of the advanced composites. Therefore, this study aimed a challenging work to grow carbon nanofibers onto the Kevlar fiber to improve its fiber-matrix interaction properties. It was successfully done through inexpensive flame deposition as well as modification of matrix with hybrid resin using polyurethane-epoxy mixture. A hand-layup method had been adopted to manufacture the composite laminates. The chemical and surface structures of the prepared laminae were examined by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and the composite's properties were evaluated tensile test, compact tension (CT) fracture test, fractography, and differential scanning calorimetry. The surface modified Kevlar laminae with CNF were used as reinforcing layer in the epoxy and PU/epoxy hybrid resin matrices. CNF-coated heated Kevlar reinforced laminated PU/epoxy hybrid composites (CNF-Kev/PU-Epoxy) showed highest elongation 47% and fracture toughness (11.7 MPa√m) along with good UTS 139 MPa. Therefore, these hybrid nanocomposites developed by simple inexpensive method would be the potential candidates for several advanced applications particularly in defense, automobile, aerospace, and spacecraft applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48802.     

Enhancement of interlaminar fracture toughness of carbon fiber–epoxy composites using polyamide‐6,6 electrospun nanofibers

In this study, carbon fiber–epoxy composites are interleaved with electrospun polyamide‐6,6 (PA 66) nanofibers to improve their Mode‐I fracture toughness. These nanofibers are directly deposited onto carbon fabrics before composite manufacturing via vacuum infusion. Three‐point bending, tensile, compression, interlaminar shear strength, Charpy impact, and double cantilever beam tests are performed on the reference and PA 66 interleaved specimens to evaluate the effects of PA 66 nanofibers on the mechanical properties of composites. To investigate the effect of nanofiber areal weight density (AWD), nanointerlayers with various AWD are prepared by changing the electrospinning duration. It is found that the electrospun PA 66 nanofibers are very effective in improving Mode‐I toughness and impact resistance, compressive strength, flexural modulus, and strength of the composites. However, these nanofibers cause a decrease in the tensile strength of the composites. The glass‐transition temperature of the composites is not affected by the addition of PA 66 nanofibers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45244.     

Fracture Behaviour of Thermoplastic Modified Epoxy Resins

This work has shown that the addition of polyetherimide (PEI) can significantly increase the toughness of highly cross-linked epoxy resins, whilst retaining a high T_g and modulus. These combined properties indicate the potential of PEI modified epoxy resins for use as matrices for advanced composite materials. In terms of G_IC, addition of 20wt% PEI raised the toughness by a factor of eight. Evidence from SEM fracture surfaces suggests that the toughening mechanism operating in bulk PEI modified epoxy resin is ductile drawing of the PEI. Carbon fibre composites based on 30wt% PEI modified epoxy resin matrices show considerable improvement in toughness at low and high strain rates when compared with CFRP possessing unmodified or 20wt% modified PEI content epoxy resins.     

Interlaminar fracture toughness of a plain weave flax/epoxy composite

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, flax fibre has become a popular natural resource as reinforcement in polymeric composites. However, the pure mode characterisation of flax fibre composites is rather limited. Furthermore, the mixed-mode delamination is not yet available. Nevertheless, delamination behaviour is important to be characterised as it is a major problem in composite laminates. This study examined the delamination behaviour of a woven flax/epoxy composite. Specimens were tested using mode I double cantilever beam, mode II end-notched flexure and mixed-mode I+II single leg bending tests. Results showed that the mode I, mode II and mixed-mode I+II fracture toughness were 363.23, 962.17 and 649.06?N?m^?1, respectively. When the fracture toughness values were fitted using Benzeggagh–Kenane criterion, it was found that the best-fit material parameter η was attained at 0.88. This information is useful to estimate the variation of fracture toughness with the mode ratio. Finally, through scanning electron micrographs, it was noticed that fibre/matrix debonding was the major fracture mechanism in all loading modes. In conclusion, the findings from this study suggested that the composite was suitable to be used for structural applications under mixed-mode loading.     

Crack-Wake Debonding and Toughness in Fiber- or Whisker-Reinforced Brittle-Matrix Composites

Solutions are obtained for the mechanics of debonding in the crack wake in fiber- or whisker-reinforced composites for the case where a finite shear traction exists at the fiber/matrix interface in the debonded zone. These solutions are then applied to derive expressions for the steady-state toughness increases obtained in bonded composites wherein the toughness contribution is provided by crack-wake fiber/matrix debonding and crack bridging. The solutions for an unbonded composite containing a frictional fiber/matrix interface can be obtained from the derived equations in the limit of the fiber/matrix interface toughness equal to zero. In this limit, the debond crack length reduces to the slip length and the expressions for the crack opening and the predicted toughness increase reduce to previously derived expressions for unbonded composites. The steady-state toughness is found to depend sensitively on the interface toughness, the fiber fracture strength, and the shear tractions in the debonded zone including other material parameters, such as fiber radius and volume fraction and the moduli of the constituent phases. It is shown that in order to obtain finite toughness increases, the fiber/matrix interface toughness must be less than a critical value dependent on the fiber fracture strength, fiber radius and volume fraction, and fiber and matrix moduli. The predictions of the model are applied to published experimental results from a detailed and complete study of toughness increases in a bonded whisker-reinforced composite.     

Electrospun rubber/thermoplastic hybrid nanofibers for localized toughening effects in epoxy resins

Synthetic rubber/thermoplastic blends were electrospun from their solutions. The rubber was a solid acrylonitrile/butadiene/acrylic acid copolymer and the thermoplastic was polyacrylonitrile. The aims of this study were to identify suitable systems and processing conditions for obtaining rubber-based electrospun nanofibers, to investigate the ability of an epoxy resin system to impregnate and swell selected hybrid rubber/thermoplastic mats, and to assess the impact of the nanofibers on the resin morphology and curing behavior. In particular, electrospinning trials were carried out varying the composition of the feed solution and process parameters, such as the applied voltage, the flow rate, and tip-to-collector distance. The morphology of the hybrid mats was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and their thermal properties by thermogravimetry. An epoxy resin-mat monolayer was also prepared and its fracture surface inspected; both rubber nanoparticles and PAN nanofibers were evident. The highly corrugated fracture surfaces suggest activation of local epoxy-resin toughening mechanisms. Altogether, the results encouraged the application of hybrid mats as interleaves in high-performance carbon/epoxy composites to contrast delamination. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48501.     

Simultaneous enhancement of electrical conductivity and interlaminar shear strength of CF/EP composites through MWCNTs doped thermoplastic polyurethane film interleaves

Carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy (CF/EP) composites have been widely used in aerospace industry, while poor electrical conductivity and interlaminar shear fracture toughness could reduce their safety as structural components in use. In this work, we achieved simultaneous improvement in electrical conductivity and interlaminar shear strength through interleaved multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) doped thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) conductive thin films (CTFs), which were prepared by a solution casting method. The experimental results showed that the electrical conductivity of the laminates increased by about 13 and 16 times in the transverse and thickness directions with only about 1 wt % MWCNTs content in the laminates. The end-notch flexure (ENF) tests showed that the mode II interlaminar fracture toughness (G_IIC) of composites with 10 wt % MWCNTs CTF interleaf shows a significant increase of about 106%. The enhancement mechanism was further explored through microscopic morphological observation. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47988.     

Effect of saline degradation on the mechanical properties of vinyl ester matrix composites reinforced with glass and natural fibers

One important application of polymeric composites reinforced with natural fibers is in the area of naval engineering design. The objective of this work was to study the influence of saline degradation on the mechanical properties of vinyl ester matrix composites reinforced with glass, sisal, and coconut fibers and natural fibers modified with bitumen. All samples presented mass loss after exposure in a salt spray chamber. All materials, except the composite reinforced with coconut–bitumen, showed a decrease in toughness after a salt spray test. The fracture of the vinyl ester resin with sisal and sisal–bitumen fibers showed a fiber bridging mechanism. These materials showed the highest value of toughness among the materials studied. The presence of fiber pullout was observed in the samples of vinyl ester resin reinforced with glass, coconut, and coconut fibers covered with bitumen. In these samples, poor adhesion between the fiber and matrix was observed. The treatment of fibers with bitumen increased the mass loss and decreased the stability of samples in a saline atmosphere. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Tensile properties and fracture toughness of carbon-fiber felt reinforced carbon composites at high temperature

Two kinds of carbon felt reinforced carbon composites, C/C-A and C/C-B, containing respectively pitch carbon fibers and PAN carbon fibers, have been developed to enhance the fracture mechanics properties. The fracture toughness values of these new composites were measured as a function of temperature up to 2400°C. These results are compared with those of a carbon fiber cloth reinforced carbon composite containing rayon fibers (C/C-C) and a fine grain isostatic graphite (IG-11). Major differences among these materials and their distinctive features are discussed.