Mechanical behavior of Kevlar/basalt reinforced polypropylene composites

In this study, mechanical behavior of thermoplastic composites reinforced with two-dimensional plain woven homogeneous and hybrid fabrics of Kevlar/basalt yarns was studied. Five types (two homogeneous and three hybrids) of composite laminates were manufactured using compression molding technique with polypropylene (PP) resin. Static tensile and in-plane compression tests were carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties of the laminates. The tension and in-plane compression tests had shown that the composites with the combination of Kevlar and basalt yarns present better tensile and in-plane compressive behavior as compared to their base composites. Improvement in the properties such as elastic modulus, strength and failure strain in both tension and in-plane compression was observed due to the hybridization. Numerical simulations were performed in ABAQUS/Standard by implementing a user-defined material subroutine (VUMAT) based on Chang-Chang criteria. Good agreement between the experimental and numerical simulations was achieved in terms of damage patterns.     

Flexural behavior of geopolymer composites reinforced with steel and polypropylene macro fibers

Like ordinary Portland cement concrete, the matrix brittleness in geopolymer composites can be reduced by introducing appropriate fiber reinforcement. Several studies on fiber reinforced geopolymer composites are available, however there is still a gap to understand and optimize their performance. This paper presents the flexural behavior of fly ash-based geopolymer composites reinforced with different types of macro steel and polypropylene fibers with higher aspect ratio. Three types (length-deformed, end-deformed and straight) of steel fibers and another type of length-deformed polypropylene fiber with optimum fiber volume fraction of 0.5% are studied. The effects of different geometries of the fibers, curing regimes (ambient cured and heat cured at 60 °C for 24 h) and concentration of NaOH activator (10 M and 12 M) on the first peak strength, modulus of rupture and toughness of the geopolymer composites are investigated. The quantitative effect of fiber geometry on geopolymer composite performance was also analyzed through a fiber deformation ratio. The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural toughness are significantly improved with macro fibers reinforcement and heat curing. The results also show that heat curing increases the first peak load of all fiber-reinforced geopolymers composites. End-deformed steel fibers exhibit the most ductile flexural response compared to other steel fibers in both heat and ambient-cured fiber reinforced geopolymer composites.     

甘蔗渣纤维增强聚丙烯复合材料的制备和力学性能

利用注射成型制备了甘蔗渣纤维增强聚丙烯复合材料, 分析了纤维质量分数、 注射成型条件以及添加物对复合材料力学性能的影响。结果表明, 随着纤维质量分数的增加, 材料的弯曲模量呈递增趋势。由于甘蔗渣纤维热降解的发生, 材料的力学性能随筒体温度的增加呈下降趋势。在模具温度90℃、 注射间隔时间30s、 不同的筒体温度185℃和165℃的成型条件下, 材料的弯曲性能和冲击强度分别呈现最大值。添加了马来酸酐改性聚丙烯后, 材料的弯曲强度和冲击强度得到了提高。      

铁基非晶条带-玻璃纤维混杂复合材料力学特性

针对铁基非晶条带-玻璃纤维混杂增强树脂基复合材料,研究了表面处理、热处理对非晶条带力学性能的影响,在此基础上选取了适宜的树脂基体,制备了混杂复合材料,测试了基本力学性能并分析了破坏模式。结果表明：酸蚀表面处理对条带的拉伸性能影响很小,但改变了条带的表面形貌和表面能,从而提高了条带与树脂的粘结性能;混杂复合材料纵向拉伸弹性模量符合混合定律,横向拉伸弹性模量主要由非晶条带贡献,并且非晶条带的承载对混杂复合材料的横向拉伸强度起到了一定的作用;弯曲破坏和剪切破坏均产生受压侧纤维层与非晶条带的分层以及纤维断裂。     

短纤维增强聚丙烯泡沫复合材料的研究新进展

详细介绍了天然纤维、短玻璃纤维、碳纳米纤维及晶须等在增强PP泡沫复合材料中的应用;重点阐述了短纤维的种类和含量对发泡行为、微观结构及力学性能等的影响规律,并总结了相关增强机理;展望了短纤维/PP泡沫复合材料的发展趋势。     

短纤维混杂增强PP复合泡沫材料的力学性能

将助剂预混与二次挤出工艺相结合制备含短纤维预发泡粒料, 并用型内二次发泡工艺制备了短炭纤维(SCF)、 短玻璃纤维(SGF)混杂增强聚丙烯(PP)复合泡沫材料。研究了在纤维总质量分数不变时, SCF与SGF的相对含量、 增强纤维与PP的界面性能及泡沫体的表观密度对PP复合泡沫材料的发泡效果和力学性能的影响。结果表明: SGF和SCF的同时加入能够改善PP的高温熔体强度, 获得孔径较小且均一的类球形的闭孔PP泡沫体。SGF和SCF混杂增强提高了PP复合泡沫材料的强度和模量, 且增强效果高于单一纤维, 当纤维总质量分数为15%, 且SGF ∶SCF为1 ∶1时(质量比), PP复合泡沫材料的抗弯强度和抗压强度最高, 而SGF ∶SCF为3 ∶1时, PP泡沫复合材料的冲击韧性和压缩模量达到最大值 。泡沫体的表观密度对PP复合泡沫材料的冲击韧性和抗压强度影响显著, 当表观密度从0.32g/cm3增至0.45g/cm3时, 冲击韧性和抗压强度分别从4.29kJ/m2和6.57MPa 提高到17.87kJ/m2和20.57MPa。      

Mechanical properties of polypropylene composites reinforced with chemically treated abaca

In the present study, abaca was chemically treated with benzene diazonium salt in order to improve in the mechanical properties of the abaca-PP composites. Both raw and treated abaca samples were utilized for the fabrication of the composites. The mechanical properties of the composites prepared from chemically treated abaca are found to increase substantially compared to those of untreated ones. Tensile strengths of the composites of both raw and chemically treated abaca-PP composites showed a decreasing trend with increasing filler content. However, the values for the chemically treated abaca-PP composites at all mixing ratios are found to be higher than that of neat PP. The surface morphologies of the fracture surfaces of the composites were recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM micrographs reveal that interfacial bonding between the treated filler and the matrix has significantly improved, suggesting that better dispersion of the filler into the matrix has occurred upon treatment of abaca.     

纳米SiO2/聚丙烯复合材料的微观结构

利用原子力显微镜和透射电镜分析了聚苯乙烯辐射接枝纳米二氧化硅粒子( SiO₂-g-PS) 填充聚丙烯( PP) 的微观结构, 并与该复合材料的拉伸和冲击强度相关联, 为探讨纳米粒子的增强增韧作用机制提供了直观证据。利用原子力显微镜进行的微划痕和纳米压痕实验, 通过与显微硬度和动态力学性能测试结果的比较, 证实了接枝改性后的纳米粒子团聚体具有承载能力, 而这些团聚体对复合材料的局部和整体力学响应不同, 揭示了团聚体增强效应的内在原因, 即在纳米粒子团聚体内部以及团聚体之间形成了特定的应力双逾渗结构。     

C_f/PMMA-PMA复合材料疲劳行为及生物活性

以甲基丙烯酸甲酯(MMA)和丙烯酸甲酯(MA)为起始原料,过硫酸钾(KPS)为引发剂,1.5 wt%聚丙烯腈基碳纤维为增强相,采用悬浮聚合的方法,制备了碳纤维增强PMMA-PMA基复合材料(Cf/PMMA-PMA)。研究了疲劳周期对Cf/PMMA-PMA复合材料抗弯强度的影响及其生物活性。采用X射线衍射分析(XRD)对复合材料的结构进行了表征,应用万能材料试验机测试了复合材料的抗弯强度,并利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对复合材料的断面显微形貌进行了分析。结果表明,在0~5000次的循环次数内,复合材料的抗弯强度没有显著变化,试样表面的受力处也没有出现裂纹等现象。随复合材料在模拟体液(SBF)中浸泡时间的延长,复合材料表面沉积的羟基磷灰石(HA)颗粒增多,说明复合材料具有良好的生物活性。此外,SBF的浸泡对Cf/PMMA-PMA复合材料的力学性能几乎没有影响。     

Mechanical behavior of SiC fiber reinforced brittle-matrix composites

The failure process of unidirectional BN-coated HI-NICALON^TM SiC fiber reinforced glass matrix composites was examined under tensile loading. In situ observation of the mean matrix crack interval was conducted by the replica observation during tensile testing. Axisymmetric cylindrical models extended to the system considering the strength distribution of fibers were proposed to predict the whole stress-strain curve for comparison with the experimental results.     

Mechanical behavior of carbon fiber reinforced polyamide composites

The purpose of this work is to compare tensile, compressive and interlaminar shear properties of different carbon reinforcement/polyamide composites obtained by interfacial polymerization and hot compression molding techniques. Two types of composite matrices were studied: polyamide 6 and polyamide 6/6, both reinforced by fabric and unidirectional carbon fibers. The effects of the fiber volume fraction and the matrix on mechanical properties were analyzed through tensile, interlaminar shear and compressive tests. In general, the results have shown a slight increase of the composite elastic modulus, tensile and compressive strength with the increase of carbon fiber content. The microscopic damage development within selected composites during the loading has been observed through optical and scanning electron microscope techniques and has shown that shear failure at the fiber/matrix interface has been mostly responsible for damage development, initiated at relatively low stress.     

Mechanical behavior of cement-based materials reinforced with sisal fibers

Fiber-reinforced cement composites were produced in Brazil using blast furnace slag cement reinforced with pulped fibers of sisal originated from agricultural by-products. Thin pads were produced by slurring the raw materials in water, followed by de-watering and pressing stages. Studies of mechanical behavior included observations of stable crack growth behavior under monotonic loading (resistance-curve behavior), followed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the fracture surfaces. Reinforcement with cellulose fibers resulted in improved fracture toughness, even after 9 months in laboratory environment. Microscopic analysis indicated a considerable incidence of crack bridging and fiber pull-out in the composite. The shielding contributions from crack bridging are estimated using a fracture mechanics model, before comparing with the measured resistance-curve behavior.     

Mechanical,electrical, thermal and tribological behavior of epoxy resin composites reinforced with waste hemp-derived carbon fibers

Short hemp fibers, an agricultural waste, were used for producing biochar by pyrolysis at 1000 °C. The so-obtained hemp-derived carbon fibers (HFB) were used as filler for improving the properties of an epoxy resin using a simple casting and curing process. The addition of HFB in the epoxy matrix increases the storage modulus while damping factor is lowered. Also, the incorporation of HFB induces a remarkable increment of electrical conductivity reaching up to 6 mS/m with 10 wt% of loading. A similar trend is also observed during high-frequency measurements. Furthermore, for the first time wear of these composites has been studied. The use of HFB is an efficient method for reducing the wear rate resistance and the friction coefficient (COF) of the epoxy resin. Excellent results are obtained for the composite containing 2.5 wt% of HFB, for which COF and wear rate decrease by 21% and 80%, respectively, as compared with those of the unfilled epoxy resin. The overall results prove how a common waste carbon source can significantly wide epoxy resin applications by a proper modulation of its electrical and wear properties.

Graphical abstract

     

Mechanical behavior of self-assembled carbon nanotube reinforced nylon 6,6 fibers

The versatile electrospinning technique was used to successfully align and disperse multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in nylon 6,6 matrix to obtain composite fibers. The morphology of the composite fibers and the dispersion of the CNTs within the fibers were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. TEM analysis revealed that the CNTs were well-dispersed, separated and aligned along the fiber axis. The thermal and mechanical properties of the composite fibers were characterized as a function of weight fraction of the CNTs. Incorporation of the CNTs in the fibers resulted in an increase in glass-transition temperature (T_g) by ∼7 °C, indicating that the addition of CNTs has restricted the mobility of the polymer chains and provided confinement to neighboring molecular chains. Tensile and nanoindentation experiments were performed to investigate the mechanical deformation behavior of the composite fibers. The results suggested that incorporation of high strength and high aspect ratio CNTs into the fiber matrix enhanced significantly the stiffness and strength of nylon 6,6 fibers. An understanding of the structure–property relationships can provide fruitful insights to develop electrospun fibers with superior properties for miniaturized and load-bearing applications.     

聚乙烯醇纤维增强钢渣粉-水泥复合材料基本力学性能及微观结构

通过掺加钢渣粉来制备聚乙烯醇（PVA）纤维增强钢渣粉-水泥基复合材料,从宏微观两个方面研究了这种复合材料的性能。考虑了基体材料的水胶比（0.25和0.35）、不同钢渣粉质量分数（0、30wt%、60wt%、80wt%）,采用抗压强度试验、薄板四点弯曲试验研究了PVA纤维增强钢渣粉-水泥基复合材料的基本力学性能变化规律及其在弯曲荷载作用下的裂缝控制能力,采用扫描电镜观测了破坏后试样的微观结构。结果表明,水胶比和钢渣粉掺量均可明显影响PVA纤维增强钢渣粉-水泥基复合材料的基本力学性能,在低水胶比条件下（水胶比为0.25）,钢渣粉掺量达到80wt%时,试样表现出较高的韧性指数和良好的裂缝控制能力,基本满足工程所需强度要求,水胶比为0.35时钢渣掺量不宜超过60wt%;同时,从节能减排的角度考虑,利用钢渣粉制备PVA纤维增强钢渣粉-水泥基复合材料是可行的。      

Fracture and resistance-curve behavior in hybrid natural fiber and polypropylene fiber reinforced composites

This article presents the results of a combined experimental and theoretical study of fracture and resistance-curve behavior of hybrid natural fiber- and synthetic polymer fiber-reinforced composites that are being developed for potential applications in affordable housing. Fracture and resistance-curve behavior are studied using single-edge notched bend specimens. The sisal fibers used were examined using atomic force microscopy for fiber bundle structures. The underlying crack/microstructure interactions and fracture mechanisms are elucidated via in situ optical microscopy and ex-situ environmental scanning microscopy techniques. The observed crack bridging mechanisms are modeled using small and large scale bridging concepts. The implications of the results are then discussed for the design of eco-friendly building materials that are reinforced with natural and polypropylene fibers.     

表面处理玄武岩纤维增强水泥基复合材料力学性能

为提高玄武岩纤维(BF)与水泥基体的界面结合力和桥接作用,分别采用HCl溶液(0~2.0mol/L)和NaOH溶液(0~2.0mol/L)对BF表面进行刻蚀糙化处理,研究纤维表面处理对BF增强水泥基复合材料的力学性能影响规律。结果表明:随着HCl溶液浓度增加,BF/水泥复合材料抗折强度与弯曲强度均先增加后降低,挠度呈现缓慢增加趋势,而抗压强度变化幅度较小;当HCl溶液浓度为1mol/L时,BF/水泥复合材料的强度与韧性最佳;碱处理BF后,BF/水泥复合材料的力学性能随NaOH浓度增加而显著降低,且复合材料韧性无明显改善;BF经HCl溶液腐蚀后的质量保留率变化规律与NaOH溶液腐蚀后的变化规律接近,而经HCl溶液腐蚀后BF强度保留率大于NaOH溶液腐蚀后的BF强度保留率。     

Interfacial shear behavior of 3D composites reinforced with CNT-grafted carbon fibers

This paper presents the Molecular Dynamic (MD) models and the simulation results for the shear deformation process of an interface representative cell to develop an understanding of the roles of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) in enhancing fiber–matrix interfacial properties such as shear modulus and strength. Based on the MD results and the two simple formulae of rule of mixture, the shear modulus and strength of the carbon nanotube (CNT) grafted interface can be predicted. It is shown that there exists a good agreement between the predicted fiber–matrix interfacial shear strength with and without grafted CNTs and these measured from single-fiber micro bond test and single-fiber fragmentation test. The MD simulation also shows the MWNTs’ shear stress cross-section distribution is similar to that of a circular beam in shear with a non-zero shear stress on the neutral plane.     

Mechanical and thermal expansion properties of glass fibers reinforced PEEK composites at cryogenic temperatures

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been widely used as matrix material for high performance composites. In this work, 30% chopped glass fibers reinforced PEEK composites were prepared by injection molding, and then the tensile, flexural and impact properties were tested at different temperatures. The modulus, strength and specific elongation of glass fibers reinforced PEEK at room temperature, 77 K and 20 K have been compared. And the fracture morphologies of different samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed a dependence of mechanical properties of glass fibers reinforced PEEK composites on temperature. The coefficient of thermal expansion of unfilled PEEK and glass fibers reinforced PEEK were also investigated from 77 K to room temperature. The results indicated that the thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of PEEK matrix was nearly a constant in this temperature region, and it can be significantly decreased by adding glass fibers.     

Chemical modification of flax reinforced polypropylene composites

This paper presents an experimental study on the static and dynamic mechanical properties of nonwoven based flax fibre reinforced polypropylene composites. The effect of zein modification on flax fibres is also reported. Flax nonwovens were treated with zein coupling agent, which is a protein extracted from corn. Composites were prepared using nonwovens treated with zein solution. The tensile, flexural and impact properties of these composites were analysed and the reinforcing properties of the chemically treated composites were compared with that of untreated composites. Composites containing chemically modified flax fibres were found to possess improved mechanical properties. The viscoelastic properties of composites at different frequencies were investigated. The storage modulus of composites was found to increase with fibre content while damping properties registered a decrease. Zein coating was found to increase the storage modulus due to enhanced interfacial adhesion. The fracture mechanism of treated and untreated flax reinforced polypropylene composites was also investigated from scanning electron microscopic studies.