Impact fracture behavior of continuous glass fiber-reinforced nylon 6

The impact fracture toughness of nylon 6/continuous glass fiber composites at four levels of fiber content has been studied. The composites were produced by anionically polymerizing caprolactam within a glass mat using a vacuum injection technique. Application of linear elastic fracture mechanics to characterize the impact fracture toughness of the composites, using an energy approach (G_IC), has been found to be applicable provided that a correction is made for the size of the damage zone. The concept of J_c, fracture energy per unit ligament area, has also been applied to the composites and agreement between G_IC and J_c has been found to be reasonably satisfactory. The ratio of crack propagation energy to the total energy absorbed (ductility index) has also been calculated. The ductility index was found to be close to one for the composites, indicating that additional energy is involved in propagating the fracturing cracks probably due to fiber debonding and/or crack blunting and fiber pullout. Fractographic examination of the impact fracture surface confirmed the presence of these features.     

Creep behavior of glass‐fiber‐reinforced nylon 6 products

The creep properties, that is, the velocity constant, activation energy, stress index, and time index, of a test piece (TP) cut from a glass‐fiber‐reinforced nylon 6 product were successfully determined by a compression creep test. In the determination of the creep properties, the experimental creep curves for the TP were fitted by finite element analysis (FEA). Fiber‐reinforced nylon 6 beams with different fiber orientations were also prepared, and their creep properties were successfully determined by a combination of the bending creep test and the corresponding analysis. The creep behavior of the press‐fit component composed of a metal collar and a fiber‐reinforced nylon 6 product was predicted by FEA with the determined creep properties of the TP. The predicted retention forces were in good agreement with the experimental ones. The effects of the fiber orientation on the long‐term reliability of the press‐fit component are also discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

长玻璃纤维增强尼龙6复合材料力学性能的研究

研究以聚丙烯接枝马来酸酐(PP-g-MAH)和聚烯烃弹性体接枝马来酸酐(POE-g-MAH)为界面相容剂的长玻璃纤维增强尼龙6(LGF/PA 6)复合材料的力学性能,并与短玻璃纤维增强尼龙6(SGF/PA 6)复合材料的力学性能进行对比。结果表明:LGF/PA 6复合材料的拉伸强度、弯曲强度和弯曲模量均随着玻璃纤维含量的增加呈直线上升趋势,玻璃纤维质量分数达到40%时,增强效果十分显著;在添加相同含量的玻璃纤维时,LGF/PA 6复合材料的拉伸强度、弯曲强度、弯曲模量低于SGF/PA 6复合材料;2种复合材料的冲击强度均随着玻璃纤维含量的增加呈非线性增加,当添加相同含量的玻璃纤维时,LGF/PA 6复合材料的冲击强度高于SGF/PA 6复合材料;两种界面相容剂均改善了玻璃纤维与PA 6的界面性能,显著提高了复合材料的冲击强度,其中添加PP-g-MAH的LGF/PA 6复合材料的冲击强度的提高高于添加POE-g-MAH的,但拉伸强度和弯曲强度均有不同程度降低,其中添加POE-g-MAH的LGF/PA 6复合材料的拉伸强度、弯曲强度和弯曲模量下降得较为明显。     

Electrochemical behavior of coupled carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) rods in concrete

This paper presents results on the electrochemical behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite rods in contact with steel or epoxy coated steel bars in chloride-contaminated concrete. Twelve concrete prisms reinforced by CFRP rods electrically connected to plain or epoxy coated rebars were exposed to 80% humidity for 345 days. Four identical specimens that were not electrically connected served as controls. Measured galvanic currents densities were found to be as much as 100 A cm^–2, raising concerns about the degradation of both CFRP and steel. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were performed to detect possible changes in the electrochemical parameters of CFRP due to galvanic interaction with active steel. Equivalent circuit simulations of the pre- and post-galvanic interaction of CFRP rods with active steel were also evaluated. EIS data indicated that the composite surface was altered so as to have porous electrode characteristics. Optical microscopy provided visible evidence of interface changes on the composite surface, supporting EIS data. The preliminary findings suggest that it would be unwise to permit CFRP to be directly in contact with steel in reinforcing or prestressing applications.     

Flexural performance of ring-type steel fiber-reinforced concrete

Steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) with randomly dispersed, short straight steel fibers hardly fails by fiber yielding, and the postpeak behavior is governed by mechanisms related to fiber pullout. It would be more desirable if more fracture energy could be consumed by fiber yielding at failure. It has been experimentally demonstrated in this research that SFRC with the ring-type steel fibers failed by more energy consuming mechanisms other than fiber pullout. Consequently, significant improvements in flexural toughness were obtained as compared to that of SFRC with conventional straight steel fibers.     

Triaxial behavior of fiber-reinforced cemented sand

In this research, a series of laboratory tests have been performed to investigate the effects of cement and polypropylene (PP) fiber on the triaxial behavior of sand. The cement contents were 0 and 5% by weight of the dry sand. Fiber length and diameter were 18 and 0.023 mm, respectively, were added at 0 and 0.6% by weight of dry sand–cement. Triaxial compression tests were performed at confining pressures of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 MPa. The results of the study indicate that the inclusion of PP fiber increases the shear strength and the peak axial strain. The elastic modulus of specimen decreased with increase in fiber content and increased with the increase in cement content. Moreover, the initial stiffness and peak strength increased by increasing cement content.     

Thermoelectric percolation phenomena in carbon fiber-reinforced concrete

The measurements of thermoelectric power (TEP) and conductivity on carbon fiber-reinforced concrete (CFRC) containing short polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers (0.2–2.0 wt.%) were conducted. Percolation phenomena in CFRC associated with TEP were observed. TEP in CFRC increases, with the content of short carbon fiber increasing from 0.2 to 1.0 wt.%. As the content of carbon fiber reaches 1.2 wt.%, TEP decreases abruptly. In the end, TEP is almost maintained marginally with increasing content of carbon fiber from 1.4 to 2.0 wt.%. Therefore, the threshold is 1.2 wt.%, which is the same as the percolation content associated with conductivity. The results provide an important guide for the manufacture of smart concrete that has the ability for thermal self-diagnosis.     

Creep of a silica fume concrete

Creep tests have been performed on a concrete composition where part of the cement (25%) was replaced by a silica fume. The results show that the total deformation is decreased in drying condition, without any significant reduction of the basic creep.     

Modelling of steel fiber-reinforced concrete under multi-axial loads

Fifty-four plain concrete and steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) plate specimens containing 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% of hooked fibers were tested under biaxial compression. The experimental results obtained were used to verify a failure surface developed earlier by the authors for SFRC under multi-axial loads. An equation has also been proposed in this study to predict the strain at failure for SFRC under multi-axial loads, ε_ci. The proposed failure criterion and equation to predict ε_ci were incorporated into a constitutive model in a well-established finite-element software, ABAQUS. Experiments of SFRC plate specimens under multi-axial loads and beams under two-point load were modeled to illustrate the application of the failure surface to SFRC under varying load conditions. Good agreement between analytical and experimental results is observed.     

A method for mix-design of fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete

The addition of fibers to self-compacting concrete (SCC) may take advantage of its superior performance in the fresh state to achieve a more uniform dispersion of fibers, which is critical for a wider structural use of fiber-reinforced concrete. Some useful, mainly empirical, guidelines are available for mix design of fiber-reinforced SCC. In this work a “rheology of paste model” is applied to the mix design of Steel Fiber Reinforced SCC (SFRSCC). Fibers are included in the particle size distribution of the solid skeleton through the concept of an equivalent diameter, defined on the basis of the specific surface. The influence of fibers (type and quantity) on the grading of solid skeleton, minimum content and rheological properties of the paste required to achieve the required self-compactability and rheological stability were studied. Tests were conducted on both plain and fiber-reinforced concrete made with a variety of mix compositions. In addition, rheological tests were made with corresponding cement pastes.     

Crystallization behavior of nylon 6 nanocomposites

The crystallization behavior of nylon 6 nanocomposites formed by melt processing was investigated. Nanocomposites were produced by extruding mixtures of organically modified montmorillonite and molten nylon 6 using a twin screw extruder. Isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization studies involving differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were conducted on samples to understand how organoclay concentration and degree of clay platelet exfoliation influence the kinetics of polyamide crystallization. Very low levels of clay result in dramatic increases in crystallization kinetics relative to extruded pure polyamide. However, increasing the concentration of clay beyond these levels retards the rate of crystallization. For the pure nylon 6, the rate of crystallization decreases with increasing the molecular weight as expected; however, the largest enhancement in crystallization rate was observed for nanocomposites based on high molecular weight polyamides; this is believed to stem from a higher degree of platelet exfoliation in these nanocomposites. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and DSC were further used to characterize the polymer crystalline morphology of injection molded nanocomposites. The outer or skin layer of molded specimens was found to contain only γ-crystals; whereas, the central or core region contains both the α and γ-forms. The presence of clay enhanced the γ-structure in the skin; however, the clay has little effect on crystal structure in the core. Interestingly, higher levels of crystallinity were observed in the skin than in the core for the nanocomposites, while the opposite was true for the pure polyamides. In general, increasing the polymer matrix molecular weight resulted in a lower degree of crystallinity in molded samples as might be expected.     

Creep behavior of polyethylene melts

Creep behavior of branched polyethylene melts with various molecular weight distributions are examined experimentally. The order of the steady-state compliance is in accord with the prediction from the molecular weight distribution. The shear rate dependence of viscosity and steady-state compliance are analyzed according to Pao's theory.     

Electromechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced dielectric elastomer membrane

Based on its large deformation, light weight, and high energy density, dielectric elastomer (DE) has been used as driven muscle in many areas. We design the fiber-reinforced DE membrane by adding fibers in the membrane. The deformation and driven force direction of the membrane can be tuned by changing the fiber arrangements. The actuation in the perpendicular direction of the DE membrane with long fibers first increases and then decreases by the increasing of the fiber spacing in the perpendicular direction. The horizontal actuation of the membrane decreases by decreasing the spacing of short fibers. In the membrane-inflating structure, the radially arranged fibers will break the axisymmetric behavior of the structure. The top area of the inflated balloon without fiber will buckle up when the voltage reaches a certain level. Finite element simulations based on nonlinear field theory are conducted to investigate the effects of fiber arrangement and verify the experimental results. This work can guide the design of fiber-reinforced DE.     

Tensile behavior of glass fiber-reinforced acetal polymer

The tensile stress-strain behavior of glass fiber-reinforced polyacetal resin was investigated for various fiber concentrations, fiber length distributions, and finishing agents. The polyacetal fiber blends change considerably in strength and elongation at break when treated with ammonium chloride, but otherwise similar specimens still follow a common stress-strain curve to a point shortly before failure. As the mean fiber length decreases, the modulus and tensile strength fall, but the elongation at break remains almost unchanged. The observed tensile behavior is discussed in terms of a simplified model, which assigns the fibers to two categories: a fraction α parallel to the applied load, and the remainder distributed in a plane perpendicular to the load axis. By fitting this model to the stress-strain curves, two other constants of each system are derived: a length-dependent efficiency factor β for parallel fibers, whose magnitude agrees with the predictions of Rosen and his co-workers, and a factor γ which expresses the constraint of the matrix resin by the “transverse” fibers. The behavior of γ is consistent with Tsai's theory of the transverse modulus of laminates, if a reasonable amount of fiber–fiber contact is assumed. In terms of this model, possible interpretations of the behavior under repeated loading and the mechanism of tensile failure are presented.     

聚酯纤维在沥青混凝土中的应用

分析了路用纤维性能的要求,比较了各种纤维的性能,确认了聚酯纤维是较适宜的纤维沥青混凝土加强材料。纤维沥青混凝土提高了沥青路面的高温抗车辙能力、低温抗裂性能、抗疲劳性能以及水稳定性能,有效地延长沥青路面的使用寿命。重点介绍了上海石油化工股份有限公司聚酯纤维产品金路丝在沥青混凝土中的应用情况。     

Polymorphic behavior of nylon 6/saponite and nylon 6/montmorillonite nanocomposites

X‐ray diffraction methods and DSC thermal analysis have been used to investigate the structural change of nylon 6/clay nanocomposites. Nylon 6/clay has prepared by the intercalation of ε‐caprolactam and then exfoliaton of the layered saponite or montmorillonite by subsequent polymerization. Both X‐ray diffraction data and DSC results indicate the presence of polymorphism in nylon 6 and in nylon 6/clay nanocomposites. This polymorphic behavior is dependent on the cooling rate of nylon 6/clay nanocomposites from melt and the content of saponite or montmorillonite in nylon 6/clay nanocomposites. The quenching from the melt induces the crystallization into the γ crystalline form. The addition of clay increases the crystallization rate of the α crystalline form at lower saponite content and promotes the heterophase nucleation of γ crystalline form at higher saponite or montmorillonite content. The effect of thermal treatment on the crystalline structure of nylon 6/clay nanocomposites in the range between Tg and Tm is also discussed.     

Creep behavior of biaxial cold-rolled polypropylene

Polypropylene was biaxially rolled up to 60% at ambient temperature, and the tensile creep behavior over the temperature range 27 to 60°C was investigated using a dead-load apparatus. The degrees of crystallinity of the as-molded and rolled PP were determined using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and density bottle. The DSC showed a slight change in the crystallinity during the early stage of the rolling process, while the density bottle indicated a continuous drop of the density with increasing rolling reduction. The elongation due to rolling was found almost fully recoverable when the samples were thrown into hot silicon oil at 180°C. The effects of cold rolling on creep strain, secondary creep strain rate, and creep activation energy were investigated. Cold rolling led to an increase in the creep strain and secondary creep strain rate. The creep activation energy was found to increase with increasing rolling reduction. Within the secondary creep stage, the creep process in polypropylene is mainly due to the α-relaxation process and most of the creep strain was recoverable. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Creep behavior of Bure clayey rock

Clayey rock may be the host medium for a French long-term nuclear-waste storage facility. To gain better understanding of the delayed behavior of this potential host rock, we conducted a testing program that focused on creep tests. Fourteen tests were conducted: short-term multi-step creep tests (six at ambient temperature, four at T=80 °C and four on damaged samples); and four long-term mono-step creep tests (in which a constant load is applied for nearly 2 years). Experimental results are displayed and discussed.     

Friction and wear behavior of graphite fiber-reinforced composites

Friction and wear behavior of continuous graphite fiber composites was studied for different fiber orientations against the sliding direction. The effect of fiber orientation on friction and wear of the composite and on deformation of the counterface was investigated experimentally. A pin on disk type testing machine was built and employed to generate friction and wear data. A graphite fiber composite plate was produced by the bleeder ply molding in an autoclave and machined into rectangular pin specimens with specific fiber orientations, i.e., normal, transverse, and longitudinal directions. Three different wear conditions were employed for two different periods of time, 24 and 48 hours. The wear track of the worn specimens and the metal counterface was examined and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe the damaged fibers on the sliding surface of the specimen and wear film generation on the counterface. A wear mechanism of the continuous graphite fiber composite during sliding wear is proposed based on the experimental results.