Composites Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Scale matters: A perspective on structural hierarchical carbon fibre composites incorporating carbon nanotubes","authors":"Neptun Yousefi ,&nbsp;Han Tao ,&nbsp;David B. Anthony ,&nbsp;Milo S.P. Shaffer ,&nbsp;Alexander Bismarck","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Composites have long played a vital role in material science due to their lightweight, stiff, strong, and durable construction. Composites consist of at least two complementary materials, typically comprising reinforcing elements, prominently carbon or glass fibres, held in place by a surrounding polymer matrix. Conventional fibre composites already display a structural hierarchy from fibres within tows, to plies, to laminates forming large-scale structures. The term “hierarchical composites” specifically refers to materials that integrate reinforcements spanning additional length scales, down to the molecular range, most notably nanoscale reinforcements that complement microscale fibres. Natural structural materials rely extensively on hierarchical motifs to maximise performance, though using constituents limited by abundance and ambient aqueous processing. Technical hierarchical composites are broadly inspired by natural multiscale systems, sometimes implementing specific mechanisms from nature in new material classes. In hierarchical composites, the largest reinforcement, fibres, dominate in-plane mechanical properties. In contrast, nanoscale reinforcements may address matrix-dominated responses by, for example, improving shear properties that control stress transfer and kink band initiation, introducing additional toughening mechanisms to limit debonding or delamination, and providing direct reinforcement, particularly through-thickness. Nanomaterials can provide other benefits, such as improved fatigue life, acoustic damping, and solvent/fire resistance. The addition of nanomaterials may also imbue composites with multifunctionality, obviating other constituents or components and reducing system weight. We critically discuss the progress in developing hierarchical fibre reinforced carbon nanotube composites over the past decade and provide insight into manufacturing and their structural and functional performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111525"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A detailed study of NiFe2O4-PVDF magnetic composites: Structural stability and superior magnetic properties for functional applications","authors":"Sarah Baayyad ,&nbsp;Chaymae Bahloul ,&nbsp;Fatima-Zahra Semlali ,&nbsp;El Kebir Hlil ,&nbsp;Tarik Mahfoud ,&nbsp;Hassan EL Moussaoui ,&nbsp;Mounir EL Achaby","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, PVDF-based magnetic nanocomposites reinforced with NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were successfully fabricated through a two-step process, involving nanoparticle synthesis at controlled pH values (10, 11, and 12) followed by composite preparation via solvent casting. The influence of particle size, loading, and inter-particles interaction on the structural, mechanical, and magnetic properties of the magnetic polymer composite was systematically investigated. SEM analysis revealed that higher nanoparticle loadings and larger particle sizes increased surface roughness due to aggregation and chain disruption, yet the magnetic polymer composite material maintained structural integrity without phase separation or defects. Mechanical performance was also strongly governed by nanoparticle characteristics: PVDF/30-NF11 showed the highest stiffness, while PVDF/30-NF10, containing smaller particles (26.7 nm), achieved the best balance of stiffness, strength, and strain. Magnetic behavior was optimized in PVDF/30-NF11, where particle size (42 nm) enabled strong inter-particle interactions and enhanced structural stability, yielding superior magnetic response. These findings highlight how particle size, the filler content in the PVDF matrix, and the inter-particle interactions, collectively govern the overall performance of PVDF based magnetic composite, offering a clear pathway to guide the optimized design of high-performance polymer-based magnetic materials for applications in sensors, actuators, and electromagnetic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111521"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145922840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of an unsupervised deep learning framework for acoustic emission-based characterization of delamination process in composite laminates","authors":"Jakub Rzeczkowski","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents an advanced unsupervised deep learning framework for characterization of delamination processes in composite laminates based on acoustic emission (AE) measurements. The AE signal descriptors acquired during a double cantilever beam test were processed through a multi-stage analytical pipeline integrating stacked autoencoder for nonlinear feature extraction, uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) for low-dimensional embedding and hierarchical density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (HDBSCAN) for unsupervised acoustic emission signals classification. This comprehensive approach enabled effective segregation of heterogeneous AE events into distinct clusters associated with specific damage mechanisms occurring during delamination process. The clustering outcomes were further validated through complementary time-frequency analysis by using continuous wavelet transform (CWT). In addition, a scanning electron microscopy fractographic observations of real delamination surfaces were also conducted. The proposed framework facilitated the differentiation of AE signal groups that may be associated with typical damage mechanisms, including matrix cracking, interfacial debonding with fiber pull-out and delamination. By removing the reliance on manual feature engineering and labeled datasets, this methodology provides a fully data-driven tool for interpretation of complex acoustic emission data. Furthermore, a prototype software application was developed to enable real-time processing, clustering and visualization of AE signals during experimental testing. The originality of this work lies in the integration of deep representation learning, nonlinear manifold embedding and density-based clustering into a coherent unsupervised analytical framework enabling efficient clustering of nonlinear acoustic emission data acquired during experimental testing of composite laminates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111507"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145922835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-scale interfacial engineering of hierarchical sandwich-structured conductive polymer composites for flexible electronics","authors":"Ling Wang ,&nbsp;Yuntao Liu ,&nbsp;Peizhao Luo ,&nbsp;Zhefan Li ,&nbsp;Hao Wang ,&nbsp;Xuewu Huang ,&nbsp;Jiefeng Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111499","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111499","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrospun conductive polymer nanofiber composites are promising for flexible electronics, yet their practical use is constrained by trade-offs among mechanical robustness, charge/heat transport, and environmental stability. Here, we present a multi-scale interfacial engineering strategy to construct a hierarchical sandwich-structured composite membrane through synergistic colloidal assembly and interfacial bonding. Polydopamine-assisted in situ silver metallization forms percolative conductive nano-domains along polyurethane (PU) nanofiber surfaces, while vacuum-filtrated multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) skins are conformally anchored via hot pressing, establishing covalent and non-covalent interfacial linkages. This architecture enables continuous, defect-minimized pathways for electron and phonon transport and simultaneously improves structural densification and interfacial adhesion. As a result, the membrane exhibits a rare combination of properties: high tensile strength (18.1 MPa) with large fracture strain (686.9 %), low sheet resistance (14.8 mΩ sq⁻¹), pronounced anisotropic thermal conductivity (7.93 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹), and stable electro-/photothermal performance. Additionally, it retains robust hydrophobicity (&gt;132° water contact angle) and conductivity under repeated mechanical deformation. Demonstrations as thermal interface materials and wearable strain sensors exhibit its broad multifunctionality. This work establishes a generalizable interfacial design strategy that reconciles traditionally competing properties in conductive polymer composites, advancing their integration into flexible electronic systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111499"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145882966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geometric scaling of reinforcement and its pivotal role in design of 3D woven composites","authors":"Elena Sitnikova ,&nbsp;Shuguang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geometric scaling has been defined as means of producing equivalent 3D layer-to-layer angle interlock woven composite configurations that have different reinforcement geometries but identical, or very similar, effective elastic properties. Scaling rules have been derived under condition that the key geometric properties of the weave: the interlocking angle, global fibre volume fraction and weft to warp tow volume ratio, should not be affected by scaling. The role of tow sizes as designable parameters directly associated with scaling has been established for the first time. With scaling method in place, design of 3D woven composites can be defined as a two-stage process, where the effective elastic properties are varied via systematic variation of tow densities, while scaling is applied at a post-processing stage to ensure the practicality of design. The design process is comprehensive in a sense that it involves all the designable parameters, explicitly defining their roles and contribution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111517"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Series-structured design for enhanced pyroresistive properties in low switching temperature PTC composites","authors":"Teng Li ,&nbsp;Chang Dong ,&nbsp;Li Yang ,&nbsp;Hui-Kang Xu ,&nbsp;Gui-Lin Song ,&nbsp;Jie Li ,&nbsp;Yue-Yi Wang ,&nbsp;Ding-Xiang Yan ,&nbsp;Zhong-Ming Li","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Positive temperature coefficient (PTC) composites with low switching temperature (T_s) are critical for self-regulating heating in spacecraft optical systems and energy systems, nevertheless, balancing low initial resistivity, high PTC intensity, and fast heating rate is still challenged. This work designs a novel low T_s PTC composite with series structure to conquer such contradictions, comprising a PTC switching module as interlayer and highly conductive heating modules as upper/lower layers. The architecture simultaneously leverages the sharp PTC effect of interlayers and rapid heating effect of upper/lower layers, resulting in obvious advantages in pyroresistivity properties and self-regulating heating performance. The series-structured composite achieves improved PTC intensity of 6.7 with the corresponding heater average heating rate of 25.8 °C/min, in comparison to 6.2 and 7.8 °C/min for the conventional PTC composite, while these two composites possess similar low T_s (38 °C) and initial resistivity (45 Ω cm). The series-structured composite also demonstrates exceptional reproducibility of pyroresistivity properties with 89 % resistivity retention over 500 heating-cooling cycles. Furthermore, as an innovative design architecture transcending compositional constraints, adjusting module compositions enables flexible tuning of pyroresistivity properties of the series-structured composites and average heating rates and equilibrium temperatures of the corresponding heater without compromising stability. This work provides a new guideline for developing low T_s PTC composites with potential applications in customizable aerospace de-icing, automotive heaters, and battery thermal management systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111516"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145922832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sequential bridging and horizontal alignment: A synergistic engineering strategy for high-performance Graphene/CNF films","authors":"Yang Su,&nbsp;Jun Jin,&nbsp;Jiachen Guo,&nbsp;Minghui Zhang,&nbsp;Bo Peng,&nbsp;Min Chen,&nbsp;Limin Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Graphene-based composites are promising thermal management materials (TMMs) for integrated miniaturized electronics, yet surface size effects limit interfacial interactions and graphene alignment, hindering high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. Herein, we fabricated robust graphene-based composite films via a sequential π-π, covalent, and hydrogen bonding integration, combining vacuum filtration and hot-pressing technologies. The self-assembled graphene and boron-doped graphene quantum dots (G/BGQDs), formed via intrinsic lattice matching, served as the filler within a cellulose nanofibers (CNF) matrix. At 80 wt% filler loading, the film exhibits an in-plane thermal conductivity of 136.7 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, tensile strength of 95.1 MPa, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of 29.8 dB, along with excellent flexibility. The composite film demonstrates superior cooling efficiency for electronic components and stable thermal performance under various harsh conditions. This work provides a simple, scalable strategy for engineering interfacial interactions and lays a material foundation for high-performance thermal management systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111520"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145922837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing polymer composite performance through optimized alignment with machine learning and in-situ monitoring in electrically assisted vat photopolymerization","authors":"Tengteng Tang ,&nbsp;Namratha Gopalabhatla ,&nbsp;Jhati Seelapureddy ,&nbsp;Jessica Westerham ,&nbsp;Srikar Anudeep Remani ,&nbsp;Shah Md Ashiquzzaman Nipu ,&nbsp;Minju Yoo ,&nbsp;Shenghan Guo ,&nbsp;Xiangjia Li","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrically assisted vat photopolymerization (E-VPP) presents a transformative approach for fabricating bioinspired, multiscale polymer composites with programmable anisotropic properties. By integrating dynamic electric field modulation with high-resolution video projection, E-VPP enables high-speed, cost-effective additive manufacturing of photocurable liquid crystal–silicon carbide (LC/SiC) nanocomposites. Precise nanofiller alignment achieved during printing is critical for tailoring microarchitectures and enhancing mechanical performance in a directionally controlled manner. A key challenge in this process is the real-time monitoring of nanofiller alignment, due to limited visual access during fabrication. To address this, we develop a generalizable machine learning prediction model that not only enables in-situ monitoring through video analysis but also accurately forecasts optimal alignment states across varying electric field conditions. Video data acquired during printing are analyzed using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for feature extraction and principal component analysis (PCA) for dimensionality reduction. Anomaly detection techniques, such as Hotelling's T-squared analysis, are employed to identify time windows of stable alignment. These data-driven insights guide optimal voltage application and process timing, ensuring consistent material quality and reproducible anisotropy. Aligned nanofillers substantially enhance anisotropic structural deformation and enable shape-morphing functionality. Specifically, the alignment of liquid crystal elastomer precursors results in programmable deformation in response to drying stimuli. The method accommodates complex geometries and heterogeneous material compositions, broadening its applicability to soft robotics, adaptive optics, biomedical scaffolds, and flexible electronics. This work establishes E-VPP as a scalable, intelligent manufacturing platform for engineering high-performance, multifunctional polymer composites with spatially programmable anisotropy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111506"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145922836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revealing bird-strike damage mechanisms for CFRP laminates through a novel sub-element level experiment and simulation","authors":"Qianchen Gao ,&nbsp;Yang Bai ,&nbsp;Xiaowei Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiaopeng Chen ,&nbsp;Wulin Si ,&nbsp;You Li ,&nbsp;Zhenqiang Zhao ,&nbsp;Chao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111498","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111498","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Slicing-loading impacts on fan blades, which often occur when birds are ingested into aircraft engines, have been extensively investigated because of their complex loading characteristics. The development of a sub-element level test method is critically needed to simplify the study of impact resistance in fan blades in response to bird strikes and to comprehensively understand the associated damage behavior in composite materials. In this study, a sub-element level test method is proposed to replicate the slicing-loading and surface-traveling impact characteristics of bird strikes, and the impact behavior of carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates across a range of velocities is systematically investigated using experimental and numerical approaches. The developed numerical model was validated to ensure that it accurately predicts and captures multiple deformation and damage modes during the impact event.</div><div>The results reveal three distinct deformation modes of the laminate under bird strike, which lead to different damage modes. The deformation modes of the dominant damage behavior undergo a transition from single to combined effect with the increasing velocity. Analysis of the energy dissipation indicates a shift from predominantly intralaminar damage to a combination of intralaminar and interlaminar damage as the impact velocity increases. Two velocity thresholds were identified based on the correlation between delamination area and impact velocity, and these thresholds provide dual benchmarks for comprehensively evaluating the impact resistance of CFRP laminates. The findings of this study are expected to aid in the design of composite laminates for improved resistance to bird-strike impacts in aircraft applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111498"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145873888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategic structural design of polyimide dielectrics toward superior high-temperature energy storage performance","authors":"Jing Ye ,&nbsp;Ao Xu ,&nbsp;Zhijia Wang ,&nbsp;Hang Luo ,&nbsp;Xiwen Yang ,&nbsp;Sheng Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>All-aromatic polyimide dielectric films will seriously lose their energy storage performance at high temperatures because of high conductive loss caused by the conjugation effect of benzene rings in the backbone and charge transfer effect, especially commercial Kapton film. In order to maintain the low leakage current and energy storage stability of polyimide under high temperature and electric field, a synergistic strategy is employed to synthesize Kapton-based cross-linked dielectric films, involving polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) cross-linked structure and a partial aliphatic structure. The results show that the energy storage performance of cross-linked ternary polyimides is significantly enhanced at room temperature and high temperature due to the construction of a “peak-shaped barrier” that effectively suppresses charge injection and transport. The discharge energy densities at room temperature and 150 °C are 8.01 J/cm³ and 5.04 J/cm³, respectively, which are much higher than those of pure Kapton. This study provides a valuable strategy and insights for the development of polyimide dielectrics with high capacitive properties over a wide temperature range.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 111514"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145922833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}