{"title":"Physical crosslinking optimized high-temperature capacitive energy storage of polyetherimide nanocomposites with ultralow C60 particles","authors":"Wenjie Huang , Mengyu Xiao , Baoquan Wan , Zhonghua Xiang , Yuchao Li , Yong Chae Jung , Jun-Wei Zha","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111194","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The extreme operating environments of film capacitors have created an urgent need for a new generation of polymer dielectric materials. Polymer-based composites are a more efficient option in terms of outstanding performance and large-scale industrialized production. Herein, C<sub>60</sub> is selected as a functional filler to be combined with commercial polyetherimide (PEI) through electrostatic interactions to construct polymer nanocomposites (C<sub>60</sub>/PEI). Ultralow-filled C<sub>60</sub>/PEI nanocomposites achieve the comprehensive improvement of electrical, thermal and mechanical performance due to the physical cross-linking points acted by C<sub>60</sub> particles. C<sub>60</sub> shows a strong ability to inhibit electron transfer due to the unique zero-dimensional cage structure and high electron affinity, which reduces the conduction loss at high temperatures. Theoretical and experimental results show that the introduction of trace amounts of C<sub>60</sub> particles into PEIs constructs stable carrier traps and significantly improves the high-temperature energy storage characteristics. The dielectric permittivity and breakdown strength are increased from 3.24 to 447 MV/m for PEI to 3.45 and 520 MV/m for the optimal C<sub>60</sub>/PEI nanocomposite at 150 °C, respectively. Consequently, the optimal C<sub>60</sub>/PEI nanocomposite achieves a discharged energy density (<em>U</em><sub>d</sub>) of 3.69 J/cm<sup>3</sup> at 150 °C, which is higher than 2.65 J/cm<sup>3</sup> of PEI. This provides a convenient and effective strategy to synergistically improve the comprehensive performance of polymer nanocomposite films for high-temperature energy storage applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 111194"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143852039","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}
Yubo Wang , Yiqing Xue , Yinfeng Wang , Bo Yuan , Yi Zheng , Wenyan Liang , Yongyang Sun , Xin Sui
{"title":"Multi-response controllable microstructured superhydrophobic surfaces for full-process dynamic anti-icing and de-icing","authors":"Yubo Wang , Yiqing Xue , Yinfeng Wang , Bo Yuan , Yi Zheng , Wenyan Liang , Yongyang Sun , Xin Sui","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111183","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111183","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A series of microstructured superhydrophobic surfaces prepared by biomimicry exhibit unique advantages in the field of anti-icing/de-icing. However, the synergistic effect between microstructural morphology modulation and functional composites, as well as the mechanism of influence on anti-icing/de-icing in different low-temperature environments remain to be explored. Here, leveraging the shape memory effect and electrothermal/photothermal response characteristics of composite materials, a synergistic anti-icing/de-icing system integrating passive anti-icing mechanisms with active de-icing strategies has been systematically investigated. The dynamic impact behaviours of droplets at different temperatures and microstructural morphology were investigated. Elucidating the mechanisms of electrothermal/photothermal response and microstructural morphology transformation. Modulation of droplet impact behavior to avoid ice formation, reduction of surface heat transfer efficiency to delay the icing process, and decrease of ice adhesion to achieve removal of surface-coated ice. Combining the electrothermal/photothermal responsiveness of the substrate functional materials and the reversible conversion properties of the surface microstructure, it provides a new idea for the research of full-process, intelligent-response anti-icing/de-icing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 111183"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848370","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 unified approach to the effect of in-plane biaxial loading on delamination progression in laminated composite structures","authors":"S.H. Taghavian, A.R. Ghasemi","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111185","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111185","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a comprehensive numerical and experimental investigation of delamination progression in thin composite laminates subjected to in-plane biaxial tensile loading. Utilizing the full layerwise plate theory and an interface element approach, a dedicated computational framework was developed to simulate the growth behavior of delaminated regions. To experimentally validate the numerical predictions, a custom-designed biaxial loading frame was fabricated, enabling controlled biaxial tensile testing. Load-displacement curves were recorded, and delamination propagation was monitored using thermographic imaging for composite laminates with various stacking sequences. The numerical and experimental results demonstrate a strong dependence of delamination behavior on laminate geometric parameters. The findings highlight that delaminated regions of relatively large dimensions significantly affect the structural integrity of specimens under biaxial tensile loading. Moreover, the study reveals that the sensitivity of composites to delamination under biaxial tensile loading is considerably different from that observed in other loading scenarios, such as buckling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 111185"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848457","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 machine learning-based prediction of biaxial failure envelope of a short fiber-reinforced polymer composite","authors":"Subrat Kumar Maharana , Ganesh Soni , Mira Mitra","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Short-fiber reinforced polymer composites (SFRPs) consist of short and discontinuous fibers dispersed in polymer matrices. This study presents the determination of biaxial failure envelope of an SFRP specimen using an artificial neural network (ANN). The failure envelope defines the decision boundary under biaxial loading stress, distinguishing stress states inside as survival and outside as failure. The complex modeling and the high cost associated with the FE-analysis of SFRPs make the determination of the failure envelope computationally expensive. This study uses an ANN as a surrogate model to predict the biaxial failure envelopes of an SFRP specimen. The failure envelopes used for training and testing the ANN model are extracted for the SFRP specimen using a two-step homogenization, employing the first pseudo-grain failure model. The database is supplemented with experimental data from biaxial tests and FE analysis results available in the literature. An elastoplastic polymer matrix dispersed with short elastic fibers is taken for analysis. The strength parameters of the fiber and matrix and the geometrical parameters of the microstructure are varied over a range to develop a dataset for ANN training. The failure envelopes are predicted for two different unseen SFRPs using the ANN model. The ANN predictions are compared with the simulation and experimental results reported in the literature. Additionally, a parametric study is performed to investigate the effect of the key parameters of the SFRP, such as the volume fraction, aspect ratio, and orientation of the fiber.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 111176"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844246","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":"Designing Microcapsules/Ti3C2Tx MXene-based composite fabric coatings for human moist-heat monitoring and management","authors":"Yunyi Guo, Fanrong Sun, Ajiao Zhao, Kunlin Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111186","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111186","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Humidity monitoring plays a crucial role in human health monitoring by enabling real-time tracking of human skin's sweating conditions. However, traditional humidity-sensing fabrics are limited in their ability to achieve coordinated regulation and effective management of both humidity and heat in practical applications. In this study, a microcapsule/Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub>-based composite fabric coating is designed by combining phase-change microcapsules with Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> nanosheets through electrostatic attraction, further incorporating hydrophilic polyacrylate. The incorporation of microcapsules effectively enhances the specific surface area and expands the moisture adsorption channels. Within a relative humidity range of 11–97 %, the sensitivity of the coated fabric can reach an impressive 1619 %. Additionally, the coated fabric maintains excellent breathability (>500 mm/s), facilitating sweat evaporation. The integration of phase-change materials further equips the fabric with thermal management capabilities, enabling it to regulate skin temperature by absorbing and releasing heat during sweat evaporation. The practicality of the coated fabric is further assessed using the wet cup method to simulate skin sweating, during which changes in humidity and temperature are recorded throughout the heating and cooling processes. Consequently, the developed coating demonstrates high sensitivity, effective moist-heat management, and comfort, offering innovative ideas and strategies for the design of humidity-monitoring textiles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 111186"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834318","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}
Zaiping Zou , Jiajun Li , Yingsheng Lai , Mao Chen , Yinyu Zhang , Yeping Wu , Xiuli Zhao , Zhongtao Chen
{"title":"Highly sensitive mechanochromism and high-contrast multicolor switching in epoxy nanocomposites for stress visualization and damage monitoring","authors":"Zaiping Zou , Jiajun Li , Yingsheng Lai , Mao Chen , Yinyu Zhang , Yeping Wu , Xiuli Zhao , Zhongtao Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111184","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111184","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Epoxy resins are widely used in coatings and composites due to their excellent comprehensive properties, but they also present new challenges in stress sensing and damage detection. Mechanochromism, which implies that a material can change color in response to mechanical stimulation, could be a potential tool to solve this problem. However, researches on mechanochromic polymers have primarily focused on elastomers and gels. For rigid epoxy thermosets, it is still difficult to achieve significant mechanochromism, let alone multicolor changes under different mechanical stimuli. In this study, SiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles (NPs) are introduced into a rhodamine (Rh)-modified epoxy system to improve its mechanochromic response. When the nanocomposite is mechanically stimulated, concentrated stress around the heterogeneous interfaces induces massive ring-opening reactions of Rh in these areas, resulting in a vivid red color change. In addition, direct observation of the stress-concentration effect near the rigid particles is realized by using the visualization properties of the Rh moiety, and combined with finite element analysis to elucidate the enhancement mechanism of the mechanochromism. Furthermore, how the NPs affect multicolor mechanochromism of epoxy thermosets is also investigated. Nanocomposites with two different mechanochromophores exhibit stress- and time-dependent five-color variations due to the different activation of the Rh and disulfide moieties, whereas samples without NPs only show a triple-color change with lower contrast. This strategy is suitable for use in practical applications owning to its ability to display the stress intensity and stress history of a material through high-contrast multicolor switching. Several proof-of-concept scenarios are presented.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 111184"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844844","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}
Chaoyue Chen , Peng Wang , Weiqiang Hong , Xiaowen Zhu , Jianhong Hao , Congguang He , Hao Hou , Deli Kong , Tianqi Liu , Yunong Zhao , Xiaohui Guo
{"title":"Arch-inspired flexible dual-mode sensor with ultra-high linearity based on carbon nanomaterials/conducting polymer composites for bioelectronic monitoring and thermal perception","authors":"Chaoyue Chen , Peng Wang , Weiqiang Hong , Xiaowen Zhu , Jianhong Hao , Congguang He , Hao Hou , Deli Kong , Tianqi Liu , Yunong Zhao , Xiaohui Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111182","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111182","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the rapid development of nanocomposites-based wearable electronic devices, there has been a significant increase in demand for flexible strain sensors capable of detecting mechanical force and temperature. Currently, the high linearity and wide sensing range of strain sensors are difficult to achieve. Herein, a flexible strain/temperature sensor (FSTS) is developed based on arch-inspired bionic structure and multi-walled carbon nanotubes/carbon black/polyaniline/silicone rubber nanocomposites. The prepared FSTS has both strain and temperature sensing capabilities. It functions as a FSTS with a high sensitivity of 3.432 and an ultra-low lower limit of detection (0.1 % strain). The wide linear detection range (0–190 % strain range) and ultra-high linearity (0.996) are realized simultaneously. These properties are attributed to arch-like fingerprint structure and multi-dimensional mixed materials. In addition, the designed FSTS has a resistive temperature coefficient of up to 57.301, a linearity of 0.999 over an ultra-wide temperature range (25–120 °C), and fine repeatability. Due to its improved sensing capabilities, FSTS can be applied to recognize sign language movements and intelligently temperature monitoring. This work introduces a novel approach to consider both linearity and sensing range, which has the potential to accelerate the development of composites-based strain sensor.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 111182"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143855889","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}
Yuanlong Meng , Jieyu Xue , Weizhen Huang , Liping Liu , Yuanrong Ding , Xuhong Yang , Zhou Chen , Yong Yang
{"title":"Aramid nanofibers/polyimide aerogel with multi-dimensional structure for noise reduction and thermal insulation","authors":"Yuanlong Meng , Jieyu Xue , Weizhen Huang , Liping Liu , Yuanrong Ding , Xuhong Yang , Zhou Chen , Yong Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111181","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111181","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Noise pollution poses a significant impact on both physical and mental health of humans. Traditional acoustic materials often enhance their performance by increasing their weight, which is incompatible with the requirements of lightweight design. In this study, aramid nanofiber (ANF) is synthesized via using electrospinning, and a blend of polyimide (PI) precursor solution and ANFs are utilized to facilitate the self-assembly of ANF/PI aerogel (APA). By adjusting the content of ANFs and PI, porous network structures are achieved without augmenting the overall density, while maintaining a superior sound absorption performance. Notably, APA exhibits a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of 0.53 and a sound transmission loss (STL) of 14 dB at 6300 Hz. Furthermore, the incorporation of ANFs and PI provides the aerogels with robust mechanical and physical properties, including only 10 % plastic deformation after 300 compression cycles, exceptional hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 139°, and low thermal conductivity of 0.0343 W m<sup>−1</sup> K<sup>−1</sup> at room temperature. This research presents a feasible design approach for the creation of lightweight, efficient, and multifunctional ANF/PI aerogels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 111181"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143816827","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}
Ehsan Ghane , Martin Fagerström , Mohsen Mirkhalaf
{"title":"Multi-fidelity data fusion for inelastic woven composites: Combining recurrent neural networks with transfer learning","authors":"Ehsan Ghane , Martin Fagerström , Mohsen Mirkhalaf","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111163","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111163","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Surrogate deep learning models provide an efficient solution for reducing the computational demands of homogenizing complex meso-scale woven composites to study their elasto-plastic mechanical behaviors. This research introduces a comprehensive framework using transfer learning that combines data from a mean-field homogenization approach with high-fidelity full-field simulations. In a design space characterized by diverse loading conditions and micro-scale constitutive material properties, the goal is to address the challenges of generating sufficient datasets for training a data-hungry gated recurrent neural network (GRU). Multiple datasets of varying precision are generated and used, containing multi-axial stress–strain responses under two load types: random walking and proportional cyclic loading. Moreover, this study emphasizes the importance of temporal correlations in the dataset, which align with the physically path-dependent behavior of most non-linear materials, and demonstrates that temporal correlations are crucial for training time-series models. These correlations also provide the foundation for data augmentation using a linear interpolation technique within time-series stress analyses, enabling accurate predictions of homogenized meso-scale stresses based on strain trajectories and microstructural properties. Results demonstrate that integrating transfer learning with neural networks successfully incorporates a limited number of high-fidelity data with more accessible but low-fidelity data. With this framework, surrogate models for predicting the complex behavior of woven composites will be accurate and efficient, marking an important advancement in material modeling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"267 ","pages":"Article 111163"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143828708","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 structure-integrated nanocomposite sensor system capable of simultaneous measurement of omnidirectional strain and temperature","authors":"Sumin Lee, Jeonyoon Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111165","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2025.111165","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Strain-based structural health monitoring (SHM) systems are widely used for composite structures, given the unpredictable failure mechanisms associated with their heterogeneous nature. However, conventional strain sensors are constrained by their unidirectional sensitivity and their inability to differentiate strain from temperature effects without additional sensors, leading to complex configurations and extensive wiring. To overcome these limitations, a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based omnidirectional sensing system was developed as a structurally integrated nanocomposite surfacing layer for composite structures. This novel sensor system enables the detection of strain in all directions using a single nanocomposite sensor, while simultaneously measuring temperature to isolate its effects. Experimental results demonstrated that the sensor accurately measured the full in-plane strain tensor under tensile loading, closely aligning with reference data from a 3-element strain gauge rosette. It also exhibited high temperature accuracy, with a maximum error of 0.3%. By reducing the number of required sensors and wiring while maintaining precise measurements, this nanocomposite sensor system significantly simplifies SHM configurations. These findings underscore the potential of the CNT-based sensing system as a streamlined, efficient solution for aerospace and other advanced applications requiring reliable, multi-functional SHM systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 111165"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143807908","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}