Diana Rose R. Coronado , Wei-Hsin Chen , Aristotle T. Ubando
{"title":"Advancements in biochar-reinforced 3D printing filaments for material extrusion: A review on material performance, sustainability, and circular economy","authors":"Diana Rose R. Coronado , Wei-Hsin Chen , Aristotle T. Ubando","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2025.100687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2025.100687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Additive manufacturing has emerged as a promising technology in the manufacturing sector. However, challenges in achieving the desired thermal and mechanical performance often result in reliance on fossil-based fillers. Biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from agricultural waste, has gained attention as an eco-friendly additive. Factors influencing the performance of biochar-reinforced polymer composite from conventional manufacturing were obtained and investigated in biochar-reinforced 3D printing filaments. With a relatively new research area, this review synthesizes recent progress and pioneering studies on applying lignocellulosic biochar for 3D printing filament for material extrusion. The parameters identified include biochar feedstock type, production method, loading level, and compatibilizers. Biochar produced at lower temperatures (<500.0 °C) enhances mechanical strength, while higher temperatures (>700.0 °C) improve thermal resistance. Successful biochar loading for 3D printing filament ranges from 0.1 to 0.6 wt% for fruit by-products biochar and up to 50 wt% for wood-derived biochar, with tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus improved by up to 60.0 %, 82 % and 175 %, respectively. Biochar also enhances interfacial bonding with a compatibilizer, with successful biochar loading increased from 0.6 wt% to 1.0 wt%. This review also explores the broader role of biochar-reinforced 3D printing filaments in advancing a circular and carbon-neutral economy, addressing the 6 “R”s of sustainability, alongside economic considerations, including cost-effectiveness and market potential. The discussion highlights the commercial viability of biochar as a filler and its potential to support sustainable, low-impact manufacturing, positioning it as a valuable solution in the transition toward greener production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100687"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The path to virtual testing for certification of large composite wind turbine blades: Challenges, progress and insights","authors":"Rasmus Kaalund Schøn, Andreas Branner, Xiao Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid innovation in wind turbine blade design has resulted in blades that exceed 150 metres in length, this progress has also intensified the challenges associated with traditional blade certification. Full-scale physical testing has become increasingly expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately a barrier to rapid innovation and market entry. These limitations motivate a shift towards virtual testing frameworks capable of delivering reliable, certifiable evidence of structural integrity and reliability of large composite blades. This issue motivates a transition towards virtual testing methods that can provide dependable, certifiable insights. Current certification procedures are reviewed, and the technology readiness to replace physical testing with virtual testing is assessed for both current and emerging technologies. The review finds that several methods are sufficiently mature to support pre-static and static test validations. However, virtual fatigue testing remains a major bottleneck due to the computational resources needed to virtually test such complex fatigue problems with sufficient accuracy and consistency to replace the physical tests. To address these constraints, this work also analysed recent advances in multiscale modelling, probabilistic and data-driven methodologies, and physics-informed neural networks. Although these techniques show strong potential on smaller-scale demonstrations, key challenges — including limited high-quality data, insufficient computational infrastructure, and concerns about model transparency — continue to impede their adoption in full-scale certification. Significant research and development are still required before virtual fatigue testing can replace conventional physical tests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100706"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Numerical nonlinear bending analysis of arbitrary-shaped FG-CNT-reinforced composite plates","authors":"Y. Gholami , R. Ansari , H. Rouhi","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2025.100691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2025.100691","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A unified numerical framework is presented for the nonlinear bending analysis of plates with diverse geometric configurations made of FG CNT-reinforced composite (FGCNTC). The present scheme is based on the variational differential quadrature transform (VDQ-T) method in combination with Reddy’s refined shear-deformation model and incorporating von Kármán-type geometric nonlinearity. The transformation mapping embedded in the VDQ-T enables the same formulation to accommodate any plate geometry or boundary configuration without domain-specific modification. In addition, equations are obtained using a variational principle, and expressed in a compact matrix–vector form, which greatly facilitates numerical implementation and integration with other computational algorithms. The developed approach offers high efficiency and precise convergence relative to standard finite-element methodologies. Numerical results demonstrate the strong impact of CNT dispersion pattern and plate geometry parameters on the deflection and stiffness of FGCNTC plates; CNT‑rich outer surfaces or reduction in plate slenderness yields a noticeable stiffening effect. The present formulation therefore establishes a versatile platform applicable to a wide range of nonlinear analyses of nanocomposite plates with complex geometries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100691"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Process-structure-performance prediction of nanocomposite overwrapped pressure vessels: Manufacturing-driven design","authors":"Lyazid Bouhala, Sébastien Klein, Samet Ozyigit, Abdelghani Laachachi","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work presents a manufacturing-driven multiscale methodology for the design and structural assessment of filament-wound carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) incorporating nano-modified epoxy matrices. The work integrates experimental characterization with predictive modelling in a unified framework. Neat epoxy resins were reinforced with nanosilica and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) using a controlled dispersion protocol. Composite plates were manufactured by filament winding and vacuum curing, then characterized by micro-computed tomography (<span><math><mi>μ</mi></math></span>CT), tensile testing, and three-point bending to evaluate dispersion quality, void content, and mechanical behaviour.</div><div>At the nanoscale, the effective elastic properties of the modified matrices were estimated using Mori–Tanaka homogenization, accounting for filler morphology and voids. These properties were introduced into a microscale finite element homogenization to determine orthotropic lamina properties, which were validated against experimental data. The resulting lamina properties were used to inform filament-winding design and stacking sequence of an 8L Type IV COPV using <span>CADWIND</span>. Manufacturing-consistent layups were exported to <span>ABAQUS</span> for global finite element analysis and burst-pressure prediction using the Hashin failure criterion.</div><div>Comparative simulations performed for the neat and nano-modified composites indicate delayed damage initiation and increased predicted burst resistance for the nanosilica- and GNP-enhanced systems, enabling equivalent performance with reduced laminate thickness. The proposed framework provides a transferable, manufacturing-aware pathway from nano-modified resin development to COPV structural performance assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100711"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lince Mathew Thomas , Sampath Parasuram , Arun Sam Varghese , Jerrin Joy Varughese , Manobalan S․ , Suryasarathi Bose , Sumangala T․ P․ , Sreekanth M․ S․
{"title":"Epoxy vitrimer based nanocomposites for EMI shielding: Integrating reprocessability, self-healing, and machine learning predictions","authors":"Lince Mathew Thomas , Sampath Parasuram , Arun Sam Varghese , Jerrin Joy Varughese , Manobalan S․ , Suryasarathi Bose , Sumangala T․ P․ , Sreekanth M․ S․","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100712","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100712","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid evolution of electronic technologies necessitates multifunctional polymeric materials capable of offering robust electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, with mechanical durability, reprocessability and self-healing. The investigation utilized, epoxy vitrimer nanocomposites reinforced with electrically conductive multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and magnetic cobalt ferrite (CoFe) nanoparticles to engineer high-performance, reprocessable EMI shielding materials. The vitrimer matrix, synthesized using diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 4-aminophenyl disulfide (4-AFD), was optimized to incorporate dynamic covalent disulfide bonds enabling thermal reprocessability, self-healing, and solvent resistance. A fixed MWCNTs content of 0.2 wt% established as the electrical percolation threshold was utilized to ensure a conductive network, while magnetic CoFe content was systematically varied from 0 to 20 wt%. The synergistic interplay between the conductive and magnetic fillers resulted in an optimal shielding effectiveness (SE<sub>T</sub>) of -18.4 dB at 0.2 wt% MWCNTs and 15 wt% CoFe, primarily governed by absorption losses due to interfacial polarisation and multiple scattering. Mechanical and thermal analyses demonstrated a balanced trade-off between stiffness and toughness, with enhanced thermal stability, and reprocessability. Furthermore, machine learning (Random Forest) and deep learning (DNN with Adam optimiser) models were deployed to accurately predict the tensile properties and shielding effectiveness, offering a data-driven framework for design optimisation. The developed vitrimer composites also exhibited excellent solvent resistance and self-healing capability, underscoring their potential for sustainable, high-performance EMI shielding applications in aerospace, electronics, and defence industries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100712"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recycled composite materials from plastic parts of end-of-life vehicles mixed with recycled carbon fiber from automotive manufacturing waste","authors":"Nuttakorn Wongkhuenkaew, Ponlapath Tipboonsri, Supaaek Pramoonmak, Boonsong Chongkolnee, Anin Memon","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The production of virgin carbon fiber (vCF) is an energy-intensive process. The recycled carbon fiber (rCF) plays a crucial role by reducing energy consumption, lowering environmental impact, and promoting circularity within the composite materials industry. This study explores the recycling potential of prepreg carbon fiber waste and discarded automotive bumpers for producing composites from waste. The CFRP waste was recycled through a controlled thermal process and the resulting weight loss behavior obtained via a muffle furnace was evaluated using a design of experiments and analysis of variance. Optimization identified 500 °C with a 60 min holding time as the most effective condition, yielding clean rCF with minimal degradation and a residual mass of approximately 51.74 wt.%. The rCF was compounded with shredded car bumper at 0, 5, and 10 wt.% fiber contents. Incorporation of 10 wt.% rCF increased the tensile strength from 14.12 MPa to 19.40 MPa (+37.4%) and the flexural strength from 23.72 MPa to 29.12 MPa (+22.6%), whereas impact strength decreased from 269.12 J/m to 66.11 J/m (−75.4%) due to reduced energy absorption. The 5 wt.% rCF composites exhibited the highest tensile modulus of 0.69 GPa, indicating superior stiffness, while the 10 wt.% rCF composites demonstrated a slightly lower modulus of 0.53 GPa (−23.2%) but higher strength and hardness, suitable for load-bearing and wear-resistant applications. These results demonstrate that both CFRP and automotive plastic wastes can be effectively recycled into value added composites with tunable mechanical properties, supporting the circular economy and reducing energy intensive vCF.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100696"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Improved properties of high-density polyethylene by integrating high content of bio-fillers based on green nanolignin for applications in plastic industry","authors":"Olalla. Sanchez-Sobrado , Alexander F. Tiniakos , Rebeca. Abalde , Marisol. Rivas , Alexios. Grigoropoulos , Angeliki. Nikolaou , Alexandros. Zoikis-Karathanasis , Ioanna. Deligkiozi , Ricardo. Losada","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2025.100688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2025.100688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A study on the processability and physical and mechanical properties of different thermoplastic-based green nanocomposite materials for applications in injection processes is presented: commercial high-density polyethylene acting as the polymeric matrix and high contents of two types of modified nanolignins serving as bio-based fillers. It is a novel procedure to obtain good dispersibility of high loadings of bio-fillers in polyethylene which is difficult to achieve according to literature. The inclusion of green fillers brings property enhancements that are normally seen with expensive nanofillers like carbon nanotubes or graphene: improvement of mechanical properties while keeping good thermal stability and antioxidant properties has been obtained. To compare the effect of the inclusion of the two different nanofillers at 15, 25 and 35 % wt loadings on the characteristics of polyethylene, physical, mechanical, and morphological tests were performed. Injection pellets were fabricated and used to fabricate coupons to evaluate the mechanical features by performing both flexural and tensile tests. Remarkable enhancements (up to 60 % with respect to the neat polymer) of certain mechanical properties were observed for composites with 35 % wt loading of nanofillers. Moreover, investigating the effect of the bio-based nanolignins inclusion at high loadings on both crystallization and melting temperature suggested the robust thermal stability of the presented composites. As nanolignin is a renewable filler-type, it will bring properties like low-cost, low toxicity and partially replace petroleum-based stabilizers or other additives. Polyethylene with nanolignin becomes a “partially bio-based” high-performance material without changing the polymer backbone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100688"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mehdi Dehghani , Gholamreza Pircheraghi , Seyed Hassan Jafari
{"title":"The role of graphene nanoplatelets and carbon black hybrid fillers on rheological and mechanical properties and sagging behavior of high-density polyethylene nanocomposite","authors":"Mehdi Dehghani , Gholamreza Pircheraghi , Seyed Hassan Jafari","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100710","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100710","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbon black (CB) is widely employed in high-density polyethylene (PE100) pipe-grade materials to mitigate ultraviolet (UV) degradation. However, the melt-state and solid-state properties of polymer nanocomposites are highly sensitive to the dispersion state of their constituents. This study investigates the effect of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as secondary nanofillers in PE100/CB systems, with particular emphasis on melt sagging behavior governed by creeping flow. Two types of GNPs—few-layer graphene (FLG) and multi-layer graphene (MLG)—were incorporated to form hybrid nanocomposites with total filler contents of 2.25 wt.% (1.95 wt.% CB + 0.3 wt.% GNPs) and 2.55 wt.% (2.25 wt.% CB + 0.3 wt.% GNPs). Morphological observations using optical microscopy (OM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that FLG, characterized by a higher structural defect density, achieved superior dispersion, whereas MLG showed a limited ability to disrupt CB agglomerates within the PE100 matrix. Rheological characterization, including small-amplitude oscillatory shear, shear-induced time-dependent measurements, and melt creep tests, demonstrated that FLG-containing hybrids exhibit enhanced melt viscosity and increased resistance to creep flow. Consequently, the addition of 0.3wt.% FLG caused a reduction in the sag index by up to 31.16% in compared with 2.25wt.% CB-filled systems. Tensile testing showed that FLG incorporation leads to slight improvements in break-point properties (e.g., a 14.6% increase in elongation at break for the 2.55 wt.% filled samples). This behavior is attributed to reduced stress concentration sites resulting from improved filler dispersion in the amorphous phase. These results demonstrate that CB/FLG hybridization provides an effective materials-based strategy for improving sagging resistance in PE100 while maintaining mechanical integrity</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100710"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lixiang Yang , Huachuang Wen , Zhaohui Liu , Liangyu Hu , Wei Huang , Salim Belouettar , Heng Hu
{"title":"Design and implementation of a textile meso-scale geometry modeling module within an open-source FEM platform (OPFEM)","authors":"Lixiang Yang , Huachuang Wen , Zhaohui Liu , Liangyu Hu , Wei Huang , Salim Belouettar , Heng Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Meso-scale geometric modeling of fibrous textiles is essential for multiscale analysis of fiber-reinforced composites, yet existing studies have paid limited attention to software architecture and extensibility. In this work, a textile meso-scale geometry modeling module is developed within the open-source finite element platform OPFEM, with a focus on modular and decoupled software design. The modeling workflow is organized into topology, path, cross-section, and geometry sublayers, coordinated through a document-centered mechanism to enable a coherent transition from weaving topology to three-dimensional yarn geometry. Representative textile models are constructed to verify the functionality of the module, which provides a scalable foundation for future extensions toward more complex textile architectures and integrated simulation workflows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100713"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Morteza Saadatmorad , Nicholas Fantuzzi , Pietro Russo
{"title":"Introducing Legendre wavelet functions for damage detection in laminated composite beams","authors":"Morteza Saadatmorad , Nicholas Fantuzzi , Pietro Russo","doi":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcomc.2026.100700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper introduces Legendre wavelets as a novel wavelet type and explores their effectiveness in detecting damage in carbon-epoxy composite beams. These wavelets are generated by differentiating the first derivative of Legendre functions on a ten-digit grid using finite difference methods, resulting in three versions with seven, five, and three sampling points. The Legendre wavelet functions with five and three sampling points are computed. Carbon-epoxy laminated composite beam mode shapes serve as the input signal for a Legendre wavelet transform. Numerical and experimental studies validate the practical applicability of these wavelets for damage detection. Results demonstrate that all Legendre wavelet functions are suitable for damage detection in laminated composite beams. Especially, those derived from higher-degree Legendre polynomials exhibit superior performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34525,"journal":{"name":"Composites Part C Open Access","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100700"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}