Xiaonan Wang, Yiwei Ouyang, Yiran Han, Xin Sun, Xiaoke Huang, Yang Liu, Xiaozhou Gong
{"title":"Effect of Lay-up Structures on Mechanical Properties of Yarn-Level Wrapped Flax/Basalt Woven Hybrid PLA Thermoplastic Composites","authors":"Xiaonan Wang, Yiwei Ouyang, Yiran Han, Xin Sun, Xiaoke Huang, Yang Liu, Xiaozhou Gong","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10465-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10465-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To investigate the regulatory effect of lay-up structures on the mechanical properties of yarn-level wrapped flax/basalt hybrid polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic composites, four types of composites with different lay-up structures were prepared. Their properties were systematically characterized through bending, tensile, and low-velocity impact tests, combined with fracture morphology analysis, to reveal the regulatory mechanism. The results showed that the pure basalt lay-up (B/B/B/B) exhibited the best strength (bending strength: 106.1 MPa; tensile strength: 19.16 MPa) but lacked sufficient toughness, while the pure flax lay-up (F/F/F/F) demonstrated excellent toughness but relatively low strength. The B/F/B/F alternating lay-up achieved the optimal overall performance, with a 201.9% increase in bending strength to 70.53 MPa compared to F/F/F/F, and a peak force of 1158.2 N under a 5 J impact. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (<i>p</i> < 0.01) confirmed that the lay-up structure had a highly significant regulatory effect. A rational alternating lay-up design can balance the strength and toughness of the material, providing theoretical support for the structural design and engineering applications of high-performance green composites.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147636921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Garam Kim, Rishabh Pammi, Guyuan Zhang, Waterloo Tsutsui
{"title":"Compression Properties and Impact Energy Absorption of Carbon Fiber-reinforced Composite Honeycomb Core","authors":"Garam Kim, Rishabh Pammi, Guyuan Zhang, Waterloo Tsutsui","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10466-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10466-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigated the compression behavior and impact energy absorption characteristics of a carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced composite honeycomb core. Composite sandwich structures are widely used in the aerospace and automotive industries because of their high strength-to-weight ratios. While conventional honeycomb cores such as aluminum and meta-aramid paper are commonly used, they present challenges such as corrosion, moisture absorption, and limitations in achieving higher strength-to-weight ratios. To address these issues, a CF-reinforced composite honeycomb core was designed, fabricated, and experimentally evaluated. Corrugated CF composite sheets were manufactured using CF composite prepreg by compression molding and then bonded with adhesive to form the honeycomb core. Composite face sheets were attached to the top and bottom surfaces using a film adhesive to create sandwich structures, which were subsequently machined to appropriate sizes for compression and impact testing. Comparative analysis with conventional meta-aramid paper and aluminum core specimens showed that the CF composite honeycomb core demonstrated superior performance in terms of compression modulus, compressive strength, and strength-to-weight ratio. Additionally, the CF core showed enhanced impact energy absorption, as indicated by higher peak load, reduced indentation depth, and smaller damage extent around the impact site.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10443-026-10466-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147637014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Artem Chystiakov, Osama A. Q. Ziada, Sheikh Ali Ahmed, Janka Kovacikova
{"title":"Experimental Evaluation of Characteristics in Large-Scale 3D-Printed Structures from Wood-Based Polymer Composites","authors":"Artem Chystiakov, Osama A. Q. Ziada, Sheikh Ali Ahmed, Janka Kovacikova","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10457-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10457-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the mechanical and physical properties of a wood-based polymer composite DuraSense® 3D S50 Flex K to enhance its potential in large-scale additive manufacturing by studying the influence of printing orientation on the mechanical characteristics of the product. To assess performance, the specimens were produced with different printing layer orientations: at 0°, 30°, 45°, and 90° to the sample length, which corresponds to load application during the tests. Tensile strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, hardness, water absorption, thermophysical properties and microstructure were determined for the samples. The 0° specimens exhibited the highest tensile (15.39 MPa) and flexural strength (26.05 MPa), while the 90° orientation specimens showed reductions in strength of 72% and 69%, respectively. The modulus of elasticity also decreased by 71% at 90°, confirming anisotropy. Additional tests revealed a Brinell hardness of 179.9 N/mm<sup>2</sup>, a water absorption of 19.75%, with minimal dimensional change, and a thermal conductivity of 0.1553 W/m·K. Microscopic analysis showed porosity and uneven fibre distribution, indicating the need for composite optimisation. These findings confirm the importance of orientation-aware design in large-scale additive manufacturing and provide the background for future work focusing on the development of printing strategies and computational modelling to enhance print quality, interlayer adhesion, and performance in applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10443-026-10457-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ping Liu, Yujun Su, Shuaihang Liu, Lihua Pu, Yuan Li
{"title":"Refined Modeling and Damage Behavior of Honeycomb Sandwich Structure with Insert Under Pull-out and Shear Loading","authors":"Ping Liu, Yujun Su, Shuaihang Liu, Lihua Pu, Yuan Li","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10454-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10454-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The paper studies the damage initiation and evolution of composite honeycomb sandwich structures with inserts subjected to pull-out and shear loadings by a combination of experimental and numerical methods. The mechanical responses, including load-displacement curves, were obtained through pull-out tests, and detailed damage analysis was conducted using 3D X-ray scanning technology. A damage model based on macro-failure theory and cohesive behavior was used to predict the mechanical behavior of the composite face sheets, and an equivalent thick orthotropic plate model based on sandwich panel theory was employed to model the honeycomb core. The experimental and numerical results show good agreement, demonstrating that the established refined finite element model of the honeycomb sandwich insert structure possesses high-precision damage prediction capability. Simulation results reveal that under pull-out loading, the damage in odd layers is primarily concentrated in the upper-right sector of the region, while even layers exhibit damage in the lower-left sector. Fsurthermore, the honeycomb core develops damage along a 45° direction driven by a buckling-shear-slip mechanism. Under shear loading, the strain concentration in the insert region leads to local bending of the honeycomb walls, and the damage expands from the region toward the free edges along the transverse direction until the final collapse.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Oluwafemi P. Akinmolayan, Muhammad Ali Bablu, James M. Manimala
{"title":"Digital Image Analytics for Evaluation of Nanoparticle Impregnation in Woven Fabrics","authors":"Oluwafemi P. Akinmolayan, Muhammad Ali Bablu, James M. Manimala","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10458-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10458-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Surface and infiltrating treatments (impregnation) of woven fabrics using nanoparticles have been proven to improve their mechanical, optical, and aesthetic performance in diverse applications. The accuracy, uniformity, and repeatability of the nanoparticle impregnation process determine the quality of the functionalities bestowed on such flexible hybrid composites. Current evaluation techniques like various types of spectroscopy or microscopy are either resource-intensive or are practical only for very small sample sizes. Therefore, there is a critical need for a fast, full-field, cost-effective, non-destructive and reliable technique to evaluate the impregnation quality for woven fabrics. To this end, the development of a new approach using digital image analytics (DIA) to evaluate the uniformity and accuracy of nanoparticle impregnation in woven fabrics is explored in this study. In this study, the impregnation of 80 nm spherical silica nanoparticles into Kevlar 29 style 745 fabric is considered as the test case for all treatment levels. Three trackable heuristic markers are identified from grayscale value histograms of digital images to extract statistically-relevant data sets for neat and treated samples that enable correlation with nanoparticle impregnation. Heuristic feature shifts in grayscale value histograms and spatial frequency profiling correlate with different treatment levels, serving as quantitative metrics to assess uniformity and accuracy of nanoparticle impregnation in the fabric. Further, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are used to validate the predictions from DIA, thus demonstrating its capability to act as a powerful new tool to evaluate hybrid materials that are seeing greater use in modern technologies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Davood Peyrow Hedayati, Rafael Schelkow, Michael Kucher, Robert Böhm
{"title":"Mechanical- Electrostatic Sequential Interaction Modeling in Structural Supercapacitors","authors":"Davood Peyrow Hedayati, Rafael Schelkow, Michael Kucher, Robert Böhm","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10452-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10452-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Structural Supercapacitors (SSCs) are multifunctional carbon fiber-reinforced composites that combine mechanical load-bearing capacity with energy storage functionality. However, the interplay between mechanical deformation and electrostatic charge storage remains insufficiently understood. This study presents a quasi-static finite element sequential interaction modeling framework to investigate electro-mechanical phenomena at the microscale in SSCs. By explicitly excluding the Electric Double Layer (EDL) physics, the model focuses on how compressive stress influences the bulk electrostatic field distribution within a representative fiber-electrolyte architecture. This approach serves as a geometric benchmark to isolate first-order effects. Results reveal a deformation-induced evolution of electric field distribution, particularly near fiber-separator line interfaces, which in turn affects the local charge storage behavior. Although the overall capacitance is largely retained under compressive deformation, minor variations arise due to small changes in fiber proximity and the mechanism termed Geometric Electrostatic Screening. Parametric studies demonstrate that fiber volume fraction and spatial arrangement play a significant role in the capacitance, with optimized geometries enabling up to 20% improvement in charge storage. Furthermore, extending electrode length in the fiber-aligned direction enhances capacitance more effectively than increasing thickness due to electrostatic screening effects. This framework provides insights into the interplay between structural geometry and electrostatic performance, serving as a basis for the design of high-performance multifunctional composites.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10443-026-10452-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A High-Fidelity Numerical Study of Trans-Laminar Fracture in Carbon/Epoxy Laminates Under Varying Environmental Conditions","authors":"Xiaodong Xu, Supratik Mukhopadhyay","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10463-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10463-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper focuses on trans-laminar fracture process under varying environmental conditions which is crucial for the design and certification of many modern engineering applications. High-fidelity Finite Element (FE) models are developed for predicting trans-laminar fracture of a quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy laminate under room temperature dry, and for the first time hot temperature wet conditions. Such FE modelling of ASTM E1922 specimens has not been done before. The FE models in ABAQUS Explicit employ a Weibull failure criterion for fibre fracture and cohesive surfaces for sub-critical damage to explain the complex trans-laminar fracture process. It successfully captures the toughening mechanisms, which are further enhanced by increased sub-critical damage under hot temperature wet conditions. This can finally be confirmed by the current models which addresses some limitations of ASTM E1922 e.g. a limited ligament length and the tendency of having premature compressive failure at the specimen rear end.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10443-026-10463-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guang Yang, Hong Xiao, Hongwei Guo, Yue Bai, Yuqi Li, Rongqiang Liu
{"title":"A Smooth Shear-Deformable Pre-Stretched Skin: Design and Mechanical Analysis","authors":"Guang Yang, Hong Xiao, Hongwei Guo, Yue Bai, Yuqi Li, Rongqiang Liu","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10450-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10450-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In shear variable-sweep wings, conventional skins cannot sustain smooth deformation.In order to maintain the aerodynamic shape of a shear variable swept-back wing, this paper is devoted to the development of a pre-stretched flexible skin. The skin can maintain smooth deformation during shear deformation and withstand aerodynamic loads through pre-stretching. The pre-stretched flexible skin includes two parts: a pre-stretched silicone rubber surface that can be smoothly and continuously sheared and a carbon fiber support structure that can bear the aerodynamic load. Based on the buckling theory and Hamilton’s principle, the mathematical model is developed for the critical shear angle, out-of-plane stiffness and shear-driving force of pre-stretched flexible skins with the in-plane shear loading and aerodynamic loading. A systematic comparison between the theoretical solutions and the numerical simulation results is carried out to validate the excellent accuracy and reliability of the numerical evaluations. The effects of geometric parameters on the out-of-plane stiffness, shear-driving force and critical shear angle of pre-stretched flexible skins are systematically studied. The results show that this pre-stretched flexible skin has better aerodynamic performance.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. L. Xu, J. Xu, Y. Cai, T. Yang, L. X. He, K. Li, R. C. Pan, L. F. Tang, S. N. Luo
{"title":"Shock Compression and Spall Damage in CF/GF-Reinforced PEEK Composites","authors":"J. L. Xu, J. Xu, Y. Cai, T. Yang, L. X. He, K. Li, R. C. Pan, L. F. Tang, S. N. Luo","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10462-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10462-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Dynamic response of fiber-reinforced composites is of increasing basic and applied interest. Plate impact experiments are conducted on polyether ether ketone (PEEK) composites reinforced with carbon fibers (CFs) and glass fibers (GFs). The spallation behavior and interfacial failure mechanisms of CF/GF-reinforced PEEK composites under impact loading are investigated for the first time. Hugoniot equations of state and spall strength, concerning high-pressure shock compression and high-strain-rate tension, are derived from free-surface velocity measurements. Spall strength of the PEEK-CF composite exceeds that of PEEK-GF due to its larger fiber length and stronger interfacial bonding; the fiber-matrix interfaces in the composites give rise to their reduced spall strength compared to pure PEEK. As impact velocity increases, spall strength for both the composites first increases and subsequently decreases due to the competing effects of shock-induced heating and strain-rate hardening. Crack nucleation and propagation depends on interface strength, fiber length and fiber orientation. This study contributes to the understanding of the connections between fiber-matrix interfacial bonding and the dynamic mechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced PEEK composites, and it is helpful for the development and optimization of these materials in protective and structural engineering applications.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fatigue Crack Growth Curves for Material Selection, Design and Service-Life Studies of Carbon-Fibre Reinforced-Plastic Composites: Effect of Test Temperature and R-ratio","authors":"A. J. Brunner, R. Jones, Anthony J. Kinloch","doi":"10.1007/s10443-026-10461-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10443-026-10461-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The growth of cracks between plies, i.e. delaminations, in continuous fibre polymer matrix composites under cyclic-fatigue loading in operational aircraft structures has always been a very important factor, which has the potential to significantly decrease the service life of such structures. Whilst current designs are based on a ‘no growth’ design philosophy, delamination growth can nevertheless arise in operational aircraft and compromise structural integrity. Therefore, the present paper addresses the problem of fatigue crack growth in composite structures, with special relevance to composite airframes. An immediate challenge facing the composites community is to extend the ‘no-growth’ design philosophy to allow for the nucleation and growth of small, naturally-occurring delaminations in composite structures. The main aim of the present paper is, therefore, to investigate the robustness of the Hartman-Schijve methodology to meet this challenge when the effects of test temperature, together with the <i>R</i>-ratio, on the fatigue behaviour are considered.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":468,"journal":{"name":"Applied Composite Materials","volume":"33 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10443-026-10461-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}