Selvaraj Anidha, Santhosh Mozhuguan Sekar, Elango Natarajan, M. Muthukkumar, K. Markandan, C. Ang, Gérald Franz
{"title":"Preliminary Investigations and Support for the Mechanical and Dynamic Characteristics of a Natural Rubber Reinforcement in E-Glass/CNT/Epoxy Composite","authors":"Selvaraj Anidha, Santhosh Mozhuguan Sekar, Elango Natarajan, M. Muthukkumar, K. Markandan, C. Ang, Gérald Franz","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040140","url":null,"abstract":"The present investigation reports the synthesis and mechanical properties of a hybrid polymer composite consisting of E-Glass fiber, epoxy and 2 wt.% carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a varying percentage of natural rubber (NR). The prepared hybrid polymer composites were examined in terms of their surface morphology, thermal properties as well as mechanical properties. The findings from the present study indicate that natural rubber enhances the mechanical properties of the hybrid polymer composites and, in particular, 10 wt.% is the optimum percentage of NR that yields the highest strength of 88 MPa, while the strength is 52 MPa with 5 wt.% NR. In order to evaluate the damping properties, a dynamic mechanical analysis was carried out on the E-Glass/CNT with NR composites at various frequencies along with a thermogravimetric analysis. It was found that the composite reinforced with 10 wt.% natural rubber exhibited a higher glass transition temperature of 376.86 °C and storage modulus of 2468 MPa when compared to the other composites, which indicates the enhanced cross-linking density and higher polymer modulus of the composite. X-ray diffraction analysis was also conducted and the results are reported to improve the general understanding of crystalline phases.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"22 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140720377","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":"Radiation-Induced Defect Formation Kinetics in Inconel–Cu Multimetallic Layered Composites","authors":"Rajesh Ramesh, K. Momeni","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040139","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the stability of Inconel–Cu Multimetallic Layered Composites (MMLCs) in nuclear reactor applications using Molecular Dynamics simulations. The focus is on understanding the underlying mechanisms governing the properties of MMLCs for advanced nuclear reactors, specifically, the mechanochemistry of the interface between Inconel and copper alloys. The selection of Inconel–Cu MMLCs is primarily due to copper’s superior thermal conductivity, enhancing heat management within reactors by preventing hotspots and ensuring uniform temperature distribution. This research examines Incoloy 800H and two Inconel variants (718 and 625), assessing their stability at 1000 K after exposure to 10 keV collision cascades up to 0.12 dpa. Notable findings include defect clustering on the {1 2 0} family of planes of Inconel and Cu, with Stacking Faults and Lomer–Cottrell locks on the Inconel side.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"1994 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140719148","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}
Shiva Rezaei Akbarieh, D. Ma, C. Sbarufatti, A. Manes
{"title":"Numerical Investigation on the Capability of Modeling Approaches for Composite Cylinders under Low-Velocity Impact Loading","authors":"Shiva Rezaei Akbarieh, D. Ma, C. Sbarufatti, A. Manes","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040141","url":null,"abstract":"Composite pressure vessels can be exposed to extreme loadings, for instance, impact loading, during manufacturing, maintenance, or their service lifetime. These kinds of loadings may provoke both visible and invisible levels of damage, e.g., fiber breakage matrix cracks and delamination and eventually may lead to catastrophic failures. Thus, the quantification and evaluation of such damages are of great importance. Considering the cost of relevant full-scale experiments, a numerical model can be a powerful tool for such a kind of study. This paper aims to provide a numerical study to investigate the capability of different modeling methods to predict delamination in composite vessels. In this study, various numerical modeling aspects, such as element types (solid and shell elements) and material parameters (such as interface properties), were considered to investigate delamination in a composite pressure vessel under low-velocity impact loading. Specifically, solid elements were used to model each layer of the composite pressure vessel, while, in another model, shell elements with composite layup were considered. Compared with the available experimental data from low-velocity impact tests described in the literature, the capability of these two models to predict both mechanical responses and failure phenomena is shown.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140717572","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}
Elango Natarajan, Santhosh Mozhuguan Sekar, K. Markandan, C. Ang, Gérald Franz
{"title":"Tailoring Basalt Fibers and E-Glass Fibers as Reinforcements for Increased Impact Resistance","authors":"Elango Natarajan, Santhosh Mozhuguan Sekar, K. Markandan, C. Ang, Gérald Franz","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040137","url":null,"abstract":"The usage of basalt fiber in the engineering industries has gained significant interest due to its characteristics such as alkali resistance and enhanced mechanical properties. Similarly, E-glass-fiber-reinforced composites have been widely used in the fabrication of electrically resistive industrial components such as switches, circuit panels, and covering cases. In the present study, the tensile, flexural, thermogravimetric, and low-velocity impact characteristics of various percentages of basalt/E-glass-fiber-reinforced polymer composites fabricated via vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding were investigated. The results show that a higher volume percentage of basalt (39%) significantly enhances the impact resistance up to 45% with a moderate improvement in flexural properties. The higher the vol % of E-glass (40%), the more the tensile and flexural properties are increased, i.e., 185 N/mm2 and 227.87 N/mm2, respectively. It is concluded that by choosing the optimum hybridization method, impact resistance and other mechanical properties can be improved significantly. The thermogravimetric analysis results show that PC313534 (35 vol % basalt and 34 vol % E-glass) possesses the lowest decomposition temperature of 381.10 °C. The results from the present study indicate that the polymer composite fabricated in the present study is suitable for applications where higher structural-load-resistive properties are required.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140723776","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}
M. Rezasefat, Yogesh Kumar, Amanda AX da Silva, S. Amico, James D. Hogan, A. Manes
{"title":"Dynamic Behavior and Permanent Indentation in S2-Glass Woven Fabric Reinforced Polymer Composites under Impact: Experimentation and High-Fidelity Modeling","authors":"M. Rezasefat, Yogesh Kumar, Amanda AX da Silva, S. Amico, James D. Hogan, A. Manes","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040138","url":null,"abstract":"This paper studies the behavior of S2-glass woven fabric reinforced polymer composite under low-velocity impact at 18–110 J energy. A macro-homogeneous finite element model for the prediction of their response is implemented, considering the non-linear material behavior and intralaminar and interlaminar failure modes for the prediction of impact damage. The model accurately predicted the permanent indentation caused by impact. By applying the Ramberg-Osgood formulation, different initial stiffness values are examined to assess the post-impact unloading response. This approach reveals the significant role of initial stiffness in inelastic strain accumulation and its consequent effect on permanent indentation depth. A higher initial stiffness correlates with increased inelastic strain, influencing the impactor rebound and resulting in greater permanent indentation. By accurately predicting permanent indentation, and damage accumulation for different impact energies, this study contributes to a better understanding of the impact behavior of composite materials, thereby promoting their wider application.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"102 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140725780","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}
Yuhyeon Na, Seung Hyeon Weon, G. Lee, Hyung-Joo Kim, Sang Hyun Lee, Young-Hoo Kim, Ji Eun Kim, G. Kang, Saerom Park, Yong-Keun Choi
{"title":"Evaluation of Benzene Adsorption onto Grass-Derived Biochar and Comparison of Adsorption Capacity via RSM (Response Surface Methodology)","authors":"Yuhyeon Na, Seung Hyeon Weon, G. Lee, Hyung-Joo Kim, Sang Hyun Lee, Young-Hoo Kim, Ji Eun Kim, G. Kang, Saerom Park, Yong-Keun Choi","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040132","url":null,"abstract":"The present study reports the effective removal of benzene in aqueous phase onto biochar. The adsorption capacity of benzene onto biochars made at different pyrolytic temperatures (e.g., 350, 550, and 750 °C) and from various feedstocks (e.g., grape pomace, rice husk, and Kentucky bluegrass) were investigated. The adsorption capacity of Kentucky bluegrass-derived biochar (KB-BC) prepared at 550 °C for benzene was better than other biochars, owing to the higher surface area and functional groups. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics model for benzene by KB-BC550 fitted the Freundlich and pseudo-first order, respectively. In addition, the results of response surface methodology (RSM) designed with biochar dose, reaction time, and benzene concentration showed the maximum adsorption capacity (ca. 136 mg BZ/g BC) similar to that from kinetic study. KB-BCs obtained as waste grass biomass may be a valuable adsorbent, and RSM may be a useful tool for the investigation of optimal conditions and results.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"14 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140737576","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}
M. Stelescu, O. Oprea, Ludmila Motelică, A. Ficai, Roxana Trusca, M. Sonmez, M. Nițuică, M. Georgescu
{"title":"Obtaining and Characterizing New Types of Materials Based on Low-Density Polyethylene and Thermoplastic Starch","authors":"M. Stelescu, O. Oprea, Ludmila Motelică, A. Ficai, Roxana Trusca, M. Sonmez, M. Nițuică, M. Georgescu","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040134","url":null,"abstract":"Significant interest is devoted to the development of new polymer blends by using concepts of the circular economy. Such materials have predetermined properties, are easy to recycle, ecological, and have a low carbon footprint. This research presents obtaining and characterization of polymer blends based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and thermoplastic starch (TPS). In the first stage, TPS was obtained through the gelatinization process, and, in the second stage, mixtures of LDPE and TPS were obtained through a melt mixing process at 150 °C for 7 min. The physical–mechanical characteristics of the samples, like hardness, elongation at break, rebound resilience, and tensile strength, were determined. The sample containing maleic anhydride grafted low-density polyethylene (LDPE-g-MA) as a compatibilizer shows improvements in elongation at break and tensile strength (by 6.59% and 40.47%, respectively) compared to the test sample. The FTIR microscopy maps show that samples containing LDPE-g-MA are more homogeneous. The SEM micrographs indicate that TPS-s is homogeneously dispersed as droplets in the LDPE matrix. From the thermal analysis, it was observed that both the degree of crystallinity and the mass loss at high temperature are influenced by the composition of the samples. The melt flow index has adequate values, indicating good processability of the samples by specific methods (such as extrusion or injection).","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"13 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140737937","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":"Development of a Novel Lightweight Utility Pole Using a New Hybrid Reinforced Composite—Part 1: Fabrication and Experimental Investigation","authors":"Qianjiang Wu, Farid Taheri","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040136","url":null,"abstract":"This paper is the first part of a two-part paper that discusses the development of a novel lightweight and cost-effective hybrid 3D composite material and its and utilization for constructing utility poles. The main objective was to generate a material/pole with a comparable performance to the commercially available poles made of 2D fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and examine its feasibility. The novel hybrid composite was configured using a recently developed and marketed 3D E-glass fabric–epoxy composite reinforced with wood dowels, referred to as 3D dowel-reinforced FRPs (3D-drFRPs) hereafter. Firstly, the compressive and flexural properties of the 3D-drFRPs are evaluated. Then, the development of the 3D pole is discussed followed by the fabrication details of two 3D-drFRPs using the standard test method, and their responses are compared. For the second part, robust finite element (FE) models were developed in an LS-DYNA environment and calibrated based on the experimental results. A sophisticated nonlinear FE model was used to simulate the performances of ASTM standard-size compression and three-point bending specimens and tapered 2D and prismatic 3D poles. Moreover, the responses of equivalent 2D and 3D poles were simulated numerically, as the task could not be accommodated experimentally due to our laboratory’s deficiencies. The integrity of the numerical simulation results was validated against experimental results, confirming the accuracy of the developed model. As an example, the stiffness values for the 3-pt bending specimens and the 3D poles obtained through the simulations were very close to the experimentally obtained results, with small margins of errors of 3.2% and 0.89%, respectively. Finally, a simplified analytical calculation method was developed so practicing engineers can determine the stiffnesses of 3D-DrFRP poles very accurately and quickly.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"23 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140737119","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}
E. Malewska, A. Prociak, Natalia Świdzińska-Grela, M. Kurańska
{"title":"The Polyurethane-Polystyrene Composite—Influence of the Blowing Agent Type on the Foaming Process, the Structure and the Properties","authors":"E. Malewska, A. Prociak, Natalia Świdzińska-Grela, M. Kurańska","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040135","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, polyurethane-polystyrene composites (RPURF-EPS) were obtained with the co-expansion method. This method consists of utilizing the heat of the exothermic reaction of polyurethane (PUR) formation to expand polystyrene beads (PSBs). The materials were obtained using polyurethane systems based on the selected blowing agents, such as cyclopentane, a mixture of fluorocarbons and water. The analysis of the foaming process was carried out using a special device called FOAMAT. The characteristic start, rise, gelation and curing times were defined. The rise profile, the reaction temperature, the pressure and the dielectric polarization were measured. The influence of selected blowing agents on the cell structure and physical–mechanical properties of reference rigid polyurethane foam (RPURF) and RPURF-EPS, such as apparent density, compressive strength and thermal conductivity, were evaluated. Based on the research, the blowing agents that have the most beneficial influence on the properties and structure of the composites and that provide the most efficient expansion of PSBs in a light porous composite were found.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140739528","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}
Hongfu Li, Haoxuan Zhang, Guangquan Yue, Boyu Guo, Ying Wu
{"title":"Determination of the In-Plane Shear Behavior of and Process Influence on Uncured Unidirectional CF/Epoxy Prepreg Using Digital Image Correlation Analysis","authors":"Hongfu Li, Haoxuan Zhang, Guangquan Yue, Boyu Guo, Ying Wu","doi":"10.3390/jcs8040133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8040133","url":null,"abstract":"The investigation of the in-plane shear behavior of prepreg is crucial for understanding the generation of wrinkles of preforms in advanced composite manufacturing processes, such as automated fiber placement and thermoforming. Despite this significance, there is currently no standardized test method for characterizing uncured unidirectional (UD) prepreg. This paper introduces a ±45° off-axis tensile test designed to assess the in-plane shear behavior of UD carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy prepreg (CF/epoxy). Digital image correlation (DIC) was employed to quantitatively track the strains in three dimensions and the shear angle evolution during the stretching process. The influences of the temperature and stretching rate on the in-plane shear behavior of the prepreg were further investigated. The results reveal that four shear characteristic zones and wrinkling behaviors are clearly distinguished. The actual in-plane shear angle is significantly lower than the theoretical value due to fiber constraints from both the in-plane and out-of-plane aspects. When the off-axis tensile displacement (d) is less than 15.6 mm, the ±45° specimens primarily exhibit macroscale in-plane shear behavior, induced by interlaminar interface shear between the +45° ply and −45° ply at the mesoscale. The shear angle increases linearly with the d. However, when d > 15.6 mm, fiber squeezing and wrinkling begin to occur. When d > 29 mm, the in-plane shear disappears in the completely sheared zone (A). The reduction in the resin viscosity of the CF/epoxy prepreg caused by increased temperature is identified as the primary factor in lowering the in-plane shear force resistance, followed by the effect of the increasing resin curing degree. Higher shear rates can lead to a substantial increase in shear forces, eventually causing cracking failure in the prepreg. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of the test method for predicting and extracting uncured prepreg in-plane shear behaviors and the strain-rate and temperature dependency of the material response.","PeriodicalId":502935,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Composites Science","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140739725","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}