Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Salvatore Giacomo Marino, Gergely Czel
Summary: Improving the interfacial fracture toughness of layer interfaces and introducing beneficial energy absorption mechanisms can increase the performance of interlayer hybrid laminates containing standard thickness carbon/epoxy plies and make them fail in a stable, progressive manner.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
Yue Liu, Gong-dong Wang, Yichao Shen, Ebo Blackie, Long He
Summary: A comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the toughening behavior of PES and CNTs interleaf in CFRP composites. The influence of four different environmental conditions on mode II fracture toughness (GIIC) was discussed. Results showed that CNTs and PES/CNT1 interleaves significantly enhanced the GIIC by 118.4% and 317.81% respectively, and the hybrid PES/CNTs interleaf exhibited higher mode II fracture toughness and greater adaptability to the environment. Experimental results and SEM images demonstrated the fracture behavior.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Antigoni Barouni, Colin Lupton, Chulin Jiang, Abu Saifullah, Khaled Giasin, Zhongyi Zhang, Hom N. Dhakal
Summary: This study investigates the fatigue behavior of composite laminates with flax and glass fiber hybrid reinforcements. The hybrid configuration shows a great effect on fatigue life, with the alternating layers of flax and glass demonstrating the best performance and significantly lower probability of failure compared to other configurations. Fabrication-induced defects and fiber-matrix interface also play a role in influencing fatigue life and overall performance of the structures.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
M. Elhadary, A. Hamdy, W. Shaker
Summary: The study investigated the extrinsic non-autonomic self-healing of composite material in two cases of crack, with and without bridging phenomena. It was found that bridging significantly increased the efficiency of crack healing, demonstrating the importance of bridging in enhancing self-healing capabilities.
ALEXANDRIA ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Christophe Floreani, Colin Robert, Parvez Alam, Peter Davies, Conchur M. O. Bradaigh
Summary: This study investigates the interlaminar fracture toughness, in-plane mechanical properties, and mixed-mode critical strain energy release rate of powder epoxy composites. The results show that the toughness of this material is significantly higher than that of other epoxy composites, making it suitable for manufacturing structures where there is a risk of delamination.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Philipp Hahn, Harichandana Channammagari, Mathieu Imbert, Michael May
Summary: This paper presents a novel high-rate transverse crack tension (TCT) test for determining mode II fracture toughness under high strain rates. The results show that the fracture toughness of the tested composite under high-rate loading is at least 50% higher compared to quasi-static loading.
COMPOSITES PART B-ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
T. W. Loh, R. B. Ladani, A. Ravindran, R. Das, E. Kandare, A. P. Mouritz
Summary: The addition of thermoplastic mendable filaments in z-pinned composites can greatly increase interlaminar fracture toughness, repair delamination damage, and enhance crack propagation resistance. This novel repair process has the potential application for various types of composites with through-thickness reinforcement.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
U. A. Khashaba
Summary: A new drilling approach using controllable force for clamping the specimen was implemented to investigate the influence of cutting and support conditions on thrust force, delaminations, and burr factor in drilling woven GFRP composites. A series of ASTM tests were conducted to determine mechanical properties and predict the critical thrust force for delamination initiation. Accurate measurement of delamination and burr areas was achieved using an inexpensive image processing technique.
ALEXANDRIA ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
F. Benazzo, D. Rigamonti, G. Sala, A. M. Grande
Summary: Self-healing and healable Fibre Reinforced Polymer composites (FRPs) have potential for reducing weight and increasing the lifetime of aerospace structures. However, there is no generally accepted method for evaluating their healing efficiency. This paper discusses different testing methods and their advantages and disadvantages when applied to healing FRPs, highlighting the inconsistencies found among investigations and providing tools for choosing the most adequate test method.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Zhouyi Li, Zhen Wang, Weibang Lu, Xi Zhou, Tao Suo
Summary: This study investigated the loading rate sensitivity of mode II fracture behavior of composites toughened by carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It was found that under quasi-static loading conditions, increasing the number of CNT layers can improve the fracture toughness of the composites, while under dynamic loading conditions, the effect of increasing CNT layers on fracture toughness is minimal.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Sahand P. Shamchi, Marcelo F. S. F. de Moura, Zhongjie Zhao, Xiaosu Yi, Pedro M. G. P. Moreira
Summary: The study found that the critical strain energy release rate of the modified laminates increased by nearly 79% compared to the reference samples under quasi-static loading conditions. In terms of the influence of loading rate on mode II interlaminar fracture toughness values, non-modified carbon/epoxy laminates showed a marginal increase, while the interleaved ones showed no significant effect.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMPACT ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Anastasiia Khudiakova, Andreas J. Brunner, Markus Wolfahrt, Thomas Wettemann, Damir Godec, Gerald Pinter
Summary: The study focused on quantitatively characterizing the interlayer bonding in unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic laminates produced by ATPisc. The laminates exhibited multiple cracking with fiber bridging during testing, affecting the main mid-plane crack propagation. Comparisons were made between visually measured crack length, back-calculated crack length, and crack length calculated using flexural modulus and compliance, to study this effect, along with investigating the evolution of effective flexural modulus and damage parameter throughout testing.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Weigang Shi, Chao Zhang, Bo Wang, Mei Li, Chengyu Zhang
Summary: The wedge-loaded double cantilever beam (W-DCB) method was used in this study to evaluate the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of two-dimensional (2D) continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). A W-DCB model was established based on the elastic foundation theory, taking into account the axial force effect, shear effect, asymmetric propagation, and incomplete interlaminar contact. The friction effect was analyzed and measured using the theory of error transfer and a quasi-in-situ measurement method. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the W-DCB formula in conjunction with the experimental data, as verified by compliance curves, crack tip behaviors, and the cohesive zone of 2D CMCs. Furthermore, the calculated energy release rate (ERR) using the W-DCB theory was consistent with the measured data.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Sunil Manohar Maharana, Arun Kumar Pradhan, Mihir Kumar Pandit
Summary: This study examined the influence of moisture uptake on the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of fumed silica reinforced J-K hybrid composites, finding that moisture negatively affects fiber bridging and the presence of fumed silica prevents microcrack generation around fibers. The composite with stacking sequence JKKJ and 3% nanofiller (JKKJ-3) was identified as the reasonable material for Mode I fracture resistance in moist environments.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Yu Gong, Xinjian Chen, Luohuan Zou, Xiangqian Li, Libin Zhao, Jianyu Zhang, Ning Hu
Summary: This study experimentally and numerically investigates the effect of different elastic moduli of z-pins on the delamination behavior of laminated composites. It is found that the elastic modulus affects the steady-state fracture toughness, bridging zone length, and micro failure mechanism.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Antigoni Barouni, Colin Lupton, Chulin Jiang, Abu Saifullah, Khaled Giasin, Zhongyi Zhang, Hom N. Dhakal
Summary: This study investigates the fatigue behavior of composite laminates with flax and glass fiber hybrid reinforcements. The hybrid configuration shows a great effect on fatigue life, with the alternating layers of flax and glass demonstrating the best performance and significantly lower probability of failure compared to other configurations. Fabrication-induced defects and fiber-matrix interface also play a role in influencing fatigue life and overall performance of the structures.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Sameer A. Awad, Mohammad Jawaid, Hassan Fouad, Naheed Saba, Hom Nath Dhakal, Othman Y. Alothman, Eman M. Khalaf
Summary: This study investigated the chemical interactions, mechanical, and thermal properties of alkali-treated and untreated hybrid fibers incorporated with bio phenolic matrix. The results showed that alkali treatment improved the tensile strength and modulus of the fiber composites and enhanced the interfacial bonding between the fibers and the phenolic resin.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Khaled Giasin, Hom N. Dhakal, Carol A. Featheroson, Danil Yurievich Pimenov, Colin Lupton, Chulin Jiang, Antigoni Barouni, Ugur Koklu
Summary: This study investigates the impact-induced damage of aerospace glass fiber epoxy composites under different fiber orientations and incident energy levels. Experimental and numerical analysis show that fiber orientation and energy level have significant effects on the impact resistance and damage modes. The results provide guidance for the design of glass composites in aerospace applications.
Editorial Material
Materials Science, Composites
Hom Nath Dhakal
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
E. Richely, A. Bourmaud, H. Dhakal, Z. Zhang, J. Beaugrand, S. Guessasma
Summary: This study investigates the morphology and internal structure of flax fibers using X-ray microtomography (mu-CT) and finite element (FE) modeling. The results show that flax fibers have intricate shapes and internal lumen morphology, with porosity contents ranging from 0 to 7.2%. The numerical results reveal that the stiffness decreases due to the combined effects of porosity and stress heterogeneity caused by geometrical considerations. Stress concentrations induced by surface roughness and complex lumen shape are also observed, highlighting their potential contribution to failure mechanisms. However, the Young's moduli are overestimated compared to experimental curves, and the model does not consider nonlinearities or damage mechanisms. Future work should include the orientation and reorientation of cellulose microfibrils during tensile testing, as well as damage mechanisms.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Abu Saifullah, Pappu Radhakrishnan, Lei Wang, Burhan Saeed, Forkan Sarker, Hom N. Dhakal
Summary: In the rotational moulding industry, there is a potential to use reprocessed materials made from non-used, scrap, and waste purge materials to reduce the use of virgin polymers. This study investigated the impact and flexure-after-impact responses of rotationally moulded sandwich structures using reprocessed materials. The results showed that the reprocessed sandwiches had lower residual strength compared to the non-reprocessed sandwiches, but still had potential for various applications.
Article
Polymer Science
Moumita Sit, Saeid Dashatan, Zhongyi Zhang, Hom Nath Dhakal, Moussa Khalfallah, Nicolas Gamer, Jarren Ling
Summary: The study aimed to assess the impact of fillers on the mechanical characteristics of biodegradable composites, providing a solution for long-term durability in point-of-purchase industries. The inclusion of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) fillers in flax fibre-reinforced composites was investigated after accelerated UV radiation exposure. Different types of flax fibre-reinforced poly lactic acid (PLA) biocomposites with and without fillers were fabricated and assessed. The results showed that the presence of fillers significantly improved the performance of the biocomposites after UV exposure.
Article
Polymer Science
Pooria Khalili, Mikael Skrifvars, Hom Nath Dhakal, Saeid Hosseinpour Dashatan, Mikael Danielsson, Alexia Feiner Gracia
Summary: Sandwich composites consisting of regenerated cellulose fabric and bio-based polypropylene as facings, as well as virgin and recycled polyamide textiles as core materials, were produced using compression moulding techniques. The addition of thicker recycled textile improved the bending stiffness and peak flexural force. Substituting one layer of recycled textile for two layers of virgin material provided good impact energy absorption capacity and maximum force. Tensile strength varied among the different composite materials, but no evidence of fiber tow debonding, fiber bundle splitting, or delamination was observed.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ifeoluwa Elemure, Hom Nath Dhakal, Michel Leseure, Jovana Radulovic
Summary: This literature review examines the application of lean and green practices in the Sub-Saharan African manufacturing industry, including the context, barriers, drivers, tools, and critical success factors. The study highlights the importance of identifying and implementing lean and green practices within the region to address operational and sustainability challenges. By utilizing the right tools and models, the region can overcome current challenges and achieve significant cost reduction.
Review
Polymer Science
Muneer Ahmed. Musthaq, Hom Nath Dhakal, Zhongyi Zhang, Antigoni Barouni, Rizal Zahari
Summary: Studies on the effects of environmental conditions on natural fibres and their composites have gained significant attention. The hydrophilic nature of natural fibres makes them prone to water absorption, which negatively impacts the mechanical properties of natural-fibre-reinforced composites (NFRCs). NFRCs, used in lightweight materials for automobile and aerospace components, need to withstand extreme temperatures and humid conditions worldwide. This paper critically discusses the impact performance of NFRCs under environmental conditions, focusing on moisture ingress and relative humidity as damage mechanisms.
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Saeid Hosseinpour Dashatan, Moumita Sit, Zhongyi Zhang, Erwan Grossmann, Jeremy Millot, Ya Huang, Hom Nath Dhakal
Summary: This study investigates the damping and viscoelastic properties of flax/epoxy composites and their carbon fiber hybrid laminates. The results show that the location and number of flax plies contribute to the damping behavior, while the bending stiffness is mainly influenced by the position of carbon plies. The damping ratio varies for each vibration mode, and the trade-off between flexural stiffness and damping ratio can lead to significant improvements in specific configurations.
COMPOSITES PART A-APPLIED SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Bashir Ahamed, Mahmudul Hasan, Abu Yousuf Mohammad Anwarul Azim, Abu Saifullah, Shah Alimuzzaman, Hom N. Dhakal, Forkan Sarker
Summary: Jute fibre reinforced composites face challenges in terms of cost and performance. Short jute fibres transformed into dry preforming sheets can be used in manufacturing low-cost, high-performance composite products. This study developed chemically treated short jute fibre preforms with increased fibre contents, resulting in composites with significantly higher mechanical properties. The improvement in performance is attributed to the fibre content and chemical modification of the fibres.
COMPOSITES PART C: OPEN ACCESS
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Composites
Sikiru Oluwarotimi Ismail, Emmanuel Akpan, Hom N. Dhakal
Summary: Sustainability and environmental protection have led to the use of renewable and biobased materials, such as fibre reinforced composites, in various applications. However, natural plant fibres are less superior in performance and durability compared to synthetic fibres. By combining natural and synthetic fibres in a hybrid composite, the disadvantages of one can be compensated by the other, achieving sustainability and cost minimization.
COMPOSITES PART C: OPEN ACCESS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Xi Liu, Wei Shen, Jincun Fu, Toshiaki Natsuki, Lvtao Zhu
Summary: The 3-D carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composite tubes were designed and formed using a novel braiding-winding-pultrusion processing technique. The effects of temperature environments on the mechanical responses and damage behaviors of the composite tubes were investigated, and it was found that the structural design of the tubes directly affects their axial bearing capacity.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Weihao Yuan, Ziyang Zhang, Yueshan Li, Yudong Huang, Zhengxiang Zhong, Zhen Hu
Summary: In this study, the simultaneous self-healing of matrix and interface damage of fiber-reinforced composites was achieved by integrating extrinsic self-healing based on microcapsules and internal self-healing based on coordination interaction. The high exothermic action of epoxy resin and mercaptan repair agent in the self-healing process was observed using infrared thermal imaging technology for in-situ and real-time damage detection.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Israr Ud Din, Adnan Ahmed, Farah Tarek, Wesley Cantwell, Kamran A. Khan
Summary: In this study, a finite element model driven by XCT was developed to simulate the folding characteristics of origami structures, and the results showed good agreement with experimental data. The study demonstrates the potential application of XCT-driven FE modeling in simulating foldable structures.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Yishan Yang, Yukang Lai, Song Zhao, Hongguang Chen, Renshu Li, Yongjiang Wang
Summary: This study reports the synthesis of a new transparent fiber reinforced polymer material (tGFRP) with high transparency and superior mechanical properties by controlling the refractive index of epoxy resin and using a novel processing technique.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Yuhang Liu, Kai Huang, Junfeng Ding, Shangyang Yu, Zhixing Li, Li Zhang, Licheng Guo
Summary: This study proposes a method for accurately predicting the penetration failure load of composites using acoustic emission (AE) data. The method includes a cyclic loading test schedule and an extrapolation method based on uncertainty. The results show that this method can accurately predict the failure load when LR equals 1.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Jinxia Cai, Bing Xie, Yunliang Jiang, Jinshan Lu, Zeyu Li, Pu Mao, Mohsin Ali Marwat, Haibo Zhang
Summary: This research aims to develop ternary nanocomposites composed of polycarbonate, Al2O3 nanoparticles, and BaTiO3 nanowires for capacitive energy-storage. By optimizing the capacitor materials, the discharge energy density and efficiency have been improved, and the superiority of the ternary polymer nanocomposites for dielectric energy-storage has been validated through finite element analysis.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Hon Lam Cheung, Mohsen Mirkhalaf
Summary: The aim of this study is to develop physics-based models and establish a structure-property relationship for short fiber composites. High-fidelity full-field simulations are computationally expensive and time-consuming, so the use of artificial neural networks and transfer learning technique is proposed to solve this issue and improve modeling accuracy and efficiency.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Yue Jiang, Juyoung Leem, Ashley M. Robinson, Shuai Wu, Andy H. Huynh, Dongwon Ka, Ruike Renee Zhao, Yan Xia, Xiaolin Zheng
Summary: The effect of interface engineering on the combustion and mechanical performance of high-loading B/HTPB composites was investigated in this study. It was found that both covalently bonded and nonpolar/nonpolar interfaces effectively reduced the aggregation of B particles, promoting combustion efficiency and burning rate, and enhancing the mechanical properties of the composites.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
R. Mohsenzadeh, B. H. Soudmand, A. H. Najafi, M. Fattahi, D. P. Uyen
Summary: This study examines the morphological features of nano-zeolite nanoparticles incorporated into ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene nanocomposites. The dispersion of nanoparticles within the polymer matrix was improved following nano-zeolite incorporation. The size and distribution of nanoparticles were determined through tailored histograms, and the effective elastic moduli of nanocomposites were calculated, considering interfacial effects.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Chunming Ji, Jiqiang Hu, Rene Alderliesten, Jinchuan Yang, Zhengong Zhou, Yuguo Sun, Bing Wang
Summary: This paper investigates the effect of impact damage on the fatigue behavior of CF/PEEK-titanium hybrid laminates. A fatigue life model is proposed to predict the S-N curves of the laminates based on energy dissipation approach. The energy dissipation behavior of the laminates under different experimental conditions is analyzed through post-impact fatigue tests, and the correlation between impact damage and fatigue dissipation energy is determined. The validity of the proposed model is verified through fatigue tests under different stress ratios and impact energy levels.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Shaokai Hu, Ping Han, Chao Meng, Ying Yu, Shaolong Han, Haoyu Wang, Gang Wei, Zheng Gu
Summary: This study decorates MXene on the surface of carbon fiber using different bonding interactions to improve the interface adhesion and mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers composites (CFRPs). The results demonstrate that CFRPs reinforced by CF-c-MXene show the optimal properties, with significant improvements in impact strength and interfacial shear strength compared to the unsized carbon fiber-reinforced composites.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Steven U. Mamolo, Henry A. Sodano
Summary: This study demonstrates that chlorination of ANFs and oxygen plasma treatment of carbon fibers enables the formation of a chlorinated ANF (Cl-ANF) interphase, resulting in a 79.8% increase in interfacial shear strength and a 33.7% increase in short beam strength in CFRP composites. This method provides a rapid and reliable process to improve the mechanical properties of CFRPs without degrading the tensile strength of the carbon fibers.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Yuyang Zhang, Huimin Li, Xin Liu, Yanhong Chen, Chengwei Qin, Daining Fang
Summary: Establishing a prediction model for the mechanical properties of three-dimensional tubular braided composites at different temperatures is of great significance. This study adopted a multi-scale modeling framework based on micro-computed tomography to consider the characteristics of the real yarn cross section and establish a realistic trans-scale finite element model for the composites. The predicted mechanical properties were found to be significantly affected by temperature.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Shengtao Dai, Fei Yan, Jiaming Guo, Huiru Hu, Yu Liu, Liu Liu, Yuhui Ao
Summary: This study successfully synthesized a hyperbranched waterborne polyurethane sizing agent and cellulose nanocrystal modified zinc oxide nanohybrids to improve the interface and properties of carbon fiber reinforced composites. The modified composites exhibited remarkable enhancements in mechanical properties and exceptional UV resistance.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Libera Vitiello, Martina Salzano de Luna, Veronica Ambrogi, Giovanni Filippone
Summary: The identification of the percolation threshold in short fiber composites is crucial for assessing material properties and biodegradation speed. In this study, an original rheological approach was used to estimate the percolation threshold of hemp and kenaf-based composites, which showed good agreement with conventional dielectric spectroscopy analyses.
COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
