Experimental studies on interlaminar shear strength and dynamic mechanical analysis of luffa fiber epoxy composites with nano PbO addition

In the present study, the significance of nanofiller lead oxide (PbO) on the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) performance of luffa fiber–reinforced epoxy composites was investigated. The epoxy matrix was altered with nanofiller PbO of different weight percent through a mechanical stirring process. The PbO-added luffa fiber epoxy composites were made through hand layup preceded by the compression molding method. The prepared composite samples were investigated for ILSS and DMA. The test results lead to the inference that the 1.25 wt% PbO nanofiller–added composite samples attained 25%, 17%, and 55% of higher loss modulus, storage modulus, and ILSS, respectively, as compared with the other prepared samples. The morphological investigation was conducted on the fractured surface of the interlaminar tested samples. The micrographic images show the bonding nature of the luffa fiber with the epoxy matrix, fiber breakage, and fiber pullouts. The characterization studies such as FTIR, XRD, and EDX were conducted on the fabricated composite samples. The XRD studies show that the rise in weight percent of the nanofiller PbO enhances the crystallinity of the composite samples. Moreover, the composite sample prepared with 1.25 wt% nanofiller PbO can be used to prepare low-cost roofing materials for sustainable housing projects.

Ramie fiber reinforced composites with flame retardant structure design: flammability, smoke suppression, and mechanical properties

In this work, the structure of composite was designed as Core Stack and Surface Stack, which was treated with the expandable graphite (EG) and metal oxides such as iron oxide (IO), hydroxyapatite (HA), and aluminum tri-hydroxide (ATH). The mechanical performance of composites was characterized via flexural performance and interlaminar shear strength analysis. The flame retardance and smoke suppression of composite was explored in detail by LOI, UL-94, and cone calorimeter test. The findings presented that flexural properties of composites were observed to decrease due to delamination of surface stack, whilst no significant effect on interlaminar shear strength. In comparison with control composite, the loading of metal oxide into composite Surface Stack led to the reduction of peak heat release rate, total heat release, and fire growth index effectively. Moreover, the remarkable decrease in total smoke production could be observed due to the addition of iron oxide and the flame retardant mechanism was discussed. This study was the preliminary exploration of composite with flame retardant design which could be potential solution to improve flame retardancy and smoke suppression of composite with better mechanical structure preservation.

Influence of Twin-Screw Extrusion on The Dispersion of Nanoclay in Vinylester Composites

This paper reports the dispersion of nanoclay in vinylester using co-rotating twin screw extrusion and ultrasonication for preparing nanoclay/vinylester gel coat. Two sets MMT/vinylester specimens, namely Type 1 and Type 2 were prepared for comparative studies. While Type 1 specimens were prepared using ultrasonication only, Type 2 specimens were prepared using both ultrasonication and twin-screw extrusion. Type 2 specimens showed lower levels of nanoclay intercalation and higher levels of exfoliation. By using the MMT/vinylester gel coat so prepared by the two different routes, MMT/vinylester/glass specimens were fabricated and tested for mechanical properties. Type 2 based nanocomposite specimens showed greater values of ultimate tensile strength, flexural strength, interlaminar shear strength and impact strength. Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM) of tensile fractured Type 2 based specimens showed less agglomeration of nanoclay than that of Type 1 based specimens.

Effects of Water and Alkaline Solution on Durability of Carbon-Glass Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Polymer Bars

The glass fiber reacts with the hydroxyl owing to the concrete pore solution. A thin coat of carbon fiber wraps around the internal GFRP bars to improve the durability of internal GFRP bars in harsh environments. This paper investigates the effect of a thin carbon fiber coat on the durability of the carbon–glass hybrid fiber reinforced polymer bars (HFRP bars) in water, and compares the performance of FRP bars in alkaline solution. To this end, the water absorption behavior, interlaminar shear strength of both the GFRP bars and the HFRP bars was characterized in water and alkaline solution. The results indicate that the diffusivity coefficient of the carbon fiber coat is higher than that of internal GFRP in water. Compared to the GFRP bars in water, the HFRP bars have a higher diffusivity coefficient and saturation water absorption. It caused that the interlaminar shear strength of the HFRP bars aged in water at a temperature of 60 °C for 140 days decreases more markedly than that of the GFRP bars aged under similar conditions. Finally, it was proved that the thin carbon fiber coat does not slow the deterioration of the GFRP bars in water, while the carbon fiber coat significantly improves the retention of the interlaminar shear strength of the HFRP bars in the alkaline solution owing to the prevention of internal glass fiber reactivated by alkali ions.

Process Chain Development for the Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Braided Oxide Ceramic Matrix Composites

Fiber composites with a three-dimensional braided reinforcement architecture have higher fiber volume content and Z-fiber content compared to a two-dimensional braided reinforcement architecture; as a result, the shear strength increases. Porous oxide fiber composites (OFCs) have the inherent weakness of a low interlaminar shear strength, which can be specifically increased by the use of a three-dimensional fiber reinforcement. In this work, the braiding process chain for processing highly brittle oxide ceramic fibers is modified; as a consequence, a bobbin, which protects the filament, is developed and quantitatively evaluated on a test rig with regard to tension and filament breakage. Subsequently, a braiding process is designed which takes into account fiber-protecting aspects, and a three-dimensional reinforced demonstrator is produced and tested. After impregnation with an Al2O3-ZrO2 slurry, by either a prepreg process or a vacuum-assisted process, as well as subsequent sintering, the three-dimensional braid-reinforced OFC exhibits an interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) which is higher than that of two-dimensional braid- or fabric-reinforced samples by 64–95%. The influence of the manufacturing process on the relative macropore content is investigated and correlated with the mechanical properties.

Reducing the Weakening Effect in Fibre-Reinforced Polymers Caused by Integrated Film Sensors

Integrating foil sensors into fibre-reinforced plastics offers the advantage of making manufacturing measurable with spatial resolution and thus simplifies quality control. One challenge here is the possible negative influence of the integrated sensors on the mechanical behaviour of the structure. This article shows how the different parts of a film sensor influence important mechanical strength parameters of fibre composites. A comparison of two thermoplastic carrier films shows that by choosing polyetherimide (PEI) instead of polyimide (PI), a considerably more advantageous failure behaviour of the composite is achieved. While integrated PI films reduce the interlaminar shear strength by 68%, no impairment is noticeable due to PEI films. For the critical energy release rate, PEI-based film sensors even lead to a significant increase, while a significant deterioration of 85% can be observed for PI-based sensors. However, not only the film substrate plays a decisive role for the interlaminar shear strength, but also the sensor structures themselves. In this article, sensor structures made of gold were investigated. The decisive parameter for the impairment seems to be the area share of gold structures in the sensor. For a sensor pattern made of gold lines with an area filling of 50%, a reduction of the interlaminar shear strength of up to 25% was observed depending on the angle between the shear stress and the gold lines. No impairment was observed for sensor structures with less gold area. The results show that PEI substrates can be a superior alternative for sensor integration into fibre composites and suggest that there is a trade-off between sensitivity and degradation of mechanical properties when designing interdigital sensors.

Thermal Mending of Electroactive Carbon/Epoxy Laminates Using a Porous Poly(ε-caprolactone) Electrospun Mesh

For the first time, a porous mesh of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) was electrospun directly onto carbon fiber (CF) plies and used to develop novel structural epoxy (EP) composites with electro-activated self-healing properties. Three samples, i.e., the neat EP/CF composite and two laminates containing a limited amount of PCL (i.e., 5 wt.% and 10 wt.%), were prepared and characterized from a microstructural and thermo-mechanical point of view. The introduction of the PCL mesh led to a reduction in the flexural stress at break (by 17%), of the interlaminar shear strength (by 15%), and of the interlaminar shear strength (by 39%). The interlaminar fracture toughness of the prepared laminates was evaluated under mode I, and broken samples were thermally mended at 80 °C (i.e., above the melting temperature of PCL) by resistive heating generated by a current flow within the samples through Joule’s effect. It was demonstrated that, thanks to the presence of the electrospun PCL mesh, the laminate with a PCL of 10 wt.% showed healing efficiency values up to 31%.