Editorial

3 pages, 175 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial for Special Issue: Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Bio-Based Composites through a Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges

by Hom Nath Dhakal

J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(3), 92; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs6030092 - 15 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1459

Abstract

The hybridisation of two or more fibres is a technique in which the benefits of each reinforcing material can be combined to achieve a composite that demonstrates better and improved properties for various advanced engineering applications [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Biobased Composites through Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges)

Research

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15 pages, 2506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Perovskite/Polymer Materials: Preparation and Physicochemical Properties

by Martha Kafetzi, Stergios Pispas and George Mousdis

J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(11), 304; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5110304 - 19 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2196

Abstract

The aim of this work is to investigate the preparation, the optical properties, and the stability over time of a colloidal organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite (CH₃NH₃PbBr₃)/random copolymer P(MMA-co-DMAEMA) system. Different ratios of perovskite to copolymer were used to [...] Read more.

The aim of this work is to investigate the preparation, the optical properties, and the stability over time of a colloidal organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite (CH₃NH₃PbBr₃)/random copolymer P(MMA-co-DMAEMA) system. Different ratios of perovskite to copolymer were used to study its effect on stability and properties. The optical properties were investigated by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Dynamic light scattering was used to determine the size, and the size polydispersity of the colloidal hybrid particles; while morphology was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Photoluminescence decay studies revealed the interaction of the random copolymer with the perovskite. Finally, thin-films were prepared, to investigate the optical properties of the samples in the absence of the solvent. High temporal stability of the optical properties of thin hybrid films was observed under certain conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Biobased Composites through Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges)

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12 pages, 3052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Behavior Comparison of Inter-Ply and Intra-Ply Hybrid Flax-Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

by Md Zahirul Islam, Ali Amiri and Chad A. Ulven

J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(7), 184; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5070184 - 14 Jul 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2463

Abstract

Hybridization of natural fiber with synthetic fiber to reinforce polymer matrix composites is an effective way of increasing fatigue strength of composites with substantial amount of bio-based content. Flax is the strongest type of bast natural fiber, possessing excellent mechanical and damping properties. [...] Read more.

Hybridization of natural fiber with synthetic fiber to reinforce polymer matrix composites is an effective way of increasing fatigue strength of composites with substantial amount of bio-based content. Flax is the strongest type of bast natural fiber, possessing excellent mechanical and damping properties. Fatigue properties of flax fiber hybridized with synthetic carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites were studied. Fatigue properties of inter-ply hybrid flax-carbon fiber reinforced composite were compared to intra-ply hybrid flax-carbon fiber reinforced composites through tensile fatigue testing at 70% load of ultimate tensile strength and with a loading frequency of 3 Hz. For similar amount (by mass) of flax and carbon fiber, intra-ply flax-carbon fiber hybrid reinforced composite exhibited a very large increase (>2000%) in fatigue life compared to inter-ply flax-carbon fiber hybrid reinforced composites. Suitable hybridization can produce hybrid composites that are as strong as synthetic fiber composites while containing a high bio-based content of natural fibers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Biobased Composites through Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges)

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16 pages, 7905 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Propagation of Stress Waves in Natural Fiber Composite Strips

by Antigoni K. Barouni and Christoforos S. Rekatsinas

J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(1), 34; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5010034 - 19 Jan 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1980

Abstract

The propagation of Lamb waves within the structure of natural fiber reinforced composite strips is investigated using a semi-analytical solution and a time domain spectral finite element numerical method. The need to monitor the structural health of natural fiber reinforced composites is becoming [...] Read more.

The propagation of Lamb waves within the structure of natural fiber reinforced composite strips is investigated using a semi-analytical solution and a time domain spectral finite element numerical method. The need to monitor the structural health of natural fiber reinforced composites is becoming greater, as these sustainable composites are being increasingly used in various industrial applications in automotive and marine structures. Three different types of flax fiber composites were studied and the fundamental wave modes were excited on the structure. Both methods under consideration were able to capture the symmetric and antisymmetric wave modes for all the material configurations. Especially the complex nature of a hybrid flax/glass fiber composite was studied and results were very promising for future damage investigation. Further to this, an attempt was made to excite the hybrid strip at higher frequency and the study revealed the potential to capture all the existing wave modes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Biobased Composites through Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges)

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12 pages, 3127 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Sandwich Composites Manufactured from Recycled Carbon Fibers, Flax Fibers/PP Skins, and Recycled PET Core

by Qihong Jiang, Guiyong Chen, Abhideep Kumar, Andrew Mills, Krutarth Jani, Vasudevan Rajamohan, Barathan Venugopal and Sameer Rahatekar

J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(1), 2; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5010002 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4822

Abstract

European union end of life vehicle directive mandates the use of more sustainable/recyclable materials in automotive industries. Thermoplastics matrix-based composites allow recyclability of composites at the end of life; however, their processing technology is more challenging than thermoset composites. Manufacturing process and mechanical [...] Read more.

European union end of life vehicle directive mandates the use of more sustainable/recyclable materials in automotive industries. Thermoplastics matrix-based composites allow recyclability of composites at the end of life; however, their processing technology is more challenging than thermoset composites. Manufacturing process and mechanical testing of sustainable sandwich composite made from sustainable materials: flax, recycled carbon fiber, polypropylene, and recycled PET foam are presented in this article. High pressure compression molding with adhesive thermoplastic polymer film was used for manufacturing sandwich composite skin. The recycled PET foam core was integrated/joined with the skin using a thermoplastics adhesive film. A three-point bending test was conducted to compare the flexural properties. The results show that such sustainable sandwich composites will be an excellent material for truck side panel to operate in adverse wind/storm conditions. The sustainable sandwich composite can potentially be an excellent candidate for the fabrication of light-duty, lightweight, and low-cost engineering structures in automotive industry to meet the EU end of life requirements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Biobased Composites through Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges)

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20 pages, 15387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Velocity Impact Induced Damage Evaluation and Its Influence on the Residual Flexural Behavior of Glass/Epoxy Laminates Hybridized with Glass Fillers

by Saravanakumar Kannivel, Harini Subramanian, Vellayaraj Arumugam and Hom N. Dhakal

J. Compos. Sci. 2020, 4(3), 99; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs4030099 - 24 Jul 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2749

Abstract

This research work investigates the low-velocity impact induced damage behavior and its influence on the residual flexural response of glass/epoxy composites improved with milled glass fillers. The low-velocity impact damage employing varying impact velocities (3 m/s, 3.5 m/s, and 4 m/s) was induced [...] Read more.

This research work investigates the low-velocity impact induced damage behavior and its influence on the residual flexural response of glass/epoxy composites improved with milled glass fillers. The low-velocity impact damage employing varying impact velocities (3 m/s, 3.5 m/s, and 4 m/s) was induced on baseline and filler loaded samples with different fiber orientations. The residual performance and their damage modes were characterized using post impact flexural (FAI) test and acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. In all fiber orientations, the filler modified glass/epoxy samples showed improved impact strength and stiffness properties. A substantial improvement in impact damage tolerance, especially for samples impacted at 3.5 m/s and 4 m/s was observed. The presence of filler at the interlaminar zone contributed to improved energy dissipation through filler debonding and pull-out. This further contributed in arresting the crack growth, showing reduced damaged area. The inclusion of milled fibers on glass/epoxy laminates enhanced the impact toughness and residual flexural behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Biobased Composites through Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges)

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20 pages, 4652 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Effect in In-Plane Loading of Carbon/Glass Fibre Based Inter- and Intraply Hybrid Composites

by Ashok Rajpurohit, Sébastien Joannès, Vicky Singery, Philippe Sanial and Lucien Laiarinandrasana

J. Compos. Sci. 2020, 4(1), 6; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs4010006 - 05 Jan 2020

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4741

Abstract

Experimental studies are presented on quasi-static tensile and compressive loading of composites hybridised at two levels: intraply and interply. Consistent reinforcements in the form of novel unidirectional fabrics were developed using T700SC carbon and E-CR glass fibres. Composites were manufactured using Resin Transfer [...] Read more.

Experimental studies are presented on quasi-static tensile and compressive loading of composites hybridised at two levels: intraply and interply. Consistent reinforcements in the form of novel unidirectional fabrics were developed using T700SC carbon and E-CR glass fibres. Composites were manufactured using Resin Transfer Moulding process with epoxy resin and characterised to ensure consistency and comparability, further enabling easier understanding and confirmation of hybrid effect in a reliable way. Failure strain in tension for interply hybrid revealed a positive hybrid effect of +7.4%, while interply hybrid showed a negative hybrid effect of −6.4% in compression. Intraply hybrid with three carbon and three glass tows blocked together demonstrated the best mechanical performance among all hybrids; synergistic effects of +17.8% and +39.6% in tensile and compressive strength, respectively, was observed for this hybrid configuration. The results show that different hybridisation strategies can be exploited to balance cost and performance of composites for structural and lightweight applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Biobased Composites through Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges)

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15 pages, 11326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Submicron Glass Fiber Modification on Mechanical Properties of Short Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite with Different Fiber Length

by Nhan Thi Thanh Nguyen, Obunai Kiyotaka, Okubo Kazuya, Fujii Toru, Shibata Ou, Tomokuni Hidehiko and Fujita Yukiko

J. Compos. Sci. 2020, 4(1), 5; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs4010005 - 02 Jan 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2999

Abstract

In this research, three kinds of carbon fiber (CF) with lengths of 1, 3, and 25 mm were prepared for processing composite. The effect of submicron glass fiber addition (sGF) on mechanical properties of composites with different CF lengths was investigated and compared [...] Read more.

In this research, three kinds of carbon fiber (CF) with lengths of 1, 3, and 25 mm were prepared for processing composite. The effect of submicron glass fiber addition (sGF) on mechanical properties of composites with different CF lengths was investigated and compared throughout static tests (i.e., bending, tensile, and impact), as well as the tension-tension fatigue test. The strengths of composites increased with the increase of CF length. However, there was a significant improvement when the fiber length changed from 1 to 3 mm. The mechanical performance of 3 and 25 mm was almost the same when having an equal volume fraction, except for the impact resistance. Comparing the static strengths when varying the sGF content, an improvement of bending strength was confirmed when sGF was added into 1 mm composite due to toughened matrix. However, when longer fiber was used and fiber concentration was high, mechanical properties of composite were almost dependent on the CF. Therefore, the modification effect of matrix due to sGF addition disappeared. In contrast to the static strengths, the fatigue durability of composites increased proportionally to the content of glass fiber in the matrix, regardless to CF length. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Enhancement of Advanced Composites and Biobased Composites through Hybrid Approach: Opportunities and Challenges)

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