Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Manufacturing and Performance

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2022) | Viewed by 12010

Special Issue Editors

Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Darling Heights, QLD, Australia
Interests: FRP composites; composites manufacturing; RC concrete structures; composite durability; FE modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Skoltech Center for Design, Manufacturing, and Materials (CDMM), Skoltech Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
Interests: composite behaviour; hybrid materials; thermoplastics; thermosets; FE modelling; fracture mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

This Special Issue deals with various aspects of the science and technology of composite materials, including the use of various types of fibres to reinforce the polymeric matrix. The range of potential topics includes the design and manufacture of reinforcing fibres, novel architectures and concepts, advanced manufacturing processes, soluble and insoluble additives, material characterisation, microstructural characterization of the reinforced composites, novel mechanical testing methods, post-processing of reinforced composites, finite element modelling of reinforced composites, and the durability and long-term performance prediction of the mechanical and physical behaviour of composites in service.

Dr. Omar AlAjarmeh
Prof. Dr. Alexander Safonov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced manufacturing
  • fibre architecture
  • thermoset-reinforced composites
  • thermoplastic-reinforced composites
  • microstructure composites
  • additives
  • long-term performance
  • durability

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 6310 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Water Absorption of Hybrid Flax Fibre-Reinforced Epoxy Composites with Graphene and Its Influence on Mechanical Properties
by Amer Oun, Allan Manalo, Omar Alajarmeh, Rajab Abousnina and Andreas Gerdes
Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3679; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14173679 - 05 Sep 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1881
Abstract
Interest in the use of natural fibres as an alternative for artificial fibres in polymer composite manufacturing is increasing for various engineering applications. Their suitability for use in outdoor environments should be demonstrated due to their perceived hydrophilic behaviour. This study investigated the [...] Read more.
Interest in the use of natural fibres as an alternative for artificial fibres in polymer composite manufacturing is increasing for various engineering applications. Their suitability for use in outdoor environments should be demonstrated due to their perceived hydrophilic behaviour. This study investigated the water absorption behaviour of hybrid flax fibre-reinforced epoxy composites with 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% graphene by weight that were immersed in water for 1000, 2000, and 3000 h. The flexural and interlaminar shear strength before and after immersion in water was then evaluated. The results showed that graphene nanoparticles improved the mechanical properties of the composites. The moisture absorption process of hybrid natural fibre composites followed the Fickian law, whereas the addition of graphene significantly reduced the moisture absorption and moisture diffusion, especially for hybrid composites with 1.5% graphene. However, the flexural and ILSS properties of the composites with and without graphene decreased with the increase in the exposure duration. The flexural strength of hybrid composites with 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% graphene decreased by 32%, 11%, 17.5% and 13.4%, respectively, after exposure for 3000 h. For inter-laminar shear strength at the same conditioning of 3000 h, hybrid composites with 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% graphene also decreased by 13.2%, 21% and 17.5%, respectively, compared to the dry composite’s strength. The specimens with 0.5% graphene showed the lowest reduction in strength for both the flexural and interlaminar tests, due to good filler dispersion in the matrix, but all of them were still higher than that of flax fibre composites. Scanning electron microscope observations showed a reduction in voids in the composite matrix after the introduction of graphene, resulting in reduced moisture absorption and moisture diffusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Manufacturing and Performance)
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25 pages, 11731 KiB  
Article
Finite Element Simulation and Experimental Research on Uniformity Regulation of Microwave Heating of Composite Materials
by Chenglong Guan, Lihua Zhan and Shunming Yao
Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3484; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14173484 - 25 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1574
Abstract
As an attractive alternative to the traditional autoclave curing process, microwave curing has been widely used for manufacturing high-performance composites. However, the nonuniform temperature distribution during composite curing is the main problem faced by the microwave curing process, which limits its application in [...] Read more.
As an attractive alternative to the traditional autoclave curing process, microwave curing has been widely used for manufacturing high-performance composites. However, the nonuniform temperature distribution during composite curing is the main problem faced by the microwave curing process, which limits its application in the aerospace industry. This paper studied the regulating effects of cavity structure and mechanical optimization methods on the uniformity of the microwave field by numerical analysis and finite element simulation, and an octagonal microwave heating device with multi-microwave generators, mode stirrers and mobile platform was developed independently and the experimental verification were finally carried out. The results showed that compared with the traditional heating device, the T800/602 carbon fiber reinforced composite laminates cured in the regulating device of microwave heating uniformity established in this paper had more uniform temperature field distribution, a more synchronous curing process and lower residual stresses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Manufacturing and Performance)
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15 pages, 6344 KiB  
Article
Effects of the Pre-Consolidated Materials Manufacturing Method on the Mechanical Properties of Pultruded Thermoplastic Composites
by Alexander Vedernikov, Kirill Minchenkov, Sergey Gusev, Artem Sulimov, Ping Zhou, Chenggao Li, Guijun Xian, Iskander Akhatov and Alexander Safonov
Polymers 2022, 14(11), 2246; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14112246 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 2165
Abstract
The choice of a manufacturing process, raw materials, and process parameters affects the quality of produced pre-consolidated tapes used in thermoplastic pultrusion. In this study, we used two types of pre-consolidated GF/PP tapes—commercially available (ApATeCh-Tape Company, Moscow, Russia) and inhouse-made tapes produced from [...] Read more.
The choice of a manufacturing process, raw materials, and process parameters affects the quality of produced pre-consolidated tapes used in thermoplastic pultrusion. In this study, we used two types of pre-consolidated GF/PP tapes—commercially available (ApATeCh-Tape Company, Moscow, Russia) and inhouse-made tapes produced from commingled yarns (Jushi Holdings Inc., Boca Raton, FL, USA)—to produce pultruded thermoplastic Ø 6 mm bars and 75 mm × 3.5 mm flat laminates. Flat laminates produced from inhouse-made pre-consolidated tapes demonstrated higher flexural, tensile, and apparent interlaminar shear strength compared to laminates produced from commercial pre-consolidated tapes by as much as 106%, 6.4%, and 27.6%, respectively. Differences in pre-consolidated tape manufacturing methods determine the differences in glass fiber impregnation and, thus, differences in the mechanical properties of corresponding pultruded composites. The use of commingled yarns (consisting of matrix and glass fibers properly intermingled over the whole length of prepreg material) makes it possible to achieve a more uniform impregnation of inhouse-made pre-consolidated tapes and to prevent formation of un-impregnated regions and matrix cracks within the center portion of the fiber bundles, which were observed in the case of commercial pre-consolidated tapes. The proposed method of producing pre-consolidated tapes made it possible to obtain pultruded composite laminates with larger cross sections than their counterparts described in the literature, featuring better mechanical properties compared to those produced from commercial pre-consolidated tapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Manufacturing and Performance)
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13 pages, 2445 KiB  
Article
Reinforced Epoxy Composites Modified with Functionalized Graphene Oxide
by Anton Mostovoy, Andrey Shcherbakov, Andrey Yakovlev, Sergey Arzamastsev and Marina Lopukhova
Polymers 2022, 14(2), 338; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14020338 - 16 Jan 2022
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2873
Abstract
The possibility of using graphene oxide as a modifying additive for polymer fiber-reinforced composites based on epoxy resin and basalt roving has been studied. The content of graphene oxide in the system has been experimentally selected, which has the best effect on the [...] Read more.
The possibility of using graphene oxide as a modifying additive for polymer fiber-reinforced composites based on epoxy resin and basalt roving has been studied. The content of graphene oxide in the system has been experimentally selected, which has the best effect on the physico-mechanical properties of the obtained polymer composite material. The efficiency of the modification of the graphene oxide surface with APTES finishing additives and aminoacetic acid, which provides chemical interaction at the polymer matrix–filler interface, has been considered. The influence of graphene oxide and functionalizing additives on the polymer curing process was investigated using the thermometric method and differential scanning calorimetry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Manufacturing and Performance)
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Review

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27 pages, 6806 KiB  
Review
Review on Local Buckling of Hollow Box FRP Profiles in Civil Structural Applications
by Mohammad Alhawamdeh, Omar Alajarmeh, Thiru Aravinthan, Tristan Shelley, Peter Schubel, Ali Mohammed and Xuesen Zeng
Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4159; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13234159 - 28 Nov 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2233
Abstract
Hollow box pultruded fibre-reinforced polymers (PFRP) profiles are increasingly used as structural elements in many structural applications due to their cost-effective manufacturing process, excellent mechanical properties-to-weight ratios, and superior corrosion resistance. Despite the extensive usage of PFRP profiles, there is still a lack [...] Read more.
Hollow box pultruded fibre-reinforced polymers (PFRP) profiles are increasingly used as structural elements in many structural applications due to their cost-effective manufacturing process, excellent mechanical properties-to-weight ratios, and superior corrosion resistance. Despite the extensive usage of PFRP profiles, there is still a lack of knowledge in the design for manufacturing against local buckling on the structural level. In this review, the local buckling of open-section (I, C, Z, L, T shapes) and closed-section (box) FRP structural shapes was systematically compared. The local buckling is influenced by the unique stresses distribution of each section of the profile shapes. This article reviews the related design parameters to identify the research gaps in order to expand the current design standards and manuals of hollow box PFRP profiles and to broaden their applications in civil structures. Unlike open-section profiles, it was found that local buckling can be avoided for box profiles if the geometric parameters are optimised. The identified research gaps include the effect of the corner (flange-web junction) radius on the local buckling of hollow box PFRP profiles and the interactions between the layup properties, the flange-web slenderness, and the corner geometry (inner and outer corner radii). More research is still needed to address the critical design parameters of layup and geometry controlling the local buckling of pulwound box FRP profiles and quantify their relative contribution and interactions. Considering these interactions can facilitate economic structural designs and guidelines for these profiles, eliminate any conservative assumptions, and update the current design charts and standards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Manufacturing and Performance)
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