Flexural properties of sandwich composite panels with glass laminate aluminum reinforced epoxy facesheets strengthened by SMA wires

Sandwich composite panels are widely used and significant in structural applications such as aerospace, shipbuilding and transportation, etc. This is due to their specific properties such as specific stiffness, strength and energy absorption. Still, many innovations are required to develop and upgrade their mechanical properties in various loadings and conditions, specifically in bending loads. One of the methods to enhance the properties of sandwich structures is to employ various advanced materials in these structures to change their acquired properties. In the present research work, sandwich composite panels made by fiber metal laminate like glass laminate aluminum reinforced epoxy (GLARE) as the facesheets and PVC polymer foam as the core material are investigated in flexural (bending) loading condition. To change or enhance the behaviour of sandwich panel in bending loads, shape memory alloy wires are also embedded in between glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite layers in fiber metal laminate facesheets. The shape memory wires are also pre-strained in fiber reinforced epoxy composite in sandwich panels. To study the flexural properties of sandwich panels with fiber metal laminate facesheets, the effect of shape memory alloy wires and also the effect of pre-straining of the wires, three types of sandwich panels are considered and made including panels without shape memory alloy wire, two wires with 0% tensile pre-strain, and two wires with 5% tensile pre-strain for the same cross section. Due to the importance of bending properties in structural applications, the sandwich composite specimens are subjected to flexural test according to ASTM standards. The maximum of 13% increase in maximum bending load and 84% increase in breaking load for the specimens with 0% pre-strained wires are achieved. Also, the maximum displacement and the energy absorption for the specimen with 5% pre-strain was enhanced by 26.5% and 37%, respectively. The energy absorption during the flexural test is greater in case of the specimen with pre-strained wires. Moreover, the specimens with pre-strained wires show better integrity of the structure after the failure in bending. The results represent the advantage effect of shape memory alloy wires on sandwich composite panel's behaviour in bending.     

Preparation and characterization of functionalized graphene oxide/carbon fiber/epoxy nanocomposites

Graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized using three different diamines, namely ethylenediamine (EDA), 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) to reinforce an epoxy adhesive, with the aim of improving the bonding strength of carbon fiber/epoxy composite. The chemical structure of the functionalized GO (FGO) nanosheets was characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and XRD. Hand lay-up, as a simple method, was applied for 3-ply composite fabrication. In the sample preparation, the fiber-to-resin ratio of 40:60 (w:w) and fiber orientations of 0°, 90°, and 0° were used. The GO and FGO nanoparticles were first dispersed in the epoxy resin, and then the GO and FGO reinforced epoxy (GO- or FGO-epoxy) were directly introduced into the carbon fiber layers to improve the mechanical properties. The GO and FGO contents varied in the range of 0.1–0.5 wt%. Results showed that the mechanical properties, in terms of tensile and flexural properties, were mainly dependent on the type of GO functionalization followed by the percentage of modified GO. As a result, both the tensile and flexural strengths are effectively enhanced by the FGOs addition. The tensile and flexural moduli are also increased by the FGO filling in the epoxy resin due to the excellent elastic modulus of FGO. The optimal FGO content for effectively improving the overall composite mechanical performance was found to be 0.3 wt%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the failure mechanism of carbon fibers pulled out from the epoxy matrix contributed to the enhancement of the mechanical performance of the epoxy. These results show that diamine FGOs can strengthen the interfacial bonding between the carbon fibers and the epoxy adhesive.     

Quasi- static indentation properties of damaged glass/epoxy composite laminates repaired by the application of intra-ply hybrid patches

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of intra-ply hybrid patches based on glass and Kevlar woven fabrics on the local bending response of adhesive bonded external patch repairs in damaged glass/epoxy composite laminates. In intra ply hybrid patches glass and Kevlar fibre reinforcements are combined in the same layer. The intention, in using these hybrid patches, is to combine the excellent mechanical properties of glass fiber as a brittle reinforcement with the superior high elongation to failure property of Kevlar fiber as a ductile reinforcement. Five different kinds of plain weave woven fabrics with different ratios between glass and Kevlar fibers (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100) were used as the external patches. The undamaged virgin specimens were taken as a reference for the comparison of residual mechanical properties. Multiple quasi-static indentation tests were carried out on repaired glass/epoxy specimens, and their ultimate indentation load, stiffness and permanent deformation were estimated. Failure mechanisms of repaired glass/epoxy specimens under indentation loads were investigated using online Acoustic Emission (AE) monitoring technique. The indentation loads required for the occurrence of various failure modes were measured to illustrate the chronology of progression of different damage modes with increasing load and the kinetics of the various damage modes individually defined in real time. The use of different hybrid patches had a significant effect on the local bending response of the repaired glass/epoxy specimens. In practice, specimens repaired with patches including equal volume fraction of glass and Kevlar fibers presented a more favorable indentation response than virgin ones and other repaired specimens by exhibiting balanced mechanical properties (i.e., high deflection to ultimate failure associated with superior patch-parent laminate bond strength).     

Surface modification of ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene fibers

To prevent the loss of fiber strength, ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers were treated with an ultraviolet radiation technique combined with a corona‐discharge treatment. The physical and chemical changes in the fiber surface were examined with scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflectance. The gel contents of the fibers were measured by a standard device. The mechanical properties of the treated fibers and the interfacial adhesion properties of UHMWPE‐fiber‐reinforced vinyl ester resin composites were investigated with tensile testing. After 20 min or so of ultraviolet radiation based on 6‐kW corona treatment, the T‐peel strength of the treated UHMWPE‐fiber composite was one to two times greater than that of the as‐received UHMWPE‐fiber composite, whereas the tensile strength of the treated UHMWPE fibers was still up to 3.5 GPa. The integrated mechanical properties of the treated UHMWPE fibers were also optimum. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 463–472, 2004     

Determination of Water Diffusion Coefficients and Dynamics in Adhesive/ Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin Composite Joints

To determinate the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in adhesive/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints,energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis(EDX)is used to establish the content change of oxygen in the adhesive in adhesive/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints.As water is made up of oxygen and hydrogen,the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in adhesive/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints can be obtained from the change in the content of oxygen in the adhesive during humidity aging,via EDX analysis.The authors have calculated the water diffusion coefficients and dynamics in the adhesive/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints with the aid of both energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and elemental analysis.The determined results with EDX analysis are almost the same as those determined with elemental analysis and the results also show that the durability of the adhesive/carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite joints subjected to silane coupling agent treatment is better than those subjected to sand paper burnishing treatment and chemical oxidation treatment.     

亚临界水介质回收酸酐固化环氧树脂/碳纤维复合材料

研究了不同添加剂对碳纤维增强酸酐固化环氧树脂复合材料在亚临界水中降解的影响,通过IR、GC-MS等分析,确定了环氧树脂的分解机理主要为酯键的断裂。 结果表明,KOH与苯酚对酸酐固化环氧树脂的分解没有协同效应,碱性物质更有利于酯键的断裂。 甲基四氢邻苯二甲酸酐固化的环氧树脂增强碳纤维复合材料在反应温度为250 ℃、反应时间为60 min、KOH浓度为0.2 mol/L时可完全分解,回收碳纤维的拉伸强度和表面形貌未受影响。     

Towards the development of self-healing carbon/epoxy composites with improved potential provided by efficient encapsulation of healing agents in core-shell nanofibers

A self-healing carbon/epoxy composite was fabricated with the incorporation of healing agent loaded core-shell nanofibers between carbon fiber fabric layers. The healing agents, consisting of two components, a low viscosity epoxy resin and its amine-based curing agent, were encapsulated in Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) nanofibers via a coaxial electrospinning method. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results confirmed the successful encapsulation of both epoxy and curing agent in SAN nanofiber shells. TGA and the extraction method confirmed a high encapsulation yield (90% for the epoxy resin and 97% for the curing agent). Mechanical studies of the hybrid composite showed that embedding the fabricated core-shell nanofibers did not lead to a reduction in the mechanical properties of host composite, which was corroborated with statistical analysis. Mechanical evaluations and curing behavior studies both showed that incorporation of the aforementioned nanofibers between carbon layers can imbue the conventional carbon/epoxy composite with a self-healing ability, allowing it to repair itself to restore its mechanical properties for up to three cycles at room temperature in absent of any external driving force.     

碳纳米管及碳纤维增强环氧树脂复合材料研究进展

碳纳米管与碳纤维具有优异的力学、电学等性能,广泛用做复合材料增强体,但目前碳纳米管/碳纤维/环氧树脂复合材料的研究具有一定的局限性,只考虑了两相材料间的作用,即仅对单一相进行处理而忽略了另一相的改性。本文从碳纳米管/碳纤维协同增强环氧树脂基体复合材料的思路入手,结合自己的研究成果,综述了国内外相关研究进展。从研究结果可以看出,将三相材料之间完全有效地联系起来,发挥三者间的协同效应,复合材料的性能可以发生质的飞跃。     

高性能可回收环氧树脂及其复合材料的制备与性能研究

采用戊二酸酐为固化剂,乙酰丙酮锌为催化剂制备了一种综合性能优异的高性能可回收环氧树脂.系统研究了固化剂及催化剂含量对树脂结构、热学及动态性能的影响,实现了树脂组成的优化设计.基于酯交换反应的热可逆性,制备的vitrimer树脂通过物理热压方法可实现良好回收,力学强度保持率可达80%.采用RTM工艺制备的碳纤维织物增强vitrimer树脂复合材料表现出与传统热固性树脂基复合材料相当的力学性能,并且通过醇类溶剂热降解树脂的方法,可实现复合材料中碳纤维的高效无损回收,回收率近100%.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of (Ag/C nanocable)/epoxy resin composites

A novel Ag/C nanocable and epoxy resin composite was obtained by compounding Ag/C nanocables and epoxy resin. The nanocable is composed of a nanowire (core) wrapped with one or more outer layers (shell). Scanning electron microscopy images proved that the nanocables consisted of a silver nanowire core and a carbon outer shell. The Ag/C nanocables were modified by hyperbranched poly (amine ester) to improve their mechanical properties for further application. We separately compounded raw and modified Ag/C nanocables with epoxy resin, and then tested the thermal performance, tensile properties, and fracture morphology of each composite. We found that the tensile strengths of the two composite systems were enhanced by the epoxy resin, with the modified (Ag/C)/epoxy resin composite system improving more significantly. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) results showed that the glass transition temperature of the unmodified (Ag/C)/epoxy resin composite is increased when the Ag/C nanocable is filled, while that of the modified system slightly decreased. Fracture morphology results showed that both (Ag/C)/epoxy composite systems featured increased toughness. The modified Ag/C nanocables had better compatibility with the epoxy resin. The relationship between the properties and microstructure of the composites were discussed in detail to explain the mechanism behind the observed changes in material properties.     

Mechanical,low-velocity impact,and hydrothermal aging properties of flax/carbon hybrid composite plates

A hybrid of flax and carbon fibers was considered as an effective way to enhance the mechanical and hydrothermal resistance of flax-reinforced polymer composites. In this study, hybrid composites based on three layers of cross-ply flax fabrics, two layers of unidirectional carbon fabrics, and an epoxy resin were investigated in terms of the tensile, three-point bending, impact, and water absorption properties. The flax fabric reinforcement of the hybrid composites contributed to an improvement in the toughness, whereas the carbon fabric contributed to an improvement in their hydrothermal resistance and overall strength and stiffness. The hybrid composites with carbon fibers on the surface (CFFFC) exhibited brittle failure in the tensile test, whereas those with alternating layers (FCFCF) exhibited greater plastic deformation. In addition, the failure strain of the CFFFC samples showed a negative hybrid effect, whereas that of the FCFCF samples improved 63.5% compared with that of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites. A positive hybrid effect on the impact performance of hybrid reinforced epoxy composites containing the unidirectional carbon fabric and cross-ply flax fabric was observed. At 40 °C and 80% relative humidity, the diffusion rate of water molecules in the FCFCF samples was 16 times that in the CFFFC samples.     

The dynamic mechanical behavior of random-in-plane short fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composites

In the present paper, the dynamic mechanical properties of random-in-plane short fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composites were studied by using a rheometrics solids analyzer. The three-point bend testing of the four composites (glass fiber/913 epoxy resin, glass fiber/924 epoxy resin, carbon fiber/913 epoxy resin and carbon fiber/924 epoxy resin) was carried out over temperatures from −100°C to 200°C at a frequency of 10 Hz and strain 0.05%. The composites based on 924 epoxy resin, which has been designed specially for high temperature applications, have less energy loss than the 913 epoxy resinbased composites. For the same resin, the carbon fiber-reinforced composites have less energy loss than the glass fiber-reinforced composites. All the composites have less energy loss than their corresponding matrices; the greater the fiber content, the lower the energy loss. The beta transition of 913 epoxy resin has been shifted to a higher temperature after being reinforced. It was shifted from −50°C to −30°C after being reinforced with glass fiber and made a diffuse shoulder-like peak commencing at −30°C after being reinforced with carbon fiber. The 924 epoxy resin has undergone the same change in beta transition as the 913 resin, though to a smaller extent. The phenomenon suggested that interactions between the macromolecules of the epoxy resins and the molecules along the fiber's surface.     

Epoxy‐based composite adhesives: Effect of hybrid fillers on thermal conductivity,rheology, and lap shear strength

Thermal management is an important parameter in an electronic packaging application. In this work, three different types of fillers such as natural graphite powder (Gr) of 50‐μm particle size, boron nitride powder (h‐BN) of 1‐μm size, and silver flakes (Ag) of 10‐μm particle size were used for thermal conductivity enhancement of neat epoxy resin. The thermal properties, rheology, and lap shear strength of the neat epoxy and its composite were investigated. The analysis showed that the loading of different wt% of Gr‐based fillers can effectively increase the thermal conductivity of the epoxy resin. It has also been observed that the thermal conductivity of the hybrid filler (Gr/h‐BN/Ag) reinforced epoxy adhesive composite increased six times greater than that of neat epoxy resin composite. Further, the viscosity of hybrid filler reinforced epoxy resin was found to be increased as compared with its virgin counterpart. The adhesive composite with optimized filler content was then subsequently subjected to determine single lap shear strength. The degree of filler dispersion and alignment in the matrix were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis.     

The mechanical properties of plasma‐treated carbon fiber reinforced PA6 composites with CNT

The aim of this work is the evaluation of the effects of plasma treatment and the addition of CNT on the mechanical properties of carbon fibre/PA6 composite. A powder impregnation process with integrated inline continuous plasma of carbon fibers was used to produce CF/PA6 composite. CF/PA6 composite was processed into test laminates by compression moulding, and interface dominated composite properties were studied. The tensile and impact strength of composites containing CNT and plasma‐treated carbon fibres improved obviously. The tensile strength of nanocomposite largely increases with the increasing of the CNT content and then decreases when the CNT content is over 2%. The hydroxyl groups of the fibers surface are in favor of the wettability of carbon fibers by the polar matrix resin, which is resulting in a further interaction of the fiber surface with the curing system of the matrix resin.     

Fire Retardancy of Aluminum Hydroxide Reinforced Flame Retardant Modified Epoxy Resin Composite

A novel phosphorous containing flame retardant epoxy resin is synthesized by modifying the epoxy resin initially with phosphoric acid and further with aluminum hydroxide (ATH) to enhance the fire retardancy of the modified epoxy resin. The several phosphorous modified epoxy resin to ATH mass ratios were used to study the effect of ATH addition on epoxy. Thermal and mechanical properties. The structure of the modified flame retardant epoxy resin was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) while thermal degradation behavior and flame retardant properties were examined using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and UL-94 testing. Furthermore, ultimate tensile strength and young modulus were analyzed to study the effect of ATH addition on mechanical properties. The findings indicated that fire retardancy of ATH reinforced modified ep oxy resin is higher than virgin and phosphorous modified epoxy resin and depicted eminent flame retardant properties with suitable mechanical properties.

     

Flame retardancy of fibre-reinforced epoxy resin composites for aerospace applications

The applicability of phosphorus-containing reactive amine, which can be used in epoxy resins both as crosslinking agent and as flame retardant, was compared in an aliphatic and an aromatic epoxy resin system. In order to fulfil the strong requirements on mechanical properties of the aircraft and aerospace applications, where they are mostly supposed to be applied, carbon fibre-reinforced composites were prepared. The flame retardant performance was characterized by relevant tests and mass loss type cone calorimeter. Besides the flame retardancy, the tensile and bending characteristics and interlaminar shear strength were evaluated. The intumescence-hindering effect of the fibre reinforcement was overcome by forming a multilayer composite, consisting of reference composite core and intumescent epoxy resin coating layer, which proved to provide simultaneous amelioration of flame retardancy and mechanical properties of epoxy resins.     

纤维素超细纤维增强大豆分离蛋白透光复合膜性能研究

以醋酸纤维素为原料, 由静电纺丝方法得到平均直径为430 nm的纤维素超细纤维, 将该纤维与大豆分离蛋白复合制备了一种新型的超细纤维增强透光复合膜. 采用扫描电镜、拉伸、三点弯曲和透光率试验等对其结构、力学和透光性进行了分析和表征. 结果表明: 超细纤维与大豆分离蛋白基体具有良好的界面相互作用; 超细纤维对复合材料起到了增强增韧的效果. 而且, 复合膜具有良好的透光率. 即使超细纤维质量分数达到13%, 该膜在700 nm波长处的透光率仍然可以达到77%.     

Aligned electrospun cellulose fibers reinforced epoxy resin composite films with high visible light transmittance

Uniaxially oriented cellulose nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning on a rotating cylinder collector. The fiber angular standard deviation (a parameter of fiber orientation) of the mats was varied from 65.6 to 26.2^o by adjusting the rotational speed of the collector. Optically transparent epoxy resin composite films reinforced with the electrospun cellulose nanofibrous mats were then prepared by the solution impregnation method. The fiber content in the composite films was in the range of 5–30 wt%. Scanning electron microscopy studies showed that epoxy resin infiltrated and completely filled the pores in the mats. Indistinct epoxy/fiber interfaces, epoxy beads adhering on the fiber surfaces, and torn fiber remnants were found on the fractured composite film surfaces, indicating that the epoxy resin and cellulose fibers formed good interfacial adherence through hydrogen-bonding interaction. In the visible light range, the light transmittance was 88–92% for composite films with fiber loadings of 16–32 wt%. Compared to the composite films reinforced with 20 wt% randomly oriented fibers, the mechanical strength and Young’s modulus of the composite films reinforced with same amount of aligned fibers increased by 71 and 61%, respectively. Dynamical mechanical analysis showed that the storage moduli of the composite films were greatly reinforced in the temperature above the glass transition temperature of the epoxy resin matrix.     

Degradable and chemically recyclable epoxy resins containing acetal linkages: Synthesis,properties, and application for carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics

Four sorts of epoxy resins containing degradable acetal linkages were synthesized by the reaction of bisphenol A (BA) or cresol novolak (CN) resin with vinyl ethers containing a glycidyl group [4‐vinlyoxybutyl glycidyl ether (VBGE) and cyclohexane dimethanol vinyl glycidyl ether (CHDMVG)] and cured with known typical amine‐curing agents. The thermal and mechanical properties of the cured resins were investigated. Among the four cured epoxy resins, the CN‐CHDMVG resin (derived from CN and CHDMVE) exhibited relatively high glass transition temperature (T_g = ca. 110 °C). The treatment of these cured epoxy resins with aqueous HCl in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature for 12 h generated BA and CN as degradation main products in high yield. Carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics (CFRPs) were prepared by heating the laminated prepreg sheets with BA‐CHDMVG (derived from BA and CHDMVE) and CN‐CHDMVG, in which strands of carbon fibers are impregnated with the epoxy resins containing conventional curing agents and curing accelerators. The obtained CFRPs showed good appearance and underwent smooth breakdown with the aqueous acid treatment in THF at room temperature for 24 h to produce strands of carbon fiber without damaging their surface conditions and tensile strength. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Effect of on-line ultrasonic treatment on the properties of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites

The strength, performance, and application of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites are directly affected by the interfacial bonding between fiber and resin. Wet winding technology is a commonly used composite productive process, and improving interfacial bonding of composites by on-line treatment has always been the focus of attention. In this paper, an on-line ultrasonic treatment system is designed and realized, the resin content of prepregs is determined by the dissolution method; standard deviation and dispersion coefficient are also calculated. The surface morphology, internal structure of prepregs, and the component of resin are observed and analyzed using a Metallurgical Microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and near infrared radiation spectra (NIRS). The strength and performance of prepregs [(tensile strength, bending strength, tensile modulus of elasticity, bending modulus of elasticity, and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS)] are also tested. The results show the on-line ultrasonic treatment system can effectively improve the interfacial bonding of CFRP composites and enhance the strength and performance of CFRP composites.