Experimental study of simple shear flow of monodisperse fibrous composites

Steady-state simple shear flow of epoxide resin and its composites containing 1, 3, or 5 vol. % fiber material was studied at temperatures ranging from 20 to 70°C. Normal stresses were measured. The decrease in viscosity with increasing shear rate, during the formation of a continuous fiber mesh, is interpreted according to the molecular-kinetic theory of flow of continuous media, on the assumption of viscoelastic flow elements with the relaxation time a function of the shear rate. The conditions are established for a transition from the slip mechanism of flow, which involves fiber linkages, to the cluster mechanism of flow.     

Investigation of the adhesion strength of carbamide resins

The adhesion of carbamide resin to clean or treated fiber glass surfaces has been determined. The effect of this adhesion on the strength of glass-reinforced plastics is examined.Moscow Mendeleev Chemical Engineering Institute. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 4, No. 6, pp. 1119–1121, November–December, 1968.     

Ductility of nonmetallic hybrid fiber composite reinforcement for concrete

Reinforcing units, FRP, of unidirectional fiber composites for concrete have elastic behavior up to tensile failure. For safety reasons an elongation of 3% at maximum load is usually required for the reinforcement. Ductile behavior with the necessary elongation and stress hardening could be obtained with braided fiber strands around a core of foam plastic, thin glass fiber cylindrical shell, or unidirectional carbon fibers. Braids around a porous core reveal the ductility when epoxy resin breaks up and collapse of core enables the braids to rotate. The same seems to happen at that cross section, where carbon fiber core breaks in tension. The best result is obtained using a cylindrical glass fiber reinforced core shell surrounded with aramid fiber braid.Presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials, Riga, October, 1995.Division of Building Materials, Chalmers University of Technology, S412 96 Göteborg, Sweden. Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Latvian Academy of Sciences, Riga, LV-1006 Latvia. Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 167–179, March–April, 1996.     

Creep prediction of a layered fiberglass plastic

The results of short-term creep tests of a layered glass fiber/polyester resin plastic in tension at angles of 90, 70, and 45° to the direction of the principal fiber orientation are presented. The applicability of the principle of time-temperature analogy for the prediction of long-term creep of the composite and its structural components is revealed. The possibility of evaluating the viscoelastic properties of the composite from the properties of structural components is shown.Presented at the 10th International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, April 20–23, 1998).Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 295–306, May–June, 1998.     

On the natural Fiber (Maize) Composite material

This work is focused on the compressive behavior in the elastic region of a composite material made out of stalk-based maize fiber and unsaturated polyester resin polymer as matrix with methyl ethyl ketone peroxide as a catalyst and Cobalt Octoate as a promoter [1]. Deformation and fracture behavior are investigated by using Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM). XFEM enables the accurate approximation of solutions with jumps, discontinuities or general high gradients across interfaces between the fibers and the matrix [2], [3]. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Experimental Evaluation of the Effect of the Structure of Composite Rings on Their Properties in the Radial Direction

Based on the results of bending tests on cut glass-fiber-reinforced plastic rings with a longitudinal-circumferential reinforcement, their radial peel strength is evaluated. The effect of the fiber layout on the properties of the rings in the radial direction is investigated. It is shown that their radial tensile strength only slightly depends on the fiber layout but is basically determined by the properties of the polymer interlayer between the fibers. In radial tension, the presence of fibers in the polymer layer leads to a strain concentration, which results in a premature failure of the polymer phase of the composite. The strain-concentration factor cannot be used for an accurate prediction of the breaking stresses or strains of the composite, because of different failure modes of the pure resin and the composite.     

Effective moduli of elasticity of a composite composed of anisotropic layers

Relations are obtained for the effective moduli of elasticity and Poisson's ratios of a laminated fiber-reinforced composite, each layer of which has at least orthorhombic symmetry. The elastic properties of the composite in terms of the elastic constants of the layer are expressed exactly, and the elastic constants of the individual layer in terms of the values for the fiber and the matrix are expressed approximately. Two approximations are considered: one corresponds to the Hashin-Shtrikman variational approach, while in the second the comparison material is assigned elastic properties equal to the Voigt or Reuss means of the values for each layer. A numerical example is worked for the combination boron fibers-epoxy resin. The results of the calculation are compared with the exact solution of the problem for a composite composed of alternating layers of boron and epoxy resin.     

Measuring and modeling the thermal conductivities of three-dimensionally woven fabric composites

The effect of a three-dimensional fiber reinforcement on the out-of-plane thermal conductivity of composite materials is investigated. Composite preforms with different fibers in the thickness direction were fabricated. After in fusion by using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process, their through-thickness thermal conductivities were evaluated. The measured thermal conductivities showed a significant increase compared with those of a typical laminated composite. Although the through-thickness thermal conductivity of the samples increased with through-thickness fiber volume fraction, its values did not match those predicted by the simple rule of mixtures. By using finite-element models to better under stand the behavior of the composite material, improvements in an existing analytical model were performed to predict the effective thermal conductivity as a function of material properties and in-contact thermal properties of the composite. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 241–254, March–April, 2009.     

Effectiveness of using hollow fibers to improve the rigidity of glass-reinforced plastics

Calculated and experimental relations between the modulus of elasticity and rigidity of unidirectional glass-reinforced plastics (GRP) and the capillarity coefficient of the hollow fiber reinforcement are presented. It is established that in calculating the flexural rigidity ratio of hollow- and solid-fiber GRP specimens of equal weight it is not permissible to neglect the mass and modulus of elasticity of the resin. The potentialities of hollow fibers as reinforcement for GRP shells subjected to external pressure are demonstrated.All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Glass-Reinforced Plastics and Glass Fibers, Moscow Region. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 672–676, July–August, 1968.     

A study of the causes of the reduced strength of glass-reinforced phenolformaldehyde plastics

A study of the curing kinetics of phenolformaldehyde resin in the presence of glass and quartz has shown that one of the chief causes of the reduced strength of glass-reinforced plastics based on phenol-formal-dehyde resin is the difference in the rate and degree of cure in layers close to the fibers and in the bulk of the resin. This is caused by the presence on the surface of the fibers of a hydrate sheath with increased concentration of hydroxyl ions and by the presence of hydrogen bonds between the oxyphenyl groups of the resin and the silanol groups on the surface of the fibers. Chemical treatment of the glass fibers has the effect of diminishing those factors responsible for the reduced rate and degree of cure, and in spite of the lower surface energy of the fibers, the strength of the glass-reinforced plastic increases.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 3. pp. 8–14, 1965     

Interfacial stress analysis of a CFRR-metal adhesively bonded joint with/without defect under hygrothermal environment

The current study focuses on the single-lap adhesively bonded joint of carbon fiber reinforced resin (CFRR), a kind of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs), and metal with/without adhesive defect under coupled hygrothermal environment. Theoretical mechanical model, containing key geometric and position parameters of the interfacial defect, is established and solved by differential quadrature method (DQM). Influences of the coupled hygrothermal condition, external mechanical loads, adhesive defect size and position as well as adherend materials to interfacial stresses are explored and discussed. Numerical examples show the significance of consideration of hygrothermal environment for the interfacial stresses, especially the importance of temperature gradient. Taking into account the hygrothermal environment makes the stress fields more complex. The current study may offer theoretical references to investigations of failure mechanisms of adhesively bonded structures of dissimilar materials operating in complex environment conditions.     

Theoretical Justification and Error Analysis for Slender Body Theory

Slender body theory facilitates computational simulations of thin fibers immersed in a viscous fluid by approximating each fiber using only the geometry of the fiber centerline curve and the line force density along it. However, it has been unclear how well slender body theory actually approximates Stokes flow about a thin but truly three-dimensional fiber, in part due to the fact that simply prescribing data along a 1D curve does not result in a well-posed boundary value problem for the Stokes equations in ℝ³ . Here, we introduce a PDE problem to which slender body theory (SBT) provides an approximation, thereby placing SBT on firm theoretical footing. The slender body PDE is a new type of boundary value problem for Stokes flow where partial Dirichlet and partial Neumann conditions are specified everywhere along the fiber surface. Given only a 1D force density along a closed fiber, we show that the flow field exterior to the thin fiber is uniquely determined by imposing a fiber integrity condition: the surface velocity field on the fiber must be constant along cross sections orthogonal to the fiber centerline. Furthermore, a careful estimation of the residual, together with stability estimates provided by the PDE well-posedness framework, allows us to establish error estimates between the slender body approximation and the exact solution to the above problem. The error is bounded by an expression proportional to the fiber radius (up to logarithmic corrections) under mild regularity assumptions on the 1D force density and fiber centerline geometry. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

On the effective moduli of composite materials: Experimental study of chopped-fiber reinforcement

Summary The dependence of the elastic moduli of chopped-fiber reinforced composites on the modulus ratio and the fiber length was studied experimentally at low volume fractions of fibers. For this purpose model composites were fabricated from an epoxy casting resin and chopped stainless steel fibers, and the elastic moduli of these samples were measured by an ultrasonic pulse technique. The results confirm in part the analytic expressions for the bulk moduli of such composites previously derived by the authors, but also emphasize the importance of fiber dispersion even at dilute concentrations.

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Zusammenfassung Die Elastizitätsmoduli von faserverstärkten Composites hängen bekanntlich u.a. von dem Modulverhältnis zwischen Kernmaterial und Fasern sowie von der Faserlänge ab. Diese Abhängigkeit wurde experimentell bei niedrigen Volumenkonzentrationen der Faser untersucht. Zu diesem Zweck wurden Modelle aus Epoxy-Gussharz und aus zerschnittenen Chromstahlfasern hergestellt. Die Elastizitätsmoduli liessen sich durch ein Ultraschall-Pulsverfahren messen. Die Resultate bestätigen zum Teil die von den Autoren früher hergeleiteten analytischen Ausdrücke für die Ersatzmoduli. Sie zeigen aber auch sogar bei niedriger Volumenkonzentration die primäre Bedeutung der Faserdispersion.

     

Effect of surface modification of fibers with a polymer coating on the interlaminar shear strength of a composite and the translation of fiber strength in an F-12 aramid/epoxy composite vessel

The surface of aramid fibers was modified with a polymer coating — a surface treatment reagent containing epoxy resin. The resulting fibers were examined by using NOL tests, hydroburst tests, and the scanning electron microscopy. The modified fibers had a rougher surface than the untreated ones. The interlaminar shear strength of an aramid-fiber-reinforced epoxy composite was highest when the concentration of polymer coating system was 5%. The translation of fiber strength in an aramid/epoxy composite vessel was improved by 8%. The mechanism of the surface treatment of fibers in improving the mechanical properties of aramid/epoxy composites is discussed. Russian translation publeshed in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 6, pp. 729–738, November–December, 2006.     

Effect of reaction at the polymer-solid interface on the mechanical properties of alkyd coatings

IR spectroscopy is used to investigate the intermolecular reaction between alkyd resin and the surface of aerosil. It is shown that the nature of the reaction has a considerable influence on the mechanical and adhesion properties of the coatings. Modification of the aerosil surface with octadecylamine leads to the formation of a hydrogen bond between the NH groups of the modifier and the OH groups of the aerosil surface. In the presence of alkyd resin the NH groups are almost completely displaced from the surface of the filler.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 19–23, 1967     

Investigation of internal stresses in glass-reinforced plastics

The strength properties of and internal stresses in epoxy and epoxyphenol resins and GRPs based on them are investigated using an optical method of determining internal stresses. The GRPs had tape and fabric reinforcement. Compared with the internal stresses in unplasticized specimens, the stresses in pure resin films and in GRPs based on plasticized resins are found to be smaller. It is shown that the distribution of internal stresses in GRPs is anisotropic. The highest internal stresses are observed in tape-reinforced GRPs in a direction normal to the fibers. Glass reinforcement in two directions at right angles reduces the internal stresses in GRPs as compared with pure resin films. In both reinforced and unreinforced films, the internal stresses depend on the curing conditions.Mekhanika polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 82–88, 1965     

Effect of surface modification on the adhesion and mechanical properties of glass-reinforced plastics

The adhesion of an epoxy-polyester resin to glass fibers with clean and modified surfaces has been determined. The effect of this adhesion on some of the properties of glass-reinforced plastics (bending, tension, shear) is investigated.Mekhanika polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 93–99, 1965     

Study of the residual (internal) stresses in reinforced epoxy resin

An optical polarization method has been used to study the residual (internal) stresses in reinforced ED-6 epoxy resin cured with maleic anhydride. The effects of "chemical" shrinkage, volume change relaxation during during curing, and the difference linear coefficients of thermal expansion for reinforcement and resin are elucidated. It is shown that adjacent reinforcing elements interact. The stress state is investigated with reference to a model of the elementary cell of the regular structure of a unidirectional glass-reinforced plastic. The residual stresses are found as a function of the resin/reinforcement ratio.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 76–80, 1965     

Some special features of the structural changes of epoxy resins under the action of magnetic fields

Conclusions 1. The action of a magnetic field leads to a change in the structure of an epoxy resin both at the molecular and at the supramolecular levels.2. A homogeneous magnetic field acting on the hardening process of an epoxy resin, due to the presence of the orientating moment, is able to produce ordered formations.3. A nonhomogeneous magnetic field results in a distribution of anisotropic morphological formations along the field gradient, promoting a change in the physicomechanical properties of the material.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 4, pp. 583–587, July–August, 1978.     

Mechanism by which tension on the fibrous filler affects the structure and the strength of wound glass-plastics

Conclusions 1. We have studied how the structure of glass-plastics wound with twisted threads is affected by tension on the fibrous filler. The trend of changes in fiber content and porosity, as well as an increasingly nonuniform distribution of the reinforcing filler over the thickness, has been established.2. The effect of a nonuniform filler distribution over the thickness on the tensile strength has been evaluated. The calculated and the experimental curve of strength as a function of the tension have been compared, the former taking into account variable porosity, fiber content, and nonuniformity of fiber distribution over the thickness.3. It has been demonstrated that the change in the strength characteristics of a wound glass-plastic as a function of the tension on the reinforcing filler during winding is due to a combined complex effect of such factors as the overall fiber content and porosity, a nonuniform fiber distribution over the thickness, the fiber orientation, and the degree of mechanical damage in threads due to their interaction with the active components of the winding machine.Report presented at the Third All-Union Conference on Polymer Mechanics. Riga, November 10–12, 1976.Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 3, pp. 439–444, May–June, 1977.