Shear strength of composites based on whiskerized fibers

The elastic and strength characteristics of unidirectional carbon plastics have been studied, based on carbon fibers, whiskerized with fiber crystals of silicon nitride prepared from the gaseous phase and titanium dioxide from an aerosol. The advantages of these composites and glass textolites based on satin-type fabrics whiskerized with fiber crystals of aluminum nitride and titanium dioxide over the usual carbon and glass plastics are demonstrated.All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials. Institute of Polymers Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 492–501, May–June, 1973.     

On the curvature of vortex moduli spaces

We use algebraic topology to investigate local curvature properties of the moduli spaces of gauged vortices on a closed Riemann surface. After computing the homotopy type of the universal cover of the moduli spaces (which are symmetric products of the surface), we prove that, for genus $g>1$ , the holomorphic bisectional curvature of the vortex metrics cannot always be nonnegative in the multivortex case, and this property extends to all Kähler metrics on certain symmetric products. Our result rules out an established and natural conjecture on the geometry of the moduli spaces.     

Effect of reinforcing elements on the deformation and strength of glass-reinforced plastics in tension

The problem of extension of a bar of constant cross section containing reinforcing elements in the form of rods arranged parallel to the generators of the lateral surface is considered. A solution is obtained by the Muskhelishvili method. This solution is analyzed and approximate formulas are proposed for the averaged characteristics of materials (especially glass-reinforced plastics) as a function of the relative contents and mechanical properties of the components. The formulas obtained closely reflect a number of known experimental facts.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 104–113, 1965     

Properties of fillers and reinforcing fibers

Fillers have always played an important role in the plastics industry. Filled polymers form a specific class of composites, which are tending to replace many traditional materials. Various kinds of organic fillers are used. The experimental study of such nonconventional organic and inorganic fillers obtained from agricultural waste is presented to modify the properties of thermoplastics, such as pVC, HDPE, LDPE, and ABS. The properties obtained by using these fillers alone and in combinations show very interesting results, which are tabulated. The use of organic fillers should help lower the cost of many plastic products required in the building and agricultural industries.Presented at the 10th International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, April 20–23, 1998).Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune, India. Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 651–663, September–October, 1998.     

Effect of fiber curvature on the modulus of elasticity for unidirectional glass-reinforced plastics in tension

The effect of curvature of the fibers on the modulus of elasticity of unidirectional glass-reinforced plastics (GRP) in tension has been investigated on the basis of the theory of layered reinforced media with random initial irregularities [1,2]. It is shown experimentally that relatively minor distortion of the fibers during manufacture may result in important changes in the modulus of elasticity. A model is proposed for determining the effect of fiber curvature on Young's modulus; experiments on specimens with a given regular fiber curvature indicate good agreement with the theory. The effect of prestressing the fibers on the modulus of elasticity has been studied using commercial AG-4S material and the optimum prestress has been established.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 243–249, 1967     

Effect of curvature of the fibers on the elastic properties of unidirectionally reinforced plastics

An approximate method is proposed for determining the reduced elastic constants of reinforced plastics (glass-reinforced plastics) with allowance for the curvature of the reinforcing fibers. All the conclusions relate to plane stress. The results of model tests are presented as confirmation of the theoretical conclusions.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 858–863, 1967     

Effect of tensile stresses on the strength of heat-treated glass fibers

Possibilities of controlling the internal stresses developing during production of glass reinforced plastics were investigated. A favorable effect can be obtained by prestressing the glass fiber reinforcement during molding. Prestressing during heat treatment was found to increase the strength of the fibers. The strengthening is due to a reduction in stress concentration around microcracks as a result of forced elastic and plastic deformation.Mekhanika polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 89–92, 1965     

Effect of silicon carbide coatings on the strength of carbon fibers

Conclusion The character of the effect of silicon carbide coatings on the strength of carbon fibers is a function of the strength of the coating, which decreases with an increase in its thickness. The results obtained permit hoping for a significant increase in the strength of fibers by application of high-modulus coatings. It can be attained as a result of increasing the critical value of the coating thickness due to optimization of the conditions of preparation, which will improve the structure of the articles.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 4, pp. 604–608, July–August, 1988.     

Effective transverse elastic moduli of composites at non-dilute concentration of a random field of aligned fibers

We consider a transversal loading of a linearly elastic isotropic media containing the identical isotropic aligned circular fibers at non-dilute concentration c. By the use of solution obtained by the Kolosov–Muskhelishvili complex potential method for two interacting circles subjected to three different applied stresses at infinity, and exact integral representations for both the stress and strain distributions in a microinhomogeneous medium, one estimates the effective moduli of the composite accurately to order c². Received: March 4, 2003; revised: August 8, 2003     

Effect of dispersed filter particles on the strength behavior of composites

An attempt is made to find a solution by which the effect of neighboring filler particles on the strength of composites could be indirectly estimated. The stresses in composites with a great amount of filler are calculated. Composites based on epoxy-resin binder are tested. A comparison of different models shows that the modified Kerner model reflects only the tendency for the compression strength to change with the degree of filling. The relations between the compression strength and the degree of filling are better described by models allowing for constraint of the plastic deformations of the matrix. However, in this case, the effect of the neighboring particles is not properly taken into account. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 5, pp. 575–584, September–October, 1999.     

Calculation of the moduli of elasticity and tensile strength of oriented glass-reinforced plastics on the basis of a nondestructive determination of their composition and structural parameters

The theoretical basis of the nondestructive determination of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of oriented glass-reinforced plastics in the direction of the principal axes of anisotropy from the resin content and porosity of the finished product is examined. The results of an experimental verification are presented.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 332–341, March–April, 1969.     

Path-connectedness of the moduli spaces of metrics with positive isotropic curvature on four-manifolds

In the paper we prove the path-connectedness of the moduli spaces of metrics with positive isotropic curvature on certain compact four-dimensional manifolds.     

Effect of filler structure on strength of some carbon composites

Filler structure and its connection with the strength of composite graphite-plastic materials have been studied. It has been shown that the filler surface affects the cross-linking conditions of the polymeric binder, which determines the mechanical properties of the material. The dependence of the strength of graphite plastics on dimensions of the filler crystallites can be represented by an equation of the Petch type, in which the coefficients have a definite physical meaning.     

Effect of the morphology of the organic fibers on the mechanical behavior of composites

Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis are used to study the morphology of several aramid and polyimide fibers developed in Russia and to determine their strain-strength characteristics. It is shown that the supermolecular structure of the fiber in large part determines the character of its interaction with the matrix and behavior during failure of the fiber composite (FCP). In the case of aramid fibers, composite failure is accompanied by intensive fibrillation leading to lamination on a microscopic scale and a deterioration in the service characteristics of the composite. The stability of the investigated polyimide fibers against fibrillation and microlamination, in combination with good heat resistance, makes them promising as reinforcing materials for FCPs.Submitted for the Tenth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composites (Riga, April 1998).Institute of High-Molecular-Weight Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia) and the Khimvolokno Scientific-Industrial Association (Mytishchi, Russia). Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 33, No. 5, 656–669, September–October, 1997.