Advanced Engineering Applications Research Articles

Fabricating Ultrastrong Carbon Nanotube Fibers via a Microwave Welding Interface.

Liquid crystal wet-spun carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) offer notable advantages, such as precise alignment and scalability. However, these CNTFs usually suffer premature failure through intertube slippage due to the weak interfacial interactions between adjacent shells and bundles. Herein, we present a microwave (MW) welding strategy to enhance intertube interactions by partially carbonizing interstitial heterocyclic aramid polymers. The resulting CNTFs exhibit ultrahigh static tensile strength (6.74 ± 0.34 GPa) and dynamic tensile strength (9.52 ± 1.31 GPa), outperforming other traditional high-performance fibers. This work provides a straightforward yet effective approach to strengthening CNTFs for advanced engineering applications.

A Strong, Tough, and Stable Composite with Nacre-Inspired Sandwich Structure.

Improving the fracture resistance of nacre-inspired composites is crucial in addressing the strength-toughness trade-off. However, most previously proposed strategies for enhancing fracture resistance in these composites have been limited to interfacial modification by polymer, which restricts mechanical enhancement. Here, a composite material consisting of graphene oxide (GO) lamellae and nanocrystalline reinforced amorphous alumina nanowires (NAANs) has been developed. The structure of the composite is inspired by nacre and is composed of stacked GO nanosheets with NAANs in between, forming a sandwich-like structure. This design enhances the fracture resistance of the composite through the pull-out of GO nanosheets at the nanoscale and GO/NAANs sandwich-like coupling at the micro-scale, while also providing stiff ceramic support. This composite simultaneously possesses high strength (887.8MPa), toughness (31.6MJm-3), superior cyclic stability (1600 cycles), and long-term (2 years) immersion stability, which outperform previously reported GO-based lamellar composites. The hierarchical fracture design provides a new path to design next-generation strong, tough, and stable materials for advanced engineering applications.

Mechanical properties of scCu-rGO /Cu composites reinforced with Cu2O transition layer constructed by supercritical CO2 deposition

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with surface-loaded Cu particles (scCu-rGO) was prepared by supercritical CO2 deposition, and Cu matrix composites with scCu-rGO as a reinforcement (scCu-rGO/Cu composites) were successfully prepared by ball milling for different times and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The scCu-rGO/Cu composites prepared with a ball milling time of 20 h exhibited high electrical conductivity (96.3 % IACS), tensile strength (240 MPa), and elongation (37 %). The outstanding properties are mainly ascribed to the uniform distribution of rGO by the ball milling process and rGO promoted by loading Cu particles onto its surface through supercritical deposition, which led to an interfacial reaction between rGO and Cu, resulting in the formation of a Cu2O transition layer with a load-transferring effect that enhanced the mechanical properties of the composites. Based on the experimental results, the strength of scCu-rGO/Cu composites is mainly enhanced by synergistic strengthening through grain refinement, Orowan looping and load transfer strengthening. This study demonstrates that the use of supercritical deposition to construct Cu2O transition layers can result in a strength-plasticity and high electrical conductivity match in scCu-rGO/Cu composites. The findings presented here offer new insights for innovative design of Cu matrix composites for advanced engineering applications by using supercritical deposition.

Carbon nanotubes enhancement of tribological and nanomechanical properties of PVDF-BN nanocomposites

AbstractThere have been continuous efforts to further promote various properties of polymeric materials to meet various industrial demands, especially in the area of thermal, electrical, mechanical and wear properties. This study developed polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-boron nitride (BN) nanocomposites and significantly enhanced their wear and nanomechanical properties by incorporating very low content of carbon nanotubes (CNT). The nanocomposites were developed via simple technique of solution mixing and hot compression. Scanning electron microscope showed that the nanocomposites achieved uniform microstructure with no significant agglomeration of the nanoparticles in the PVDF matrix. The wear rate of PVDF-10wt%BN-0.1wt%CNT was reduced from 5.68 × 10–4 and 5 × 10–3 mm3/Nm for pure PVDF to 1.6 × 10–6 and 8 × 10–6 mm3/Nm at applied loads of 10 N and 20 N, respectively. Also, an increase in hardness and elastic modulus of 225% and 219% for PVDF-10wt%BN-0.1wt%CNT was obtained relative to the pure PVDF at 100-mN applied load. While the nanocomposite showed about 75% and 103% increments compared to PVDF-10wt%BN at 100 mN. This study revealed that the addition of small amount of CNT could further improve the wear and mechanical properties of PVDF-BN as well as any other polymer-ceramic binary systems various advanced engineering applications.

Investigation of the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic behavior of the liquid jet quenching process

Liquid jet quenching of metals is typically adopted to achieve specific material properties of metals, thereby making them suitable for advanced engineering applications. In this process, a metal plate is heated and cooled rapidly by impinging water jets. The temperature history during cooling leads to a microstructural transformation thereby improving the material properties such as hardness. During liquid jet quenching, since the plate surface temperature is above the Leidenfrost temperature, the boiling heat transfer dominates. This is associated with an intense cooling and water vapor generation, where the Leidenfrost effect impedes the immediate wetting of the surface. The resulting uneven cooling over the plate surface tends to potential deformation and cracking. To control this process, a detailed understanding of the spatial and the temporal heat transfer behavior is imperative. Experiments in this context are limited and therefore investigating the conjugate heat transfer process is to be combined with a multi-phase numerical model. The two-phase numerical model based on the Euler-Euler approach is developed and validated to simulate the jet quenching of a stationary plate considering all the boiling regimes within a single framework. This model consists of two phases, the liquid water which is the continuous phase (primary) and the water vapor modeled as the dispersed phase (secondary). In this study, a circular water jet (tap water) impact is considered and the plate materials under investigation are aluminum alloy (Al-alloy) and stainless steel (St-steel). Experiments are performed using infrared and high-speed imaging. The validated numerical model provides the technical parameters such as wetting front behavior, heat flux, HTC (heat transfer coefficient) etc. The influence of the jet Reynolds number and the plate material properties on the heat transfer is analysed. The study emphasizes that the plate material has a significantly higher influence on the heat transfer during jet quenching.Graphical abstract

Free vibration characteristics of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates using Rayleigh-Ritz approach

PurposeThe purpose is to explore the free vibration behaviour of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. The goal of this study is to gain a better knowledge of the dynamic response of nanoscale structures made of functionally graded materials and porous features. The Rayleigh-Ritz approach is used in this study to generate realistic mathematical models that take elastic foundation support into account. This research can contribute to the design and optimization of advanced nanomaterials with potential applications in engineering and technology by providing insights into the influence of material composition, porosity and foundation support on the vibrational properties of nanoplates.Design/methodology/approachA systematic methodology is proposed to evaluate the free vibration characteristics of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. The study began by developing the mathematical model, adding material properties and establishing governing equations using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. Numerical approaches to solve the problem are used, using finite element methods. The results are compared to current solutions or experimental data to validate the process. The results are also analysed, keeping the influence of factors on vibration characteristics in mind. The findings are summarized and avenues for future research are suggested, ensuring a robust investigation within the constraints.FindingsThe Rayleigh-Ritz technique is used to investigate the free vibration properties of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates. The findings show that differences in material composition, porosity and foundation support have a significant impact on the vibrational behaviour of nanoplates. The Rayleigh-Ritz approach is good at modelling and predicting these properties. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the possibility of customizing nanoplate qualities to optimize certain vibrational responses, providing useful insights for engineering applications. These findings expand understanding of dynamic behaviours in nanoscale structures, making it easier to build innovative materials with specific features for a wide range of industrial applications.Originality/valueThe novel aspect of this research is the incorporation of elastic foundation support, porous structures and functionally graded materials into the setting of nanoplate free vibrations, utilizing the Rayleigh-Ritz technique. Few research have looked into this complex combo. By tackling complicated interactions, the research pushes boundaries, providing a unique insight into the dynamic behaviour of nanoscale objects. This novel approach allows for a better understanding of the interconnected effects of material composition, porosity and foundation support on free vibrations, paving the way for the development of tailored nanomaterials with specific vibrational properties for advanced engineering and technology applications.

Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Photocrosslinkable Chitosan Inks.

Photocuring of chitosan has shown great promise in the extrusion-based 3D printing of scaffolds for advanced biomedical and tissue engineering applications. However, the poor mechanical stability of methacrylated chitosan photocuring ink restricts its applicability. The inclusion of co-networks by means of simultaneous polycomplex formation is an effective method by which to solve this drawback, but the formed hydrogel inks are not printable. This work aims to develop new photocurable chitosan inks based on the simultaneous photocrosslinking of methacrylated chitosan (CHIMe) with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, and acrylic acid to be applied in extrusion 3D printing. Interestingly, the polycomplex co-network corresponding to the acrylic-acid-based ink could be successfully printed by the here-presented simultaneous photocuring strategy. Further, the conversion of photocrosslinking was studied via photo-DSC analyses that revealed a clear dependence on the chemical structure of the employed crosslinking agents (from 40 to ~100%). In addition, the mechanical and rheological properties of the photocured hydrogels were comparatively studied, as well as the printing quality of the extruded scaffolds. The newly developed chitosan photocurable inks demonstrated extrusion printability (squareness ~0.90; uniformity factor ~0.95) and tunable mechanical properties (Young modulus 14-1068 Pa) by means of different crosslinking approaches according to the chemical architecture of the reactive molecules employed. This work shows the great potential of photocrosslinkable chitosan inks.

Multifunctional Aluminum Pre-treatments from End-Functionalized Phosphonic Acid Self-Assembled Monolayers.

Aluminum alloys are used in advanced engineering applications as they possess a combination of favorable properties, including high strength, lightweightness, good corrosion resistance, machineability, and recyclability. Such applications often require forming the sheets into the final components, which is typically aided by an oil-based lubricant, followed by joining them using adhesives, which is hampered by residual lubricant. In this work, aluminum surfaces were modified with different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), with the goal of significantly reducing the amount of lubricant while simultaneously improving friction properties, forming, and bonding performance. Our results show that SAMs terminated with hydrophilic and nucleophilic end groups give rise to high-energy surfaces with wetting properties that are stable over time. These surfaces showed significantly improved surface wetting by the lubricant, which in turn resulted in an improved forming performance at reduced lubricant coat weights. Moreover, the nucleophilic SAM termination provided outstanding performance in adhesive bonding tests under corrosive conditions.

Optimisation of processing parameters for wear properties of polylactic acid biopolymer parts in FDM process

ABSTRACT Currently, additive manufacturing (AM) technology has been expanding in advanced engineering and biomedical applications. The fused deposition modelling (FDMTM) method, also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), is one of the most extensively used AM methods owing to its simple operation, reliability and potential to manufacture intricate components. The mechanical and wear properties of these components depend mainly on the proper selection of processing parameters. This study aims to determine the optimum parameters for low wear rate, less frictional force and good surface roughness. To achieve this aim, a hybrid approach based on user preference ranking is adopted to evaluate the effect of the four processing parameters including nozzle temperature, fill density, layer thickness and printing speed, on the wear behaviour, frictional force and surface roughness. The study procedure includes Taguchi L27 experiment design, finding the weight ratios, calculating utility index (UI) values and optimising UI values using Taguchi methodology for maximum utilisation. The results found that at 220°C of nozzle temperature, 100% fill density, 0.24 mm layer thickness and a printing speed of 60 mm/s are optimal parameters for the maximum utility index value. From the results, the percentage of contribution of fill density, nozzle temperature, layer thickness and printing speed were observed as 69.071%, 15.974%, 5.431% and 2.306%, respectively.

Remarkable improved strength and ductility in brittle eutectic high-entropy alloy via a novel spheroidization and recrystallization strategy

Eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEAs), as a classification of high-entropy alloys (HEAs), have received worldwide interest due to superior fluidity and attractive properties. However, other than the FCC + B2 EHEA system, most other reported EHEA systems show inherent brittleness during tensile loading at room temperature, which limits their advanced engineering application. In this work, a novel spheroidization + recrystallization (SR) strategy for synergistic strengthening and plasticizing of the brittle CoCrFeNi2(V6B3Si)0.149 was proposed. The superior combination of strength and ductility was achieved by tailoring spherical M3B2 + recrystallized FCC duplex phases. Based on this strategy, the yield strength and elongation were improved from 565 ± 15 MPa and 2.3 % ± 0.3 % to 841 ± 24 – 1278 ± 20 MPa and 14.7 % ± 0.5 % – 22.5 % ± 1.2 %, with an increase of 48 %–126 % and 539 %–878 %, respectively. The synergistic increment in the strength and ductility of SR-FCC+M3B2 EHEAs exceeds all reported further strengthened FCC + B2 EHEAs. Meanwhile, such simple thermo-mechanical processing is suitable for large-scale industrial production. The high strength results from the back stress provided by the dual heterogeneity of FCC grain sizes and soft FCC/hard M3B2. The good ductility is attributed to the dislocation movement path released by spheroidized M3B2 and a more uniform stress distribution caused by the recrystallized FCC. This work provides a new strategy for synergistic strengthening and plasticizing of the brittle EHEAs to meet industrial reliability requirements.

Rigid-foldable cylindrical origami with tunable mechanical behaviors

Rigid-foldable origami shows significant promise in advanced engineering applications including deployable structures, aerospace engineering, and robotics. It undergoes deformation solely at the creases during the folding process while maintaining rigidity throughout all facets. However, most types of cylindrical origami, such as Kresling origami, water-bomb origami, and twisted tower origami, lack rigid-foldability. Although shape transformation can be achieved through elastic folding, their limited rigid foldability constrains their engineering applications. To address this limitation, we proposed a type of cylindrical origami inspired by Kresling origami, named foldable prism origami (FP-ori), in this paper. FP-ori possesses not only rigid-foldability but also several tunable properties, including flat-foldability, self-locking, and bistability. The geometric properties of FP-ori were analyzed and the relationship between different parameters and tunable mechanical behaviors were verified through finite element method simulations, as well as experiments using paper models. Furthermore, we proposed stacked structures composed of multiple cubic FP-ori units, the rotation directions of which could be controlled through the combination arrangement. And drawing inspiration from kirigami, a negative Poisson’s ratio tessellation structure was created. These results indicated that FP-ori has substantial potential for broad application in engineering fields.

Smart electro-magneto-viscoelastomer minimum energy structures with particle-reinforcements: Theoretical equilibrium and nonlinear dynamics of actuated configurations

Soft transduction technology is rapidly adopting soft active elastomer-based minimum energy structures because of their distinctive programmable shape-morphing characteristics. For effective device design, an understanding of the nonlinear dynamic behavior is crucial as they often experience time-dependent motion while operating. Moreover, there has been an increasing scientific interest in enhancing the actuation performance of soft active elastomers by imparting particle reinforcements. This article provides a theoretical framework for investigating the nonlinear dynamics of smart composite elastomer-based minimum energy structures (SCEMES) with the provision of non-aligned electric and magnetic fields, leading to an actively programmable pre-stretch paradigm. Unlike conventional actuators, the proposed SCEMES is made up of a polymer that has electro-magnetic properties and is filled with appropriate fillers with specific volume fractions. An electromagneto-viscoelastic model is developed here to predict actuator behavior and investigate the effects of particle reinforcement on equilibrium and actuated configurations. Besides strengthening the polymer, particle reinforcement is observed to enhance the equilibrium angle achieved by the structure with enhanced functionality. The proposed nonlinear dynamic model is extended to investigate a number of critically influential parameters, including shear modulus ratio of fiber to matrix, frame bending stiffness, membrane pre-stretching, and electro-magnetic loading with time-dependent DC and AC modes of actuation. The results reveal that the combined electro-magnetic actuation enhances the actuation range significantly. The attained tip angle of the actuator increases appreciably when the magnetic and electric fields are applied mutually perpendicular to each other, indicating that the direction of applied magnetic field governs the attained actuated configuration. Further, particle reinforcement enrichments result in a depletion in oscillation amplitudes and an increase in excitation frequencies under the AC actuation mode. The efficient semi-analytical framework presented here would be crucial in developing new actuators, smart devices and soft robots for a variety of advanced engineering and medical applications.

Mechanical behavior of recyclable polymeric specimens made by additive manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has seen a massive growth in engineering applications in recent years. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), probably the most widespread technology, is nowadays capable of producing polymeric components for all kinds of need: from common use to advanced engineering applications, thanks to the usage of a wide range of polymer materials. Some of them (such as PEEK, PEI and others so-called ultra-polymers) offer very good mechanical properties and sometimes can be even capable of replacing metals. In addition, they are stable at relatively high temperatures and thermally re-processable and recyclable, showing good biocompatibility in most of cases. The distinct advantages of AM have facilitated the rapid development of polymer products with complex customized structures and functionalities, thereby enhancing their applications in various fields. In this work, the mechanical behaviors of FFF manufactured polycarbonate (PC) and Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) coupons, both suitable for building construction applications thanks to their good mechanical strength, thermal insulation capability and resistance to ultraviolet (UV) rays, were preliminarily investigated. The aim was to assess the durability of such materials in order to possibly exploit their potential in substitution to conventional ones, in light of their recyclability, so as to eventually promote circularity.

Overview of Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery Applications of Reactive Electrospinning and Crosslinking Techniques of Polymeric Nanofibers with Highlights on Their Biocompatibility Testing and Regulatory Aspects.

Traditional electrospinning is a promising technique for fabricating nanofibers for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. The method is highly efficient in producing nanofibers with morphology and porosity similar to the extracellular matrix. Nonetheless, and in many instances, the process has faced several limitations, including weak mechanical strength, large diameter distributions, and scaling-up difficulties of its fabricated electrospun nanofibers. The constraints of the polymer solution's intrinsic properties are primarily responsible for these limitations. Reactive electrospinning constitutes a novel and modified electrospinning techniques developed to overcome those challenges and improve the properties of the fabricated fibers intended for various biomedical applications. This review mainly addresses reactive electrospinning techniques, a relatively new approach for making in situ or post-crosslinked nanofibers. It provides an overview of and discusses the recent literature about chemical and photoreactive electrospinning, their various techniques, their biomedical applications, and FDA regulatory aspects related to their approval and marketing. Another aspect highlighted in this review is the use of crosslinking and reactive electrospinning techniques to enhance the fabricated nanofibers' physicochemical and mechanical properties and make them more biocompatible and tailored for advanced intelligent drug delivery and tissue engineering applications.

A refractory medium-entropy alloy with ultrahigh specific yield strengths for elevated-temperature applications

Refractory high- or medium-entropy alloys (RHEAs or RMEAs) with excellent high-temperature mechanical properties and softening resistance have been proven to be the potential candidates for advanced engineering applications. However, room temperature brittleness and high density have become an important challenge that needs to be addressed. In this work, the tensile mechanical behavior and the underlying deformation mechanisms of lightweight Ti40Zr20Nb13.33V26.67 RMEA at 298 and 873 K were investigated systematically. The results showed that the as-cast RMEA has a single body-centered cubic phase and low density (5.88 g/cm3) and exhibits excellent mechanical properties at 298 K, with yield strength of 1033.9 MPa, specific yield strength of 175.8 MPa·cm3/g, and tensile fracture strain of 5.3%. More importantly, it also exhibits ultrahigh strength and sufficient ductility at 873 K, with yield strength of 783.2 MPa, specific yield strength of 133.2 MPa·cm3/g, and tensile fracture strain of 5.7%. It showed that a large number of slip bands and dislocation bands are the main deformation products at 298 K, leading to excellent ductility. In comparison, high dislocation density was found between the slip bands in the samples deformed at 873 K, which can effectively hinder the motion of dislocations, resulting in strain hardening and the increase in strength. This work can provide a route for the design and fabrication of high-performance lightweight alloys, which would be beneficial for engineering applications.

Water entry of spheres with impact-axis channels

Spheres are the most studied water entry projectile due to their symmetry and simplicity, but in practical applications, it is rare that an impacting body is perfectly spherical. Perturbations to the classical impactor are thus critical for aligning fundamental investigation with more advanced engineering applications. This study investigates the water entry of hydrophilic and hydrophobic spheres with through-channels along the water entry axis and producing deep seal cavities. The channels allow water to pass through the sphere to create a jet tailing the sphere and hastening cavity pinch-off. Channeled spheres produce smaller cavities than their intact counterparts and suppress the onset of cavity formation. Spheres with channels show similar drag coefficients as solid, intact spheres.

Photocatalytic Applications of SnO2 and Ag2O-Decorated SnO2 Coatings on Cement Paste

Recently, the production of new photocatalytic materials has attracted considerable attention as a promising strategy to mitigate anthropogenic environmental degradation. In this study, cement paste composites (water/cement ratio = 0.5) were prepared using a coating based on nanoparticles of SnO2 (SnO2/cement paste) and SnO2 decorated with Ag2O (Ag2O-decorated SnO2/cement paste) for photocatalytic applications. These coatings were prepared in this study by using the hydrothermal method as the strategy. Thus, photocatalyst efficiency was evaluated through the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl red (MR) as cationic and anionic dyes, respectively, and the simultaneous degradation of MB/MR (1:1 v/v) dyes. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism was investigated in the presence of scavengers. Notably, an increase in pH in the range of 2–6 resulted in selective degradation of the MB/MR dye mixtures. Overall, the photocatalytic performance of these materials provides a novel platform technology focused on advanced civil engineering applications, which consequently facilitates the mitigation of various environmental problems.

Properties of Hyper-Elastic-Graded Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces.

The mechanical behaviors of three distinct lattice structures-Diamond, Gyroid, and Schwarz-synthesized through vat polymerization, were meticulously analyzed. This study aimed to elucidate the intricacies of these structures in terms of their stress-strain responses, energy absorption, and recovery characteristics. Utilizing the described experiments and analytical approaches, it was discerned, via the described experimental and analytical procedure, that the AM lattices showcased mechanical properties and stress-strain behaviors that notably surpassed theoretical predictions, pointing to substantial disparities between conventional models and experimental outcomes. The Diamond lattice displayed superior stiffness with higher average loading and unloading moduli and heightened energy absorption and dissipation rates, followed by the Gyroid and Schwarz lattices. The Schwarz lattice showed the most consistent mechanical response, while the Diamond and Gyroid showed capabilities of reaching larger strains and stresses. All uniaxial cyclic compressive tests were performed at room temperature with no dwell times. The efficacy of hyper-elastic-graded models significantly outperformed projections offered by traditional Ashby-Gibson models, emphasizing the need for more refined models to accurately delineate the behaviors of additively manufactured lattices in advanced engineering applications.

A Reconfigurable 4th Order IIR Filter For The Low Frequency Applications

Huge numbers of advanced electrical engineering applications employ infinite impulse response (IIR) filters very frequently in order to meet market’s demands. Especially, some applications such as video processing, digital signal processing and high-speed digital communication necessitate computational efficiency and low latency. In this point of view, high-speed processing of digital data require a digital signal processor or an FPGA instead of a conventional microprocessor. In this respect, in the last decades, FPGAs are commonly used in order to bring new opportunities to the designers. This work gives a FPGA hardware design of a 4th order IIR reconfigurable filter structure. The proposed filter’s maximum clock frequency is around 32MHz which covers different low frequency applications from biomedical signal processing up to speech applications. To verify the performance of the filter, 4th order Butterworth and Chebyshev filters are realized in the basis of Matlab results and FPGA behavioral model. Also, consuming logic gates and blocks are given in order to evaluate chip area occupation. It should be considered that the proposed filter scheme presents promising results to meet low frequency applications.

Hydrophilic silica transformed silicone rubber into Superhydrophobic composites

AbstractSilicone rubber is widely used in medical and equipment manufacturing fields due to its excellent sealing and solvent resistance. However, the hydrophobicity of silicone rubber was unsatisfactory for many advanced engineering structures and applications. Generally, the preparation of artificial superhydrophobic materials suffered from either complicated in process or poor in environmental protection. Here, we reported a simple method to prepare silicone rubber composites with excellent superhydrophobic properties (water contact angle [WCA] = 155.2°) from low‐cost hydrophilic silica. Tests showed that the uniform micro‐nano structures were the key to the superhydrophobic properties of silicone rubber composites. The bounce test observed the rebound of water droplets with different initial velocities (0.77, 1, and 2 m/s) impacting silicone rubber surface, and verified the great advantages of silicone rubber modified by silica in hydrophobic. The modification method shown in this work provides a simple way to manufacture non‐fluorinated, robustness superhydrophobic surfaces for a wide range of potential applications.Highlights Based on the improvement of micro‐nano structure of the matrix surface by industrial silica, the preparation of superhydrophobic silicone rubber composites was realized. A process method for preparing fluorine‐free superhydrophobic silicone rubber composites from hydrophilic silica was proposed. Stretchability and robustness were the key factors for successful superhydrophobic modification of silicone rubber elastomers.