Amorphous Fibers Research Articles

Effect of Amorphous Metallic Fibers on Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Lightweight Aggregate Cement Mortars Containing Carbon Nanotubes

Lightweight aggregate concrete can reduce the self-weight of a structure with a low unit weight; however, disadvantages such as reduced strength and brittleness remain. This study evaluated the thermal and mechanical properties of lightweight aggregate cement mortars containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and amorphous metallic fibers (AMFs). A thermal property test indicated that the peak temperature of the C1A1 and C1A2 samples using AMFs was approximately 91.5–93.8 °C (approximately 57.2–61.1% higher than the C1A0 sample without AMFs). The time to reach the peak temperature was approximately 15–27 min (21.1–38.0% of that for the C1A0 sample). The 28-day split tensile strength of the sample using 20 kg/m3 of the AMFs was approximately 3.6–3.8 MPa (approximately 46.1–50.0% higher than that of CNT-only samples). The 56-day flexural strength of the C2A2 sample using 0.2% CNTs and 20 kg/m3 AMFs was the highest at approximately 11.2 MPa (approximately 24.4% higher than that of the control sample). The results of this study indicate that using CNTs and AMFs can enhance the strength and reduce the brittleness of lightweight aggregate cement mortar. Furthermore, the performance of the cement mortar is significantly improved when combined with AMFs compared to using CNTs alone.

Nitric acid-modified amorphous alloy fiber and its effects on mechanical properties of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC)

The traditional steel fiber UHPC has the phenomenon of low strength and poor durability, which can not give full play to the practical value of UHPC. Nevertheless, amorphous alloy fibres possess notable strength, flexibility and corrosion resistance. The incorporation of amorphous alloy fibres into ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has been demonstrated to enhance the strength and toughness of UHPC. However, the surface of amorphous alloy fibres is characterised by a smooth and hydrophobic quality, which presents a challenge in terms of the interface bond with the cement matrix. In order to address this issue, three concentrations of nitric acid (HNO3, 2 mol/L, 4 mol/L and 6 mol/L) were employed to modify the surface of amorphous alloy fibres, and then the amorphous alloy fibres were incorporated into the cement matrix for fiber pull-out test, compression, flexural strength and impact testing. The changes in the physical and chemical properties of the amorphous alloy fibres before and after modification were analysed, and the effects on the interface bond strength and dynamic and static mechanical properties of UHPC were studied by means of SEM. The results demonstrate that the adhesion strength of the modified amorphous alloy fibre with 4 mol/L HNO3 is the most robust, with an increase of 18.7 % in compressive strength, 13.8 % in flexural strength, and 5.4 % in impact resistance. The method has been demonstrated to be effective in strengthening and toughening the cement matrix with HNO3-modified amorphous alloy fibres.

Using higher rates of stabilization of a wet-spun pan fibre to understand the effect of microstructure on the tensile and compressive properties of carbon fibre

The transformation of a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fibre into carbon fibre using varying stabilization times during carbon fibre manufacture is presented in this work. The wet-spun precursor fibre is a specifically designed PAN co-polymer made up of acrylonitrile, methyl acrylate and 3 wt% itaconic acid. The residence or stabilization times in the oxidation ovens are varied from 32, 64 and 96 min, enabling investigation of the impact upon microstructure upon tensile and compressive properties. Using a continuous pilot scale carbonization line for faster cyclization and dehydrogenation, the precursor fibres exhibited lower oxygen uptake contributing to the formation of a less dense and more amorphous carbon fibre. Synchrotron based SAXS-WAXS characterisation and Raman spectroscopy of the carbon fibre microstructure displays lower orientation and crystallinity, with higher void concentration. This led to lower electrical conductivity, lower tensile strength (19 %) but higher compressive strength (27 %) when reducing stabilisation times from 96 to 32 min.

One-step fabrication of a novel fiber-based absorber for flexible, tunable and boosted microwave absorption

The increasingly intricate electromagnetic environment necessitates higher anti-electromagnetic interference capabilities for electronic devices, thereby demanding a flexible absorbing material that can adapt to multiple forms, is lightweight, and exhibits excellent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption properties. In this study, we have developed a novel flexible absorbing material (FAM) based on glass-coated amorphous magnetic fibers (SFs) and Dallenbach-like absorbing structures through wet forming technology. By combining high-performance absorbing fiber with textile structures, the FAM demonstrates EMW absorption performance along with lightweight flexibility and shape adaptability. This paper explores the influence of process parameters in wet forming technology on FAM formation; as well as examines the construction of broadband absorbers through structural optimization. A single-layer FAM with a thickness of 1.7 mm (SFs length 8 mm, content 3 g/m2) achieves an impressive reflection loss (RL) value of −60.1 dB at 11.6 GHz. Furthermore, optimized multi-layer FAM attains effective absorption bandwidth (EAB: RL ≤ −5 dB) across a wide range from 3–14 GHz. This work presents a new approach for developing ’lightweight, thin, wide, and strong’ absorbing materials based on fiber and textile structures which holds significant implications for civilian electromagnetic interference protection as well as military electromagnetic stealth technology.

An ultrathin ultralight electromagnetic absorber based on shortcut glass-coated amorphous magnetic Fiber/Salisbury-like screen

A structural design methodology is proposed for an ultrathin, ultralight, and absorption-adjustable electromagnetic absorber. The proposed absorber (SFSL) consists of an absorbing layer with shortcut glass-coated amorphous magnetic fiber and a substrate layer with transmitting material. This absorber features a Salisbury-like screen structure and incorporates multiple loss mechanisms. By investigating the influence of fiber distribution, length, content, and substrate layer thickness on absorption performance, it has been determined that the weight per square meter and thickness of a single-layer SFSL can be lowered within 50 g/m2 and 1.5 mm respectively. Furthermore, the absorption intensity and bandwidth can be adjusted by manipulating these parameters. The SFSL exhibits resonant behavior similar to that of a metamaterial absorber; however, SFSL with randomly distributed fibers demonstrates broader and stronger absorption characteristics in the frequency range from 2 to18 GHz. Additionally, the thicknesses of the substrate layer and surface covering affect the electromagnetic response characteristics. This work provides a simple strategy for constructing an ultrathin and ultralight composite to achieve efficient absorption of electromagnetic waves.

Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete with Amorphous Alloy Fiber: Surface Modification by Silane Coupling Agent KH-550.

Amorphous alloy fiber has the advantages of high tensile strength and high corrosion resistance compared with steel fiber, but its interfacial bonding with cement matrix is poor and requires surface modification treatment. In this study, the surface modification of amorphous alloy fiber was carried out by using silane coupling agent KH-550 solution, and its effect on the mechanical properties of ultra-high-performance concrete was investigated. The results showed that the amorphous alloy fibers modified with 15% concentration silane coupling agent KH-550 solution can effectively improve the mechanical properties of the ultra-high-performance concrete, where the interfacial bond strength with the cement matrix reached 3.29 MPa and the roughness reached 3.85. The compressive strength, flexural strength, tensile strength, and peak stress of the ultra-high-performance concrete mixed with modified amorphous alloy fibers could reach up to 133.6 MPa, 25.5 MPa, 8.32 MPa, and 114.26 MPa, respectively, which were 2.9%, 6.3%, 10.9%, and 4.3% higher than those of the ultra-high-performance concrete with unmodified amorphous alloy fibers. As the surface of the fiber was modified, its properties changed and the bonding effect with the cement matrix was better, which in turn improved the mechanical properties of the ultra-high-performance concrete.

Preparation, Magnetic and Mechanical Properties of Fe/Ni-Based Amorphous Fibers.

In this study, we successfully fabricated Fe61Zr10Co5Mo7W2B15 and Ni61Nb19.2Ta19.8 amorphous fibers (AFs) using the melt-extraction method. This method ensured a rapid cooling, uniform quality, minimal defects, and superior performance. Magnetic property analysis revealed that the Fe-based AFs exhibited a single-slope magnetization curve characteristic of paramagnetic or diamagnetic materials, while the Ni-based AFs displayed a rectangular curve with low magnetic hysteresis, typical of ferromagnetic materials. The axial saturation magnetization of as-prepared Ni-based AFs is ~1.5 × 10-7 emu/g, with a coercivity of about 85 Oe. The statistical analysis of tensile tests indicated that Ni-based AFs possess a higher fracture threshold of 2440 ± 199 MPa and a reliability of 14.7, demonstrating greater material safety and suitability for high-performance applications. As opposed to Ni-based AFs, Fe-based AFs present a fracture threshold and of 1582 ± 692 MPa and a reliability 4.2. Moreover, under cyclic loading conditions, Ni-based AFs exhibited less residual deformation and superior elastic recovery with a fracture strength of 2800 MPa. These findings highlight the potential of Ni-based AFs for advanced engineering applications, particularly where high strength, durability, and excellent magnetic properties are required, paving the way for their integration into next-generation technologies.

Microstructure evolution and excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance of SiBCN fibers

In this work, SiBCN fibers with excellent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performance were fabricated using electrospinning technology, followed by curing, pyrolysis, and heat treatment. Microstructure evolution and EMW absorption performance of SiBCN fibers after heat treatment at 1200–1600 °C were investigated. After heat treatment at 1200 °C, the conductive turbostratic C was precipitated from amorphous SiBCN fibers, resulting in minimum reflection loss (RLmin) reaching −63 dB and efficient absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaching 5.2 GHz. While turbostratic C and nano-SiC grains were simultaneously precipitated from SiBCN fibers heat treated at 1400 °C, and the RLmin reached −67 dB. The excellent EMW absorption performance of SiBCN fibers was mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of conductive loss, dipole polarization, and interfacial polarization. This work can guide the fabrication of high-performance EMW-absorbing ceramic fibers.

Accelerated degradation testing impacts the degradation processes in 3D printed amorphous PLLA.

Additive manufacturing and electrospinning are widely used to create degradable biomedical components. This work presents important new data showing that the temperature used in accelerated tests has a significant impact on the degradation process in amorphous 3D printed poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) fibres. Samples (c. 100 m diameter) were degraded in a fluid environment at C, C and C over a period of 6months. Our findings suggest that across all three fluid temperatures, the fibres underwent bulk homogeneous degradation. A three-stage degradation process was identified by measuring changes in fluid pH, PLLA fibre mass, molecular weight and polydispersity index. At C, the fibres remained amorphous but, at elevated temperatures, the PLLA crystallised. A short-term hydration study revealed a reduction in glass transition (Tg), allowing the fibres to crystallise, even at temperatures below the dry Tg. The findings suggest that degradation testing of amorphous PLLA fibres at elevated temperatures changes the degradation pathway which, in turn, affects the sample crystallinity and microstructure. The implication is that, although higher temperatures might be suitable for testing bulk material, predictive testing of the degradation of amorphous PLLA fibres (such as those produced via 3D printing or electrospinning) should be conducted at C.

Axial crushing behavior of CoFeSiB amorphous alloy fiber/epoxy composites under compression condition

AbstractIn this article, the axial crushing behavior of CoFeSiB amorphous alloy fiber reinforced epoxy composites (AAFRCs) with different fiber volume fractions (30%, 40%, 50%, and 60%), fiber orientations (0°, 15°, and 30°), and fiber shapes (straight and sinusoidal) were investigated under compression condition. The results show that energy absorption (EA) and crush force efficiency (CFE) of the composites show a tendency to increase and then decrease with the increase of fiber volume fractions. The appropriate increase in fiber orientation can improve the EA and the CFE of the composites. The EA of reinforced composites with sinusoidal fiber is 66% higher than that of the ones with straight fiber. Three damage modes were identified by combining the damage process images corresponding to the compressive load–displacement curves and the morphologies of the crushed composites. The EA mechanism of the new composites was analyzed by observing the damage process of the AAFRCs.Highlights A novel CoFeSiB amorphous alloy fiber reinforced epoxy composites. The increase in fiber orientation improves the energy absorption and the crush force efficiency of the composites. The energy absorption of reinforced composites with sinusoidal fiber is higher than that of the composites with straight fiber. Three damage modes were identified: compression damage, axial bending and transverse shear.

Glucan polysaccharides isolated from Lactarius hatsudake Tanaka mushroom: Structural characterization and in vitro bioactivities

Commercially available mushroom polysaccharides have found widespread use as adjuvant tumor treatments. However, the bioactivity of polysaccharides in Lactarius hatsudake Tanaka (L. hatsudake), a mushroom with both edible and medicinal uses, remains relatively unexplored. To address this gap, five L. hatsudake polysaccharides with varying molecular weights were isolated, named LHP-1 (898 kDa), LHP-2 (677 kDa), LHP-3 (385 kDa), LHP-4 (20 kDa), and LHP-5 (4.9 kDa). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and atomic force microscopy, etc., were employed to determine their structural characteristics. The results confirmed that spherical aggregates with amorphous flexible fiber chains dominated the conformation of the LHP. LHP-1 and LHP-2 were identified as glucans with α-(1,4)-Glcp as the main chain; LHP-3 and LHP-4 were classified as galactans with varying molecular weights but with α-(1,6)-Galp as the main chain; LHP-5 was a glucan with β-(1,3)-Glcp as the main chain and β-(1,6)-Glcp connecting to the side chains. Significant differences were observed in inhibiting tumor cell cytotoxicity and the antioxidant activity of the LHPs, with LHP-5 and LHP-4 identified as the principal bioactive components. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the valuable use of L. hatsudake and emphasize the potential application of LHPs in therapeutic tumor treatments.

Photo-induced bending of amorphous As2S3 bulk and fiber driven by optical torque

Photo-induced bending of amorphous As2S3 bulk and fiber driven by optical torque

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) oxide/atactic poly(styrene) fibers with nanoporous crystalline phase

The preparation of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) oxide/atactic poly(styrene) (PPO/PS) fibers with nanoporous crystalline (NC) phase through guest-induced crystallization of melt-spun amorphous fibers is for the first time reported. These NC PPO/PS fibers display exceptional capacity to absorb volatile organic compounds from dissolved in water at very low concentrations. The equilibrium uptakes and sorption kinetics of perchloroethylene (PCE) exhibit significantly higher values and faster rates compared to the corresponding amorphous fibers. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the equilibrium uptakes of NC PPO/PS fibers are considerably higher compared to NC PPO films. The fast pollutant uptake exhibited by these innovative NC PPO/PS fibers makes them highly promising potential applications in the field of water pollutant remediation.

Effects of sodium chloride on mechanical properties in amorphous polymers of waterlogged archaeological wood: Insights from molecular dynamics simulations

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is the main soluble salt component of marine waterlogged archaeological wood, and it causes deterioration of wood fibres. In this study, a molecular dynamics simulation of three types of archaeological wood from the Quanzhou Song Shipwreck was employed to investigate the impact of NaCl on the mechanical properties of amorphous components consisting of amorphous cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The findings revealed that water molecules bound to the fibres enhanced the mechanical performance of the woody fibres. However, NaCl affected the stability and mechanical properties of the amorphous components. By using molecular dynamics simulations, 24 sets of amorphous fibre models, consisting of fir, pine, and camphorwood with salt concentrations ranging from 0 % to 7 %, were constructed to further analyse the influence of salt content on the mechanical properties of the amorphous components. The results showed that all three species of archaeological wood exhibited similar trends, with the adsorption energy and radial distribution function between wood fibres and water molecules decreasing with increasing NaCl concentration, leading to the gradual rupture of hydrogen bonds in water molecules. Consequently, more water molecules engage in ion hydration, resulting in an increase in the amount of free water within the amorphous regions. This, in turn, degrades the mechanical properties of the amorphous components. This study contributes significantly to a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical properties of marine archaeological wood and is important for decision-making in studies related to the preservation and evaluation of marine waterlogged wooden artefacts.

Дисперсное армирование цементных систем аморфной стеклометаллической фиброй

The fiber was made from an amorphous microwire of the Co69Fe4Cr4Si12B11 alloy in a glass shell of two sizes: diameter D = 17 and 50 μm, length is 7 and 15 mm, respectively. The influence of its geometric parameters, concentration (0.5—3%) and method of introduction on mobility, average density, bending strength and compression of cement systems (solutions) have been studied. The 54% increase in the flexural strength of the cement system was established in the case of its reinforcement with amorphous glass-metal fiber with D = 17 μm in an amount of 0.5% by weight of Portland cement and 22% one in the case of reinforcement with fiber with D = 50 μm in an amount of 1%. In this case, the compressive strength changes slightly. The introduction of fiber increases the crack resistance coefficient of the studied cement systems from 0.098 to 0.116—0.164.

Optimization of Control Factors Influencing the Wear Behaviour of Inflorescence Fibril Fortified Epoxy Composites

Introduction: Augmenting concern towards effective utilization of agro waste into useful products has formented the scientific community to look for alternate sources of materials. On a circular economy contemplation, natural fibers extricated from agro waste have a potential headway towards the evolution of newer materials. Methods: The current research activity is focused on the optimization of influential parameters, namely fiber volume, load, sliding distance and sliding velocity on the wear characteristics of inflorescence fiber-fortified epoxy composites. Coconut Inflorescence fiber is selected as reinforcement material for the present work. NaOH treatment at 5% wt/vol for 1 hour towards removal of amorphous contents present in the fibers. Taguchi-inspired L16 orthogonal array is used for the design of experiments using Minitab software. The control factors chosen for the optimization study are namely fiber content (10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm and 25 mm), a load of (5 N, 10N, 15 N and 20 N), a sliding distance of (200 m, 400 m, 600 m and 800 m) and sliding velocity of (6 m/s, 12 m/s, 18 m/s and 24 m/s). Results: The optimal combination of parameters, namely fiber content of 20 wt%, load of 5N, a sliding distance of 600 m and sliding velocity of 24 m/s, contributed to the merest wear rate of 4.328 m3 /N.m. Morphological evaluation of the composites revealed agglomeration of fibers in the matrix, thereby, the matrix was not able to transfer load uniformly. Conclusion: Leading to failure of composites as a result of wear rate increase. Thus, inflorescence fiber-fortified epoxy composites fabricated on the above-mentioned control factors will have better wear rate for futuristic applications.

Effect of fiber on tensile performance of fiber reinforced cementitious composites

This study evaluated the effect of fiber on pull-out and tensile properties by conducting pull-out tests and direct tensile tests on hooked steel fiber (HSF), bundle-type polyamide fibers (PA), and amorphous metallic fibers (AF) with various physical properties and shapes. As a result, the hooked steel fiber was pulled-out, and the bonding stress and mechanical bonding stress of the fiber and the matrix had a great influence on the tensile performance. PA and AF showed fracture behavior, and the tensile performance of the fiber itself had a great influence on the tensile properties.

Influence of coating process on the magnetic properties of cold-sintered CoFeSiB@BaTiO3 fibres based soft magnetic composites

This manuscript reports a successful preparation of cold-sintered soft magnetic composites based on amorphous Co68.18Fe4.32Si12.5B15 at.% fibres coated with BaTiO3. The coating was achieved through two techniques hydrothermal and thermal evaporation. The amorphous fibres were characterised via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and in-situ high temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD). A new technique for the preparation of the fibres based soft magnetic composite is proposed consisting in wounding the fibres on a Teflon support and the application of a cold sintering process in an autoclave. The DC magnetic characterization of the composite compacts revealed that the compact based on fibres coated via the thermal evaporation coating technique exhibits superior magnetic properties (Bs = 0.4 T, Hc = 1.85 A/m, μrmax = 49500) compared to the compact based on fibres coated via the hydrothermal method (Bs = 0.34 T, Hc = 2.31 A/m, μrmax = 39200). The AC magnetic characterisation of the compacts showed that the magnetic relative permeability of both compacts is constant over the entire tested frequency range tested (50 Hz–10 kHz). The value of the magnetic relative permeability of the composite based on fibres coated via the thermal evaporation technique is around 1650 while for the compact based on hydrothermally coated fibres a value of only 850 was obtained. The total losses were also evaluated, the composite based on thermal evaporation-coated fibres exhibiting the lowest losses of 3.11 W/kg at the frequency of 10 kHz and induction of 0.1 T. The loss separation analysis highlighted that the main type of losses, especially at high frequency, depends on the technique used for the coating of the fibres.

Role of fiber dosages and lengths on the mechanical strength, shrinkage, and pore structure of CO2-cured amorphous metallic-fiber-reinforced belite-rich cement composites

The impact of varying dosages and lengths of amorphous metallic fiber (AMF) on the mechanical strength, shrinkage, and pore structure of fiber-reinforced cementitious composites cured in water and in a carbonation chamber were assessed. This study evaluated fourteen mortar mixes, i.e., seven mixes for traditional water curing and seven for CO2-curing (60% relative humidity, 20 °C, and 10% CO2 concentration). The outcomes reveal that the compressive and flexural strength are significantly augmented for the mixes reinforced with AMFs as compared to the control mix (fiber-free mix), and this behavior is more pronounced with increased dosages and lengths of the AMF. Furthermore, compared to the control mix, significant mitigation in the development and magnitude of shrinkage was recorded with increased dosages and lengths of the AMF. The porosity and voids were all increased in the samples with AMF as compared to the control mix. The carbonation-cured specimens exhibited significantly higher mechanical strength, fewer voids, and higher shrinkage than those cured in water. Based on the experimental findings, it is recommended to use 0.50% volume of AMF and a length of 20 mm to produce fiber-reinforced cement composites, as this combination provides outstanding performance among all mixes tested here.

Atomistic Construction of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Fiber Molecular Model and Investigation of Its Mechanical Properties Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Molecular simulations are currently receiving significant attention for their ability to offer a microscopic perspective that explains macroscopic phenomena. An essential aspect is the accurate characterization of molecular structural parameters and the development of realistic numerical models. This study investigates the surface morphology and elemental distribution of silicon nitride fibers through TEM and EDS, and SEM and EDS analyses. Utilizing a customized molecular dynamics approach, molecular models of amorphous and multi-interface silicon nitride fibers with complex structures were constructed. Tensile simulations were conducted to explore correlations between performance and molecular structural composition. The results demonstrate successful construction of molecular models with amorphous, amorphous-crystalline interface, and mixed crystalline structures. Mechanical property characterization reveal the following findings: (1) The nonuniform and irregular amorphous structure causes stress concentration and crack formation under applied stress. Increased density enhances material strength but leads to higher crack sensitivity. (2) Incorporating a crystalline reinforcement phase without interfacial crosslinking increases free volume and relative tensile strength, improving toughness and reducing crack susceptibility. (3) Crosslinked interfaces effectively enhance load transfer in transitional regions, strengthening the material's tensile strength, while increased density simultaneously reduces crack propagation.