Carbon Fiber Cloth Research Articles

Synthetic nanoarchitectonics with ultrafast Joule heating of graphene-based electrodes for high energy density supercapacitor application

This study presents a novel approach for the development of high-performance supercapacitor (SC) electrodes using the Flash Joule Heating (FJH) method. Here, we report a direct and rapid synthesis of graphene-based electrodes via FJH. The technique involves microwave-assisted decomposition of citric acid and urea to form CNDs as precursors, followed by Flash Joule Heating (FJH) leading to the formation of graphene in seconds. The scalability of this method paves the way for the rapid production of graphene-based SC electrodes. Based on the characterisation using XRD, Raman, SEM and TEM, the FJH-treated CNDs yielded graphene on carbon fibre cloth with well-defined morphologies leading to superior electrochemical performance in supercapacitors. The FJH processed electrodes exhibited exceptional electrochemical performance with a specific capacitance of 279 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹, significantly outperforming unflashed and low current flash processed electrodes. This exceptional performance can be attributed to the formation of high-quality, few-layered graphene with enhanced electrical conductivity and efficient ion transport properties. Moreover, a Symmetric supercapacitor is also assembled which demonstrated a specific capacitance of 106.5 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹. It also exhibited an impressive energy density of 44.4 W h kg−1 at a power density of 1000 W kg⁻¹. This work demonstrates the feasibility of FJH as a rapid, scalable and cost-effective technique for the production of high-performance graphene-based electrodes for supercapacitor applications.

Z-scheme WO3/AgI heterojunction grown on flexible carbon fibers for efficient organic degradation and bacterial inactivation

Z-scheme WO3/AgI heterojunctions on carbon fiber (CF) cloth were fabricated through in-situ hydrothermal method and chemical bath deposition route. The CF@WO3/AgI cloth achieved highly efficient photocatalytic abilities under visible light, which could eliminate 95.7 % of Rhodamine B (RhB) in 70 min and 70.0 % of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) in 110 min, superior to those of CF, CF@WO3 and CF@AgI cloths. Moreover, the catalyst was able to achieve 7.0 ± 0.16 log10 CFU/mL reduction of E. coli cells within 40 min. Recycling test confirmed the repeatability and stability of CF@WO3/AgI cloth. The enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the increased visible light utilization, accelerated charge carriers separation and high photo-redox capabilities which came from the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction. This work provided inspiration for the construction of high-efficiency flexible photocatalysts for environmental decontamination.

Low-Velocity Impact of carbon, flax, and hybrid composites: Performance comparison and numerical modeling

In recent years, composite materials have assumed an increasingly dominant role in various industrial sectors, combining lightweight with optimal mechanical properties. In this context, natural fibers are essential for the development of eco-friendly composites, ensuring a balance between performance and sustainability via hybridization. This study provides an experimental and numerical analysis on composite laminates subjected to Low-Velocity Impact (LVI) tests at different energy levels, after an initial mechanical characterization of the materials. Carbon and flax fiber fabrics are chosen as reinforcements embedded in a toughened epoxy resin, as well as in two hybrid configurations; two different stacking sequences are also investigated, with the layers placed at 0°and in a quasi-isotropic (ISO) orientation. Hysteresis curves and energy absorption capability – in terms of specific energy absorption (SEA) – are then discussed and compared to each other, along with cross-shaped damage propagation on fracture surfaces. Numerical finite element (FE) models of tensile, compressive, and LVI tests are designed and solved using LS-DYNA software. In particular, tensile and compressive ones are carried out to calibrate the material cards, which have subsequently been adopted in the LVI models. The results obtained not only show an agreement between the experimental response and the simulated one, but also provide a complete investigation of different materials and orientations under LVI in view of future applications, highlighting the possibility of designing structural components to absorb energy in hybrid composites reinforced with natural fibers.

Thermomechanical Collaborative Design and Experimental Verification of a Sandwich Structure with a Polyimide Foam Core

This paper introduces the technology and performance of a new sandwich structure consisting of carbon fiber composite face sheets, a polyimide foam core, and an aluminum honeycomb panel with both heat insulation and load-bearing functions. The heat-resistant performance of the sandwich structure was evaluated. The vacuum thermal conductivity of the sandwich structure in the vertical direction ranges from 0.54 to 0.92 (W/[m⋅K]) with increasing temperature from −170 to 135°C. A multilayer finite element model of carbon fiber cloth, polyimide foam, and aluminum honeycomb was established. Finally, a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanical and thermal insulation performance of the sandwich structure was conducted through random vibration testing and thermal vacuum testing. The results showed that the sandwich structure had good stiffness and thermal insulation performance, successfully verifying the effectiveness of the collaborative design.

MnO2/Poly-L-lysine Co-decorated Carbon Fiber Cloth with Decreased Evaporation Enthalpy and Enhanced Photoabsorption/Antibacterial Performance for Solar-Enabled Anti-fouling Seawater Desalination

MnO2/Poly-L-lysine Co-decorated Carbon Fiber Cloth with Decreased Evaporation Enthalpy and Enhanced Photoabsorption/Antibacterial Performance for Solar-Enabled Anti-fouling Seawater Desalination

Comparison of Mechanical Property Simulations with Results of Limited Flexural Tests of Different Multi-Layer Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites.

This article is focused on the experimental study of flexural properties in different multi-layer carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites and correlations with the results of finite element method (FEM) simulations of mechanical properties. The comparison of the results shows the possibility of reducing the number of experimental specimens for testing. The experimental study of flexural properties for four types of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites with twill weaves (2 × 2) was carried out. As input materials, pre-impregnated carbon laminate GG 204 T and GG 630 T (prepreg) and two types of carbon fiber fabrics (GG 285 T and GG 300 T (fabric)) were used. Multi-layer samples were manufactured from two types of prepregs and two types of fabrics, which were hand-impregnated during sample preparation. The layers were stacked using same orientation. All specimens for flexural test were cut with the longer side in the weft direction. Pre-impregnated carbon laminates were further impregnated with resin DT 121H. Carbon fabrics were hand-impregnated with epoxy matrix LG 120 and hardener HG 700. To fulfill the aim of this research, finite element method (FEM)-based simulations of mechanical properties were performed. The FEM simulations and analysis were conducted in Hexagon's MSC Marc Mentat 2022.3 and Digimat 2022.4 software. This paper presents the results of actual experimental bending tests and the results of simulations of bending tests for different composite materials (mentioned previously). We created material models for simulations based on two methods-MF (Mean Field) and FE (Finite Element), and the comparative results show better agreement with the MF model. The composites (GG 285 T and GG 300 T) showed better flexural results than composites made from pre-impregnated carbon laminates (GG 204 T and GG 630 T). The difference in results for the hand-impregnated laminates was about 15% higher than for prepregs, but this is still within an acceptable tolerance as per the reported literature. The highest percentage difference of 14.25% between the simulation and the real experiment was found for the software tool Digimat FE 2022.4-GG 630 T composite. The lowest difference of 0.5% was found for the software tool Digimat MF 2022.4-GG 204 T composite. By comparing the results of the software tools with the results of the experimental measurements, it was found that the Digimat MF 2022.4 tool is closer to the results of the experimental measurements than the Digimat FE 2022.4 tool.

A novel AgNFs/MOF/CFC substrate-based flexible SERS sensor for high-sensitive detection of dye molecules

Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials have been increasingly used owing to their high porosity, chemical stability, and semiconducting properties. With the help of MOF materials, MOF-based SERS substrates can exhibit high sensitivity. Herein, we proposed a flower-like Ag nanoparticles (AgNFs)/metal–organic framework (MOF)/ carbon fiber cloth (CFC) substrate-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor for the high-sensitive detection of dye molecules. MOF is used as a signal amplifier to accelerate the approach of dye molecules near AgNFs on the MOF surface and anchor AgNFs on the substrate surface. The detection occurred on the AgNFs/MOF/CFC SERS substrate, providing an enhancement factor (EF) of 5.53 × 107. Benefitting from the signal amplification function of AgNFs/MOF/CFC and the superiority of SERS, this sensor represented high sensitivity performance and a wide detection range. Importantly, the combination of Co elements with silver in the AgNFs/MOF/CFC composite substrate enhances the resistance of Ag to oxidation by atmospheric moisture resulting in excellent stability (the substrate maintained good SERS activity after 45 days of exposure to air) of the SERS substrate. The basic performance of the substrate was evaluated using rhodamine 6 G (R6G). (Detection limit reached 10−12 M) The detection limit of TC was 0.1 ppm. This method provides a potential and cost-effective strategy to develop advanced SERS sensing devices to effectively monitor pollutants in environmental waters.

Fabrication of Ce-doped macroporous carbon fibers for efficient degradation of tetracycline by activating persulfate☆

Fabrication of Ce-doped macroporous carbon fibers for efficient degradation of tetracycline by activating persulfate☆

UV-Catalyzed TiO2-Based Optofluidic SERS Chip for Three Online Strategies: Fabrication, Detection, and Self-Cleaning.

We developed an optofluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering chip capable of online fabrication, online molecular detection, and online self-cleaning. In this chip, we harnessed UV light to successfully reduce an AgNO3 solution, resulting in the formation of Ag nanoparticles on carbon fiber cloth coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2). This innovative approach enabled the online fabrication of AgNPs@TiO2-CFC SERS structures. By introducing target molecules into our optofluidic SERS chip, we achieved online molecular Raman detection. Furthermore, by leveraging the UV light-induced self-cleaning properties of TiO2, we achieved continuous online self-cleaning of the molecules. To verify the feasibility and stability of our method, we conducted multiple experiments for online detection and self-cleaning. Experimental results demonstrated impressively low detection limits of 10-8 mol/L for crystal violet and 10-9 mol/L for rhodamine 6G, with an enhancement factor as high as 1.4 × 106. Additionally, we successfully applied our method to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons like pyrene.

Enhancing Carbon Fiber Fabrics with ALD AlxOy Coatings: An Investigation of Thickness Effects on Weight, Morphology, Coloration, and Thermal Properties

This study explores the impact of non-stoichiometric aluminum oxide (AlxOy) coatings applied via thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) on carbon fiber fabrics (CFFs), emphasizing volume per cycle, FESEM analyses, color transitions, and thermal stability enhancements. Using trimethylaluminum and water at 100 °C, AlxOy was deposited across a range of 1000 to 5000 ALD cycles, with film thicknesses extending up to 500 nm. This notable increase in the volume of material deposited per cycle was observed for the 3D CFFs, highlighting ALD’s capability to coat complex structures effectively. FESEM analyses revealed the morphological evolution of CFF surfaces post-coating, showing a transition from individual grains to a dense, continuous layer as ALD cycles increased. This morphological transformation led to significant color shifts from green to red to blue, attributed to structural coloration effects arising from variations in film thickness and surface morphology. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA and dTG) indicated that the AlxOy coatings enhanced the thermal stability of CFFs, with a postponement in degradation onset observed in samples subjected to more ALD cycles. In essence, this research highlights the nuanced relationship between ALD processing parameters and their collective influence on both the aesthetic and functional properties of CFFs. This study illustrates ALD’s potential in customizing CFFs for applications requiring specific color and thermal resilience, balancing the discussion between the surface morphological changes and their implications for color and thermal behavior.

Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites by Vertical Fiber Laying Combined with Material Extrusion 3D Printing

3D printing is reported in the fabrication of continuous carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites (Cf/SiC CMCs), however, there are layer defects in the 3D printed materials, manifested as weak mechanical properties between layers. Therefore, it is essential and urgent to study how to improve the mechanical properties of 3D printed Cf/SiC CMCs at the layers. In this article, a novel processing technique which combined vertical fiber laying method with material extrusion (ME) 3D printing is proposed to manufacture Cf/SiC CMCs. A self‐developed 3D printing fixed‐axis rotating lifting synchronizer is adopted. The vertical fiber laying of continuous carbon fibers (Cf) in Z‐direction is introduced into the X−Y printing plane. Five cycles of precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) are performed to achieve the densification of Cf/SiC CMCs. The effects of Cf bundle numbers on the flexural strength and fracture work of Cf/SiC CMCs are studied. The best performing composite is Cf/SiC CMC with six bundles, and the maximum flexural strength and fracture work is 63.84 ± 6.62 MPa and 1291.99 ± 161.39 J m−3, respectively. Compared with pure SiC, the fracture work of Cf/SiC CMC with 6 bundles Cf is increased by 2.54 times.

Investigation of Fiber Orientation of Fused Filament Fabricated CFRP Composites via an External Magnetic Field

Abstract For carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites, controlling the interior fiber distribution and orientation during the manufacturing process is a common approach to optize the structural performance of fabricated parts. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate fiber alignment during the additive manufacturing of CFRP composites. This study proposes a magnetic field controlled (MFC) method to control the fiber orientation during the fused filament fabrication (FFF) of nickel-coated carbon fiber (NCF) reinforced polymer composites. Firstly, a theoretical analysis model is established to explore the suitable magnetic field intensity for fiber rotation. Secondly, a customized FFF system with MFC components is implemented, and a polylactic acid matrix composite containing 10 wt% NCF is printed to validate the feasibility of the proposed approach. The microstructure of the printed samples is examined to assess the effectiveness of the method. Finally, uniaxial tensile tests are performed to investigate the impact of fiber orientation adjustment on mechanical properties. The experimental results reveal that the MFC method can effectively align the interior fiber orientation of CFRP composites, leading to a significant increase in the tensile strength (approximately 8.8%) and Young's modulus (around 10.5%) of the printed samples.

V-MOF-derived V2O5 nanoparticles-modified carbon fiber cloth-based dendrite-free anode for high-performance lithium metal batteries

At present, commercial Li-ions batteries are hardly to satisfy the growing demand for high energy density, for this purpose, lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) have attracted worldwide attention in recent years. However, its practical applications are hindered by the formation of Li dendrites and volume effect during Li plating/stripping process, which leads to a lot of safety hazards. Herein, we firstly employed MOF-derived V2O5 nanoparticles to decorate the carbon fiber cloth (CFC) backbone to acquire a lithiophilic 3D porous conductive framework (CFC@V2O5). Subsequently, the CFC@V2O5 skeleton was permeated with molten Li to prepare CFC@V2O5@Li composite anode. the CFC@V2O5@Li composite anode can be stably cycled for more than 1650 h at high current density (5 mA cm–2) and areal capacity (5 mA·h cm–2). The prepared full cell can initially maintain a high capacity of about 143 mA·h g–1 even at a high current density of 5 C, and can still maintain 114 mA·h g–1 after 1000 cycles.

MOF-derived α-Fe2O3@Fe3O4 on carbon fiber fabric for lithium-ion anode applications

Owing to the current development in emerging fields as electric motoring, biomedical sensors or new generation of mobile phones, new functionalities are required for the new generation of Li-ion batteries as flexibility or structurality. Thus, Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)-derived α-Fe2O3@Fe3O4 coating on carbon fiber fabric has been developed in this study for Lithium-ion battery anode purposes. MOF-derived synthesis is a well-known strategy to obtain Transition Metal Oxides (TMOs) which better electrochemical performance than bare TMOs. On the other hand, synthesis on carbon fiber fabric allows to develop new electrodes for multifunctional energy storage devices in which the coating provides high specific capacity, while the carbon fiber substrate provides stiffness but high flexibility, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity. This TMO coating was achieved by a novel MOF MIL-100 direct synthesis on carbon fiber and subsequent calcination, the effects of calcination on the composition, texture and morphology of the coating, as well as its electrochemical performance, were studied. As the best result, calcinated samples during 2 h showed the optimal synergic effects between the coating and carbon fiber, exhibiting a specific capacity of 328.6 mAh/g at 25 mA/g, an excellent rate capability and a capacity retention of 89.7 % after 100 galvanostatic charge-discharge cycles. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the novelty of this work is not only based on the electrochemical performance but also on the novel synthesis of MIL-100 directly over the carbon fibers. This novel synthesis opens the way to new variety of TMO coatings for electrodes of all-solid-state energy storage devices.

Evaluating the performance of ceramic/fabric composite panels against simultaneous steel projectile impacts: An experimental and numerical study

In order to evaluate the ballistic performance of ceramic/fabric composite panels developed using 99.5 % alumina, Kevlar® and carbon fiber fabrics; a series of experiments were performed on the physical samples. The composite-projectile interaction was investigated in detail by means of finite element analysis using LS-DYNA®. The validated numerical model of the ceramic/fabric composite system was tactically modified to investigate the composite/projectile interaction for simultaneous projectile impacts at different impact velocities. The numerical model predicted the failure mechanism of the composite panel and the exit velocity of the projectile piercing through the composite accurately. This study reveals the important aspects of ballistic impact on composites under simultaneous multiple projectile impact condition which in turn, is a much more complex and critical case as compared to sequential multiple projectile impacts.

N, O-codoped porous carbon fiber cloth synthesized by molecular dispersed CaCl2·6H2O in situ activation for high performance supercapacitors

In this study, a nitrogen/oxygen co-doped carbon fiber cloth with a hierarchical porous structure was synthesized by one-step carbonization and in situ activation method and acted as binder-free electrode materials for supercapacitors. Cotton fiber cloth served as the carbon precursor, while molecular dispersed CaCl2·6H2O and urea functioned as activator and N dopant, respectively. The influence of molar concentration of CaCl2·6H2O and urea on the microstructure and capacitive performance of the resulting products were investigated. CaCl2·6H2O has an expansion effect on pores, resulting in reduction of micropores. Hence, the specific surface area of the resulting porous carbon increased first and then decreased with the increase of CaCl2·6H2O concentration. In addition, the erosion of NH3 and CO2 (produced by the decomposition of urea) at high temperature on the surface of the samples promoted the formation of porous structure. Urea plays the dual role of doping and activation agent. The morphology and structure analysis shown that the activated samples exhibited hierarchical pore structure, large specific surface area, and high heteroatom content. The optimal sample NAC-20 exhibited good capacitive performance, including high specific capacitance of 260.9 F g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and good rate performance. Moreover, the symmetric supercapacitor exhibited a maximum energy density and power density of 16.2 Wh kg−1 and 19.0 kW kg−1, respectively, in 6 M KOH electrolyte. In this work, a green, low-cost molten salt activation method was proposed to synthesis biomass derived porous carbon materials for energy storage devices.

Resistivity model of carbon fiber cloth considering the effect of interlayer contact resistance

A resistivity model of a plain-woven carbon fiber dry cloth that considers the interlayer contact resistance is proposed for induction heating and welding analysis of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics. Although the cloth, which is regarded as a single-layer thin plate, does not exhibit homogeneous resistivity, homogenized effective thin-shell resistivity is required to analyze the thin-shell complex structures of aircraft. The influence of the direction angle and strip width on the effective resistivity can be expressed using this model. The mechanism for the generation of a large difference in resistivity between the 0° and 45° directions of the cloth is clarified. The proposed model is verified through comparison with experimental results. According to the induction heating experiments, the overall temperature distribution of the cloth is predicted well by the shell finite element analysis using the effective resistivity.

Effects of surface modification on mechanical properties and electromagnetic interference shielding properties of carbon fiber/silk fiber hybrid composites

AbstractIn this paper, a hybrid approach was employed by integrating a high‐modulus, high‐tensile‐strength carbon fiber fabric (CFF) with a low‐density, high‐toughness silk nonwoven fabric (SNWF) to fabricate CFF‐SNWF reinforced epoxy (CFF‐SNWF/EP) hybrid composites. Through the surface freeze‐induced self‐assembly process, the multiscale hybrid modified layers were successfully constructed on the surfaces of both CFF and SNWF. This novel approach effectively enhanced the interfacial strength of the hybrid fibers (HFs). Comparing the performance of the modified composites with unmodified CFF reinforced epoxy (CFF/EP), significant improvements in both tensile strength and interlaminar shear strength were observed. Specifically, the tensile strength and interlaminar shear strength of the modified composites reached 626.7 and 39.16 MPa, a rise scope of 17.1% and 14.8%, respectively. In addition, the hybrid fibers reinforced polymers (HFRPs) exhibited a superior electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities. For insistence, the modified CFF/EP with a thickness of 2.0 mm showed an impressive EMI shielding effectiveness value of 50 dB. These findings underscore the promising application potential of CFF‐SNWF/EP hybrid composites, particularly in the field of consumer electronics.Highlights The surface of hybrid fiber was modified by PDA‐GO‐OCNTs‐WPU. Multi‐scale structure contributes a lot in composite performance. Hybrid effect before and after interfacial modification is performed. The hybrid interface modification and hybrid structure were analyzed.

Dipole-induced hydrogen bonds enhanced P/O co-doped Lyocell-based porous carbon fiber cloth for hydrogen storage under ambient pressure

Currently, the hydrogen storage application of carbon-based adsorbent materials is mostly implemented under the pressure conditions of 30–300 bar, while there is few targeted studies conducted on the unsaturated adsorption under ambient pressure conditions. Therefore, based on industrialized Lyocell biopolymer fiber precursors and the enhancement effects of dipole-induced hydrogen bonds (DIHB), this work presents a facile construction strategy for P/O co-doped Lyocell-based porous carbon fiber cloth (Ly-ACF-F40). By the technical route of thermal stabilization---sonication assisted phosphoric acid activation---hydrogen bonds introduced by interfacial fluorination, the constructed Ly-ACF-F40 acquires a high specific surface area (1870 m2/g) and total pore volume (1.277 cm3/g), and an excellent hydrogen storage capacity of 3.22 wt% under ambient pressure conditions (77 K, 1 bar). The study directly demonstrated in the experiment that dipole induced hydrogen bonding H(I)-H(II)···F can effectively enhance the atmospheric hydrogen storage density on the basis of other eliminating influencing factors of specific surface area. The simple construction strategy of porous carbon-based materials can provide reference for the research of unsaturated adsorption hydrogen storage materials under ambient pressure conditions, also assist in the application and promotion of low-cost solid hydrogen storage materials.

Nanomesh NiO-modified carbon cloth for highly efficient self-supporting potassium metal anodes

Potassium metal is one of the most promising anode materials for potassium-ion batteries owing to its low cost and ability to withstand high current density and relatively low operating potential. However, it is restricted from being used in practical implementations because of its high reactivity and disordered dendrite growth. To circumvent these issues, we stabilize potassium metal anodes by growing NiO with high potassium affinity and interconnected network porous structure on carbon cloth fibers (CC-NiO). A symmetric cell assembled from a composite material formed by infiltrating molten K into CC-NiO (K@CC-NiO) can cycle stably for 1840 h at a low overpotential of 33 mV. Furthermore, the first-cycle discharge capacities of the full batteries with carbon nanotubes-interwoven KFeSO4F microspheres (KFSF@CNTs) and perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) as the cathodes are 101.4 and 105.1 mAh g−1, respectively. The capacity retention of KFSF@CNTs||K@CC-NiO full battery after 1000 cycles is 79.3 %, and the capacity retention of PTCDA||K@CC-NiO full battery after 800 cycles is 70.2 %. The strategy of utilizing NiO as an efficient potassium metal nucleation anchor opens up a new direction for the development of high-energy and long-cycle-life potassium metal batteries.