Characterization Of Composite Materials Research Articles

Preparation, Characterization of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Photo-Catalytic Nanocomposites and Their Application in Wastewater Remediation: A Review

Energy crisis and environmental pollution are the major problems of human survival and development. Photocatalytic technology can effectively use solar energy and is prospective to solve the above-mentioned problems. Carbon nitride is a two-dimensional polymer material with a graphite-like structure. It has good physical and chemical stabilities, unique chemical and electronic energy band structures, and is widely used in the field of photocatalysis. Graphitic carbon nitride has a conjugated large π bond structure, which is easier to be modified with other compounds. thereby the surface area and visible light absorption range of carbon nitride-based photocatalytic composites can be insignificantly increased, and interface electron transmission and corresponding photogenerated carriers separation of streams are simultaneously promoted. Therefore, the present study systematically introduced the basic catalytic principles, preparation and modification methods, characterization and calculation simulation of carbon nitride-based photocatalytic composite materials, and their application in wastewater treatment. We also summarized their application in wastewater treatment with the aid of artificial intelligence tools. This review summarized the frontier technology and future development prospects of graphite phase carbon nitride photocatalytic composites, which provide a theoretical reference for wastewater purification.

Improvement of the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene/Modified Halloysite Nanotubes Composites

The preparation and characterization of composite materials composed of polypropylene (PP) as the base mixed with halloysite nanotubes (HNT) at various weight percentages (0.5, 1.5, and 3 wt.%) using a melt extrusion method operated at a temperature between 190 °C and 200 °C is described. The impact of the addition of the HNT filler on the PP nanocomposites was investigated based on the thermal and mechanical properties. The thermal characterization was conducted by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Significant increases in the rheological properties were observed with the addition of a high content of HNTs. The water absorption decreased with increasing HNT. The SEM micrographs showed that the HNT fillers were homogeneously dispersed throughout the entire PP matrix.

Fabrication and characterization of composite dental material using X-ray radiography

Acrylic resin is a material that often used in the manufacture of dentures. Composite dental base materials consist of acrylic and glass powder. The addition of glass powder aims to improve the physical and mechanical properties. The increases in the mass fractions of glass powder in composite dental were optimized between 12.5% - 75% and added 2 ml of liquid for each sample. The composite dental surface is characterized using x-ray radiography, CCD microscopy, and the hardness is characterized using Vickers hardness tester, and the density is also measured. The result shows a mass fraction of 75% was the optimum condition with a radiographic gray level image of 196.814 at a voltage of 50 kV and a current of 16 mA, hardness of 26.7 g/mm2, density of 2.28 g/mm3 and greater mass fraction of glass powder, the surface of the composite dental look tighter and lighter in color.

Evaluation of the microstructure and thermal properties of (ASTM A 494 M grade) nickel alloy hybrid metal matrix composites processed by sand mold casting

In the present analysis, hybrid composites of nickel alloy comprising 3–12 vol. percentage of Al2O3 and stable 9 vol. percentage of the TiO2 particles is produced using sand mold casting induction furnace. Extensive deliberation has been given to the thermal characterisation of hybrid composite materials and it has become the government of materials science engineering. For this role, hybrid metal matrix composites of nickel alloy, aluminium oxide (Al2O3), and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are microstructural analyzes. The analysis of hybrid nickel alloy composites thermal conductivity activity increases with the introduction of reinforcements by up to 9% of Al2O3 and TiO2 after drop due to temperature effects in composites and thermal expansion coefficient of hybrid nickel alloy decreases with volume fraction rises up to 9% of Al2O3 / TiO2 and further rises marginally due to ductility of composites at 12% of Al2O3 and 9% of TiO2.

Fabrication and characterization of eco-friendly composite materials from natural animal fibers

A large amount of useless portion, which is discharging from leather industries, pollutes the environment immensely. The discarded part needs to be recycled to yield other valuable products to subside environmental pollution. In this research, we utilized a rejected part (cow hair) of leather industries and unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) to fabricate valued composites to confine atmospheric pollution. A hand-lay-up technique, which is an easy and economical approach, was employed for composites fabrication. A number of cow hair fiber percentages (2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, and 20% by weight) were taken into consideration to investigate the impact of fiber loading on composites. Prepared composites were characterized by a few mechanical properties such as tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM), elongation at break (EB), bending strength (BS), and bending modulus (BM). Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Electron Scanning Microscopy (SEM), and water absorption were also performed to support the data in favor of mechanical properties. Optimum mechanical properties which were supported by the other analysis were achieved for 5% cow hair containing composites.

WITHDRAWN: Creep characterization of various prosthetic and orthotics composite materials with nanoparticles using an experimental program and an artificial neural network

Creep loading is a significant engineering challenge because it could increase materials failure, especially material subjected to mechanical and thermal loading. The prostheses and orthoses composites have not been resistant to high temperatures and can be subjected to shrinking effects, and the improvement of the creep behaviour of prostheses and these materials has to be investigated. One way to improve this is by consolidating Nano additives' percentage (from 0 to 3.5%). Thus, the study covered these additives' effect on the creep characterization for prosthetic and orthotic composites using various volume fraction carbon Nano particular materials. The investigation was achieved using experimental and artificial neural network techniques to calculate the strain–time relation for prosthetic and orthotics composite materials with various volume fraction of carbon Nanoparticle materials. So, the experimental technique was achieved, firstly, manufacturing the Nanocomposite samples and then calculating the mechanical properties and creep behaviour. Besides, a numerical calculation of the creep behaviour for composite material using artificial neural network techniques and then comparing them was presented. Comparing the experimental and artificial neural network techniques results has shown a good agreement with a maximum discrepancy (2.58%). Also, the results showed that the obtained mechanical properties and creep reach five times for composite materials without Nanoparticle, with reinforcement by Nanoparticles.

Development and Characterization of Kevlar-Reinforced Ceramic Composite Materials

Abstract Fiber-fortified polymer composite material has become ubiquitous in recent years. It is exceptionally useful in various applications because it has good mechanical properties, is lightweight, has one of a kind adaptability, is safe if consumed, has a creation process that is simple, and so on, relative to other mundane materials. Polyaramid fiber known as Kevlar fiber is fundamentally well known for its expanding applications in mechanical and cutting edge innovations like ballistic defensive layer, helicopter edges, flying machine development, pneumatic fortification, and outdoor supplies. In this investigation, the mechanical (elasticity, sway quality, lengthening at break, E-modules) and physical (thickness, water assimilation) properties of the composites under different conditions, e.g., gamma irradiation and soil degradation, are shown and then contrasted with the properties under the ordinary condition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis examinations were used to portray the morphology, mechanical properties, and warm properties of Kevlar-strengthened earthenware composite materials. The results from SEM showed that the morphology in the created composite had fewer voids, gaps, and breaks. The nearness of O-H, C-H, C=O, and C-O ingestion tops showed the novel qualities of each example, which is affirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The trial result uncovered that all the mechanical properties are altogether high in Kevlar-fortified artistic composite at a lower level of filler material. Then again, rigidity is continuously expanded with the expansion of filler (up to 6.33 %) material in Kevlar-glass composite.

Preparation and Characterization of Composite Phase Change Materials Based on Lauric‐Myristic Acid and Expanded Vermiculite with Carbon Layer

AbstractThe low thermal conductivity and poor shape stability of phase change materials (PCMs) limit their application in the field of energy‐saving buildings. Lauric‐myristic acid (LA‐MA)/modified expanded vermiculite (MEV) composites as form‐stable phase change materials (FS‐PCMs) were prepared in this study. To improve their heat transfer properties, expanded vermiculite (EV) was impregnated with sucrose, starch and glucose solutions and then carbonized at a high temperature to attain MEVs, which act as a matrix in the PCMs. LA‐MA was adsorbed into the MEVs to obtain the LA‐MA/MEV FS‐PCMs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that both EV and MEV have highly porous structures and can be used as PCMs carriers. The composite PCMs impregnated with starch obtain the best heat transfer properties in comparison with the other two samples. The melting temperature of the composite PCMs is 34.2 °C and the melting latent heat value is 141.9 J/g. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) shows that the composite PCMs present good thermal stability. Overall, LA‐MA/MEV FS‐PCMs are promising energy efficient materials that can be used as building materials.

Influence of Particle Size and Particle Range Distribution on the Microstructure of Al–Mg–Si/PKSA Composite for Amateur Solid Rocket Chamber

The study discusses an overview of small rocket program, development and characterization of locally sourced material at low cost. The aim is to enable the construction of small sounding rocket components for experimental purposes in Nigeria. This paper proposes the utilization of palm kernel shell ash as filler materials in the development, characterization and production of composite material to construct prototype reusable chamber and accessories that will enable it possible for small scientific experiments. To achieve this, particle size and particle range distribution on the microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of (Al–Mg–Si)/PKSA composites developed by powder metallurgy method were investigated. The access in the 6xxx series of aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy was investigated for this reason. ImageJ software was used to do particle size analysis professionally and the software was used to calculate the area, mean, standard deviation (SD) and the pixel values. The particle size distribution of big constituent (densification or rather densified solids) particles and small dispersoids possess a finer and slightly elongated grain structure when compared with the unreinforced alloy. The results of the XRD and XRF of all the samples considered showed that Al2O3, SiO2, Mn2O3 and MgO phases were common to all. These hard phases are considered to be responsible for improved mechanical properties and resistance of the composite, while the SEM result showed that the reinforcement was uniformly distributed which further improves the mechanical property of the composite.Keywords: Microstructure, Composite, Rocket, Palm Kernel

Incorporation of phase change materials in an expanded clay containing mortar for indoor thermal regulation of buildings

Improving traditional constructive solutions and finding new materials for more efficient building envelopes leads to significant opportunities to decrease the energy demand for heating and cooling, as well as to reduce global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at the buildings’ level.The present work consists of the development and characterization of a new composite material incorporating microencapsulated phase change material (PCM) into a mortar composition, formulated with cement and lightweight expanded clay granules (LecaⓇ), for indoor thermal regulation of buildings. Despite the well-known problems in the traditional mortars with the incorporation of PCMs, such as workability and handling, two novel mortars were developed, using expanded clay granules of distinct sizes with and without PCM incorporation. The new mortars were tested to characterize the physical properties, shrinkage and capillarity, the mechanical behavior, compressive and flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity, as well as thermal properties, namely thermal conductivity, diffusivity, specific heat and thermal inertia. An additional analysis was carried out, comparing thermal properties of the mortar (with PCM), to quantify the influence of the mixing procedure on the PCM performance. Lastly, this new material was compared to a traditional mortar with PCM, produced and tested by another author ('L' formulation).The results show an increase of about 85% in shrinkage and 49% in capillarity in the formulations containing 25% of PCM. The compressive and flexural strength was reduced by 20%, and the modulus of elasticity was reduced by 52%. However, the thermal performance of the specimens has improved substantially. A reduction of 24% was attained, for the thermal conductivity, and the specific heat capacity was increased 17% with the PCM incorporation. The thermal diffusivity was reduced up to 82% and, finally, thermal inertia had a slight increase of 3%. 'L' formulation shows a similar behavior in terms of mechanical strength, when compared with mortars with PCM, but an increase of shrinkage and capillarity were observed (71 and 60%, respectively). Regarding thermal properties, this formulation proved to be the most conductive, with a 71% increase in the thermal conductivity value, and also the one with the highest specific heat, that increased 60%.The expanded clay mortar containing finer LecaⓇ particles was the formulation globally presenting the best results. As a conclusion, it was found that the mixing procedure of the mortars incorporating PCM into the aggregates could damage the PCM microcapsules, conditioning the mortar thermal performance.

Characterization and experimental investigation of composite phase change materials based on aluminum nitride/expanded graphite

Phase change heat storage technology is a good way to solve the problem that the temperature of solar hot water outlet is affected by time domain. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a potential phase change material, but it still has the disadvantages of low thermal conductivity and poor heat transfer performance. In this study, a new porous aluminum nitride matrix material with enhanced thermal conductivity was prepared by cellulose sintering method, and composite phase change material (P4ALN) was prepared by vacuum adsorption of PEG4000. P4ALN has the problems of low enthalpy and large particle gap. Therefore, composite phase change material P2EG (polyethylene glycol 2000 adsorbed by expanded graphite) was prepared. P2EG and P4ALN were mixed in a mass ratio of 9: 4 to form a third particle (MIX), which not only ensured high thermal conductivity, but also improved the enthalpy of the material. SEM, FT-IR, DSC, TG, thermal conductivity, heat storage and release tests were carried out on the prepared composite phase change materials. The results showed that the composite phase change material has good adsorption, no chemical reaction among the components and good thermal stability at 190°C. DSC curve of MIX particles showed that it had the characteristics of double phase transition temperature, and compared with P4ALN, the enthalpy was increased by nearly 40J/g. Compared with pure PEG, the thermal conductivity of P2EG, P4AlN and MIX was increased by 11.21, 12.99 and 12.49 times, respectively. Heat storage and release experiments proved that the heat storage capacity of the composite material MIX briquetting was 1.55 and 1.60 times of P2EG, respectively, which can be used as a phase change heat storage material for solar hot water.

A Comparative Study of 2D and 3D Digital Image Correlation Approaches for the Characterization and Numerical Analysis of Composite Materials

A Comparative Study of 2D and 3D Digital Image Correlation Approaches for the Characterization and Numerical Analysis of Composite Materials

Implementation and Evaluation of Certain Properties of a Polymer Matrix Composite Material Reinforced by Fibrous Residues of <i>Saccharum officinarum</i> in View of an Applicability Orientation

This study examines the implementation and characterization of a polymer matrix composite material reinforced by sugarcane residues. The aim of the study is to enhance the abundantly produced sugarcane bagasse in the form of residues in the processing plants of said sugar cane. The composite material developed takes into account the size parameters and mass load rate of the reinforcement, the variations of which are between 2.5 mm and 4 mm respectively for the first parameter and 10% to 25% for the second. The load on the test tube during the test has a random orientation. The composite is polyester matrix. The cold compression moulding technique was used in the production of the various samples. Physical properties such as the rate of water absorption and the density of the composite are assessed. The three-point bending tests are carried out with the aim of inducing Young’s modulus from the elaborate samples. Analysis of physical properties shows that water absorption increases with the rate of residue load. The average water absorption rate of bagasse fibres is estimated at 8% for the 2.5 mm fiber size and 12% for the 4 mm fiber size for all composites. Mechanical characterization by bending tests reveals a fragile behavior of the samples tested. Young’s modulus decreases when the load rate of fibrous residues increases regardless of the size of the fibers.

Review on history and characterization of polymer composite materials

Composite materials have excellent mechanical and physical properties that are now-a-days being used in all engineering applications such as aeronautical, automotive, electronics, marine and sports applications etc. This is due to their characteristics of light weight and superior mechanical properties. The aim of this review article is to provide comprehensive review on widely used glass and jute fiber polymer composites. The effect of type of fiber used, their volume fractions, orientation, and method of manufacturing, filler, hardener and chemical treatment were studied and reported in this paper. This paper concludes that use of natural fiber composites has been also responsible for latest development in research in the composite industry.

Conceptual Design and Selection of Natural Fibre Reinforced Biopolymer Composite (NFBC) Takeout Food Container

Biopolymer composite has gained huge attention for its beneficial properties such as biodegradable and less impact to the environment. This consequently would diminish the dependency on the petroleum-based polymer. Abundance of studies have been done on the development and characterization of biopolymer composite materials for food packaging application, but work on the conceptual design of biopolymer composite packaging product is hardly found. Using the Kano Model, Quality Function Deployment for Environment (QFDE), morphological map, and Analytic Hierarchy Method (AHP) framework combination, this paper presents the conceptual design of a natural fibre reinforced biopolymer composites take-out food container. To understand customer satisfaction with the current use of takeout food containers, the Kano model was applied, and the findings were integrated into QFDE. The highest weight of voices of customer and environment (VOCE) as the solution parameters for the design characteristics were later refined using the aid of morphological chart (MC) to systematically develop conceptual designs. Lastly, AHP was utilized to pick the final concept design. The concept design with the highest score (8.3%) was chosen as the final conceptual design.

Development and characterization of aluminium silicon carbide composite materials with improved properties

In the recent years Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) have proved great application potential in the field of aerospace and automotive industries due to their superior strength to weight quantitative relation and resistance to high temperature. Due to high manufacturing cost of the particulate metal matrix composites component and several technical challenges associated with casting technology, its widespread application for engineering purpose is restricted. The main aim of the present study is to cast and evaluate properties of the composite by increasing the stirring time and limiting the weight percentage of reinforcement. In this study, Aluminium (Al) is used as the pure matrix material and Silicon carbide (SiC) is used as the reinforcement material for the stabilization of the matrix. Stir casting is used to make aluminium matrix composites (AMC) by varying SiC content (0 to 5% wt. %) with the help of four blade motor stirrers rotating at a speed of 550 rpm for 20 min. A detailed study of mechanical and micro structural properties of Al-SiC composites is performed using Scanning Electron Microscopy for the characterization of the composite properties. The results indicated that the mechanical properties of the composite have been improved considerably with the addition of SiC in Al matrix. It was also observed that SiC was uniformly distributed over Al matrix due to continuous stirring in the mould and presence of few clustering was revealed in Micro structural observation.

Virtual testing activities for the development of a hybrid thermoplastic composite material for the NHYTE project

Designing composite structures with a good level of confidence and accuracy requires access to allowables values. The allowables generation is extremely time and cost consuming. In fact, various layups, experimental tests and environmental conditions have to be taken into account for each material to be characterized. Moreover, each test configuration needs many repetitions to obtain a statistical evaluation of the mechanical property. A robust alternative to reduce the experimental time and costs is the use of virtual allowables calculated and predicted thanks to advanced multiscale simulations. This paper deals with the activities of virtual testing carried out in the European NHYTE Project for the development and characterization of a hybrid thermoplastic composite material for the aerospace sector. The main aim has been to reduce tests and risk associated with the use of the hybrid composite in aerospace structures. This can be achieved by lowering the probability of failure of primary structures through the use of A-basis or B-basis strength allowables as design values. For this purpose, coupons of the hybrid thermoplastic composite have been accurately analysed using virtual tests. Starting from a micromechanics approach and taking into account the different constituents (PEEK matrix, PEI films and fibre reinforcement), a material model has been implemented; then it has been propagated to different scales until the element level. For virtual testing to be useful in the certification process, this numerical model has been validated by a synergic approach, correlating the simulation results with the experimental data carried out by Applus+ Laboratory. At the end, it has been possible to demonstrate that the resulting models are an excellent tool to speed up the certification process for complex structures, as required in the Aeronautical industry.

Theoretical modelling and experimental characterization of composite material for ulna bone plate application

In the procedure, isolated fractures in the ulna bone shaft are normally handled with metal bone plates, which may result in “stress shielding” contributing to bone re fracture and bone mass decrease. For bone plate applications, fiber-reinforced composites with lower stiffness have been introduced to mitigate the above disadvantages. A new glass/jute/polyester hybrid composite material for bone plate whose structure is engineered to ensure lower rigidity than traditional metal plate is being established in the current investigation. In this research, many design guidelines were followed to take account of the strength of composite systems and to optimize the advantages of the properties of both fibers. Classical lamination theory (CLT) and rule of mixture models are used to test the composite elastic properties before processing. The determined elastic properties were used to determine the viability for further processing and characterization of developed composite material models. In this analysis, three separate laminates were manufactured by hand layup process. The impact of various stacking and orientation of fibers on different mechanical properties of composite has been studied through experimental studies. In order to simulate the major loads of bone plates, the composite was evaluated directly under tensile, flexural and compressive tests. The findings of experimental tests found that the composite material introduced showed greater flexural strength (95.37–161.48 Mpa) relative to axial tension (59.81–70.17 Mpa) and compression (72.06–95.28 Mpa). The proposed composite material is ideal for bone fracture plates that need sufficient bending rigidity with lower axial rigidity.

Free vibration characteristics of flax fiber/ expanded polystyrene waste composite

Nowadays, the concern of damping and vibration has become an important parameter in the design of structural and mechanical components for which the cyclic loading and vibration reductions are critical. Due to this reason, recently natural fiber thermoplastic composites are suitable for many anti-vibration application areas due to their high specific strength and viscoelastic behavior together with high damping properties compared to conventional materials. A few works were studied the free vibration characterization of composite materials. However, the free vibration studies of the current composite material have not been sighted in the literature yet. Thus, this paper focused on the fundamental frequencies and damping ratios of flax fiber expanded polystyrene waste (FFEPS) composites of 20%, 30% and 40% fiber content. The FFEPS composites were prepared using compression techniques and tested using ASTM E756 standards. The experimental evaluation are determined by using the accelerometer sensor and sets to Data Acquisition System (DAS) which is connected to the PC and assimilated with Lab VIEW software. Additionally, the natural frequencies were also evaluated by using analytical and numerical (using ABAQUS). The composite damping ratio was determined by using the logarithmic decrement method. The result displayed that the damping ratio of the composites has decreased with an increase in fiber loading. The values of natural frequency by analytical and numerical methods are in close agreement with experimental results.

Dynamic characterization of hybrid composite material of rotor-bearing support system

In this paper, the dynamic characterization of hybrid composite material of carbon-epoxy sandwiched by steel is presented from the rotor-bearing system perspective. The tensile and flexural strengths of the hybrid material are investigated followed by the detailed damping estimation using modal testing in cantilever mode and dynamic mechanical analysis in double cantilever mode. The experimental characterization results obtained in this work have fundamentally ascertained the mechanical and dynamic behavior of hybrid composite material for the intended application.