Fabrication Of Composite Materials Research Articles

A study on fabrication of silicon nitride-based advanced ceramic composite materials via spark plasma sintering

The present study provides an overview of the fabrication of silicon nitride (Si3N4)-based advanced ceramic materials using spark plasma sintering. Being an excellent engineering ceramic material, silicon nitride is extensively being used in tribological components, aerospace, and automotive industries due to its unique blend of thermo-mechanical, tribological, and chemical properties. The selection of the sintering process, as well as sintering aids, strongly affects the properties of silicon nitride ceramics. Several conventional sintering techniques have been utilized in the past to optimize the structure and properties of silicon nitride ceramics such as hot pressing. However, spark plasma sintering, a relatively new, non-conventional, powder consolidating technique has recently gained significant attention to fabricate silicon nitride ceramic due to high heating rates, extremely short sintering time, and relatively low sintering temperatures which renders it an ideal technique for mass production. Both the composition and concentration of sintering additives during processing play a vital part in achieving the final desired properties of the bulk silicon nitride ceramic materials. In this review, the critical aspects like the effects of additive composition, additive concentration, and sintering parameters on microstructure and bulk properties of silicon nitride ceramics fabricated via spark plasma sintering are presented. The review may come in handy for scientists and engineers concerned with fabricating future silicon nitride composites with desired properties and performance for different engineering applications.

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.

Research progress in manufacturing multifunctional polymer composite materials based on fused deposition modeling technology

3D printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing technology, is based on materials, mechanical control, computer-assisted design and other multi-cross disciplines. 3D printing enables fabrication of complex structure materials which cannot be fabricated by traditional methods. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the most well-known 3D printing technologies due to its merits like cost-effectiveness, simple in equipment and ease of operation, which has been widely used in aerospace, medical and auto industry. This review introduced the overall layout, development and planning of 3D printing technologies. This review also systematically summarized the characteristics and classifications of common 3D printing technologies, and mainly focused on the principles, advantages and requirements for the FDM technology. Especially, we aim to outline the basic requirements of polymer that suitable for FDM printing and introduce the applications of carbon-based polymer composite materials in the FDM manufacturing process. In addition, recent advances of FDM printing in fabrication of functional polymer composite materials and parts, including biomedical, electrical and thermal conductive polymer composites are reviewed in detail. The prospects for the research and applications of FDM towards manufacturing of high-performance and multifunctional polymer composite materials are proposed. At last, the challenges and key problems that need to be solved in FDM processing are considered and prospected.

Integrated Janus membrane for smart “dual fluid diode’’ with multifunctional applications

A facile “plug-and-go” strategy for the fabrication of Janus membranes (JMs) is proposed that uses different combinational substrates with opposite wettability, and some suitable substrates are tightly integrated through a certain pressure. The excellent compactness and controllability of the optimal JMs using foam Ni and superhydrophilic Cu mesh are demonstrated in multifunctional applications, including unidirectional liquid transportation in air–water systems, on-demand immiscible oil–water separation, droplet collection in liquid–liquid systems, and on–off switch control. The dual function of the resulting JMs as water and oil diodes is attributed to the interpenetrating structure and similar thicknesses of the formed hydrophobic and hydrophilic layers, which minimize the penetration distance of the Janus membrane in both directions. This strategy provides a common route for the fabrication of novel composite materials with greater diversity and composability regarding membrane pore size and thickness.

A multilayer coarse-grained molecular dynamics model for mechanical analysis of mesoscale graphene structures

Graphene-based structures have found widespread applications in the fabrication of superior composite materials, conductors, and sensors owing to their excellent properties. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is often used to gain an in-depth understanding of the mechanical behaviors of those structures. However, MD simulation of mesoscale graphene structures faces great challenges due to its limited model size or high computation cost. In this work, we proposed a multilayer coarse-grained (CG) MD model which coarsens graphene layers in both planar and thickness directions. We systematically investigated the effect of coarse-graining on simulation accuracy in the CG-MD model. The optimal coarse-graining parameters for simulating the mechanical behaviors of graphene in tension, shearing, adhesion, bending, and self-folding were obtained. Our optimal CG-MD model enabled the simulation of relatively large-scale graphene structure with 1∼2 orders of magnitude increase in length and 3∼4 orders of magnitude reduction in computational time compared with the all-atom (AA) model, offering a valuable tool for designing and exploring graphene-based novel materials.

Deformation mechanisms in ice-templated alumina–epoxy composites for the different directions of uniaxial compressive loading

The ice-templating technique enables the fabrication of multilayered ceramic-based composite materials. Very little is known on the inelastic deformation mechanisms that evolve in this class of composite materials under compressive loading conditions and cause macroscopic failure. The current investigation is motivated by a recent study by the authors, which revealed that the uniaxial compressive response of ice-templated ceramic–polymer composites is strongly dependent on the loading direction relative to the layer orientation. The current investigation reveals that the inelastic deformation mechanisms in ice-templated alumina–epoxy composites are strongly influenced by the compressive loading orientation relative to the growth direction of ice crystals. The deformation mechanisms were investigated for the loading directions of 0° (parallel to the growth direction), 45° (to the growth direction), and 90° (to the growth direction). For 0°, kink band formation and longitudinal splitting were observed to be the primary strength limiting mechanisms. Kink band formation could be the primary strength limiting factor and responsible for the catastrophic-type compressive failure response. For the loading directions of 45° and 90°, interface delamination and fracture within the lamella walls and across the alumina–epoxy interfaces were the main deformation mechanisms. These mechanisms significantly reduced the compressive strength but attributed progressive-type failure behavior in ice-templated composites. The knowledge of the inelastic deformation mechanisms in ice-templated ceramic–polymer composites under compressive loading is vital for an improved understanding of structure–mechanical property relationships and hierarchical materials design.

A water-stable functionalized NiCo-LDH/MOF nanocomposite: green synthesis, characterization, and its environmental application for heavy metals adsorption

Removal of toxic heavy metals from aquatic environments has become a major concern due to environmental problems and the potential hazards and risks posed by them. Nowadays, the adsorption method as one of the most effective methods of removing pollutants has attracted increasing attention among chemists and environmental researchers. However, one of the challenges is to design and develop more effective adsorbents as well as to prepare them via greener and safer approaches. In line with these goals, a functionalized Ni50Co50-layered double hydroxide/UiO-66-(Zr)-(COOH)2 nanocomposite (LDH/MOF NC) was prepared via a facile and “green“ synthesis protocol and used as an effective adsorbent for removal of mercury and nickel cations from aqueous media. UiO-66-(Zr)-(COOH)2 nanoparticles were in situ grown homogeneously over the surface of the functionalized two-dimensional ultrathin Ni50Co50-LDH sheets. A green organic-solvent-free route was used to prepare the LDH/MOF NC in which the water is used as a green solvent. The adsorption performance of LDH/MOF NC for removal of Hg(II) and Ni(II) cations was studied and the influence of some experimental factors, such as solution pH, initial metal concentration, and contact time, on the adsorption process were investigated. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacities based on the Langmuir isotherm were found to be 509.8 mg g−1 and 441.0 mg g−1 for Hg(II) and Ni(II), respectively, under constant conditions. We believe that the facile and “green” synthesis method used in this work can be a starting point for the fabrication and development of similar composite materials for future works, especially for use in adsorption, extraction, catalysis, and drug delivery applications.

WITHDRAWN: Study review on properties of nano fillers in composite materials

Abstract Nano fillers have now taken more important place in fabrication of composite materials. The development of different potential Nano fillers is one of the active domains in Nanotechnology for aerospace applications. Their composition in composite materials improves the technological properties to greater extent. The demand being in continual advances for the properties of the materials resulted in the extensive usage of Nano-fillers in advanced material engineering. The Nano-fillers not only improves the technological properties but also the physical, chemical and optical properties in the material. The aim of the paper is to describe the different types of Nano-fillers like carbon, ceramic, silicon and metal based Nano-fillers and optimize them in the fabrication of composite materials for potential application in aerospace sector. An extensive comparative discussion has been carried out about potentiality of those Nano-fillers which can enhance the properties of mechanical behavior in advanced composite materials.

Remarkably Elevated Permittivity Achieved in PVDF/1D La2TiO5 Composite Film Materials with Low-Level Dielectric Loss by Adding 2D V2C MXene Phase

High-dielectric-constant (high-k) polymer–ceramic composites with low-level dielectric loss are expected to enable excellent energy storage. However, high conductivity and high dielectric loss often occur simultaneously with high dielectric constant. To obtain a high dielectric constant but with low conductivity and low dielectric loss, in this work, we studied the ternary polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/La2TiO5/V2C dielectric composite system, which takes advantage of the synergistic effect between the high content (0 wt.% to 40 wt.%) of pseudo-perovskite filler La2TiO5 and the low content (2 wt.%) of highly conductive two-dimensional filler V2C. Comparisons with the binary PVDF/La2TiO5 composite system revealed that the ternary PVDF/La2TiO5/V2C composite dielectric system enabled balance and optimization of the comprehensive electrical properties of the composite material. Significantly elevated permittivity as well as depressed low-level dielectric loss were obtained in the ternary composites. The optimized ternary composite with 40 wt.% La2TiO5 and 2 wt.% V2C exhibited high dielectric constant of 47 and low dielectric loss of 0.17 at 1 kHz. This work might enable facile fabrication of promising composite dielectric materials based on this excellent synergetic filler strategy.

Fabrication of recoverable magnetic composite material based on graphene oxide for fast removal of lead and cadmium ions from aqueous solution

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn this study, a novel magnetic material was applied as an adsorbent for simultaneous removal of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was synthesized using functionalized MnFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles grafted to lamellar graphene oxide surface (MnFe2O4@SiO2‐NH2@GO) and characterized using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and magnetic measurements.RESULTSThe adsorbent exhibited superior adsorption properties for Pb(II) and Cd(II). The maximum uptake capacity of Pb(II) and Cd(II) reached 42.48 and 18.28 mg g−1 within 30 min at 25 °C, respectively. The data for adsorption fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo‐second‐order kinetic models, which indicated that the adsorption was via monolayer chemisorption on homogeneous sites. The calculation of thermodynamic parameters revealed spontaneous and endothermic adsorption processes accompanied by randomness increase. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that the coordination between nitrogen atoms of amino groups and the two types of heavy metal ions was a possible adsorption mechanism.CONCLUSIONSMnFe2O4@SiO2‐NH2@GO possesses the properties of high adsorption efficiency, fast separation, high stability and easy regeneration for adsorption of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions. Thus, the as‐prepared adsorbent is considered as a promising material for the removal of heavy metal ions and this research could offer a new means for water cleanup. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Influence of SAC and eggshell addition in the physical, mechanical and thermal behaviour of Cr reinforced aluminium based composite

ABSTRACT In the present study, an attempt has been made to utilise spent alumina catalyst (SAC) and carbonised eggshell (CAES) in the fabrication of AA5052-based composite material. Cr was also added to further enhance the tensile strength, hardness and corrosion resistance of the material. Results showed that by adding 4.5% SAC, 4.5% CAES and 1.5% Cr in aluminium alloy, mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness and compressive strength enhanced significantly. Tensile strength, hardness and compressive strength increased by about 11.98%, 37.22% and 23.06%, respectively, concerning the base material. However, the toughness and ductility of composite have been reduced. Microstructure results of Al/4.5% SAC/4.5% CAES/1.5% Cr composite showed uniform. Corrosion weight loss and thermal expansion behaviour of composite have been also investigated to observe the SAC, CAES and Cr addition effect in the aluminium alloy.

Analysis the mechanical properties and material characterization on Magnesium Metal Matrix Nano composites through stir casting process

The main objective for this work are explored and evaluate the feasibility of fabrication of Magnesium Metal matrix Nano composites (MMNCs) using Stir casting process. It has increasingly used becoming attractive materials in advanced industrial applications. Since it has high demands for energy saving as well as lightweight materials attract a large amount of research interest. Here Magnesium used as basic matrix composite in fabrication of MMNCs. Hence Magnesium as lightweight structural metal and high strength-to-weight ratio of alloys are usually a major reason for considering these materials in engineering designs as well as fabrication of composite material. This magnesium alloys are widely used in automotive, aerospace and chemical applications in wide scale that is because of their low density. However, their applications are quite restricted within their low strength and ductility. By addition of nano size reinforcements in the base matrix magnesium alloy, thus for giving them excellent properties are to be a hopeful choice for many applications as well as for improving their mechanical properties. In this paper aims to study the effect of reinforcement on the microstructure and mechanical properties like tensile strength, yield strength, ductility, strain and micro structure analysis of Magnesium metal matrix nano composite.

Characterization of Boron Carbide (B4C) particle reinforced aluminium metal matrix composites fabricated by powder metallurgy techniques – A review

Composite materials are in trend in research and industrial fields due to its superior mechanical properties and easy processing techniques. While there are different processing techniques to fabricate the composite materials, powder metallurgy finds unique place in fabrication of composite materials. To enhance the properties of composite materials added reinforcements have to share loads while applying loads, due to high exceptional properties of added reinforcements composite able to withstand high stress values this load transferring mechanisms happens at interface regions of Al-B4C system, to understand the interface chemistry and mechanisms it is must to investigate the interface phenomenon at different conditions. In this paper authors reviewed some of the major important works done on Al-B4C composites fabricated by powder metallurgy techniques.

Application of non-woven aramid-polyimide composite materials for high reliability printed circuit boards for use in spacecraft electronics

An understanding of the impact of current trends on composites begins with the PCB material and its manufacture. Discovery, development and application of new materials are the robust power for the development of human society. With recent advances in electronics materials and designs, the electronics industry is pushing the operating temperatures to new boundaries. Electronic packaging technology is under increasing pressure to downsize devices. New dielectric composite materials have been introduced for printed circuit board applications, such as Thermount polyimide with the aim to match the requirements for high speed and high density of electronic devices that are planned for new spacecraft electronic boards. The objective of the paper is to discuss about introduction and fabrication of non-woven aramid-polyimide composite material and experiment carried out to study the effect and its application in high reliability HDI PCBs for spacecraft electronics. An experiment is made to attempt realization of PCB using “Non-woven aramid-polyimide composite substrate” as an alternative to FR4 glass reinforced substrate to achieve improved thermal characteristics and also weight reduction, which is desirable for space electronics. From the experimental results, it is evident that, introduction of thermount polyimide material has significant weight reduction and the material withstood readily six dip thermal stress tests. It is found that the usage of the above substrate has enhanced the reliability and PCBs produced have proved the ability to withstand thermal variation commonly experienced by the high-speed electronics.

Fabrication and Physical Characteristics of Polymer Composite Materials Containing Carbon Nanotubes

Fabrication and Physical Characteristics of Polymer Composite Materials Containing Carbon Nanotubes

Fabrication of epoxy composite material reinforced with bamboo fibers

This study aims to enhance the mechanical properties of polymer material using type of natural fiber. Bamboo fiber considered the strongest between the natural fibers group, it have low density, high mechanical strength in addition to its availability makes it economical applicable and have potential for used as engineering material. The study is concerned with evaluate some of the mechanical properties (Tensile strength, Bending strength, Impact strength) for the resultant composite reinforced with 10, 20 and 30 vol.% of bamboo fibers, as compared with received material. With the natural reinforcement, the optimum mechanical properties in comparison with the as received epoxy were achieved. The results indicated that the tensile strength increased from 13.51MPa to 33.50MPa (that is a percentage increase of 150%), also the bending strength increased from 24.25MPa to 44.5MPa (that is a percentage increase about 83%), as well as, the increase of the impact strength from 41kJ/m² to 69kJ/m² (that is a percentage increase about 68%).

Programmable Stimuli-Responsive Actuators for Complex Motions in Soft Robotics: Concept, Design and Challenges

During the last years, great progress was made in material science in terms of concept, design and fabrication of new composite materials with conferred properties and desired functionalities. The scientific community paid particular interest to active soft materials, such as soft actuators, for their potential as transducers responding to various stimuli aiming to produce mechanical work. Inspired by this, materials engineers today are developing multidisciplinary approaches to produce new active matters, focusing on the kinematics allowed by the material itself more than on the possibilities offered by its design. Traditionally, more complex motions beyond pure elongation and bending are addressed by the robotics community. The present review targets encompassing and rationalizing a framework which will help a wider scientific audience to understand, sort and design future soft actuators and methods enabling complex motions. Special attention is devoted to recent progress in developing innovative stimulus-responsive materials and approaches for complex motion programming for soft robotics. In this context, a challenging overview of the new materials as well as their classification and comparison (performances and characteristics) are proposed. In addition, the great potential of soft transducers are outlined in terms of kinematic capabilities, illustrated by the related application. Guidelines are provided to design actuators and to integrate asymmetry enabling motions along any of the six basic degrees of freedom (translations and rotations), and strategies towards the programming of more complex motions are discussed. As a final note, a series of manufacturing methods are described and compared, from molding to 3D and 4D printing. The review ends with a Perspectives section, from material science and microrobotic points of view, on the soft materials’ future and close future challenges to be overcome.

Adhesive Property of Aluminum Oxide Formed By High Temperature Anodizing

Aluminum and its alloys have been widely used various situations because of their light weight, specific strength, heat conductivity. Surface treatment can impart corrosion protection, hardness, coating film adhesion and others to aluminum. Anodizing is one of the most important surface finishing processes of aluminum. In recent years, technology to use multimaterials has been attracting attention to achieve the production of energy-efficient automobiles. In such activities, adhesive bonding is increasingly used in automobile manufacturing. However, the reliability and strength of the joint surface is very important to use adhesive bonding for vehicle such as car, aircraft and motorcycle. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of high adhesive aluminum surface via high temperature anodizing process. High-purity aluminum specimens (99.99 wt%, 300 µm thick) were ultrasonically degreased in acetone for 10 min. These specimens were immersed in a oxalic acid solution (0.3 M), and then were anodized at a constant current density using a direct-current power supply. After anodizing, the specimens were quickly removed from the electrolyte solution and then washed with distilled water. The surface nanomorphology of the anodized specimens was examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The adhesion property of anodized specimen was measured by tape peel test using 90 degree peel test machine. Figure 1 shows the surface appearance of the specimens covered with a) typical anodic oxide formed by low-temperature anodizing and b) anodic oxide formed by high-temperature anodizing. Anodic oxide formed by high-temperature anodizing had an irregular shape numerous pores due to the chemical dissolution of anodic oxide. These photographs were taken after tape peel test. On the typical anodic oxide, the tape was easily peeled off and no adhesive remained on the surface. On the other hand, the tape adhesive remained on the irregular anodic oxide covered surface fabricated by high temperature anodizing and the strong tape peel strength was measured. High-temperature anodizing causes the intense chemical dissolution. Thus, the anodic oxide which had wide-pore outer layer and intricate inner layer was formed on the aluminum surface by high-temperature anodizing. Adhesive layer of tape might be able to penetrate such anodic oxide. Therefore, the strong peel strength by the anchoring effect was measured on the surface. Although the adhesive mechanism has not been clear in detail, this surface treatment technique has a potential for the fabrication of composite material which is consist of aluminum and another material． Figure 1

Cold Sintered Metal–Ceramic Nanocomposites for High‐Frequency Inductors

AbstractPower electronics, including those inspired by 5G and 6G revolutions, have escalated the demand for miniaturized energy‐efficient inductor components with higher power density, higher operating frequencies, and smaller device sizes. Recently, cold sintering has proved to be a powerful tool for fabricating ceramics. Here, novel metal–ceramic nanocomposites are prepared by cold sintering for the first time. As a model system, Fe‐based nanocrytalline alloys with NiZn ferrites and α‐Fe2O3 ceramics are cold sintered at 150 °C under a uniaxial pressure of 320 MPa. These nanocomposites illustrate dense microstructures, fine grains, and high electrical resistivities, allowing remarkable high‐frequency performance, such as permeability values of ≈11.5 at frequencies up to ≈1 GHz with corresponding quality factors reaching over 100 at tens of megahertz. The power inductors using the developed composite materials demonstrate low DC resistance (18.35 mΩ), high efficiency (≈98.2%), and high current rating with small form factors far superior to those available as commercial products. The results presented here indicate a dramatic advance in the materials science and development of inductor composite materials for power electronics applications. This synthesis route of metal–ceramic composites shows great potential in fabrication of new composite materials that are targeted for functional components.

Chitosan-drug encapsulation as a potential candidate for COVID-19 drug delivery systems: A review

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO), Centre for Disease Control (CDC), and other health organizations around the world have coordinated the flow of information and given out preventive directives measures and guidelines to reduce the impact and spread of the disease. Meanwhile, bodies of scientists and researchers around the world are still working ceaselessly to study the virus, mode of transmission mechanisms, and are rapidly developing therapeutic antiviral drugs and vaccines. Thus, the urgent need for the fabrication of biocompatible and biodegradable composite materials as drug delivery vehicles for the efficient loading, targeted delivery and controlled release of antiviral drugs to the target site is been inspired. Therefore, this review highlights the antimicrobial and antiviral activities of chitosan as well as the potency of a combined therapy via electrostatic/hydrogen bonding encapsulation onto the WHO suggested clinical trial drugs and possible chelation with metal ions to form new improved antiviral compounds as a promising agent for the targeted drug delivery.