Fiber-reinforced Composite Materials Research Articles

Bamboo as a natural optimized fiber reinforced composite: interfacial mechanical properties and failure mechanisms

Bamboo is a typical natural fiber-reinforced composite with an optimized distribution of vascular bundles as reinforcement and parenchyma tissues as bio-matrix. The interfacial bonding performance between vascular bundles and parenchyma tissue is critical for the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of bamboo. This study employed pull-out tests to determine the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between bamboo vascular bundles and parenchyma tissue and evaluate the critical embedded lengths () of vascular bundles. The effects of embedded vascular bundle lengths on interfacial strength and failure behaviors were also investigated. The results revealed a value of 2.51 mm, lower than the majority of plant fiber-reinforced composite materials, with an IFSS of around 20 MPa, surpassing most artificial bamboo fiber composites. The pull-out process of the vascular bundles involved elasticity, debonding, and sliding friction stage, where debonding energy absorption (DEA) outweighed frictional energy absorption (FEA) and increasing with embedded length. The primary failure features include interfacial debonding, parenchyma tissue ripping, delamination of fiber thin layers, and fiber breakage. Moreover, the parenchyma cells between the two fiber sheaths and at the top of the bamboo block readily detached. The interfacial failure mechanisms of bamboo included debonding, reinforcement, and matrix failure, with the proportions varying as the embedded length increased. Quantitative analysis of the interfaces structure and mechanical properties between vascular bundles and parenchyma tissues could provide a reference for the biomimicry of bamboo structures and the manufacturing of natural fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Effect of fiber-reinforced direct restorative materials on the fracture resistance of endodontically treated mandibular molars restored with a conservative endodontic cavity design

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the fracture strength of teeth restored using fiber-reinforced direct restorative materials after endodontic treatment with a conservative mesio-occlusal access cavity design.Materials and methodsA total of 100 extracted intact mandibular first molars were selected and distributed into a positive control group where teeth left intact and the following four test groups comprised of teeth with conservative mesio-occlusal access cavities that had undergone root canal treatment (n = 20/group): access cavity without restoration (negative control), bulk-fill resin composite with horizontal glass fiber post reinforcement, fiber-reinforced composite with bulk-fill resin and bulk-fill resin composite. Following thermocycling (10,000 cycles), fracture resistance was measured using a universal testing machine. Statistical analyses (one-way analysis of variance and the Tamhane test) were performed, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.ResultsGroups with minimally invasive access cavities had lower fracture strength than intact teeth, regardless of the restoration material (p < 0.05). Fiber-reinforced composite groups demonstrated higher fracture strength than bulk-fill resin composite alone (p < 0.05). Fracture types varied among groups, with restorable fractures predominant in the fiber-reinforced composite groups.ConclusionThis study suggests that using fiber-reinforced composite materials, especially in combination with bulk-fill resin composites, can effectively enhance the fracture strength of endodontically treated teeth with conservative access cavities. However, using only bulk-fill resin composite is not recommended based on the fracture strength results.Clinical significanceWhen teeth that undergo endodontic treatment are restored using a conservative access cavity design and fiber-reinforced composite materials, especially in combination with bulk-fill resin composites, the fracture strength of the teeth can be effectively increased.

Experimental Study on the Performance of Glass/Basalt Fiber Reinforced Concrete Unidirectional Plate under Impact Load

Fiber-reinforced composite materials have emerged as essential solutions for addressing the durability challenges of traditional reinforced concrete, owing to their lightweight nature, high strength, ease of construction, superior tensile capacity, robust corrosion resistance, and excellent electromagnetic insulation properties. This paper delves into the influence of loading rate and fiber bar type on the mechanical characteristics of concrete one-way plates through impact experiments on such plates fitted with glass/basalt fiber bars at varying drop weight heights. The test results reveal a direct correlation between increasing loading rates and escalating damage in fiber-reinforced concrete one-way plates, reflected in the progressive rise in peak deflection and residual displacement at the mid-span of the specimens. Notably, when subjected to higher impact loads, glass fiber-reinforced concrete specimens exhibit amplified deformation and intricate crack formations, consequently diminishing the overall deformation resistance of the plate. Furthermore, glass/basalt fiber-reinforced composites demonstrate notable vibration damping qualities, characterized by substantial residual displacement, minimal rebound, and rapid decay following vibration stimulation. Overall, glass fiber-reinforced one-way plates display marginally superior impact resistance compared to their basalt fiber-reinforced counterparts.

Development of a heavy vehicle torque rod applying continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite materials instead of forged steel material: Design, analysis and optimization

The torque rod is an important component of the suspension system that connects the axle to the chassis in heavy commercial vehicles. The main motivation of this study is the development of a torque rod made of (1) plus cross-section, (2) continuous carbon and glass fiber reinforced hybrid thermoplastic composites, which can replace a forged steel torque rod used in heavy vehicles, has superior mechanical properties, provides minimum cost and weight. This study aims to develop a torque rod before its production within the framework of integration with Computer Aided Design (CAD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). In this study, the design data and the properties of the composite materials were chosen as control factors. The minimum displacement, the best mechanical properties such as tensile stress, compressive stress, torsional shear stress, maximum critical buckling load, and the minimum part weight minimum production cost per piece were selected as quality characteristics. As a result of the FEA study, considering the experimental set of the Taguchi Method L25 orthogonal array, the data on mechanical properties, weight, and production cost per piece were subjected to the MCDM process using the Entropy Weighted TOPSIS method. As a result of the MCDM study, a torque rod made of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material, instead of a torque rod produced by forged steel, had the highest mechanical properties produced, the weight of the torque rod can be reduced by 64.76%, and the production costs per piece can be reduced by 37.5%. This study’s findings have shown that the torque rod produced from continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials in a new geometry with a plus cross-section can be substituted for the torque rod produced by steel forging. Thus, it will contribute to reducing the fixed vehicle weight, especially in heavy commercial vehicles, reducing CO2 emissions, and increasing the range of the vehicles.

Japanese washi-paper-based green composites: Fabrication, mechanical characterization, and evaluation of biodegradability

In this study, sheets of Japanese washi-paper were layered and hot pressed with films of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) in order to produce a fiber-reinforced composite material that can be biodegraded. Using traditional Japanese washi-paper, a thin yet remarkably strong green composite with excellent biodegradability was produced, proving the potential of washi-paper as an attractive reinforcer in green composites. The composite was biodegraded in compost, and the ultimate aerobic biodegradability as well as weight loss and loss of mechanical properties during biodegradation was evaluated. Specimens fabricated from three layers of washi-paper and two layers of PBS film had remarkable mechanical properties, including an ultimate tensile strength of 59.85 MPa. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the cross-sectional structure of the material, which showed that the hollow washi-paper provides a structure for the polymer to settle into and surround the cellulose fibers. The large contact area between the cellulose fibers and the PBS caused a large internal friction which prevented failure by fiber pull-out, dramatically increasing the strength compared to neat washi-paper and neat PBS. Concerning biodegradability, the material reached 82 % biodegradation after 35 days. During biodegradation, the composite lost its mechanical properties fast, and was extremely fragile after 2 weeks inside the compost. After 6 weeks, the biodegradation had progressed so far that it was difficult to distinguish the material inside the compost. Due to its fast biodegradation and good mechanical strength, the washi-based composite material is potentially used in packaging, furniture, and agricultural applications such as mulch film.

Multi-Objective Optimization of Glass/Carbon Hybrid Composites for Small Wind Turbine Blades using Extreme Mixture Design Response Surface Methodology

Abstract Small wind turbines (SWTs) are a prominent renewable energy technology for decentralized power generation. Blade material and its profile are vital parameters for the aerodynamic performance of SWTs. Traditionally E-glass fibre-reinforced composites (FRCs) are the widely accepted material for developing SWT blades. However, its application is limited by moderate tensile and fatigue properties. Alternatively, other FRC materials such as carbon, basalt and natural fibre composites are proposed as future materials for SWT blades. However, individual materials are observed to satisfy the requirements partially. Therefore, the hybridization of these materials, particularly Glass/Carbon composites is foreseen as a prospective solution for developing cost-competitive and high-strength SWT blades. There are various studies performed to obtain optimized glass/carbon hybrid composites. However, overall material properties required for SWT blades such as low cost, lightweight, moderate flexural strength and higher tensile and fatigue strengths have not been considered simultaneously during the optimization process. This work presents multi-objective optimization of Glass/Carbon hybrid composites using extreme mixture design response surface methodology (RSM) for small wind turbine (SWT) applications. The weight percentages of glass and carbon fibres are optimized to achieve desired material properties for SWT blades. The experiments are planned using extreme mixture design RSM and the regression models for desired material properties are developed with a 95% confidence level. RSM-based desirability function is employed to perform multi-objective optimization. Maximum composite desirability of 93.5% is achieved with optimal proportions of 37.9% and 27.1% for glass and carbon fibres respectively. An adequate tensile, flexural and fatigue strengths of 486.02, 435.41 and 316.27 MPa respectively are obtained for optimized glass/carbon hybrid composite at an optimum cost of 2228.76 Rs/Kg and density of 3.39 g/cm3. The regression models and optimization results are validated through a confirmation experiment with an error of less than 6.1%.

In Situ Non-Destructive Stiffness Assessment of Fiber Reinforced Composite Plates Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves.

The multimodal and dispersive character of ultrasonic guided waves (UGW) offers the potential for non-destructive evaluation of fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) materials. In this study, a methodology for in situ stiffness assessment of FRCs using UGWs is introduced. The proposed methodology involves a comparison between measured wave speeds of the fundamental symmetric and antisymmetric guided wave modes with a pre-established dataset of UGW speeds and translation of them to corresponding stiffness properties, i.e., ABD-components, in an inverse manner. The dispersion relations of guided waves have been calculated using the semi-analytical finite element method. First, the performance of the proposed methodology has been assessed numerically. It has been demonstrated that each of the independent ABD-components of the considered laminate can be approximated with an error lower than 10.4% compared to its actual value. The extensional and bending stiffness properties can be approximated within an average error of 3.6% and 9.0%, respectively. Secondly, the performance of the proposed methodology has been assessed experimentally. This experimental assessment has been performed on a glass fiber-reinforced composite plate and the results were compared to mechanical tensile and four-point bending tests on coupons cut from the plate. Larger differences between the estimated ABD-components according to UGW and mechanical testing were observed. These differences were partly attributed to the variation in material properties across the test plate and the averaging of properties over the measurement area.

Application of Machine Learning and Grey Taguchi Technique for the Development and Optimization of a Natural Fiber Hybrid Reinforced Polymer Composite For Aircraft Body Manufacture

Abstract The rapid expansion of the air transport industry raises significant sustainability concerns due to its substantial carbon emissions and contribution to global climate change. These emissions are closely linked to fuel consumption, which in turn is influenced by the weight of materials used in aircraft systems. This study extensively applied machine learning tools for the optimization of natural fiber-reinforced composite material production parameters for aircraft body application. The Taguchi optimization technique was used to study the effect of sisal fibers, glass fibers, fiber length, and NaOH treatment concentration on the performance of the materials. Multi-objective optimization methods like the grey relational system and genetic algorithm (using the MATLAB programming interface) were employed to obtain the best combination of the studied factors for low fuel consumption (low carbon emission) and high-reliability structural applications of aircraft. The models developed from regressional analysis had high accuracy of prediction, with R-Square values all &amp;gt; 80%. Optimization of the grey relational model of the developed composite using the genetic algorithm showed the best process parameter to achieve low weight material for aircraft application to be 40% sisal, 5% glass fiber at 35mm fiber length, and 5% NaOH concentration with grey relational analysis at the highest possible level, which is unity.

GEODETIC MONITORING OF DEFORMATIONS OF BEARING REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES OF AN UNDERGROUND MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PUBLIC CENTER

The article highlights the stages of carrying out measurement and survey work of an underground multifunctional public center to assess the technical condition of the load-bearing structural elements of block 1 and the entrance group in order to carry out reconstruction on the above-ground part of the building. The reconstruction consisted of installing metal structures on the eastern and western sides of the dome and a metal canopy over the entrance group. As a result of a technical examination and geodetic observations, cracks with an opening width of 0.5 mm and significant deflections in the floor slabs and crossbars at the upper and lower levels were identified in the load-bearing structures. To ensure safe operation and timely detection of dangerous values of deformation of a unique building with an increased class of responsibility, an effective method of geodetic monitoring of deflections of reinforced concrete floor slabs and crossbars and recommendations for their strengthening, taking into account the location of the construction site at the intersection of zones of influence of several tectonic faults, are proposed. Geodetic observations of deformation processes were carried out. Based on the results of the measurements, it was decided to strengthen the reinforced concrete structures by gluing fiber-reinforced composite materials to the lower part of the floor slabs. A comparative analysis of the obtained quantitative parameters of shifts of load-bearing structures makes it possible to assess the technical condition of an underground building and its individual structures before and after strengthening measures.

Modelling of hybrid biocomposites for automotive structural applications

The demand for environmentally friendly materials is at its peak, and government legislations have become stricter and no longer tolerate violations. With biocomposites emerging as structural components instead of being hidden as non-structural applications and interiors, the automotive and motorsport sector started considering them for structural body parts. Natural fibres abundance, commercial availability, renewability, low density, low cost, and high tensile strength make biocomposite materials excellent candidates for eco-friendly vehicles. Several studies reported the utilisation of biocomposites as high-performance components and structural applications. However, current computer-aided engineering and modelling tools are insufficient to explore the vast field of possibilities during biocomposite materials selection to accurately predict the components' behaviour and analyses. Therefore, this study focuses on creating a material model to predict the behaviour of biocomposite materials. Additionally, the model is numerically implemented to illustrate the deformation and bending stiffness capabilities of a motorsport monocoque chassis structure application. A micromechanics modelling combining rate-dependant constitutive laws and multi-site interactions of inclusions is developed for studying the nonlinear response of composite materials. To avoid numerical instabilities when increments of time become very small, a regulation procedure concerning the visco-plastic function is adopted in the computation of the consistent tangent modulus. Based on the Generalised Mori–Tanaka (GMT) scheme, the effective properties are obtained for the nonlinear composite. The accuracy of the model is evaluated and validated by comparison results from the open literature. Finally, the developed constitutive equations are implemented as a user-defined material UMAT in a Finite Element code, leading to an application on a bio-based composite for the bamboo/flax fibre-reinforced epoxy hybrid composite materials.

A model for the temperature-dependent creep/recovery behavior of dry fiber fabric considering in-plane tension

In the manufacturing process of fiber-reinforced composite materials, the preforming of dry fiber fabrics is typically carried out under specific out-of-plane pressure, in-plane tension, and at designated temperatures. The fabric exhibits significant time and temperature-dependent permanent deformation as well as creep/recovery behavior. Gaining a better understanding of these phenomena and harnessing predictive capabilities will be instrumental in achieving more precise control over fiber volume fraction and material composition. In this paper, creep/recovery experiments and cyclic loading-unloading tests were conducted on CF3031 dry fiber preforms under various in-plane tensions and temperatures, measuring in-plane strains using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. Based on this data, a modified Burgers viscoelastic-plastic model has been proposed to describe the time-dependent creep/recovery behavior of dry fiber fabric preforming under the coupled effects of in-plane tension, out-of-plane pressure, and temperature variations. This model employs a single set of equations and parameters to represent the complete creep/recovery process of the material. The experimental results align well with the predicted outcomes across different compression scenarios.

Transmission of Lamb wave in a micro-mechanically piezoelectric fiber-reinforced composite plate

The present work addresses the propagation characteristics of Lamb wave in a piezoelectric fiber-reinforced composite material plate. The considered plate is micro-mechanically modeled using the analytical techniques of the Strength of Materials and Rule of Mixtures. Secular equations are deduced for symmetric and antisymmetric modes of Lamb wave by employing suitable boundary conditions. The data of two distinct PFRC materials are taken into account, viz. PZT-5A-epoxy and CdSe-epoxy with different fiber volume fractions to investigate the latent characteristics of Lamb wave propagation. The amplitudes of dilatation and electrical potential of considered material are examined numerically and manifested graphically for both kinds of modes, i.e., symmetric and antisymmetric modes. The obtained graphical results are also compared for both kinds of modes. A comparative study has been carried out to exhibit the concealed characteristics of Lamb wave propagation for various distinct cases of considered structure for both symmetric and antisymmetric modes. The determined analytical results are in well agreement with the results present in the existing literature.

Hygrothermal Effect on GF/VE and GF/UP Composites: Durability Performance and Laboratory Assessment.

In order to investigate the durability of two kinds of fiber-reinforced composite materials, and obtain the degradation mechanism and failure model in a hygrothermal environment, E-glass- fiber-reinforced composite materials, glass fiber-reinforced epoxy vinyl ester and glass fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester (named GF/VE and GF/UP, respectively) were chosen to suffer rigorous hygrothermal aging. Their mechanical performance was monitored during the aging process to evaluate their durability. The cause of deterioration of the composite was comprehensively analyzed. Based on the analysis results of attenuated total-reflectance-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), the change mechanism of chain structure of the resin molecule was proposed. SEM (scanning electron microscopy), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the microstructure and degradation mechanism of the fiber and the interface between fiber and matrix. The degradation mechanism of the composite system, including the resin, the fiber and the interface, was obtained, and it was found that the deterioration of the matrix resin caused by the hygrothermal environment was the main factor leading to the decline in composites performance.

A Review of The Flexural Mechanical Properties Of ECC-Fiber Reinforced Composite Composite Reinforced Beams

Engineering fiber-reinforced cementitious composite (ECC) has good ductility and crack control ability, and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has high bearing capacity. Combining the two can effectively enhance the flexural mechanical properties of reinforced concrete beams. This paper introduces ECC and fiber-reinforced composite materials, and the effects of this reinforcement method on cracks, deflection, and bearing capacity of reinforced concrete beams are reviewed.

Detection and characterisation of defects in composite materials using microwave non-destructive testing methods

This paper proposes a technique for detecting impact-induced surface and subsurface fractures in Glass Fibre Reinforced Composites (GFRPs) and hybrid composite materials. Various categories of composite samples, namely Unidirectional GFRP, Bidirectional GFRP, Woven mat GFRP and Carbon-flax hybrid composites are fabricated by the hand-layup process, and cracks are induced in the samples by three-point flexural bending test using a Universal Testing Machine. Near-field microwave Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) is employed in detecting the above cracks by recording the S11 parameter from the microwave transceiver probe throughout the sample. For image rendering the resulting outputs are passed as a 2-dimensional array to the image-rendering algorithms, namely Iterative Curve-Based Interpolation (ICBI), Improved New Edge-Directed Interpolation (INEDI) and the Lanczos algorithm. The most suitable algorithm to identify the clear picture and size of crack is identified, and the effectiveness of Microwave NDT for these composites is analysed.

Investigation of mechanical properties of luffa fibre reinforced natural rubber composites: Implications of process parameters

Natural fiber-reinforced composite materials are highly beneficial due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio, and the compression molding process is frequently used to prepare natural fiber composites. The primary objective of the present work is to optimize the process parameters of the compression molding method to prepare luffa fiber-reinforced natural rubber composite and investigate the influence of process parameters on mechanical properties. Pre-processing parameters, specifically oven-dry temperature and time, processing parameters such as soaking temperature, time, and compression pressure, and post-processing parameters, such as oven-dry temperature and time, were considered to optimize. Natural rubber in its latex phase is utilized as a matrix material, and luffa fiber is used as reinforcement. The Plackett-Burman screening design technique was employed to identify the impact of different processing parameters on the mechanical properties of the luffa fiber-reinforced natural rubber (LNR) composite, and based on Taguchi's design of experiments, several process parameters were utilized to create L27 orthogonal array and the mentioned composites prepared accordingly. The ASTM standard is followed while testing the composite samples to determine their density, shore A hardness, and tensile strength. The density of the composite is unaffected by the process parameters; however, the shore A hardness of the composite is significantly affected. All the processing parameters most significantly impacted the tensile strength of LNR composites. The optimized process parameters for preparing LNR composite are the pre-oven temperature of 65 °C and time of 150min, the soaking temperature of 75 °C and time of 5min, compression pressure of 1.5 MPa, and the post-oven dry temperature of 55 °C and time of 45min. LNR composite can absorb energy due to its rubber matrix, making it useful for high-impact applications.

Topology and orientation optimization of multi-material hinge-free composite compliant mechanisms under multiple design-dependent loadings

Compliant mechanisms with multiple input loads and output ports are commonly applied in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), while compliant mechanisms under design-dependent pressure loadings (such as pneumatic or hydraulic) can generate smooth and compatible deformations. Combining these two types of problems, we propose the design problem of compliant mechanisms under multiple design-dependent loadings. To potentially improve the structural performances, fiber-reinforced composite materials are introduced, and multi-material topology optimization and material orientation optimization are considered simultaneously, which enables the materials to be anisotropic and heterogeneous. Since compliant mechanisms utilize elastic deformation to transmit input forces or displacements to output forces or displacements, anisotropic and heterogeneous material can increase the freedoms in displacement and force transmissions compared to conventional homogeneous isotropic material. The topology optimization is implemented via an extended moving iso-surface threshold (MIST) method for multi-material, in which a novel element-based searching scheme is employed for tracking multiple fluid–structure interfaces. The orientation optimization is achieved via an analytical solution derived for fully anisotropic materials and multi-input-multi-output compliant mechanisms. Numerical examples are presented to show the validity of the present MIST method to design multi-material hinge-free compliant mechanisms under multiple design-dependent loadings.

Progress in the development of industrial scale tungsten fibre-reinforced composite materials

Currently, tungsten fibre-reinforced (Wf) composites are regarded as promising materials for plasma-facing components of future magnetic confinement fusion devices. In this context, tungsten fibre-reinforced tungsten (Wf/W) is being investigated as a pseudo-ductile composite material overcoming the intrinsic brittleness of bulk tungsten while tungsten fibre-reinforced copper (Wf/Cu) is being developed as a high-strength composite heat sink material. In this contribution, we discuss the current development status and the progress that has been achieved recently with respect to characterization and upscaling of the aforementioned materials.In cooperation with industry, upscaling of multifilamentary W yarn fabrication was demonstrated. Multilayered W fibre braids were made from such yarns and used for the manufacturing of 400mm long medium-scale tungsten fibre-reinforced copper heat sink tubes. The maturity of short tungsten fibre-reinforced tungsten composites produced by powder metallurgy allowed the fabrication of flat tile mock-ups. Test procedure and first results of high heat flux tests are shown. Finally, we discuss the challenges and the benefits of these composites for the use in high heat flux components.

Thermal and Morphological Assessment of the Penta-Layered, Hybrid U-Polyester Composite Reinforced with Glass Fibers and Polypropylene

The interaction between the fibers and matrix in a fiber-reinforced polymer composite material is important in figuring out its properties. The incorporation of fibers with polymers can result in composites with enhanced strength and stiffness. This study aims to investigate the thermal and morphological characteristics of hybrid u-polyester composites reinforced with glass fibers and polypropylene. The fabrication of composite specimens was conducted through a straightforward cold press method. The compositions of the composites were held constant, except for the orientation of the glass fibers and polypropylene. In this study, the TG/DTG technique was used to analyze the thermal characteristics of the composites. In addition, transverse thermal conductivity was measured using the ASTM E1530 method. The test results showed that the composite reinforced with glass fibers exhibited the lowest weight loss and minimal thermal conductivity among all the samples, followed by the hybrid composite. Based on the TGA curves of the samples, the matrix experienced a weight loss of 9.7% at a temperature of 300°C, which reduced to 2.6% and 2.1% for hybrid composites and glass fiber-reinforced composites, respectively. DTG curves for composites demonstrate that the hybrid and fiber-reinforced composites degraded at rates of 0.64 mg/min and 0.36 mg/min, respectively, at 392.3°C and 395.7°C. Moreover, transverse thermal conductivity of the composite which consists of five-glass-fibered layers shows a minimal thermal conductivity of 0.05 W/m·K. The morphological properties were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The findings from SEM and FTIR showed that a higher proportion of glass fibers led to a more oriented composite structure, demonstrating enhanced crosslinking between fibers and polyester. Therefore, the insights of this study can be used to improve the performance of glass fibers and polypropylene hybrid-laminated composites intended for high-temperature applications.

Non-contact heating methods of carbon fiber thermoplastic composites based on Joule thermal properties: Optimization and validation

Carbon fiber matrix composites have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional properties, finding wide-ranging applications in industries such as aerospace, transportation, and military. In this study, a novel approach involving the addition of nickel was explored to fabricate carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composites and composite materials filled with nylon 12, utilizing nickel foam as matrix. Subsequently, electromagnetic-thermal multiphysics coupling models were established to analyze the induction heating process. The study investigated the effects of nickel content, spatial location of the main heat source, coil current, and coil frequency on the temperature rise and heat generation. Additionally, a linear fit was applied to determine the material surface temperature and related factors during induction heating. Furthermore, a theoretical formula was derived for induction heating under ideal conditions, elucidating the heat transfer mechanism and the influence of various factors on heat generation. The findings of this research serve as a reference for optimizing the utilization of Joule heat in composites, thereby expanding the application of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites in temperature regulation and operational control.