Multifilament Research Articles

Computational and Experimental Investigation & Analysis on the Effect of Milled Basalt Fibre Fillers on Static Flexural Properties of the Natural Fibre Composites for Aerospace and Automobile Industrial Applications

Academic and industry researchers are focused on developing a material that satisfies various parameters such as durability, manufacturability, low cost, lightweight, adaptability, high strength, bio-degradability, etc. to meet the current day trends across aerospace and automotive industries. In engineering and technology, fiber-reinforced matrix composites and their applications are extensive. The addition of fillers (both natural and synthetic) along with matrix and fibers is considered to be a better option to increase the efficiency and performance of the composite materials. Recently, researchers have focussed on adding fillers along with matrix and its hybridization to lift the composite properties and applications. This research paper describes the computational and experimental investigation & analysis on the effect of milled basalt fibre fillers on static flexural properties of the natural fibre composites for aerospace and automobile applications. As a first step, an optimized milled filler percentage is examined by incorporating the basalt milled filler into the epoxy laminates from 0.5% to 3% weight percentages concerning epoxy laminates. Finally, the 1% filler incorporated epoxy laminates showed better results than the base samples. Then, the 1% milled basalt filler material was incorporated into basalt fiber and areca fiber with epoxy resin and hardener to make the composite laminates for static testing. The static testing was carried out with the help of a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) i.e. the three-point bending test. The filler-incorporated basalt and areca nut epoxy composite laminates show higher flexural properties than the base samples with 0% filler material. The project work was also carried out with the help of ANSYS software with proper filler material and epoxy composite laminates for static testing. The flexural properties of the filler-incorporated composite laminates show higher properties than the base samples. Results reveal that the flexural properties of the composite laminates from experimental testing and software analysis are of less error percentage difference. Key Words: Composite materials & structures, Matrix, Fibres, Fillers, Mechanical properties, Static testing, Flexural properties and ANSYS

Designing and manufacturing a flexible heel of a printed prosthetic foot for rehabilitation

AbstractThe prosthetic feet available in the market are characterized by high costs and are made of carbon fiber materials, fiberglass, or silicone-coated wood. This study aims to design and manufacture a prosthetic foot to enhance biomechanical performance and user comfort and mimic the natural movement of the human foot; the foot will be designed and manufactured from low-cost materials, namely carbon fiber filaments, using 3D printer technology. The practical part consists of tensile, fatigue tests, and manufacturing the foot using a 3D printer. In this study, the ANSYS program will also analyze the designed model numerically to determine the stresses generated when applying the assumed body weight to the foot model. The results showed that the model is successful in terms of design and does not suffer any mechanical failure during use, in addition to the success of the selection of the material used in the manufacturing process due to its mechanical properties, where the yield stress value = 36.4 MPa, the ultimate stress value = 58.39 Mpa and Young's modulus = 1.23 GPa.

The Impact of Hemp Fiber Filler on PE-wax-modified Compression-molded UHMWPE; A Mechanical Characterization

The Impact of Hemp Fiber Filler on PE-wax-modified Compression-molded UHMWPE; A Mechanical Characterization

Influence of Different Solvents on the Mechanical Properties of Electrospun Scaffolds.

This article investigates the influence of different solvents on the mechanical properties of biocompatible and biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds. During the research, using electrospinning technology, 27 samples of polycaprolactone nanofibers exposed to different solvents were produced. A tensile test was performed on the produced nanofiber samples, and the nanofiber mechanical properties, yield strength, elastic modulus, and elastic elongation were calculated, and load-displacement and stress-strain dependence diagrams were compared from the obtained results. The strongest nanofiber was singled out, and its mechanical properties were compared with those of biological tissues and its application in tissue engineering. The structure was determined using a scanning electron microscope, and the structures of nanofibers exposed to different solvents were compared. After calculating the influence of different solvents on the mechanical properties of the nanofibers, the strongest structure was identified, PCL and chloroform, which has an elastic modulus of 9.86 MPa and a yield strength of 1.11 ± 0.32 MPa. The type of solvent used in the production of the solution affects the homogeneity of the fibre and the shape of the filaments. In solvents with lower viscosity, the fibre filaments are more homogeneous and more evenly distributed.

Influence of impregnation modes on the porous structure of composite materials with fibrous filler made of polypropylene fibers

The degree of impregnation of the fabric and the density of the composite materials were used to evaluate the porous structure of the composite materials obtained by impregnating a nonwoven needle-punched fabric made of polypropylene fibers with a linear density of 0.66 with an aqueous dispersion of polyurethane. The dependence of the degree of impregnation on the gap between the squeezing rollers and the concentration of polyurethane in the aqueous dispersion was investigated. When the concentration of polyurethane in the aqueous dispersion is below 15 wt.% and the gap between the squeezing rollers is less than 1 mm, the degree of impregnation does not exceed 0.3. To assess the change in the volume of fibrous filler during the heat treatment of the impregnated fabric, the relationship between the degree of impregnation and the density of composite materials was used. It was found that at the density of the fabric 117 kg/m3 the heat treatment of the impregnated fabric occurs without changing the volume of the fiber filler. When using a fabric with a density of 80 kg/m3 for reinforcing composite materials, the volume of fibrous filler.

Damage sensing characteristics of smart ultra-high-performance concrete containing electrically conductive fiber and particle fillers under high compressive stress

Damage sensing characteristics of smart ultra-high-performance concrete containing electrically conductive fiber and particle fillers under high compressive stress

Heat Generation Effect on 3D MHD Flow of Casson Fluid Via Porous Stretching/Shrinking Surface with Velocity Slip Condition

There are extensive range of applications related to nuclear industry, industrial manufacturing, science and engineering processing, in which the boundary layer hydromagnetic motion of Casson liquids perform vital role. Casson liquid is a useful liquid in the nuclear industry for optimizing the design and operation of nuclear reactors. Researchers have investigated transfer of heat in liquid motions with linear stratification, which is a phenomenon where the temperature varies linearly with height, affecting various fields such as medical equipment, glass fiber production, electronic devices, polymer sheets, paper production, filaments, and medicine. However, the most discussion of heat transfer problems is to get numerical solutions of a comprehensive Casson liquid model with heat generation described by the BVP4 via shooting method. In this study, a new velocity slip boundary condition is applied at the stretching or shrinking surface. These conditions are grounded in the previously established Buongiorno model, providing a more practical and realistic approach compared to previous study. The time independent Gov. Eqs. changed into a set of couple non-linear ODEs with help of suitable similarity conversions. The equations are evaluating via R-K-F by help of MATLAB software programming.

Characterization of heat- and alkali-resistant feruloyl esterase from Humicola insolens and application in the production of high-strength kraft straws.

The application of feruloyl esterase (FAE) in biobleaching can effectively hydrolyze the feruloyl ester bond between hemicellulose and lignin, thereby partially disrupting the dense structure of the fiber, reducing the use of chemical reagents, and obtaining high-performance pulp fibers. Here, we successfully expressed the thermostable alkaline feruloyl esterase from Humicola insolens (H. insolens) in Pichia pastoris GS115, with an enzyme activity yield of 2.36 ± 0.21U/mL. The highest activity of FAE for the hydrolysis of ethyl ferulate was observed at pH7.5 and 70°C. It retained about 56% of its maximum activity in the pH range of 11.0. After being incubated at 50-55°C for 1h, it retained 70.05% of its maximum activity. The addition of bio-enzyme pretreatment before chemical bleaching can reduce chemical reagents by 20%, result in a 10.64% reduction in kappa value, and increase the delignification rate of the pulp by 6.36%. In addition, the surface of the enzyme-treated pulp showed rougher broom-like fiber filaments, and the viscosity of the enzyme-pretreated pulp (ECP) before chemical treatment increased by 131.51% compared to the chemically treated pulp (CP), further indicating that the enzyme-pretreated pulp had higher pulp strength.

Fabrication and characterization of a filament for 3D printing from polylactic acid with Cryptostegia grandiflora fiber

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM), i.e., 3D printing, has seen significant growth in recent years in all industries due to its potential advantages, requiring the polymers that are adapted as for melt flow index (MFI) to this use to have adequate tensile strength as well. Hence, in this work, a novel ligno-cellulosic fiber from Cryptostegia grandiflora (CG) and polylactic acid (PLA) were blended to obtain a filament for AM using a twin screw extruder. To determine the filament’s suitability for the 3D printing process, MFI and thermal degradation were examined. In order to identify the distribution and the effect of CG fiber (CGF) filler on the matrix, the filaments were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). CGF powder distribution was observed in the microstructure of the CGF/PLA composite filament. Due to the high compatibility between PLA and CGF, their blending slightly increased the degradation temperature, though did not lead to any crystallinity loss, and the CGF/PLA filament showed 12.5% better tensile characteristics than the pure PLA filament. Based on their performance, the CGF may represent a suitable and compatible filler to improve the properties of the PLA filament for 3D printing applications.

Experimental and analytical study of glass fiber filler material on polyoxymethylene copolymer: structural, thermal, mechanical, and tribological properties

Experimental and analytical study of glass fiber filler material on polyoxymethylene copolymer: structural, thermal, mechanical, and tribological properties

Polyacrylonitrile Composites Blended with Asphalt as a Low-Cost Material for Producing Synthetic Fibers: Rheology and Thermal Stability.

The results of rheological studies and thermal analysis of polymer compositions based on polyacrylonitrile copolymers (PAN) of different molecular weights and asphalt isolated by n-pentane solvent deasphalting are presented. It was found that the asphalt content in mixtures with PAN at the level of 10-30 wt.% improves the rheological properties of the polymer composite melt. In particular, the temperatures of extrusion and molding of fibers tend to reduce, and the time during which the melt retains its rheological characteristics necessary for extrusion is notably increased, from 43 to 92 min. Thermal analysis by DSC revealed no effect of asphalt additive in an amount of up to 30 wt.% on radical PAN cyclization and the subsequent stage of fiber stabilization. Our study proved the possibility of preparing polymer composites based on PAN and asphalt suitable for extrusion and eventual molding of continuous filaments of synthetic fibers with reduced cost of production.

Effect of Natural Fiber and Biomass on Acoustic Performance of 3D Hybrid Fabric-Reinforced Composite Panels.

This research investigated the sound insulation performance of 3D woven hybrid fabric-reinforced composites using natural fibers, such as jute, along with E-glass and biomass derived from agro-waste, e.g., coffee husk and waste palm fiber. The composites made from pure E-glass, pure jute, and hybrid glass-jute configurations were tested for sound absorbance at frequencies of 1000 Hz and 10,000 Hz. A sound insulation chamber was used for measuring the sound reduction levels. Results show that the sound insulation performance of the panels was remarkably enhanced with composites containing natural fiber reinforcements. The jute-based composites provided the maximum insulation of sound, with waste palm fiber fillers in particular. At a frequency of 10,000 Hz, a noise reduction reaching 44.9 dB was observed. The highest sound absorption was observed in the 3D woven jute composites with the additive of waste palm fiber, which outperformed the other samples. When comparing the effect of coffee husk and palm fiber as biomass fillers, both exhibited notable improvements in sound insulation, but the palm fiber generally performed better across different samples. Although panels containing palm fiber additives appeared to reduce sound more than those containing coffee husk, statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between the two, indicating that both are efficient and eco-friendly fillers for soundproofing applications. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed the significance of the effect of reinforcing structures and biofillers on acoustic performance. This study demonstrated the possibility of using sustainable green materials for soundproofing applications within various industries.

Enhanced energy storage performance in polyetherimide composites via oriented one-dimensional BZCT@BT core-shell filler.

The development of dielectric capacitors toward high voltage and high power density requires materials with excellent insulation and energy storage performances. In this work, a polymer dielectric with polyetherimide (PEI) as the matrix and calcium barium zirconate titanate (BZCT) coated by barium titanate fiber (BT) as the filler (BZCT@BT) was constructed. The (0.5%-10% BZCT@BT/PEI) polymer dielectric has an excellent discharge energy density (Ue) of 6.66 J/cm3 and maintains an advanced charge/discharge efficiency (η) of 93.29% when the BT content was 0.5% and the BZCT particle content was 10%. The addition of BZCT endows the polymer dielectric with a higher relative dielectric constant (εr), while BT, maintaining a lower εr than BZCT, could reduce the electric field (E) distortion caused by the dielectric mismatch between PEI and BZCT. Oriented fiber fillers increase the breakdown strength of the polymer dielectric, ultimately increasing the performance of energy storage. A new strategy for the design of energy storage polymer dielectrics was provided by this work.

Lab‐scale manufacturing of thermoplastic matrix‐continuous carbon fiber filaments for additive manufacturing: Melt impregnation, properties of the filaments and its printed composites

Lab‐scale manufacturing of thermoplastic matrix‐continuous carbon fiber filaments for additive manufacturing: Melt impregnation, properties of the filaments and its printed composites

Experimental investigation the effect of bamboo micro filler on performance of bamboo-sisal-E-glass fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix hybrid composites

The numerous advantages of natural fiber reinforced hybrid composites, such as their light weight, biodegradability, recyclability, availability, and low cost, have brought them to the forefront for various structural applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. Aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of varying the weight fractions of bamboo micro filler on the tensile, flexural, impact, and water absorption properties of the Sisal-Bamboo-E-glass fiber reinforced epoxy matrix hybrid composite prepared by manual hand layup method. To enhance the bond between natural and synthetic fibers and reduce the hydrophilic nature of natural fibers, bamboo and sisal fibers were treated with 5 % NaOH for 6 and 8 h, respectively. The E-glass fiber content was kept constant at 10 %, while the weight fractions of sisal, bamboo fiber, epoxy matrix, and bamboo micro filler were varied. The bamboo micro filler size ranged from 75 to 100 μm. Tensile and flexural tests were conducted using a computer-controlled universal electromechanical testing machine, while impact testing was performed with a Charpy impact test machine. The results showed that the hybrid composite containing 15 % sisal, 10 % glass, 15 % bamboo fiber, 57 % epoxy, and 3 % bamboo micro filler exhibited the highest tensile strength (87 MPa),flexural strength (77 MPa), high impact energy (8.9 J) and high toughness (24.64 J/cm2). Conversely, the highest water absorption capacity was observed in composites with 6 % bamboo micro filler. Overall, the tensile, flexural, impact, and water absorption properties of the hybrid composites were significantly influenced by the weight fractions of the fibers and bamboo micro filler.

Movement behavior and morphological change of droplets on vertically crossed fibers

Droplet capture and coalescence are critical processes for enhancing emulsion separation efficiency in oily wastewater treatment. In this paper, four kinds of motion behaviors and secondary droplet formation behaviors of oil droplets on vertically crossed fibers in a water environment were investigated using high-speed camera technology. The research shows that during the droplet capture process, droplets on large-diameter horizontal fiber exhibit greater lateral spreading, and smaller vertical elongation. Increasing the diameter of horizontal fiber significantly shortens droplet capture time. The capture time on lipophilic fiber intersection of 190–420 μm is 14 ms less than that of 190–190 μm. During the droplet coalescence process, the liquid bridge on large-diameter horizontal fiber is wider, and the droplet contraction ratio is smaller. The droplet contraction ratio on fiber intersection of 190–420 μm is 0.3 smaller than that of 190–190 μm. Increasing the diameter of horizontal fiber can promote rapid fusion between droplets, but lipophobic fibers hinder the degree of fusion and deformation. Furthermore, the diameter and wettability of horizontal fibers have significant effects on the volume of secondary droplets. The volume of secondary droplets increases with the diameter of lipophilic horizontal fiber in the capture process. The volume of secondary droplets on lipophilic horizontal fiber is approximately three times larger than that on lipophobic horizontal fiber in the coalescence process. These findings contribute to understanding the details of coalescence separation and optimizing the design of fiber fillers.

Organic-Inorganic Hybridization of Silkworm Cocoon Filaments Using Nano Pastes of Silica-Phosphate-M (M = Cu, Fe, or Al).

Inorganic-organic hybrid biomaterials have recently attracted much attention because of their widespread use. Silkworm cocoon filaments resulting from sericulture as prospective nanobiomaterials need to be improved, and their properties need to be used for broader purposes. This study was aimed at investigating methods for siliconization of silkworm cocoon filaments and characterizing their cocoon filament properties in terms of their yarn quality, natural dyeing, and antibacterial properties. Three methods of hybridization processes were used in this experiment, namely, in situ natural dyeing of silk yarns while silk filaments were spined, feed engineering through spraying the mulberry leaves with natural dyes and silica-phosphate-M (M = Cu, Fe, or Al) nano pastes, and a combination of both methods. The resulting cocoon filaments were characterized by their siliconization of filament fibers by using FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDS methods. The yarn tensile strength, color quality, color fastness properties affected by the siliconization of silk filament fibers, and antibacterial properties were also investigated. Results showed that the combination method produced better siliconization of silk fibers, and, consequently, the better siliconization of silk fibers produced better natural dyeing as well as antibacterial properties of their resulting silk yarns.

Kinetics of pyrocarbon formation on the surface of carbon fiber filament

A kinetic model of the formation of a pyrocarbon layer on the surface of filaments of carbonized PAN fiber is proposed. The resulting kinetic model is confirmed by experimental data. Models for the formation of a pyrocarbon layer and an increasing of thickness of a pyrocarbon layer on a bundle of carbon fiber filaments after a long cycle of CVD are predicted.

Experimental investigations on the formation of boundary layers in glass-based additive manufacturing of fused silica fibers by Laser Glass Deposition

Laser glass deposition is an additive manufacturing method to produce individualized glass components. This process uses a CO2 laser with a defocused beam as a heat source to additively melt-fused silica filaments. The fiber filament is fed laterally in the process zone and is deposited layer-by-layer to form 3D structures. The formation of boundary layers in conventional 3D-printing methods is a usual byproduct of the process. In this paper, the boundary layer formation of deposited fused silica filaments is investigated in detail by means of varying different process parameters such as, laser power, feed rate, laser spot diameter, and printing strategy. This involves examining both thin-walled and thick-walled test specimens. Quality characteristics like the surface roughness and the optical transmission are analyzed for the printed specimen. Finally, fully transparent structures with surface roughness below 100 nm and a transparency of 90% could be printed boundary layer-free and without post-processing.

Influence of nano industrial waste and short coir fiber filler on hybrid inter and intra yarn bio fiber composites

Bio-polymer composites are emerging as a feasible substitute for conventional polymers in various major fields of applications. In the current research, the impact of hybridization of inter and intra-woven natural engineering fibers namely, brown flax, white flax, and jute of different amalgamations along with commingled SCF and novel nano IW filler has been studied. The composites are manufactured by hand layup process and physical and thermomechanical characteristics of the composites are experimentally studied. The composites mingled with IW filler demonstrated better dimensional stability and mechanical properties such as maximum tensile strength of 36.74 MPa, bending strength of 82.53 MPa, and hardness of 84.89 D compared to other composites. However, elastic and flexural modulus are maximum for composite without any filler. The composites mingled with SCF filler demonstrated the highest impact strength, energy absorption, and elongation. Thermogravimetric analysis and thermal conductivity study demonstrated that the composite with SCF filler exhibited better thermal stability and thermal resistance than the other hybrid composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study confirms the interaction of hydrogen bonds with different polymers, matrices, and fillers. It is established that the weaving pattern and the filler types greatly influences the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the composites. Filler addition and fabric hybridization optimizes the catastrophic failures and enhances the thermal stability, hence becoming more suitable for small interior structural components in aerospace and automobile applications.