Glass Fiber Composite Materials Research Articles

Evaluation of impact toughness of glass-reinforced composite materials immersed in water

The mechanical and physical properties of glass fiber composite materials can be modified when immersed in water. This change in properties can result from internal instability of the material, interaction with the environment, mechanical stresses, or a combination of these effects. In this study fiber glass reinforced polyester resin plates have been manufactured by the contact molding method with 20% of reinforcement percentage. Prismatic specimens have been cut then notched to evaluate the impact toughness by applying the Charpy impact test. The Williams method based on the principle of linear elastic fracture mechanics was used to deduce the impact toughness of composite. These specimens have been immersed in water for 30 and 90 days to study absorption effect and diffusion on the impact behavior of this material. From the results, it is found that there is a direct correlation between water penetration in the glass-polyester composite and its impact toughness.

Influence of Substrate Location on Mechanical Behaviour of Glass Fibre Composite Materials with Embedded Printed Electronics

Influence of Substrate Location on Mechanical Behaviour of Glass Fibre Composite Materials with Embedded Printed Electronics

Mechanical behavior of glass fiber-reinforced polyester in a humid environment

Glass fiber composite materials have been well known in certain maritime applications for a long time, being used in several applications in different fields. The characteristics of Glass fiber-reinforced Polyester (GFRP) depend on the contained fibers, the matrix used, and the fiber-to-total volume ratio. GFRP is a polymer material used in various fields; it is generally preferred for its ease of installation and its very long lifespan, even in the presence of aggressive fluids. The aim of this research is to study the evolution of mechanical properties (tensile strength and flexural strength) of GFRP preserved in different environments such as open air (control), drinking water, and seawater (harsh environment). Additionally, tests on GFRP are conducted through chemical characterization studies or SEM observation of the resin. Lastly, GFRP is considered to be chemically stable for a conservation period of one year in seawater. Finally, despite the conservation of GFRP for a year in a humid and sulphate environment, we note that the connection between the fibers and the matrix is ​​in good condition, or the conservation environment has no influence on the GFRP composite.

PTFE foam coating ultrafine glass fiber composite filtration material with Ultra-Clean emissions

Bag filters are widely used for dust removal in the industrial applications with filtration materials serving as the critical component. It is meaningful to develop filtration materials with ultra-clean emission effect, as the emitted gas can be proceeded directly by carbon capture technologies. In this study, we introduced a novel approach to fabricate a kind of gradient-structured filtration material by wet-laying ultrafine glass fibers on the surface of aramid fiber needle-punched nonwoven fabrics, followed by PTFE emulsion foam coating. Our PTFE foam coating ultrafine glass fiber composite filtration material demonstrated remarkable filtration performance, achieving a high filtration efficiency up to 99.86 % and a low pressure drop of 87.54 Pa. After undergoing 30 cycles of filtration, the particulate emission concentration was 0.4327 mg m−3. Significantly, this innovative filtration material exhibited exceptional stability, primarily attributable to the surface filtration effect of the PTFE foam coating layer. This innovative design provided a kind of new direction for the flue gas filtration and the emitted clean air can be capture by carbon capture technologies directly.

5G-enabled, battery-less smart skins for self-monitoring megastructures and digital twin applications.

With the current development of the 5G infrastructure, there presents a unique opportunity for the deployment of battery-less mmWave reflect-array-based sensors. These fully-passive devices benefit from having a larger detectability than alternative battery-less solutions to create self-monitoring megastructures. The presented 'smart' skin sensor uses a Van-Atta array design enabling ubiquitous local strain monitoring for the structural health monitoring of composite materials featuring wide interrogation angles. Proof-of-concept prototypes of these 'smart' skin millimeter-wave identification tags, that can be mounted on or embedded within common materials used in wind turbine blades, present a highly-detectable radar cross-section of - 33.75 dBsm and - 35.00 dBsm for mounted and embedded sensors respectively. Both sensors display a minimum resolution of 202 -strain even at 40 off-axis enabling interrogation of the fully-passive sensor at oblique angles of incidence. When interrogated from a proof-of-concept reader, the fully-passive, sticker-like mmID enables local strain monitoring of both carbon fiber and glass fiber composite materials. The sensors display a repeatable and recoverable response over 0-3000 -strain and a sensitivity of 7.55 kHz/ -strain and 7.92 kHz/ -strain for mounted and embedded sensors, respectively. Thus, the presented 5G-enabled battery-less sensor presents massive potential for the development of ubiquitous Digital Twinning of composite materials in future smart cities architectures.

Investigation of the Durability and Performance of Gears Made of Glass Fiber, Carbon and Bronze-Reinforced Polytetrafluoroethylene Matrix Composite Material

Polymer gears are often used in power transmission due to their numerous advantages. Heat accumulates on polymer gears during operation. Over time, this accumulated heat leads to damage; and shortens the service life of the gears. To prevent this, various fillers are added to the polymer materials. These fillers help to dissipate the heat generated on the gears. In this study, 25% glass fibers, 35% carbon powder, and 60% bronze particles were added to the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) matrix to determine the wear behavior of gears. The properties of the matrix and the filler mainly influence the wear behavior of PTFE composites. The study showed that all composite gears with filler have better wear resistance than pure PTFE gears due to their better thermal stability. After the tests, it was found that the gears made of PTFE + 35% carbon additive had about 12 times better wear rates than those made of pure PTFE. Based on the average temperature values of the experiment, it was found that the mass temperature of gears made of 35% carbon-doped PTFE is about 38-39% lower than that of pure PTFE. This study contributes to the standard studies on heat build-up, thermal damage, and wear of gears made of polymers with different fillers and ratios.

Mode I fracture behavior of glass fiber composite-steel bonded interface – Experiments and CZM

Debonding is characterized as the governing failure mode in the innovative wrapped composite joints made with glass fiber composite material wrapped around steel hollow sections without welding. The prerequisite for predicting debonding failure of wrapped composite joints is to obtain fracture behavior of the composite-steel bonded interface. The mode I fracture behavior of the bonded interface was experimentally investigated using glass fiber composite-steel double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens. The crack length a and the crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) during the test were accurately measured by analyzing the digital image correlation (DIC) data while the strain energy release rate (SERR) was calculated through the extended global method (EGM). The cohesive zone modeling (CZM) was utilized in the finite element model with the proposal of a four-linear traction-separation law to simulate the mode I fracture process. An approach is introduced to determine the critical stages of the proposed four-linear cohesive law by combining accurate measurements of crack length a and CTOD, along with SERR values. The validity of the four-linear cohesive law and the introduced approach to determine the critical stages were confirmed by good agreement in both global and local behavior between the testing and the FEA results.

Influence of surface roughness on the mode II fracture toughness and fatigue resistance of bonded composite-to-steel joints

Hybrid bi-material concepts in engineering structures where fibre-polymer composites are used together with steel structural members have potential to reduce material usage, extend fatigue life and improve structural reliability. The bond performance of the bi-material composite-to-steel interface is of crucial importance and highly relies on the surface preparation quality of the steel element. This paper investigates the influence of steel surface roughness on the mode II fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth behaviour of the bonded composite-to-steel joints. Glass fibre composite and mild structural steel material is considered directly bonded in a wet lay-up process. 4-point end notch flexure (4ENF) tests are conducted on specimens with the steel plates prepared with low, medium and high roughness, respectively. In addition, morphology of the fracture surfaces are characterised by a 3D profilemeter and the friction coefficient is measured by a tribometer for each roughness level. Results show that in quasi-static fracture, fibre bridging is dependent on the surface roughness. A roughness level with Sq ≥ 22 µm of the steel surface can promote significant fibre bridging thus improved fracture toughness due to enlarged effective bonding area. Under cyclic loading, no fiber bridging is observed across all roughness levels tested. However, the Paris curve parameter C is significantly affected by the roughness level, which decreases by approximately 100 times as the steel surface roughness increases from the low level of Sq = 5 µm to high level of Sq = 22 µm. The m parameter of the Paris curve remains fairly constant across all the roughness levels tested.

Optimization of Tailor-Made Natural- and Synthetic-Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy-Based Composites for Lightweight Structural Applications

Natural and synthetic fibers offer a multitude of advantages within the automotive sector, primarily due to their lightweight properties, including appealing characteristics such as adequate mechanical strength, low density, improved acoustic–thermal insulation, cost-effectiveness, and ready availability. In this study, we aimed to strengthen epoxy-based composites with natural and synthetic fibers using bamboo and glass, respectively. Additionally, the reinforcement processing of this hybrid composite material was optimized using a Taguchi L9 (nine experimental runs) orthogonal array design with linear modeling through the Design of Experiment (DoE) principles. The fibers were alkali-treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the composites were manufactured through the hand lay-up process at ambient temperature and characterized comprehensively using ASTM standard methods. The experimental results of the bamboo–glass fiber composite materials presented a significantly high tensile strength of 232.1 MPa and an optimum flexural strength of 536.33 MPa. Based on the overall Taguchi and linear modeling analysis, the NaOH treatment, fiber content, and epoxy resin concentration were optimized. These findings reveal that the ideal combination consists of 20% fiber content, 8% NaOH treatment, and 65% epoxy resin concentration. The statistical method Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to confirm the significance of these factors. The integration of the amount (%) of bamboo fiber used played a pivotal role in influencing the mechanical properties of this hybrid composite. Overall, this study demonstrates that the reinforcement of natural fiber with polymeric material composites on epoxy enhanced the composite characteristics and quality. Therefore, this bamboo–glass–epoxy-based composite can be recommended for lightweight structural applications, especially in the automotive sector, in the future.

Robustness optimization for rapid prototyping of functional artifacts based on visualized computing digital twins

This study presents a robustness optimization method for rapid prototyping (RP) of functional artifacts based on visualized computing digital twins (VCDT). A generalized multiobjective robustness optimization model for RP of scheme design prototype was first built, where thermal, structural, and multidisciplinary knowledge could be integrated for visualization. To implement visualized computing, the membership function of fuzzy decision-making was optimized using a genetic algorithm. Transient thermodynamic, structural statics, and flow field analyses were conducted, especially for glass fiber composite materials, which have the characteristics of high strength, corrosion resistance, temperature resistance, dimensional stability, and electrical insulation. An electrothermal experiment was performed by measuring the temperature and changes in temperature during RP. Infrared thermographs were obtained using thermal field measurements to determine the temperature distribution. A numerical analysis of a lightweight ribbed ergonomic artifact is presented to illustrate the VCDT. Moreover, manufacturability was verified based on a thermal-solid coupled finite element analysis. The physical experiment and practice proved that the proposed VCDT provided a robust design paradigm for a layered RP between the steady balance of electrothermal regulation and manufacturing efficacy under hybrid uncertainties.

Comparative study of the explosive blast resistance of metal and composite materials used in defence platforms

Naval ships, military aircraft and land defence platforms are mostly constructed using steel, aluminium alloy, carbon fibre composite and/or glass fibre composite materials. Defence platforms are at risk from shock wave loads generated by explosive events, and therefore it is imperative that the construction materials are resistant to blast-induced deformation and damage. A comparative assessment is presented into the dynamic deformation and damage of metals and composites representative of naval construction materials when subjected to explosive air blasts. Flat plates of equal thickness (4 mm) or plates of similar areal density (in the range 6.2–9.2 kg/m2) made of the four materials were subjected to explosive blasts. Experimental blast testing and finite element (FE) modelling revealed that when the plate thickness was the same (4 mm) then the steel experienced less deformation (by ∼50–60%) and plasticity than the aluminium alloy due to its higher mechanical properties. The steel and aluminium plates were more resistance to blast-induced deformation (by up to ∼260–320% and ∼130–145% respectively) than the composite materials of the same thickness (4 mm). However, when the materials are compared on similar areal density, which is critical for lightweight design, the blast performance of the composite materials was similar to aluminium alloy and superior to steel. Deformation of the steel was up to 50% higher than the other construction materials, with the percentage increase rising with blast impulse.

Design, molding, manufacturing and testing of wave-transparent functional composite missile wings

In this paper, a fiber-reinforced resin matrix composite missile wing with a wave-transparent function is studied, which has the function of wave-transparent and meets the requirements of the mechanical properties of the missile during flight, and the missile wing structure is made of aluminum alloy, carbon fiber composite material, and glass fiber composite material, and the weight reduction is about 30.3% compared with the overall aluminum alloy structure of the missile wing. In the design process, the finite element simulation method is used, the plastic deformation of aluminum alloy is fully considered, and the antenna is built into the airfoil of glass fiber composite material, which successfully realizes the wave-transparent function of the missile wing and provides a new design idea for the composite wing.

The Study of the Influence of Temperature and Low Frequency on the Performance of the Laminated MFC Piezoelectric Energy Harvester

MFC (Microfiber composite) piezoelectric transducers are one of the smart composite materials used among others in alternative energy sources and autonomous wireless sensors which exploit vibrational energy. This work presents the theoretical and experimental investigations of the integration of MFC piezoelectric transducers on epoxy glass fiber composite material and explores the capacity of power generation based on a variety of ambient temperatures and frequencies. The study examined the use of ambient vibrational energy to power small electronic devices of wireless sensor networks which eliminates the need for external power, periodic battery replacement costs, and chemical waste from conventional batteries. The test was conducted using a laboratory stand equipped with a thermal chamber and an Instron ElectroPulse waveform generator which induces a concentric cyclic load to the laminated beam. Laminated MFC was loaded with a low–frequency range, controlled displacement under different moderate temperatures. The test was conducted at temperatures ranging from 25 to 60 degrees Celsius and at frequencies ranging from 5 to 25 Hz. The results show that the voltage generated by the transducer is highly affected by both temperature and frequency of excitation.

Analysis of the Behavior of Fiberglass Composite Panels in Contact with Water Subjected to Repeated Impacts.

One of the most common applications of glass fiber composite materials (GFRP) is the manufacturing of the hulls of high-speed boats. During navigation, the hull of these boats is subjected to repetitive impacts against the free surface of the water (slamming effect), which can cause severe damage to the material. To better understand the behavior of the composite material under this effect, in the present work, an experimental test has been carried out to reproduce the slamming phenomenon in GFRP panels by means of a novel device that allows this cyclic impact to be obtained while the panels are always in contact with water. By means of non-destructive ultrasound inspection in immersion, it has been possible to establish the evolution of the damage according to the number of impacts received by each panel. Destructive tests in the affected zone, specifically shear tests (Iosipescu test), allow determination of the loss of mechanical properties experienced by the material after receiving a high number of impacts in the presence of water (up to 900,000 impact cycles in some panels). The behavior of the material was found to be very different in wet and dry conditions. Under dry conditions, the material loses stiffness as the damage density increases and its shear strength also decreases, as does displacement at maximum load. For wet conditions, the material shows higher displacements at maximum load, while the shear strength decreases with increasing stiffness.

A performance evaluation study of 3d printed nylon/glass fiber and nylon/carbon fiber composite materials

3D printed fiber reinforced composites are replacing metals and thermosetting polymers due to their lightweight structure and mechanical performance. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing technology that can produce complicated functioning parts. Samples of Nylforce composite materials were manufactured at three different raster orientations (0°, 45°, and 90°) with the help of a 3D printer. In order to evaluate the mechanical properties of the nylon composites with carbon fibers (CF) and glass fiber (GF); 3-point flexural tests were carried out. The highest stiffness (modulus) was found for nylon + GF composite at room temperature, indicating that the material can better resist bending forces. On the other hand, the nylon + CF composite exhibited elastic behavior, lower flexural strength, and higher deflection. Overall, the flexural strength of composites was improved because the interface between the nylon matrix and fibers provided good stress transfer. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) also clearly indicated that the nylon + GF composite material had maximum storage modulus, loss modulus and complex modulus with low tan δ, indicating improved fiber/matrix interfacial interaction and limitation of polymer chain mobility. Moreover, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that the main drawbacks for nylon composite material were void formation, fiber pull-out, and fiber breakage. Generally, the results of this research provide a unique knowledge base regarding the structural behaviors and the mechanical properties of nylon composites built with 3D printing technology. Finally, the findings of the current research will be beneficial in the application of these composite materials in their end-use.

Design, Analysis and Weight Optimization of Roller Conveyor System by using Glass Fiber Composite Material

Abstract: In this paper I studied problem in existing conveyor system and optimized critical part of roller conveyor system like Roller. Industrial roller conveyor having MS rollers due to this sagging is induced in roller support. Hence Company required optimizing weight of roller to avoid sagging. Paper contains geometrical modelling and finite element analysis of existing design and optimizes design. Geometrical modelling is done Using CATIA V5R20 and FEA was done with the help of ANSYS 14.5. also manufacturing of new roller using glass fiber material and testing of both roller by using UTM to validation of ANSYS results.

Optimal Material Selection for Manufacturing Prosthetic Foot

The foot is an essential part of the components of the prosthesis. Therefore, the selected materials’ mechanical properties, cost, and weight must be considered when manufacturing the prosthetic foot. This study studied the mechanical properties of selected materials used for prosthetic feet. The material chosen is Carbon Fiber, Glass fiber, and hybrid composite material. This study aims to simulate chosen materials to find the optimal material selection for manufacturing prosthetic feet by assuming boundary conditions, reaction forces, design consideration, and application. The simulation was done by the finite element analysis ANSYS-14.5 program. The result of the force plate test shows the ground reaction force equal to 750N at heel strike,700N at mid-stance, and 650N at the toe-off stage. The finite element result shows the maximum Von-Misses stress equal to 119MPa at the toe-off stage, and the hybrid composite material has the maximum safety factor. Furthermore, the results showed that the mechanical properties of the hybrid composite materials are the best, as the yield stress is 560MPa, the ultimate stress is 678MPa, and the modulus of elasticity is 6.2GPa. The result shows that the Hybrid composite material has excellent improvement in mechanical properties such as lightweight, stiffness, high mechanical properties, and cost-efficiency. Hence by considering the body weight of the amputee, gait cycle, and analyzing the material properties, the hybrid composite material is the best suitable should be selected to manufacture foot prostheses.

Analyzing the Life Prediction of Spur Gear based on Vinyl Ester with Different Fibre Proportion

The gear is an essential part of every mechanical power transmission system, as well as most industrial rotating machinery. Gears may grow to dominate as the most effective mechanism for transmitting power in future machines due to their high degree of durability and compactness. The vinyl ester resin have high strength and low frictional of porous carbon material. The Vinyl ester resin is used as a reinforced material in plastic gear. In this work, Vinyl Ester and Glass fiber composite material with different proportions were equipped for strengthen cast plastic gear. The spur gear pair was used as the test gears, and the glass transition temperature and fatigue tests were used to determine the gear's life span. Finally, the composite gear has to be analyzed.

Vibration Analysis of Composite Internal Door Panel of a Car

Abstract: The main objective behind this paper is to develop a suitable model of internal door panel for cars, to conduct a static structural analysis of internal door panel by finite element method and to compare the performance of glass fiber material with previously recommended materials of internal door panel. This paper deals with the mechanical behavior and vibration analysis of glass fiber-based polymer composite beam structures. Glass fiber has been widely used for many applications due to its high strength, flexibility, stiffness and resistance to chemical this extended work the inactive basic Limited Component Investigation of inside entryway board of a vehicle by considering glass fiber composite materials was conducted. The entryway board of the vehicle was utilized to create the geometric show of the inward entryway board by CATIA V5 R20 modeling program. This 3-D geometric demonstration was imported to utilize ANSYS Workbench 19.0. Model analysis of the internal door panel has been done using ANSYS software.

Evaluation of Physical, Mechanical, and Wear Properties of Jatropha Shell Powder Reinforced Epoxy Glass Fiber Composites

ABSTRACT Jatropha residue (shells and de-oiled cake) is a waste product from the oil processing industries and is toxic. Jatropha shell powder (JSP) was used as filler to fabricate an epoxy glass fiber hybrid composite material. The effect of different wt.% (10, 15 and 20%) and Jatropha shell powder sizes (150, 150–250, and 250–300 µm) on physical-mechanical characteristics of hybrid composites were studied. It was discovered that the tensile strength of the hybrid composite (79.6 MPa) improved significantly with 15 wt % JSP loading of size 150–250 µm as compared to epoxy glass fiber composite (35.7 MPa). The hybrid composite specific wear rate (0.079 mm3/Nm) reduced significantly (89%) as compared to the glass fiber composite material. The impact strength of the hybrid composite material is increased by 4 times of simple composite. The SEM images revealed that the fibers pull out from the lamina due to a lack of interfacial bonding between glass fiber, epoxy, and JSP. Additionally, the TOPSIS method was used to predict the best hybrid composite material using the experimental results. It can be concluded that JSP powder can be used for epoxy glass fiber composite, which would reduce environmental pollution by increasing the green building resource base.