Hybrid Composite Materials Research Articles

Manufacturing defects and interfacial adhesion of Arenga Pinnata and kenaf fibre reinforced fibreglass/kevlar hybrid composite in boat construction application

Abstract In recent years, Arenga Pinnata and kenaf fibres have been discovered to have a high potential for usage as fibre reinforcement in material matrix composites for a several of application. The scope for this study is to encourage widespread use of eco hybrid composite in various applications specifically in the maritime field. The purpose of this study is to look into the influence of fibre loading on manufacturing defects and interfacial adhesion of Arenga Pinnata and kenaf fibre reinforced fiberglass/kevlar hybrid composite materials used in boat construction. The hybridization of natural fibre with fiberglass/kevlar is recommended as a solution to overcome the disadvantages of natural fibre which can give balanced strength and stiffness, enhances fatigue resistance, fracture toughness and impact resistance. General conditions in green composites are proposed, along with some preliminary data on the mechanical hybrid composites. In conclusion, the percentage of Arenga Pinnata and kenaf fibre contents that show reduces manufacturing defects and excellent interfacial adhesion will be proposed for boat construction.

Assessment of ply sequencing on the mechanical performance of hybrid composite materials

The importance of natural fiber composites (NFC) has been growing day by day owing to their lower cost and biodegradable nature. The hybridization of Natural fiber with another natural or synthetic fiber helps obtain combined advantages. In the present paper, an investigation of ply sequencing with combination of natural and synthetic fiber layer studied under tensile and flexural loading. The natural fibers used in the study are Jute (J) and Flax (F) and synthetic fiber is Glass (G). The matrix used is Epoxy with hardener. The six layer of ply sequences studied are JJJJJJ, JJFFJJ, JJGGJJ and GJJJJG. Fabrication of Composite specimen is conducted using Hand lay- up Method. The composite specimen is subjected to tensile and flexural loading at room temperature. Elastic modulus and Flexural modulus are assessed using the theoretical model Classical Lamination Theory (CLT). The results showed that hybridization has improved mechanical properties significantly. The sequence GJJJJG exhibited extremely higher flexural strength compared to sequence JJGGJJ, this shows the ply sequence optimally helps to achieve properties as desired in a particular application with the same cost. Theoretical model predicts the properties with reasonable error limit of 10-12%.

Synergistic effect of NiS/g-C3N4 nanocomposite for high‐performance asymmetric supercapacitors

Fabricating a new electrode material with high capacitive aspects is critical to improving a high-performance energy storage device. The transition metal sulfide-based nanocomposite electrode materials are possible for the construction of high-performance hybrid supercapacitors owing to the large surface area and its peculiar Faradic battery-type charge storage behavior. In this work, the NiS/g-C3N4 hybrid was prepared through a one-pot hydrothermal method, and g-C3N4 was synthesized via a thermal method. The NiS/g-C3N4 shows the morphology of both sheet-like g-C3N4 and sphere-like NiS nanostructures. The compacted sheet and sphere structure of NiS/g-C3N4 hybrid composite shows outstanding electrochemical performance as a supercapacitor electrode. Consequently, the prepared NiS/g-C3N4 hybrid composite electrode materials reach their superior specific capacity (Cs) at 2661.25 C g−1 at 1 A g−1 in 3 M KOH aqueous electrolyte, which is comparatively higher than that of pure NiS spheres (722.50 C g−1 at 1 A g−1). The assembled NiS/g-C3N4//AC Hybrid device (HD) exhibited a maximum specific capacity of 181.8 C g−1 at 1 A g−1 and their energy density and power density of 53.09 W h kg−1 and 31537.5 W kg−1, respectively. The constructed NiS/g-C3N4//AC Hybrid device delivers outstanding cyclic retention of 95% after 10,000 cycles. The above results suggest that the NiS/g-C3N4 hybrid composite has good chemical stability, cyclic retention, and auspicious electrode material for the next generation of energy storage applications.

Mechanical Characterization of Graphene-Hexagonal Boron Nitride-Based Kevlar-Carbon Hybrid Fabric Nanocomposites.

Polymer nanocomposites have been gaining attention in recent years. The addition of a low content of nanomaterials into the matrix improves mechanical, wear, thermal, electrical, and flame-retardant properties. The present work aimed to investigate the effect of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles on Kevlar and hybrid fiber-reinforced composites (FRP). Composites are fabricated with different filler concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt.% by using a hand layup process. Characterizations like tensile, flexural, hardness, and impact strength were evaluated separately, heat deflection and viscosity properties of the epoxy composites. The dynamic viscosity findings indicated that a higher concentration of filler material resulted in nano-particle agglomeration. Graphene filler showed superior properties when compared to hexagonal boron nitride filler. Graphene showed optimum mechanical properties at 0.3 wt.%, whereas the hBN filler showed optimum properties at 0.5 wt.%. As compared to Kevlar composites, hybrid (carbon–Kevlar) composites significantly improved properties. As compared to graphene-filled composites, hexagonal boron nitride-filled composites increased scratch resistance. Digimat simulations were performed to validate experimental results, and it was observed that hybrid fabric composites exhibited better results when compared to Kevlar composites. The error percentage of all composites are within 10%, and it was concluded that hybrid–graphene fiber composites exhibited superior properties compared to Kevlar composites.

Effects of graphene nanoparticles with organic wood particles: A synergistic effect on the structural, physical, thermal, and mechanical behavior of hybrid composites

AbstractDevelopment of sustainable and lighter‐weight materials with low or zero carbon footprint is the major research field in 21st century. The current research has been focused on the development of hybrid composite materials from organic wood particles and graphene nanoparticles (GNPs) along with epoxy resin as matrix material. A constant 5% weight percentage of wood particles has been maintained, while GNPs weight percentages have been varied from 0% to 1% by weight with an equal interval of 0.25. The effects of GNPs addition on wood particle reinforced epoxy composite have been examined by performing different structural, physical, mechanical, thermal, and dynamic mechanical testings. The addition of GNPs up to 0.75% resulted in the increment of 28% hardness, 42.04% tensile strength, 34.24% flexural strength, 22.47% impact strength, and 16.3% fracture toughness, and 129.61% conductivity compared with wood composites (GPC‐0.0). Similar observations have been observed for dynamic mechanical analysis where, the GPC‐0.75 composites recorded maximum storage modulus (2.54 GPa), viscous modulus (0.27 GPa), and glass transition temperature (97°C). Further increments of graphene percentage (GPC‐1.0) resulted in agglomeration between particles and revealed decrements properties. The structural analysis of wood particles and GNPs have been examined with X‐ray diffractometer, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The developed composites showed better interfacial bonds between matrix and reinforcements that reduce the void and moisture contents as well as improved the fracture behavior. Therefore, these filter‐hybrid composites may be used for energy harvesting, solar cells, electronic gadgets, sensor, and heating equipment.

Experimental investigation of morphological and mechanical properties of SiC-neem-coir fiber reinforced hybrid composite

ABSTRACT The present work is the novel investigation of a hand layup fabricated hybrid epoxy matrix composite with silicon carbide and neem-coir natural fibers as primary and secondary reinforcements respectively. The hybrid composites were fabricated at varying volume fractions of reinforcements to determine the influence of reinforcements composition on the physical performance of the resulting composite. The fabricated hybrid composites were characterized for mechanical behaviour by tensile and hardness tests. The fiber-matrix interfacial layer was examined by microscopy for morphological behaviour, and the composition was examined by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The analysis revealed that among the three fabricated composite combinations, the hybrid epoxy matrix SiC-neem-coir reinforcement composite exhibited the peak tensile strength of 53 MPa and the Shore D hardness of 78.1. Enhancement in flexural strength was obtained for the hybrid composite with natural fiber volume fractions of 6% and 3% for neem and coir respectively. The morphological analysis revealed that silicon carbide as primary reinforcement was effective in improving mechanical properties of the composite, but with inconsistent property enhancements. The addition of neem-coir as secondary reinforcements in varying compositions exhibited bolstering effects on the mechanical properties of the composite and maintaining consistency of enhancement over various composition samples.

Cover Picture: Trap Inlaid Cationic Hybrid Composite Material for Efficient Segregation of Toxic Chemicals from Water (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 32/2022)

A unique anion exchangeable hybrid composite aerogel material was fabricated by strategically implanting a stable cationic metal–organic polyhedron in a hierarchically porous metal–organic gel material by Sujit K. Ghosh and co-workers in their Research Article (DOI: 10.1002/anie.202203385). The composite scavenger efficiently and selectively sequestrates various metal-based toxic oxoanions from natural and simulated industrial waste-water samples in both batch and dynamic column exchange sorption experiment.

Titelbild: Trap Inlaid Cationic Hybrid Composite Material for Efficient Segregation of Toxic Chemicals from Water (Angew. Chem. 32/2022)

Titelbild: Trap Inlaid Cationic Hybrid Composite Material for Efficient Segregation of Toxic Chemicals from Water (Angew. Chem. 32/2022)

Self-Sensing Hybrid Fibre-Reinforced Polymer for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

Hybrid composite material has been widely used in many engineering applications (e.g., for automobiles)and has several advantages over conventional fibre-reinforced composite materials, such as high strength-to-weight ratio and low cost. However, combining two kinds of reinforcement fibre within a common matrix may lead to different failure modes, such as delamination between the layers and fragmentation when the structure is subjected to high loads. To avoid this problem, real-time damage detection should be integrated into the hybrid composite structures for structural integrity. This paper outlines the working mechanisms and the initial fabrication of an integrated capacitive sensor into the intra-ply hybrid composite. The tensile test was conducted to perform the basic characterization of the proposed sensor and provide self-sensing functionality (smart structure). The results illustrate that damage between layers can be detected by in-situ monitoring. It is shown that the initial damage was detected at the turning point where the relative change in capacitance begins to decrease and when the axial tensile force increases. In addition, the developed smart material has shown a linear sensitivity toward crosshead displacement up to the turning point, and applying the monitoring is useful in self-sensing for hybrid composites.

Facile, Efficient, and Cheap Electrode based on SnO2/Activated Carbon Waste for Supercapacitor and Capacitive Deionization Applications.

Activated carbon granules present in our household filters used in water purification are significant waste. Activated carbon waste (ACW) was ground to a fine powder, then impregnation of SnO2 on ACW was performed under mild conditions followed by calcination of SnO2-ACW at 700 °C for 2 h, producing a SnO2-ACW hybrid composite. This hybrid composite material was used in the preparation of electrodes for supercapacitor and capacitive deionization applications. The electrochemical performance of the electrodes was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Calcination and addition of SnO2 contributed to an obtained electrode with a high specific capacitance of 30.46 F g–1 in a solution of 1 M Na2SO4 compared to the original ACW (0.122 F g–1) and calcined-ACW (1.42 F g–1) at an actual current of 1 mA. This electrode was also investigated for water desalination through the capacitive deionization technique and exhibited an electrosorption capacity of 6.44 mg/g compared to the commercial AC (8.9 mg/g) so it is a highly promising and economic electrode.

Trap Inlaid Cationic Hybrid Composite Material for Efficient Segregation of Toxic Chemicals from Water

AbstractMetal‐based oxoanions are potentially toxic pollutants that can cause serious water pollution. Therefore, the segregation of such species has recently received significant research attention. Even though several adsorbents have been employed for effective management of chemicals, their limited microporous nature along with non‐monolithic applicability has thwarted their large‐scale real‐time application. Herein, we developed a unique anion exchangeable hybrid composite aerogel material (IPcomp‐6), integrating a stable cationic metal–organic polyhedron with a hierarchically porous metal–organic gel. The composite scavenger demonstrated a highly selective and very fast segregation efficiency for various hazardous oxoanions such as, HAsO42−, SeO42−, ReO4−, CrO42−, MnO4−, in water, in the presence of 100‐fold excess of other coexisting anions. The material was able to selectively eliminate trace HAsO42− even at low concentration to well below the AsV limit in drinking water defined by WHO.

Geometrically nonlinear electro-thermo-static analysis of piezoelectric/CNT/GPL/fibre/polymer sandwich panels with double curvature resting on elastic foundation

Evaluation of the electro-thermo-static behaviour of the shell panels of double curvature using an analytical method is carried out in this paper. The proposed panels are made of a hybrid composite, and considered to be rested on the Winkler-Pasternak elastic foundation. The hybrid composite shell contains two thin piezoelectric sheets at its bottom and top surfaces, and some plies made of carbon fibres and polymeric resin which is reinforced by the randomly oriented nanocomposites. The employed nanocomposites for some layers are carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and for some other are graphene nanoplatelets (GPLs). The governing nonlinear system of differential equations of orthotropic doubly-curved shell panels are developed based on the first-order transverse shear deformation theory (FSDT) which incorporates moderately thick and also thin shells. The Gauss Quadrature method is applied to obtain the forces and moments due to the thermo-electrical loads, and the Galerkin method is employed to solve the developed system of equations which leads to a closed-form load-deformation relationship (equilibrium path of the shell). The novelty of the present study can be expressed in the solution and employed hybrid composite materials. First, by employing the proposed closed-form solution no time consuming computations are required. On the other hand, the effects of the piezoelectric and two different nanocomposite materials on the thermo-electro-mechanical nonlinear static behaviour of the hybrid composite shells can be evaluated. The accuracy of the present method is validated by comparing the achieved results for the some benchmark problems with those are existent in the literature. The impacts of various electro-thermo-mechanical and geometrical characteristics of the proposed shells on their equilibrium paths are also considered by carrying out an extended parametric study.

Assessment on morphological and mechanical properties of silicon nitride and goat dung ash reinforced Al-Fe-Si alloy hybrid composites

For the past few decades, global goat populations exceeds the world population growth especially in Africa and Asia. Because of this, the bio-waste has been increasing drastically. So, this research aims to utilize the excess goat dung as a reinforcement material for the production of a sustainable composite material with enhanced morphological and mechanical properties. The fabricated hybrid composites consist of Al8011alloy as a matrix material, Goat Dung Ash (GDA) and Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) as a reinforcement particles with various proportions from 0% to 10%. Microstructural analysis was performed to estimate the uniform distribution of reinforcement particles. The inclusion of GDA particles along with the Si3N4 particles increased tensile, flexural, and hardness strength with a minor reduction in impact strength (+21.8%, +7%, +62% and −5.5%) when compared with the unreinforced alloys. The transformation of ductile to brittle phase, clustering, crack propagations, necking, dimples, and cleavage facets were inspected in the fractured specimens. The incorporation of an optimal combination of Si3N4 and GDA reinforcement particles results in fine grain structure which restricts the dislocation moments during the action of external load and also prevents the propagation of slip. Similarly, the strong interfacial bonding and adhesion between the soft ductile Al8011 and the Si3N4/GDA reinforcement particles are attributed to the composites’ strengthening process. This research work proves that the use of bio-waste in the fabrication of composites has the potential benefit in enhancing the morphological and mechanical properties.

Parametric study of eco-friendly reinforcements on aluminium based hybrid MMC using Taguchi approach

ABSTRACT Aluminum metal alloys are the most commonly used for the selection of the base matrix because of their lightweight, high strength to weight ratio, anti-corrosive properties, good resistance to fatigue, and large-scale availability. The addition of reinforcements into the metallic matrix is to improve the overall physical, mechanical, chemical, and tribological properties at ambient temperature. In this context, if eco-friendly reinforcement materials are used for the fabrication of hybrid composite added more advantageous outcomes in the field of material as well as ecological sciences. Therefore, in this presented paper, an investigation on Al7075-T6/Graphite powder/Waste tire rubber powder/and S-glass fiber particles based eco-designed hybrid aluminum metal matrix composites (AMMCs) synthesized through sir casting route for lightweight and high strength applications in automotive and avionics sectors. During the morphological study, the homogenous distribution of reinforcements with fine grain boundaries over the base matrix is identified via the optical microscope technique. Furthermore, optimization of results is carried out using the Taguchi approach and analysis of variance. Results reveal that the micro-hardness and surface roughness of fabricated hybrid composite (i.e. sample no.4) is significantly increased (up to 37.93%), and slightly decreased (up to 2.86%), respectively, as compared with the unreinforced base matrix.

Trap Inlaid Cationic Hybrid Composite Material for Efficient Segregation of Toxic Chemicals from Water.

Metal-based oxoanions are potentially toxic pollutants that can cause serious water pollution. Therefore, the segregation of such species has recently received significant research attention. Even though several adsorbents have been employed for effective management of chemicals, their limited microporous nature along with non-monolithic applicability has thwarted their large-scale real-time application. Herein, we developed a unique anion exchangeable hybrid composite aerogel material (IPcomp-6), integrating a stable cationic metal-organic polyhedron with a hierarchically porous metal-organic gel. The composite scavenger demonstrated a highly selective and very fast segregation efficiency for various hazardous oxoanions such as, HAsO42- , SeO42- , ReO4- , CrO42- , MnO4- , in water, in the presence of 100-fold excess of other coexisting anions. The material was able to selectively eliminate trace HAsO42- even at low concentration to well below the AsV limit in drinking water defined by WHO.

INVESTIGATION OF MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF (EPOXY-RESOLE BLEND) MATRIX HYBRID COMPOSITE

This research aims to investigate the impact of fibre reinforcement on the mechanical properties of hybrid polymer matrix composites. The samples made of a hybrid polymer composite were made from the reaction of two polymers, 90% epoxy resin and 10% Resole resin, and were reinforced with two types of reinforcements. The reinforcement used for the current research was carbon and Kevlar fibers. The fibers were in plain weave and were added in volumetric fractions. This research assessed mechanical characteristics like tensile strength, hardness, and impact strength in two cases: one for epoxy/Resole blend only and the other for a hybrid composite material. The addition of fibre reinforcement improves the mechanical properties of the epoxy. Kevlar fiber provides the best mechanical properties for the epoxy/Resole blend when reinforced with two layers of kevlar fibers.

A micromechanical and numerical model for effective thermal conductivity of areca fiber and coconut shell particulate-reinforced hybrid composites

The present investigation reports on the thermal conductivity of areca fiber and coconut shell particulate (CSP)-reinforced polymer composites. The fiber and particulate reinforcement percentages were 10–40wt.% with various weight ratios as 1:1, 1:3, and 3:1. The main focus has been given to the development of a micromechanical model to calculate the effective thermal conductivity of areca fiber and CSP-reinforced hybrid composites. In the numerical study, steady-state one-dimensional heat conduction analysis is performed with a periodic arrangement of cylinders and spherical reinforcement using ANSYS software. Unitherm [Formula: see text]Model 2022 equipment was used to measure the experimental thermal conductivity values of the hybrid composite materials and validated with the micromechanical and numerical values. The experimental results attained for thermal conductivity are supported by the proposed micromechanical model. The measured values of the composites were found to be in very close agreement with the micromechanical model and the numerical analysis. It is concluded from this study that the addition of areca fiber and CSP improves the thermal insulation capability of neat epoxy.

Computationally assisted design and prediction of remarkably boosted NLO response of organoimido‐substituted hexamolybdates

AbstractIn recent years, nonlinear optical (NLO) molecular material networks/frameworks have shown attractive application prospects in modern laser technology, data storage components, optical communication, and digital processing. Finding new and novel materials with excellent nonlinear optical properties has become an attractive research topic in the field of nonlinear optics. Herein, DFT calculations have been performed on hybrid organic‐inorganic composite push‐pull systems based on polyoxometalates (POMs). Systems (DPA1‐DPA4) are theoretically analyzed to study the second‐order NLO response and have been compared with reference compound. The effect of four substituent groups on NLO properties has been investigated. Based on optimized geometric configurations, dipole polarizability(α), first‐order hyperpolarization(β), transition energy (E), oscillation frequency (ƒ), and HOM0 (highest occupied molecular orbital)‐LUM0 (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) analysis have been performed. All the studied systems possess significantly large second‐order polarizability and proven to be excellent nonlinear optical hybrid composite materials. The asymmetric polarization of charges caused by D‐π‐A combination in our studied systems is accountable for the improvement of nonlinear optical activity of these push‐pull compounds. POM cluster/cage is behaving as an electron donor, whereas charge transfer has been observed in the direction of chain length. On the bases of the electron donor and electron acceptor ability of these substituent groups, substantial influence on NLO response and charge transfer characteristics has been identified. Our studied systems are efficient NLO materials and will be helpful for the synthetic chemists to produce effective hybrid composites.

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.

The Effect of Use of Different Types of Matrix Material on Mechanical Characteristics in Jute/Carbon Fiber Reinforced Hybrid Composites

The use of natural fibers in the automotive industry as potentially renewable and environmentally friendly materials is increasing day by day. Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites are also replacing traditional materials in the vehicle interior and exterior of the current automobile industry. This study focuses on the fabrication of hybrid composite materials reinforced with jute fibers and carbon fibers using two different thermoset resins such as epoxy and polyester. During this production, vacuum assisted resin transfer molding production technique was utilized. The hybrid composites were evaluated for tensile strength and hardness characterization. The surface morphology of the specimens broken after the mechanical tests were scrutinized using scanning electron microscopy. Results reveal that in the use of polyester resin in tensile strength, there is 3.29 times increase in hybrid structures compared to pure jute composites, and in the case of using epoxy resin there is 3.66 times increase in tensile strength. In the comparison of microhardness values, hybrid composites formed with jute/carbon fabric and polyester resin have a hardness value 1.6 times higher than structures with pure jute fabric and polyester resin. Hybrid composites formed with jute/carbon fabric and epoxy resin have 1.64 times higher hardness than the structure made with pure jute fabric and polyester resin. In the analysis of the surface morphology of the produced composite structures, it has been revealed that the mechanical features and physical characteristics give compatible results.