Polymer Composite Materials Research Articles

Mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete specimens exposed to fire retrofitted with glass and basalt fiber reinforced polymer laminates

AbstractExposure of concrete to elevated temperature affects its mechanical and physical properties. One of the important reasons for the use of fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials is because of its superior mechanical properties. These mechanical properties include impact resistance, strength, stiffness, flexibility, and also it is enhanced ability to carry loads. The high strength–weight ratio, and corrosion resistance of FRPs made them suitable for repair. For strengthening and retrofitting of concrete structures confinement with FRP has received considerable attention in recent years. Geopolymer concrete (GPC) can be expressed as “concrete without cement.” GPC is environmentally friendly and an inventive way to replace the conservative concrete which contributes 7%–8% of total CO2 production in the world. “The concrete which entails of the source materials and the alkaline solution.” The composite material made of fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) has recently gained attention as a potential repair method for concrete structures that have been damaged. This study investigates the performance of glass and basalt fiber‐reinforced polymer (GFRP and BFRP) laminates as a retrofit solution for fire‐damaged GPC specimens. The specimens were subjected to temperatures of 200°C, 400°C, 600°C, and 800°C for a period of 1, 2, and 3 h, followed by retrofitting with FRP laminates. The results indicated an increase in the ultimate load‐carrying capacity of GPC specimens when subjected to 200°C for 1 h, beyond which it decreased. However, a fall in ultimate load capacity was observed for higher ranges of temperature and duration of the fire. In this project, geopolymer specimens that had been damaged by fire are wrapped with GFRP and BFRP laminates to study the effect of confinement on the strength of GPC specimens. The fiber laminate used was bi‐directional glass and bi‐directional basalt. Based on the analysis of test data, there was the conclusion that the fire‐damaged GPC was strengthened when retrofitted with GFRP and BFRP laminates was attainable.

Comparative Review of Mechanical Properties of Rice Straw and RiceHusk Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite

Rice straw and rice husk fibers (RS/RH) reinforced polymer-based composites have theability to conserve wood and petroleum resources. As natural filler, rice straw and rice husk offer asustainable material for the production of polymer-based composites. The application ofbiocomposite limits the burning of straw at the root and may further enhance the socioeconomicstatus of farmers and rural populations. This review mainly focuses on five different weightpercentage of reinforced RS and RH fiber content (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%) in polymercomposites. Nowadays, Epoxy, polyurethane, polyester, PVA, PLA and polyethylene are beingused as matrix material in polymer composites. This paper holds good with understanding themechanical properties, pretreatment methods and offer important insight into potential uses ofpolymer composites with biodegradable reinforce fiber.

Framework for a High-Throughput Screening Method to Assess Polymer/Plasticizer Miscibility: The Case of Hydrocarbons in Polyolefins.

Polymer composite materials require softening to reduce their glass transition temperature and improve processability. To this end, plasticizers (PLs), which are small organic molecules, are added to the polymer matrix. The miscibility of these PLs has a large impact on their effectiveness and, therefore, their interactions with the polymer matrix must be carefully considered. Many PL characteristics, including their size, topology, and flexibility, can impact their miscibility and, because of the exponentially large number of PLs, the current trial-and-error approach is very ineffective. In this work, we show that using coarse-grained molecular simulations of a small dataset of 48 PLs, it is possible to identify topological and thermodynamic descriptors that are proxy for their miscibility. Using ad-hoc molecular dynamics simulation setups that are relatively computationally inexpensive, we establish correlations between the PLs' topology, internal flexibility, thermodynamics of aggregation, and degree of miscibility, and use these descriptors to classify the molecules as miscible or immiscible. With all available data, we also construct a decision tree model, which achieves a F1 score of 0.86 ± 0.01 with repeated, stratified 5-fold cross-validation, indicating that this machine learning method can be a promising route to fully automate the screening. By evaluating the individual performance of the descriptors, we show this procedure enables a 10-fold reduction of the test space and provides the basis for the development of workflows that can efficiently screen PLs with a variety of topological features. The approach is used here to screen for apolar PLs in polyisoprene melts, but similar proxies would be valid for other polyolefins, while, in cases where polar interactions drive the miscibility, other descriptors are likely to be needed.

Investigation on mechanical and thermal behaviour of graphene bonded carbon/Kevlar hybrid fabric polymer composites

The present research is aimed to understand the influence of graphene-reinforced carbon/Kevlar hybrid fabric epoxy composites. Samples HG0, HG2, HG4, and HG6 are fabricated using four layers of fabric mat and with varying graphene weight percentage as 0, 2, 4, and 6 wt.%, respectively. Mechanical characterizations such as hardness, tensile, and flexural strength were individually assessed. Thermal stability is evaluated through thermos-gravimetric analysis. Composite HG6 with high filler loading showed 71% and 114.4% greater tensile and flexural strength compared to unfilled HG0 specimen. Similarly, HG6 exhibited greater thermal stability. Inclusion of graphene particles in higher concentration improved the interfacial bonding between fibre/matrix/filler system. Fracture surfaces are analysed using scanning electron microscopy to understand the failure mechanisms.

Pressing of Functionalized Polymer Composite Materials to Improve Mössbauer Measurement Signals.

Coordination compounds, like iron(II) triazole complexes, exhibit spin crossover (SCO) behavior at around room temperature. Therefore, they are interesting for a variety of possible applications, and it is convenient to integrate them into polymers. Due to a reduction of the iron content and thus also 57Fe content in the sample through integration in polymers, Mössbauer measurements are only possible with greater difficulty or very long measurement times without expensive enrichment of the samples with 57Fe. So, other ways of improving the Mössbauer signal for these composite materials are necessary. Therefore, we pressed these composite materials to improve the Mössbauer spectra. In this study, we synthesized an iron(II) triazole spin crossover complex and an electrospun polymer complex composite nanofiber material including the same complex. For both products, Mössbauer measurements were performed at room temperature before and after using a press to show that the complex composite is not harmed through pressing. We investigate the influence of the pressing impact on the Mössbauer measurements in the context of measurement statistics and the measured signals. We show that pressing is not connected to any changes in the sample regarding the spin and oxidation state. We present that pressing improves the statistics of the Mössbauer measurements significantly. Furthermore, we use SEM measurements and PXRD to investigate whether or not the obtained fiber mats are destroyed in the pressing process.

Assessment of Corrosion Resistance of Repair Joints of Damaged Parts when Using Polymer Composite Materials

Assessment of Corrosion Resistance of Repair Joints of Damaged Parts when Using Polymer Composite Materials

A study on antibacterial and anti‐inflammatory activity of xylitol‐based polymeric nano‐bioactive glass nanocomposites

AbstractBioactive glasses have been shown effective in promoting bone healing by interacting with the body, gradual degradation, and supporting new bone growth. They present a promising option for therapies aimed at regenerating bone tissue. In this study, we developed a novel material, PXMA/n‐BG, by combining xylitol, maleic acid, and adipic acid, and incorporating nano‐bioactive glass, all synthesized without the use of a catalyst. The sol–gel method was used to fabricate the n‐BG (SiO2–CaO–P2O5). The incorporation of n‐BG into the polymer was found to enhance its biocompatibility and effectiveness for orthopedic applications. The synthesized polymer and its nanocomposite were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, DSC, GPC, UTM, XRD and HR‐SEM. X‐ray diffraction and high‐resolution scanning electron microscopy are utilized to investigate the structure and surface of the n‐BG and polymeric composite material. The strength and flexibility of a plastic material with tiny particles mixed in were tested using a universal testing machine. We examined the elemental composition and thermal stability of n‐BG through specialized testing like energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The research focused on the potential of xylitol‐based polymer and its nanocomposite to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in food. We conducted experiments to determine the efficacy of the antibacterial substance against various bacteria strains. The antibacterial potential of the extracts was assessed by the agar diffusion method using MHA plate. Furthermore, we investigated the ability of the material and its nanoparticles to reduce inflammation.

A Study on the utilization of areca nut husk fiber as a natural fibre reinforcement in composite applications: A systematic literature review

This paper presents a systematic literature review of published research on the use of areca nut bark fibres as a reinforcing material in polymer composites. A total of 22 research articles published in Scopus-indexed journals were identified and analysed in depth. In addition, this article presents current issues related to areca nut husk fibre (ANHF) as a reinforcement in composites using the VOSviewer tool. In this article, the author explains the processing stages of ANHF before it is used as a reinforcement in composites. The chemical treatments carried out are also summarised in this article. Not all types of resins available on the market have been used as matrix in the manufacture of areca nut shell fibre composites. The use of additives derived from natural materials has also been found to be effective in improving the quality of ANHF composites. This article also highlights the need for further research to improve the quality of areca nut husk fibre composites and discusses the unanswered aspects of the published research.

A new mechanism of mechanical reinforcement for 3D printing CF/PA12 composite based on microwave treatment

AbstractAlthough 3D printing technology has been widely applied in fabrication of polymer composite, yet, it still exhibits low mechanical performance, restricting its application in structural materials. Herein, a new 3D printing polymer composite composed of carbon fiber and polyamide12 (PA12) is fabricated and subsequently treated by microwave treatment. It is found that the tensile strength and modulus of 3D printing CF/PA12 composite with microwave treatment are improved by 23.8% and 10.2% compared with the original specimen, respectively. Moreover, a new mechanism of mechanical reinforcement is investigated and proposed by nanoindentation and 3D X‐ray computed tomography. The work does not only confirm formation of 3D printing CF/PA12 composite with good mechanical properties, but also proposes a new mechanism of microwave treatment effect on 3D printing polymer composite based on carbon fiber.Highlights A new 3D printing CF/PA12 composite based on microwave treatment is developed. The 3D printing composite exhibits good mechanical properties. A new mechanism of mechanical reinforcement is proposed.

Composite Nanomaterials Based on Polymethylmethacrylate Doped with Carbon Nanotubes and Nanoparticles: A Review.

Composite polymer materials have high strength and lightness, which makes them attractive for use in a variety of structures and products. The present article contains an overview of modern works devoted to the production of composite materials based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with improved characteristics. The possibility of obtaining such materials can be a key area for creating more efficient and durable products in various industries. Various methods were considered to improve the characteristics of PMMA by doping the polymer matrix with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphite, nanohydroxyapatite particles, micro-zirconia nanoparticles, titanium dioxide, etc. The possibilities of using the obtained composite materials in various industries such as aviation, automotive, construction, medical and others are discussed. This article also presents the results of our own research on the mechanisms of interaction of PMMA with single-layer CNTs, leading to the creation of a composite polymer system "PMMA+CNT", achieved using the modern quantum chemical method DFT. This article presents a review of the recent research on the effect of CNTs on the mechanical and electrically conductive properties of nanocomposite materials. The outcomes of this study can be important for the development of science and technology in various fields, from fundamental chemistry to applied scientific research.

Development of Low-Molecular-Weight Gelator/Polymer Composite Materials Utilizing the Gelation and Swelling Process of Polymeric Materials.

The creation of polymer composite materials by compositing fillers into polymer materials is an effective method of improving the properties of polymer materials, and the development of new fillers and their novel composite methods is expected to lead to the creation of new polymer composite materials. In this study, we develop a new filler material made of low-molecular-weight gelators by applying a gelation process that simultaneously performs the swelling (gelation) of crosslinked polymer materials and the self-assembly of low-molecular-weight gelators into low-dimensional crystals in organic solvents within polymer materials. The gelation process of crosslinking rubber-based polymers using alkylhydrazides/toluene as the low-molecular-weight gelator allowed us to composite self-assembled sheet-like crystals of alkylhydrazides as fillers in polymeric materials, as suggested by various microscopic observations, including infrared absorption measurements, small-angle X-ray diffraction measurements and thermal analysis, microscopy, and infrared absorption measurements. Furthermore, tensile tests of the composite materials demonstrated that the presence of fillers improved both the Young's modulus and the tensile strength, as well as the elongation at yield. Additionally, heat treatment was shown to facilitate filler dispersion and enhance the mechanical properties. The findings demonstrate the potential of self-assembled sheet-like crystals of low-molecular-weight gelators as novel filler materials for polymers. The study's composite method utilizing gelators via gelation proved effective.

Micro/nano fillers for value‐added polymer composites: A comprehensive review

AbstractThe need for new sustainable engineering materials using polymer composites is evolving every day. Researchers are in a race to develop value‐added products from natural renewable sources and discarded waste materials. Studies indicate several hurdles while trying to provide ecologically friendly materials for product manufacturing over the years. Natural materials are more readily available, biodegradable, more affordable, have less processing health hazards, and are more environmentally friendly than synthetic materials. As the price of commercial polymers decreased, the incorporation of fillers became increasingly necessary for technical reasons.. The market for polymers can actually be expanded by appropriately combining fillers and polymers to produce a wide range of qualities in these two components. This review provides an overview on a variety of organic and inorganic fillers which were incorporated into the polymer composites and their influence on the physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of polymer composites by various characterization methods and their In fact, it is possible to achieve a wide range of qualities in these two components by appropriately combining polymers and fillers, which expands the market for which polymers may be employed.application scopes. This review aims to thoroughly examine and assess various polymer and filler combinations, with a particular emphasis on their potential suitability for a range of engineering and industrial applications. These encompass microelectronics, biomedical fields, flexible electronics, flame retardant uses, food packaging, automotive and aerospace sectors, as well as applications within the construction industry for structural and semi‐structural purposes.Highlights New polymer composite engineering materials with long‐term sustainability Value‐added product development from renewable resources and discarded waste materials. Provide information to select appropriate reinforcements for composite manufacturing. Diverse discussion on the application of fillers and their composites.

Degradation induced superlubricity on the rough surface of black phosphorus composite

A rough surface composed of asperities was considered as the obstacle for achieving superlubricity in traditional friction theory. Here, microscale superlubricity with the friction coefficient of 0.0086 was observed on a relatively rougher soft surface of black phosphorus (BP) composite due to the degradation of BP with oxygen and moisture via the atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiment equipped with diamond-like carbon (DLC) microsphere probe. Comparative analyses corroborated that the produced phosphorus oxides (oBP) with abundant P=O and P−OH bonds and the local graphitized amorphous carbon film at the sliding interface decreased the possibility of direct contact between original rough peaks and provided an ultra-low shear strength for achieving superlubricity. Furthermore, a certain nanoscale roughness structure on the composite surface facilitated a more reliable superlubricity state, which supplied the larger contact area and locking capillary force to hold and retain the lubricating liquid film formed by the water absorption of oBP. These findings provided fundamental insights into the nature of tribological mechanisms and suggested a new method to achieve ultra-low friction of polymer composite materials in engineering.

ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ ОДЕРЖАННЯ ПОЛІМЕРНИХ КОМПОЗИЦІЙ ДЛЯ ВИГОТОВЛЕННЯ ПОГОНАЖНИХ ВИРОБІВ

The work is devoted to the characteristics of the technologies for obtaining a polymer composition for the manufacture of decorative products. Research is focused on the technology of manufacturing polymer composite material based on polyvinyl chloride for the production of rigid pipes, fittings, sidings, windows and doors, profiles, fences, railings, various devices, valves, housings of inspection lights, ventilation ducts, fans, heat exchange equipment, parts of chemical equipment , laboratory devices and other products. The paper describes the manufacturing technology of the PVC composition and investigates the important performance characteristics of the polymer melt. Three common technologies are presented, they are rolling, calendering and extrusion. The most common material for the manufacture of polymer. This composition is most often obtained by the extrusion method, so this section focuses on this technology in more detail resin products is a polyvinyl chloride composition. The stiffness of the polymer is characterized by the modulus of elasticity during bending. To determine this indicator, samples of polymer material without irradiation and with UV irradiation for a certain period of time were used. When the content of chalk in the recipe increases, the hardness increases. All compositions are characterized by approximately the same character - with exposure to six hours, the modulus of elasticity decreases, and with further exposure, it begins to gradually increase. The combination of а filler and a polymer is the most powerful for use in PVC compositions in the manufacture of decorative products.

Extraction and characterization of steam-exploded silane-treated cellulosic natural Vernonia elaeagnifolia long fibre

Steam explosion is a highly successful and environmentally benign fibre-treating method for lignocellulosic fibers that can significantly improve the fibre's properties. The research focuses on utilizing sustainable long-cellulosic natural fibre material to benefit the textile, fibre-strengthened polymer, and engineering industries. A cellulosic natural fibre was extracted from Vernonia elaeagnifolia and further, it was steam exploded and silane-treated with various chemical concentrations. Chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and SEM examination were used to examine the crystallinity and check the morphological properties of raw Vernonia elaeagnifolia fibre (VEF) and steam-exploded silane-treated Vernonia elaeagnifolia fibres. The chemical analysis shows that steam-exploded silane treatments of VEFs removed lignin, hemicelluloses, and other extractives. The highest crystallinity of 75.86% was found in 13% of steam-exploded silane-treated VEF and for 5% of steam-exploded silane-treated VEF, it was about 70.22%, which is confirmed through the XRD analysis. The tensile strength of steam-exploded 5% silane-treated VEF was 470.67 MPa, while Young's modulus was 18.7 GPa. The obtained result suggests that steam-exploded silane-treated VEFs are suitable fibres to strengthen polymer composite materials in a sustainable way.

Preparation of cellulose-PCC fibre hybrids: Use as filler in polypropylene (PP) composites

Abstract Polymer composite materials find application in various life sectors such as packaging, lightweight construction and the fabrication of medical devices. Functional fillers like mineral colloids, synthetic and natural fibres enable a precise tailoring of the mechanical properties of the resulting compounds. Precipitated calcium carbonate (CaCO3, PCC) has proven to be a special popular mineral polymer filler. From economic and ecologic reasons, it is desirable to increase filler contents in polymers while maintaining material strength. To achieve this, the present work has developed a hybrid filler system which is based on carboxymethylated, fibrillated cellulose fibres. CaCO3 is precipitated onto the fibres in a single step twin-screw extrusion process by the co-precipitation method. This process ensures a strong, permanent interaction between the fibres and the mineral particles, which enables CaCO3 contents in the filler of up to 68 wt.-%. The resulting hybrid fillers were compounded with polypropylene (PP) in a powder or paste state with filler contents between 5 wt.-% and 20 wt.-%. The resulting composites show an increase in the zero-shear viscosity and, in the event of sufficient network formation, a marked increase in stiffness was observed.

Removal of Contaminants in Water with Scallop Shell Waste

Currently, the cultivation and harvesting of mollusks is a crucial activity worldwide. However, this industry generates a large amount of mollusk shell waste disposed of in landfills, causing environmental pollution. In addition, the companies linked to this item allocate large sums of money to depositing the shells in authorized landfills. In South America, Chile is one of the leading producers worldwide of scallop shell (Argopecten purpuratus) waste, creating a growing environmental and financial problem in the country, especially considering that there has yet to be progress in the development of new technologies that may reuse this waste in Chile. This study used different techniques to completely characterize the northern Chile scallop shell waste’s physical and chemical properties for the first time. The XRD result corresponded with calcite crystal structures (CaCO3), and the XFR showed 97.68% purity. Three particle sizes were obtained: BS (595–100 µm), MS (250–595 µm), and SS (<250 µm). In addition, the potential use of these wastes to remove contaminants present in water from the wine industry (caffeic acid) and some drinking water (arsenic(III)) was evaluated. The powder with the smallest particle size (SS), which has a surface area of 1 m2/g, 0.0050 m3/g of pore volume and pore diameter of 18.0 nm, removed 100.0% of CA and 23.0% As(III) in a pH condition of 4.6. The results show that scallop shell waste can be used to treat water and reinforce polymeric matrix composite materials to improve mechanical properties.

Comparative evaluation of mathematical models of polymer composite material with the implementation of a three-dimensional stress–strain state in the simulation of impact

Comparative evaluation of mathematical models of polymer composite material with the implementation of a three-dimensional stress–strain state in the simulation of impact

Study on Ecological Mini-Aggregations Based on Polymer Composite Materials

In order to explore an efficient slope soil ecological restoration method that is environmentally friendly and conducive to plant growth, this paper conducted a study on ecological aggregations based on polymer composite materials. This paper developed ecological mini-aggregations, including ecological mini-clusters and ecological mini-bags, which can be used for the restoration of slopes with different steepnesses and surfaces. The developed materials are environmentally friendly and have good ecological performance. To study the mechanical stability, erosion resistance, and ecological performance of the ecological mini-aggregations, we conducted laboratory erosion resistance stability tests, shear strength tests, and plant growth tests, and variance analysis of the test result data was conducted to reveal the effects and laws of the aggregation materials. The results show that the mechanical stability of ecological mini-aggregations is strong, the erosion resistance is high, and the ecological performance is favorable. The performance is sufficient for slope soil ecological restoration, and there is an optimal material ratio for the addition of materials to ecological mini-aggregations. The above research revealed the mechanism controlling polymer composite materials in the development of ecological mini-aggregations; these materials can be included to create ecological mini-aggregations that exhibit strong erosion resistance stability and ecological performance. These research results can provide new technical means for the efficient ecological restoration of slopes.

INVESTIGATE OF INFLUENCE PERFORATED PLATE ON DETERMINATION OF TRANSVERSAL PERMEABILITY ON REINFORCED FIBER

Polymeric composite materials can be build in different forms, resulting in different mechanical properties, with numerous industrial applications. Traditionally, they have been largely used in the automotive, naval and aerospace industries. A major concern in polymeric composites manufacture is related with the determination and control of the reinforcement and resin physical properties. They are responsible for the final composite mechanic properties and, if not correct defined, will result in defective composites. Reinforcement permeability is one of these physical properties that, in some cases, are difficult to be kept within the project specification. More specifically, for the case of the transverse permeability, its corrected determination is reported in literature as being considerably more difficult to experiment than the in-plane permeability. The most common experiment for transverse permeability determination is built with a cylindrical mold on which the reinforcement is positioned (and compressed) between two perforated plates. A fluid is forced transversely through the reinforcement, volumetric flow rate and pressure drop are measured, and the Darcy's Law is used to determine the permeability. In this experiment, flow is assumed rectilinear, and the holes of the perforated plates are ignored in the Darcy equation. It is known that size, number e position of these holes may influence the permeability determination, however this problem is not commonly discussed in literature. In this work it is presented a numerical study about the influence of the geometry of the perforated plates on the corrected determination of the reinforcement transverse permeability. The reinforcement region is molded as a porous medium and the two fluid flow (air + resin) is formulated with the Volume of Fluid (VoF) method. GMSH software was used to created and discretize the geometry and OpenFOAM software, more specifically using the interFoam solver, was used to solve the flow problem, determining pressure drop and flow rate inside the mold. Results have shown that correct determination of the transverse permeability is highly dependent on perforate plates geometry.