Properties Of Polymer Composites Research Articles

Modeling of mechanical properties of wood-polymer composites with Artificial Neural Networks

Mechanical properties (tensile strength (TS), modulus of elasticity in tensile (MET), flexural strength (FS), modulus of elasticity (MOE)) of the material to be obtained depending on the production parameters in the production of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) wood-polymer composites with Scots pine wood flour additive were predicted using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model and without destructive testing. In the first stage of the study, an ANN model was developed using data from 56 different studies in the literature on the mechanical properties of wood polymer composites. In the second stage, in order to determine the reliability of the model, output values were estimated using input parameters that had not been used in training and testing of the model. Based on the same input parameters, test specimens were produced and mechanical tests were performed. The results obtained from the experiments and ANN model were compared by considering the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) value. The coefficient of determination (R2) values obtained in the training and testing phase of the ANN models were all higher than 0.90. In this way, the mechanical properties of the wood polymer composite were successfully predicted by the ANN model. Because most of the MAPE values obtained from the mechanical tests were below 10%, the model was considered a reliable model.

Tribological performance of functional coated fiber reinforced additively manufactured polymer composite

Additive manufacturing has witnessed an upward trend in utilization across diverse industries in recent years. This study examines the tribological properties of polymer composites produced using additive manufacturing. The polymer composites were produced using the fusion deposition modeling process. Subsequently, they undergo thermal spray coating and spin coating processes that deposit hafnium carbide particles onto their surface. The wear test studies were conducted at three distinct temperature levels in accordance with the ASTM standard procedure. The findings demonstrated that the application of a ceramic particle coating led to a substantial decrease in the specific wear rates. Additionally, there were observed differences in the wear rates depending on the specific methods used for applying the coating. The application of thermal coating shown high efficacy in reducing wear rates and safeguarding the underlying materials against material loss. The uncoated carbon fiber reinforced polylactic acid (PLA-CF) material showed a slightly significant amount of material degradation as the test chamber temperature increased, in comparison to the coated specimens. The average specific wear rate of the thermally coated carbon fiber reinforced polylactic acid specimen at a temperature of 70 °C is 0.000156 kg Nm−1.

3D-Networks Based Polymer Composites for Multifunctional Thermal Management and Electromagnetic Protection: A Mini Review

The rapid development of miniaturized, high-frequency, and highly integrated microelectronic devices has brought about critical issues in electromagnetic compatibility and thermal management. In recent years, there has been significant interest in lightweight polymer-based composites that offer both electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and thermal conductivity. One promising approach involves constructing three-dimensional (3D) interconnection networks using functional fillers in the polymer matrix. These networks have been proven effective in enhancing the thermal and electrical conductivity of the composites. This mini-review focuses on the preparation and properties of 3D network-reinforced polymer composites, specifically those incorporating metal, carbon, ceramic, and hybrid networks. By comparing the effects of different filler types and distribution on the composite materials, the advantages of 3D interconnected conductive networks in polymer composites are highlighted. Additionally, this review addresses the challenges faced in the field of multifunctional thermal management and electromagnetic protection materials and provides insights into future development trends and application prospects of 3D structured composites.

Study on Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites Filled with Nano Egg-shell Powder

Polymeric materials, when reinforced with synthetic fibers like glass, carbon, and aramid, offer notable advantages including increased stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio compared to conventional materials such as wood, concrete, and steel. Among these options, glass fiber stands out due to its affordability and widespread availability. Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites exhibit moderate mechanical properties, which can be significantly enhanced by incorporating nano fillers like eggshell powder. This study explores the utilization of nano eggshell powder as well as methods for effectively integrating nano fillers into polymer composites to create value-added products. Four types of composites, varying in weight proportions of nano eggshell powders, were prepared using the hand lay-up technique for mechanical and thermal characterizations. Various mechanical properties including tensile strength, flexural strength, impact behavior, as well as thermal properties via TGA and DMA analysis were investigated. The results indicate that incorporating the optimal amount of nano fillers significantly improves the overall strength of glass fiber reinforced composite materials, leading to cost savings of over 30%. This suggests that nano eggshell fillers hold great potential in composite manufacturing, particularly for substituting high-cost glass fibers in low load-bearing applications.

Unveiling the Influential Factors and Heavy Industrial Applications of Graphene Hybrid Polymer Composites

Graphene hybrid-filler polymer composites have emerged as prominent materials that revolutionize heavy industries. This review paper encapsulates an in-depth analysis of different influential factors, such as filler/graphene type, aspect ratios, dispersion methods, filler-matrix compatibility, fiber orientation, synergistic effects, different processing techniques, and post-curing conditions, which affect the processing and properties of graphene hybrid polymer composites, as well as their resultant applications. Additionally, it discusses the substantial role of graphene reinforcement with other fillers, such as carbon nanotubes, silica, nano-clays, and metal oxides, to produce functionalized hybrid polymer composites with synergistically enhanced tailored properties, offering solutions for heavy industries, including aerospace, automotive, electronics, and energy harvesting. This review concludes with some suggestions and an outlook on the future of these composite materials by emphasizing the need for continued research to fully optimize their potential.

High-strength carbon fiber-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites with longer fiber retention length manufactured via screw extrusion-based 3D printing

The mechanical properties of 3D-printed carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites play a pivotal role in engineering applications. However, the preparation of high-performance composites through material extrusion remains a great challenge. In this study, four fiber-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone (CF/PEEK) composites with varying fiber lengths were manufactured by a homemade screw extrusion 3D printer and evaluated for their application potential. A systematic exploration was conducted on the influence of fiber length and annealing on the mechanical performance of samples. The results demonstrated that increasing fiber length and annealing enhanced the tensile and flexural strengths of components while diminishing impact strength and ductility. With an average fiber retention length of 209 μm, the annealed parts displayed exceptional tensile and flexural strengths of 169.8MPa and 223.3MPa, respectively, marking a 143% and 88% improvement over unannealed pure PEEK. Longer fiber retention length, higher crystallinity, and fewer internal flaws contribute to the improved mechanical performance of the samples. This study provides a broader scope for the preparation and application of 3D-printed high-performance composites.

Highly enhanced microwave absorption of carbon nanotube/nickel/styrene-butadiene-styrene composite with segregated structure

High-performance microwave absorption (MA) polymer composites are highly required in electromagnetic protection. Although the desirable MA performance of many MA absorbers is obtained, its loading of obtaining optimal MA performance still is too high, which is not beneficial to the mechanical properties of polymer composites. In this work, based on the concept of segregated structure, the selective distribution of carbon nanotube/nickel (CNT/Ni) particles was successfully achieved in the styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) matrix via hot-compression molding. The CNT/Ni/SBS composites with segregated structure present an excellent MA performance when the filler content is only 5 wt%, including the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −42.7 dB and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 6.6 GHz, which shows 27.3 % and 8.2 % increases in comparison to the optimal MA performance of the composites with randomly dispersed structure (10 wt%). In addition, the elongation at break and tensile strength of CNT/Ni/SBS composites can reach 1222 % and 14.3 MPa, respectively, showing great application potential as flexible MA materials. The efficient method provides a promising way to improve the function efficiency of MA absorbers and develop high-performance MA polymer composites with low filler loading in the future.

Optimized random forest model for predicting flexural properties of sustainable composites

AbstractIn an era of technological advancements, the quest for sustainable products has taken a center stage. The utilization of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites has become crucial in the manufacturing of eco‐friendly products due to their low cost, renewability, biodegradability, and comparable properties to synthetic composites. Coir‐based composites have been utilized in roofing, composite panels, furniture, and bio‐based insulation applications, providing enhanced strength and sustainability. In the current investigation, an exploratory data analysis (EDA) was conducted to understand the relationship between the various input variables and the flexural properties of short coir polymer composites (SCPCs). The data analysis revealed that manufacturing process had a significant impact on the flexural properties of SCPCs. Based on the insights gained from the EDA, an optimized Random Forest prediction model was developed to predict the flexural properties. Genetic algorithm approach for hyperparameter optimization led to lower objective loss in contrast to Bayesian optimized Random Forest model. The model's performance was subsequently evaluated through holdout validation, and the outcome demonstrated the model's proficiency in accurately predicting the properties. The developed model can be used as a tool for optimizing the design of SCPCs for specific applications, by predicting the flexural properties of the composites.Highlights Flexural behavior of short coir polymer composites was analyzed and modeled. Manufacturing process has the highest impact on the flexural properties. Random forest model predicted the flexural properties with high accuracy. Genetic algorithm optimized model further enhanced the model performance. The developed framework provides insights into designing biocomposites.

Mechanical Bonding Properties of Solderable Anisotropic Polymer Composite containing Low-Melting-Point and High-Melting-Point Solder Fillers

In this papers, to enhance the mechanical bonding properties of solderable anisotropic polymer composites (SAPCs) containing low-melting-point solder filler only, a new low-melting-point solder and high-melting-point solder mixed filler filled SAPCs (LH-SAPCs) was proposed, and the influence of the high-melting-point solder filler on the conduction path formation and mechanical bonding properties of the LH-SAPC were investigated. Two types of LH-SAPC were synthesized by adding high-melting-point solder within the low-melting-point solder/high-melting-point solder mixed filler at mixing ratios of 0 and 50 vol% (the volume fraction of low-melting-point solder/high-melting-point solder mixed filler in the polymer composite was 20%), and a bonding test was conducted using QFP. The results exhibited that the LH-SAPC containing high-melting-point solder formed a wide and stable conduction path due to the proper selective conduction path formation behavior by the interaction between molten low-melting-point solder and solid-state high-melting-point solder fillers within the polymer composite with low viscosity condition. Furthermore, the mechanical bonding properties of the LH-SAPC joints containing high-melting-point solder were enhanced compared to that of LH-SAPC containing low-melting-point solder only owing to the precipitation hardening and dispersion strengthening effects due to the increase of fine Bi-rich, Cu<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>5</sub>, and Ag<sub>3</sub>Sn intermetallic compound particles inside the conduction path.

Nanoscale brick and mortar strategy for mechanically strong multifunctional composites with extremely high filler-loading

To achieve the best physico-chemical properties of polymer composites, the concentration of fillers should be maximized in many cases. However, at extremely high concentrations of fillers, the discontinuity of the polymer matrix results in poor mechanical properties. To overcome this problem, we propose an efficient protocol to improve the mechanical strength significantly, even at an extremely high concentration of microscale fillers (graphite flakes, 95 wt%). Since the mechanical strength of the polymer composite strongly depends on both the homogeneous distribution of the polymer matrix around microscale fillers and the adhesion between them, we increased the mechanical strength of the composite by the preparation of a hybrid filler decorated with polymer nanoparticles. The decorated polymer nanoparticles eventually turned to the matrix during hot-pressing process like a mortar between bricks. Systematic studies on the mechanical strength as well as electrical and thermal conductivities of the composites revealed that both the precisely controlled size of the polymer nanoparticles and even distribution of them on the hybrid fillers were critical variables to enhance the material's properties above. The newly developed polymer composites with superior physical properties exhibited good electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI shielding effectiveness >80 dB in X-band, thickness ∼ 1.5 mm), making them suitable as electric heaters.

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.

Prevention of Leakage in Machine Learning Prediction for Polymer Composite Properties.

Machine learning (ML) has facilitated property prediction for intricate materials by integrating materials and experimental features such as processing and measurement conditions. However, ML models designed for material properties have often disregarded a common issue of "leakage," resulting in an overestimation of model performance and a decrease in model transferability. This issue can arise from biases inherent in multiple data points obtained from the same experimental group. We provide a critical examination and prevention method of leakage in property prediction for polymer composites. Our proposed method utilizes data partitioning based on the experimental group to ensure that data from the same group are not mixed in both the training and test sets. Evaluation results highlight that the conventional random partitioning unintentionally inflates ML performance through the misuse of experimental features for leaking data bias within the same experimental group rather than explaining the physical causality. In contrast, the proposed method enables the leakage-free utilization of experimental features to improve prediction accuracy while ensuring model transferability. Specifically, when integrating experimental features with polymer and filler features, the conventional method overestimates the prediction performance of electrical conductivity in reducing RMSE by 26% depending on leakage, whereas the proposed method achieves a reduction in RMSE by 5% without leakage. These findings offer valuable guidance for the effective utilization of experimental features in data-driven materials science.

Engineering properties of hybrid polymer composites produced with different unsaturated polyesters and hybrid epoxy

In this study, the mechanical properties of hybrid polymer composites produced with different unsaturated polyesters and hybrid epoxy resins are investigated. The composites were produced by blending unsaturated polyester resins (i.e., orthophthalic, isophthalic, and terephthalic) and bisphenol-A-based epoxy-vinyl ester resin to produce single, binary and ternary blends. In doing this, a total of 14 different combinations were produced. The results show that the binary and ternary polymer blends tend to improve almost all the tested properties of the polymer composites. Further, the fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results confirmed that the reason for enahcned properties is due to better crosslinking and longer chains of polymers produced in binary and ternary mixtures. The absence of peaks determining the styrene polymerization character for all mixtures also demonstrates that the polymerization reaction takes place in all mixtures. It is also believed that the binary and ternary resin mixtures have developed higher energy absorption compared to single resin composites. All of the mentioned has been achieved while the gelation temperatures of the hybrid resin mixtures were not changed significantly and they began gelation at the expected temperature values. In addition to the gelation, peak exotherm temperatures, and barcol hardness values demonstrated that all mixtures achieved sufficient curing. The result of this study is significant and point to the great potential of producing high performance polymer composites through the use of binary or ternary resin mixtures.

A machine learning-enabled prediction of damage properties for fiber-reinforced polymer composites under out-of-plane loading

For understanding the damage morphology in fiber-reinforced plastics under out-of-plane loading, engineers/ and designers mostly rely on experimental investigations and numerical models, which could be costly in terms of resources and computational requirements. Thus, pragmatic predictive approaches that can offer ready-to-use tools for material optimization have gained traction in recent years. This paper proposes a machine learning model, developed with the use of previous experiments, to predict the damage behaviour of E-glass fiber-reinforced plastics in sandwich structures and laminates. The focus is on quasi-static indentation with different indenter geometries, using acoustic signals for damage monitoring. A total of 10 optimal-performing regression algorithms were employed to develop the prediction models. The developed models based on total energy gave acceptable results for all specimens (R-squared value: 0.9932 – 0.9999), while prediction models using force produced less accurate results (R-squared value: 0.8693) for a sandwich structure subjected to a conical indenter. Results showed that energy absorption of composites provided the most reliable data for the development of predictive models. The load profiles could also be used when the contact area is limited (e.g., for hemispherical and conical indenters). The best-performing model for higher surface areas of the indenter increased was k-NN, thanks to its ability to capture complex and nonlinear relationships between the input features and the target variable. Overall, the developed model could provide more autonomy and control for the material optimisation of composite structures for industrial applications with reduced time and cost constraints.

Novel enhancement of interfacial interaction and properties in biodegradable polymer composites using green chemically treated spent coffee ground microfiller

This study investigates the potential of utilizing green chemically treated spent coffee grounds (SCGs) as micro biofiller reinforcement in Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) biopolymer composites. The aim is to assess the impact of varying SCG concentrations (1 %, 3 %, 5 %, and 7 %) on the functional, thermal, mechanical properties and biodegradability of the resulting composites with a PHBV matrix. The samples were produced through melt compounding using a twin-screw extruder and compression molding. The findings indicate successful dispersion and distribution of SCGs microfiller into PHBV. Chemical treatment of SCG microfiller enhanced the interfacial bonding between the SCG and PHBV, evidenced by higher water contact angles of the biopolymer composites. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) confirmed the successful interaction of treated SCG microfiller, contributing to enhanced mechanical characteristics. A two-way ANOVA was conducted for statistical analysis. Mass losses observed after burying the materials in natural soil indicated that the composites degraded faster than the pure PHBV polymer suggesting that both composites are biodegradable, particularly at high levels of spent coffee grounds (SCG). Despite the possibility of agglomeration at higher concentrations, SCG incorporation resulted in improved functional properties, positioning the green biopolymer composite as a promising material for sustainable packaging and diverse applications.

Impact of ionic liquids on the thermal properties of polymer composites

Abstract The integration of ionic liquids and polymer composites has become a promising way to improve their thermal properties, representing a notable advancement in the development of advanced materials for specific applications. Their thermal properties heavily influence the suitability of polymer composites for particular applications. It is imperative to understand and manipulate the thermal behavior of these composites to optimize their performance across various fields. In this mini-review, diverse polymer matrices and fillers utilized in polymer composites containing ionic liquids are categorized. Additionally, various ionic liquids employed in studies related to the thermal properties of polymer composites are identified. The impact of ionic liquids on the thermal properties of these composites is also briefly reviewed. The knowledge illustrated in this review enriches the understanding of the types of polymer matrices and fillers used in conjunction with ionic liquids, as well as their thermal properties. In a nutshell, imidazolium-based ionic liquids with tetrafluoroborate, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, hexafluorophosphate, halides, and hydrogen sulfate anions have the impact of improving the glass transition temperature, melting temperature, degradation temperature, and thermal conductivity of thermoplastic, thermosetting, and elastomer composites.

Enhanced mechanical properties of polyphenylene sulfide and liquid crystal polymer composites by interfacial bonding capacity of graft‐modified graphene oxide and glass fibers

AbstractThe aim of this study is to broaden the potential applications of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) by incorporating graphene oxide (GO)‐grafted glass fiber (GF) to enhance the mechanical properties of liquid crystal polymer (LCP)/PPS composites. The surface of GF was modified using γ‐Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550), allowing for the grafting of GO. Subsequently, GO‐GF/LCP/PPS composites were prepared through extrusion injection molding. The properties of the composites were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The findings indicate that the interfacial adhesion between GF and composites is significantly improved with the addition of GO, The mass fractions of GO used were 0.1%, 0.5%, and 0.7%. The incorporation of GO‐grafted GF proves to be an effective approach in enhancing the tensile and flexural strengths of LCP/PPS composites. Additionally, a reduction in wear volume and tribological coefficient is observed compared to composites without GO‐treated GF. Notably, when the GO content is 0.5 wt%, the mechanical properties of the composites show significant improvement, with a 50% increase in impact strength compared to the composite without GO, and a decrease in friction coefficient from 0.28 to 0.22.

Carbon nanocone mechanical behavior and their use as AFM tips for the characterization of polymers in Peak Force mode

Compared to carbon nanotube-based Atomic Force Microscopy probes, carbon nanocone-based probes appear as promising candidates for investigating topography and mechanical properties thanks to the reduced number of artefacts. In this paper, we intend to investigate some of the mechanical features of carbon nanocone (CnC) tips and to evaluate their performances as probes for investigating the mechanical properties of polymer films and composites. Using their force distance curve, the cantilever/CnC spring constant of several CnC probes is determined and the related bending force for each cone is extracted. The results demonstrate CnC bending forces ranging from 100 nN up to 3 μN, which is up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than values reported in the literature for carbon nanotubes. Moreover, the bending phenomenon occurred only when the CnC axis was not strictly perpendicular to the substrate surface. Using Peak-Force Quantitative NanoMechanical (PF-QNM) mode, we demonstrate that CnC probes are suitable to accurately probe polymer mechanical properties, provided the same targeted deformation is used for both the calibration and PF-QNM measurements.

Synergistic terahertz shielding effects of electrically conductive MXene and shape-controlled magnetic nickel in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composites

Terahertz (THz) shielding materials have garnered significant attention due to various potential applications in wireless communication, sensing, and defense. In this study, we present efficient THz shielding performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer composites incorporated with a mixture of MXene and shape-controlled nickel (Ni) nanoparticles. The PVDF/MXene/Ni composites demonstrated exceptional absorption coefficient and shielding effectiveness against unwanted THz electromagnetic waves, owing to the remarkable synergistic effect between electrically conductive Ti3C2Tx MXene and magnetic nickel nanoparticles. Notably, magnetic properties of Ni nanoparticles were controlled by external magnetic field applied during the synthesis process. Flower-like Ni nanoparticles synthesized under an external magnetic field exhibited enhanced magnetic properties compared to spherical Ni nanoparticles synthesized without an external field. As a result, a 20-µm thick PVDF/MXene/Ni composite film, with a 10 wt.% loading of flower-like Ni nanoparticles, demonstrated the THz shielding effectiveness of 34 dB at 1 THz. This shielding performance surpasses those of composite containing spherical Ni nanoparticles (26.7 dB) as well as previously reported shielding materials. These findings highlight an effective approach to tailor the THz shielding properties of polymer composites by modifying the composition and morphology of conductive and magnetic fillers.

Optimizing Biomedical Facilities Performance with Dombeya Fiber-Paper Particle Hybrid Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Since the last two decades, the use of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites has garnered significant application considerations over the synthetic fiber reinforced composites due to their numerous advantages and unique properties. Likewise, epoxy resin has attracted the interest of many researchers for composite synthesis, basically because of its chemical stability, thermal and mechanical characteristics. Hence, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the influence of dombeya fiber and paper particulate on the physical and mechanical properties of dombeya fiber and paper particulate-reinforced polymer composites for structural applications. Dombeya fiber and paper particles are renewable and biodegradable materials, thereby making them environmentally friendly materials to replace synthetic materials. Hand lay-up technique was utilized to fabricate the hybrid-reinforced biocomposites after which they were subjected to mechanical, wear, density, and moisture absorption properties. The surface morphology of the fractured surface was also analyzed to investigate its microstructural features. It was discovered from the results that hybrid biocomposites demonstrated improved properties over the unreinforced composite, with composites from 9-wt% dombeya fiber-paper particles reinforced biocomposite exhibiting the most suitable properties with commensurate density with the unreinforced epoxy matrix. These obtained characteristics support the material as a suitable material for biomedical apparatus application such as orthopedic implants, surgical instruments, and bone fixation devices.