Resin Matrix Composites Research Articles

Inter‐tow toughness modification of carbon fiber reinforced cyanate resin matrix composites

AbstractCarbon fiber‐reinforced cyanate ester resin matrix composites (CF/CE) are widely used in aerospace for their high‐temperature resistance and wave‐absorbing properties. However, CF/CE is prone to interlaminar delamination during the curing molding process or practical applications due to the brittleness of CE resin. In this study, we use polyether sulfone (PES) as a toughening layer through the inter‐tow toughening method to prepare PES inter‐tow toughened CF/CE (CF/CE‐P) and to investigate their thermal, mechanical, and microscopic morphology. We find that CF/CE‐P has a higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and a lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than those of CF/CE composites. The flexural strength, flexural modulus, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), and impact toughness of CF/CE‐P with 15 wt% PES is increased by 34%, 15%, 34%, and 45%, respectively, compared to CF/CE. In addition, the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness (GIC) of CF/CE‐P with 15 wt% PES is 1.86 times that of CF/CE.Highlights The inter‐tow toughening technique on a three‐dimensional scale is proposed. Model I interlaminar fracture toughness increased by 86% after inter‐tow toughness modification carbon fiber‐reinforced cyanate ester resin matrix composites. The composite material exhibits improved toughness and thermal performance. The prepreg preparation process is suitable for continuous industrial production.

Effect of multi‐angle lamination on mechanical properties and damages behavior of carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composites

AbstractCarbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composites, when subjected to multi‐angle delamination during vacuum hot pressing, suffered from defects such as uneven fiber distribution, resin‐rich zones, and voids. These defects caused varied damage and failure behaviors in the composites, seriously affecting their mechanical properties. In this paper, the defect distribution, tensile and flexural properties, and damage behaviors of multi‐angle lay‐up specimens prepared in an autoclave were studied. The results indicated that irregularly shaped voids in laminates with a 0° angle difference primarily led to local stress concentration. Elliptical and elongated voids in laminates with a 90° angle difference were mainly susceptible to delamination. The [0/90]8 layer exhibited the best overall mechanical properties. The proportion of 0° laminates had a direct impact on the mechanical properties, with 0° contact laminates on the bending‐compression side capable of withstanding higher bending loads. The [+45/−45]8 plyer demonstrated pseudo‐delayed behavior, enabling the laminate to show better toughness under load. Variations in damage due to the proportions and positions of the laminates influenced the mechanical properties and damages behavior of multi‐angle laminates.Highlights Angular differences were observed to affect void and resin distribution. The best overall mechanical properties were attributed to [0/90]8 laminates. Pseudo‐delay behavior was exhibited by [+45/−45]8 laminates. Proportion of 0° layers impacted mechanical properties. Greater bending loads were withstood by the 0° contact layer.

Preparation and characterization of UV-Curable phosphate ester-containing acrylate resin adhesive for dental zirconia restorations

Fumed silica was utilized as a filler, methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP) served as a reactive monomer, and acrylate acted as a resin monomer to develop zirconia adhesives for dental acrylate resins containing phosphate esters. A uniform design, orthogonal tests, and single-variable experiments were conducted to vary the composition of each component. The effects of different composition ratios on the mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, flowability, and volumetric shrinkage of dental resin adhesives were studied in detail. The resin matrix composition included 43.6 wt% Bis-GMA, 28.2 wt% triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), and 28.2 wt% hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The photocurable system composition consisted of 4 % camphorquinone (CQ), 2.4 % ethyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EDB), 3.2 % dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), and 1 % butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The adhesive monomer was 12 % MDP, and the filler system comprised 2 % R972 and 3 % OX50. The light curing time was set at 60 s. The adhesive exhibited optimal performance with a bonding strength of 35.9 MPa and a volumetric shrinkage of 13.3 %. According to this study, the proposed zirconia adhesive featuring a phosphate-containing acrylic ester group is a potential light-curing dental resin adhesive with a straightforward synthesis procedure, minimal volumetric shrinkage, good bonding strength, and an appropriate photocuring time.

Bending Failure Behavior of Thin-walled Composite Tube Structures

Abstract The bending failure, failure load and failure mode of thin-walled circular tubes made of carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composites were investigated by experiments and numerical simulation. Three typical failure modes of circular tubes under bending load were observed in experiments, and the characteristics and mechanisms of different failure modes were analyzed. The results show that interlaminar shear induces the generation and propagation of microcracks at the interface of circular tubes, which accelerates the failure of circular tubes. In the bending failure process, because the interlayer performance of the round pipe is relatively low, it is the weak link of the structure, and the pipe wall is the first to produce interlayer delamination and splitting failure under the action of shear stress, resulting in structural instability and premature fracture failure. The lay-up and initial defects of thin-walled round pipe have great influence on the bending failure mode and failure load.

A novel phosphorus/boron-containing flame retardant for improving the flame retardancy of ramie fiber reinforced epoxy composites

As a kind of plant fiber, ramie fibers (RFs) are widely used in fiber reinforced resin matrix composites, however, both of RFs and resin matrix are flammable. Enhancing the flame retardancy of ramie fiber reinforced epoxy composites is important. In this study, a highly efficient flame retardant, PBXY, was synthesized from phytic acid, boric acid, and xylitol to improve the flame retardancy of ramie fibers, and flame-retardant ramie fiber reinforced epoxy composites (EP/RF-PBXYs) with different weight gain were prepared by coating PBXY on the surface of ramie fibers. The effects of different weight gain of PBXY on the thermal stability, flame retardancy, and mechanical properties of EP/RF-PBXYs were investigated. Compared with that of EP/RF, the limiting oxygen index value of EP/RF-PBXY2 was increased from 23.0% to 31.4% and a UL-94 V-0 rating was obtained, the total heat release and total smoke production were reduced by 33.2% and 31.0%. However, the presence of PBXY had a negative effect on the mechanical properties of EP/RF when the weight gain of PBXY was more than 10wt% (related to RFs). This study offers a promising avenue to improve the flame-retardant resistance of EP/RF.

Quasi-static/dynamic energy absorption characteristics and micromechanical behavior of Al/Ep cast metal braided tubular structures

As a low-density, high-strength material with high energy release potential, Al/Ep cast metal braided tubes have a wide range of application prospects in the combatant shell, which is one of the most important means to realize the integrated destructive effect of kill and blast. In this paper, Al/Ep composites with mass ratios of 3:7, 4:6 and 5:5 were prepared, and the intrinsic model of Al/Ep was established by studying its quasi-static and dynamic mechanical properties. The Al/Ep cast three-dimensional braided metal skeletons were used to obtain the required cast braided tubes with different mass ratios, and the destruction behaviors of the tubes under axial and radial compressive loads were analyzed by a combination of experimental and numerical simulations. The results show that the addition of Al particles can significantly improve the elastic-plastic properties of Al/Ep composites, and the energy storage and absorption capacities are positively correlated with the ratio of the relative contents of Al powder. When the mass ratio of Al powder to epoxy resin is 5:5, the energy absorption of Al/Ep composites is 23.16 MJ/m3, which is optimal among similar specimens and much higher than that of pure epoxy resin materials (the energy absorption of epoxy resin is 9.63 MJ/m3). The strength of binary resin matrix composites is improved, and the intrinsic models of three kinds of different mass ratios of Al/Ep composites are obtained. The intrinsic models of various Al/Ep cast braided tubes with crushing force efficiency CFE, energy absorption capacity, and specific energy absorption SEA decreased with the ratio of mass occupied by the braided filaments.

Frictional Wear Behavior of Water-Lubrication Resin Matrix Composites under Low Speed and Heavy Load Conditions.

Resin matrix composites are commonly utilized in water-lubricated stern tube bearings for warship propulsion systems. Low-speed and high-load conditions are significant factors influencing the tribological properties of stern tube bearings. The wear characteristics of resin-based laminated composites (RLCs), resin-based winding composites (RWCs), and resin-based homogeneous polymer (RHP) blocks were investigated under simulated environmental conditions using a ring-on-block wear tester. Simulated seawater was prepared by combining sodium chloride with distilled water. The wetting angle, coefficient of friction (COF), and mass loss were measured and compared. Additionally, their surface morphologies were examined. The results indicate a significant increase in the COFs for the three materials with an increased speed or load under dry conditions. The COF of the RLCs is the lowest, indicating that it has superior self-lubricating properties. In wet conditions, the COFs of the three materials decrease with an increasing speed or load, exhibiting a pronounced hydrodynamic effect. The COF and mass loss of RWCs are the highest, while RLCs and RHP exhibit lower COFs and mass loss values. The reticulated texture and flocculent fibers on the surface of RLC enhance the heat diffusion and improve the material wettability and water storage capacity. The surface of RWC is dense, and the friction area under dry conditions is melted and brightened. The surface of RHP is smooth, while the worn material forms an agglomerate and exhibits susceptibility to burning and blackening under dry conditions. The laminated formation method demonstrates superior tribological performance throughout the wear evolution process.

Surface modification of carbon fibres via plasma-activated water for mitigating burnout risk from direct plasma treatment

This study presents a novel plasma jet discharge device designed to indirectly treat carbon fibre materials with plasma-activated water. This innovative method effectively mitigates issues related to carbon fibre conduction and combustion, which are common challenges encountered when directly modifying fibres using a plasma jet. Specifically, the atmospheric composition is adjusted to modulate the active particles in the liquid phase. The experimental results demonstrate that this technique significantly increases the surface wettability of carbon fibres without damaging their structure. Under the conditions of argon/oxygen cascade discharge, oxygen-containing substances generate ionomers that activate the water, which in turn introduces oxygen-containing groups (e.g., C−O, C=O, O−C=O) onto the carbon fibre surface. These groups catalyse monomer polymerisation on the material surface, which increases the wettability of the carbon fibres, as evidenced by a significant reduction in the water contact angle from 80.12° to 55.31°. This in turn improves the bonding strength with epoxy resin and slightly increases the monofilament strength. Furthermore, composites produced by this method exhibit 21% higher interlaminar shear strength than the untreated sample and an increased O/C ratio of up to 24.55%. In summary, these findings provide a valuable theoretical basis for enhancing the surface properties of carbon fibre composites through plasma–liquid interactions and open new possibilities for high-performance carbon fibre–resin matrix composites.

Research progress on high-temperature properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites for cables

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRP) cable has advantages of lightweight, high strength, and excellent durability, providing a new materials for cables and bringing out potential breakthrough in spanning capacity of structures. At present, CFRP cable has already been applied in some engineering bridges. The fire resistance performance of CFRP cable is critical for ensuring structure safety when suffering accidental fire disaster, and clarifying mechanical performance deterioration and failure mechanism of CFRP cable at elevated temperature is fundamental for research of its fire resistance. This paper summarizes current research progress on high-temperature properties of CFRP cable from two levels, including epoxy resin matrix and CFRP composites. Firstly, at resin matrix level, mechanical properties of epoxy resin and its degradation at elevated temperatures are reviewed and analysed, and potential ways to improve high-temperature performance of epoxy resin are suggested. Secondly, at CFRP composites level, high-temperature properties test methods and mechanical performance of CFRP composites in longitudinal direction and transverse direction at elevated temperatures are summarized and discussed. In addition, research shortage of high-temperature properties of CFRP cable is summarized, and corresponding further research is recommended.

Facile armour production from cocoon waste by a cold-pressing process

Utilising cocoon waste as reinforcement in composites offers a cost-effective alternative for soft body armour production. Cocoon waste, including damaged or uncoiled cocoons and those with pupae, is recognised as an eco-friendly choice. This study aims to develop and assess the incorporation of varying amounts of cocoon waste as reinforcement in epoxy resin matrix composites through the cold-pressing process. The cocoon waste content in the composite specimens ranged from 0 to 40 wt%. Tensile testing and ballistic impact testing were conducted to evaluate specimen performance. The cocoon waste composite plate exhibited a maximum tensile strength of 62.21 MPa at 30 wt%, slightly surpassing that of woven hemp. These findings indicate the advantageous reinforcement attributes of cocoon waste. However, a limitation was identified: bullets fully penetrated the composite plate. To address this, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene was incorporated into cocoon waste composites, resulting in enhanced tensile strength (107.36 MPa) and complete bullet penetration prevention. These outcomes position the study as a promising avenue for developing body armour plates meeting the stringent level II certification standards set by the National Institute of Justice.

Mechanical property, oxidation resistance, and ceramization mechanism of MoSi2-SiB6 reinforced phenolic resin matrix composites

Ceramizable phenolic resin matrix composites have a significant potential for widespread applications in the field of aerospace ablation. However, due to the sharp decrease of mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, the composite fails to meet the requirements of thermal protection as well as load-bearing of aircraft in a wide temperature range. In this study, boron phenolic composites modified by MoSi2 and SiB6 with high strength in a wide temperature range are prepared. The flexural strength of composites after ablation within the temperature range of 800 °C to 1600 °C ranges from 48.07 to 82.49 MPa. In particular, a significant increase of 224.9% is obtained at 1400 °C with 6 wt% SiB6. The mass ablation rate and line ablation rate of the composites are increased to 0.054 g/s and 0.013 mm/s, respectively. The cooperation effect of oxygen consumption, carbon fixation, oxygen barrier, and liquid phase bonding produced by ceramization reactions involving SiB6, MoSi2, O2, and pyrolytic carbon at different temperatures, resulting in an improvement of the mechanical property and the oxidation resistance of the composite. These composites have a potential in long term thermal protection and load-bearing of new ablation materials.

Fabrication and Characterization of Jute Fibre Reinforced Polymer-based Decorative Composites: Effect of Gamma Radiation

The jute fibre (JF) reinforced polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and epoxy resin (ER) matrix composites were developed. The JF content was maintained to 30% by weight. Then tensile properties and impact strength were measured. The finest tensile properties were found for JF/PP composites. The tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM), elongation at break (Eb%), and impact strength (IS) of the JF/PP composites were found to be 38.00 MPa, 1800 MPa, 12%, and 8.20 kJ/m2 respectively. The bonds between JF and polymers of the developed composites were investigated and found good adhesion. The composite samples were exposed to gamma ray and it was found that gamma radiation have the potential to improve the tensile and impact strength of the JF-based polymer composites. The JF content polymer-based decorative composites were also developed. The outcomes of this investigation showed a minor decrease of the tensile and impact strength of the composites but enhanced the beauty of the composites noticeably. The developed JF/polymer composites have sufficient mechanical strength for many applications pretty. J. of Sci. and Tech. Res. 5(1): 75-82, 2023

Low‐velocity impact damage behavior of glass fiber reinforced composites with different crack propagation

AbstractGlass fiber‐reinforced resin matrix composites are widely used and studied for their good mechanical and impact resistance properties. In this paper, five glass fiber reinforced nylon 6 (PA6)‐based composites were prepared by mechanical blending combined with the molding process. The flexural strength, shear strength, pendulum impact strength, and low‐velocity impact properties of five composites were comparatively investigated. The crack extension modes of the composites were characterized and analyzed by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and computerized X‐ray tomography (XCT), and the effects of different crack extension modes on the mechanical and impact resistance properties of the composites were researched. Experimental results show that: (1) Cracks in the composite material mainly exist in two expansion modes: transverse propagation parallel to the direction of fiber layup and longitudinal propagation perpendicular to the direction of fiber layup; (2) Different crack extension modes will cause different damage situations to the composites, however, the crack extension mode has minimal impact on the flexural, shear and pendulum impact strength of the composites; (3) The flexural and shear strengths of the composites co‐reinforced using fly ash and glass fibers were preferably 484.5 and 46.1 MPa; (4) The crack extension mode has a significant impact on low‐velocity impact performances of the composite material. The composite co‐reinforced with glass beads (GB) and glass fibers had the best impact resistance, with maximum impact force (Pmax), residual impact force (Pr), and absorbed energy (Ea) of 7015.2 N, 6273.6 N and 15.4 J, respectively.Highlights The propagation of cracks inside the composites was observed using SEM and XCT etc. A relationship between crack propagation mode and low‐velocity impact resistance of composites was established. The low‐velocity impact properties of composites are carefully analyzed.

Thermal protective and hydrophobic coating on polyimide resin matrix composites surface for improved aging resistance

AbstractPolyimide composites are easily degraded in high temperature and high humidity environments for long service, which reduces their reliability and stability in aerospace, electronic components, weapons, and other fields. In this paper, the inorganic and organic multiphase double‐layer coating was prepared. The insulating layer was made of vinyl polysilazane resin as the base material and hollow glass microspheres as the filler. The hydrophobic layer consisted of polydimethylsiloxane as the base material, hollow phenolic microspheres, and nano‐TiO2 as the filler. The heat resistance, hydrophobic properties, and aging resistance of the coated polyimide resin matrix composites were studied. The results showed that the thickness of the double‐layer coating was about 200 μm. Under the 200°C thermal insulation test, the maximum temperature drop can be achieved at 59.7°C. After adding 5 wt% TiO2, the static contact angle of composites was increased from 86.2° to 127.7°. Significantly, the hydrophobic performance was improved by 48.1%, which was due to the construction of micro‐nano structures in the surface layer coating. In the accelerated hydrothermal aging tests, the bending properties of coated composite materials can be improved by 8.5%, 3.2%, and 8.7% in water, alkali, and acid environments, respectively. The moisture absorption of glass fiber and the pyrolysis of polyimide led to the degradation of the mechanical properties. The existence of heat‐resistant and hydrophobic coating could effectively eliminate this adverse effect, which was of great significance for polyimide composites to cope with various service environments.Highlights A novel coating consisting of thermal insulating and hydrophobic layers was developed on glass fiber reinforced polyimide composites (G/PI) composites. The maximum temperature drop of coating can be achieved at 59.7°C. The static contact angle of coated G/PI composites was increased from 86.2° to 127.7°. In the aging tests, the protective effect of the coating resulted in improved mechanical strengths of G/PI composites. The microscopic damage morphology was performed to analyze the anti‐aging properties of the coating.

Anti-oxidative quartz/carbon-braided fiber reinforced ceramizable composites modified with B4C and AlB2: Mechanical robustness, phase evolution and anti-oxidation mechanism

Carbon fiber reinforced ceramizable phenolic resin matrix composites (Cf/CPR) have been widely used in the field of thermal protection materials. However, the industrial application of the Cf/CPR is restricted by its easy oxidation failure under high temperature condition. In this work, a novel antioxidative ceramizable composites modified with AlB2 and B4C (Cf-Qf/CPR) were prepared by using quartz fiber-coated carbon fiber (Cf-Qf) as reinforcements via co-weaving technique. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, interfacial phase evolution and anti-oxidation mechanism of the composites were investigated. The residue yield and the flexural strength of the composites after treatment at 1200°C for 15 min were 93.4 % and 62.4 MPa, increased by 5.4 % and 67.3 % compared with those of Cf/CPR. Quartz fiber and ceramic protective layer showed synergistic effect to improve the oxidation resistance of carbon fiber and PyC, confirming good high temperature mechanical properties and oxidation resistance of as-received composites.

Simulation analysis of cryogenic mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced silicon-containing epoxy resin composite

The use of carbon fiber-reinforced resin matrix composites instead of metals to manufacture cryogenic propellant tanks for spacecrafts is a development trend in the world aerospace industry. Cryogenic mechanical properties of the composites should be investigated in detail due to that the ultra-low temperature environment may cause micro cracks in the composites, leading to propellant leakage. In the present study, cryogenic tensile properties of a carbon fiber reinforced silicon-containing epoxy resin aomposite are investigated using experimental and numerical simulation methods. A silicon-containing epoxy resin with excellent cryogenic mechanical properties is developed by introducing a synthesized organic silicon polymer epoxidized polysiloxane and Nano-SiO2 into bisphenol F type epoxy resin. The tensile strength and modulus of the silicon-containing epoxy resin at −180 °C are 202.63 MPa and 7.81 GPa, which are 16.71% and 3.03% higher than those of bisphenol F type epoxy resin. The tensile strength of the silicon-containing epoxy resin at −180 °C is increased by 107.7% compared to that at room temperature, and the modulus at −180 °C is nearly twice that at room temperature. The carbon fiber reinforced silicon-containing epoxy resin composite is prepared by vacuum injection molding. The finite element model for the representative volume element of the composite unidirectional plate is established. The random sequence expansion method is used to randomly distribute the carbon fibers and simulate the thermal residual stress, the elastic performance, and the damage of the composite at cryogenic environments. Through comparison, it is found that the simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. The simulation reliability for cryogenic mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composites is verified. It is expected to provide a reference for the analysis and evaluation of cryogenic mechanical properties of composite tanks.

Investigation on scratching force and material removal mechanism in scratching of fiber-reinforced resin matrix composites considering the effect of temperature

Investigation on scratching force and material removal mechanism in scratching of fiber-reinforced resin matrix composites considering the effect of temperature

Investigation on thermal conductivities of plain-woven carbon/phenolic and silica/phenolic composites at high temperature: Theoretical prediction and experiment

Phenolic resin-based ablation materials have found widespread applications in the aerospace industry. The prediction of their thermal conductivity is of paramount importance for the optimization and evaluation for thermal protection systems. However, there is rarely reported thermal conductivity performance of phenolic composites during ablation processes. Therefore, this investigation theoretically predicts the dynamic response of thermal conductivity at high temperatures for plain-woven carbon/phenolic and high silica/phenolic composites. By combining the progressive cubic ablation model with existing composite material property formulas, a multiscale prediction model for effective thermal conductivity is developed. The thermal performance of the resin matrix, reinforcing fibers, yarns, and overall fabric composites is calculated. Additionally, mesoscale representative volume elements are implemented to investigate the overall heat transfer characteristics of carbon/phenolic and high-silica/phenolic composites, including temperature and heat flux distributions. Moreover, both composites thermal conductivities are measured in the range from 298 K to 473 K. The proposed prediction model demonstrates good reliability, with average deviations of 3.76 % and 7.36 % compared to finite element analysis results and experimental data, respectively.

Mo2Ti2C3 and PTFE synergistically functionalized corrosion-resistant, thermally conductive, super abrasion-resistant epoxy resin composite coating

Epoxy resin (EP) matrix composites are a widely used polymer-based protective coating material. However, the low lubricity leads to frictional wear problems that make their large-scale development and application a serious challenge. Based on this, a multifunctional composite coating (MPT-EP) with low wear, high lubricity, high thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance was prepared by introducing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and lamellar Mo2Ti2C3 as a composite lubricant into epoxy resin matrix using a simple solvent dispersion method. The results showed that the introduction of the composite lubricant resulted in enhanced hardness and mechanical properties of the composite coating. Compared with the single epoxy resin coating (0.31), the friction coefficient (COF) of the composite coating was only 0.22, and the friction surface did not show obvious abrasion marks. The surface temperature of the composite coating was up to 51.4 °C when it was placed on a hot bench at 60 °C for 60 s. In addition, the COF of the composite coating did not change significantly after being immersed in acid, alkali and salt solutions. Therefore, the Mo2Ti2C3-induced multifunctional epoxy resin matrix composites have important application potential and research value in the field of ultra-wear-resistant and high lubrication protective coatings.

Quantitative Study on the Electrothermal Properties of Carbon Nanotube Film and its Out-of-Autoclave-Manufactured Glass Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy-Resin Composites

Abstract: Carbon nanotube films are utilized in various fields, particularly electric heating, owing to their exceptional thermal and electrical properties. However, quantitative research on the electrothermal characteristics of carbon nanotube film is insufficient, and glass fiberreinforced epoxy-resin composites prepared through the electrothermal method of carbon nanotube films (i.e., the out-of-autoclave technique) have not yet been reported. Herein, according to a mathematical model and experimental demonstration, a quantitative relationship, T = T0 + (t/L2)·(V2σ)·(1/αw), was proposed to explain the electrothermal properties of carbon nanotube films. Glass fiber-reinforced composites with an outstanding tensile strength of 535.6 MPa and an elongation-at-break of 1.6% were prepared through the out-of-autoclave technique using the designed carbon nanotube film. The composites outperformed previous mechanical composites in terms of energy consumption. Experimental investigations and molecular simulations revealed the mechanical mechanisms of the composites. These findings quantitatively revealed the electrothermal properties of carbon nanotube films, advancing their application in the out-ofautoclave manufacturing of high-performance resin-matrix composites.