Two-dimensional Fiber Research Articles

Development of a novel DNA-shaped steel fiber and its performance on fresh and hardened concrete

Adding small discrete random fibers in concrete has enhanced concrete behavior in various ways. Diverse types of fibers are available in terms of materials, shapes, and applications. Different shapes of steel fibers are available like hooked ends, crimped, stranded, helix, spherical, etc. Having the grade of concrete and the fiber dosage added as constant, the structural behavior and performance will vary for different types of fibers. It shows that the shape of fiber has a great role in enhancing the properties of concrete. The challenges in existing two-dimensional steel fibers in concrete like the mechanism and contribution of fiber in arresting cracks developed in all directions and balling effect can be overcome by a new type of three-dimensional steel fiber. A novel three-dimensional DNA-shaped steel fiber is designed and fabricated. This paper presents the fresh concrete and hardened concrete properties of DNA-shaped fiber-reinforced concrete (DNAFRC) and compares it with hooked-end fiber-reinforced concrete (HEFRC) by incorporating a volume fraction varying from 0.5 % to 2 % of grade M30 concrete and aspect ratio of 60 for both fibers. The fresh properties of concrete were evaluated by measuring the slump for workability and wash-out test for the fiber distribution. The hardened concrete properties were assessed by compressive, split tensile, flexural, impact, shear, and pull-out strength which demonstrated considerable increase by 5 % at 1.5 % volume fraction, 32 %, 136 %, 21 %, and 35 % at 2 % volume fraction respectively for DNAFRC than the HEFRC. Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) images were studied on failed samples to evaluate the bonding of DNA fiber with concrete.

Broadband low-loss polarization-insensitive graphene-integrated photonic crystal fiber modulators in the near-infrared range

The amplitude modulator with the function of converting electric signal to optical amplitude modulation is a key component in high-speed optical communication links. In this paper, we demonstrate a variety of two-dimensional graphene-integrated photonic crystal fiber modulators for efficient near-infrared amplitude modulation with ultra-low insertion loss. Taking the advantages of the perfect total internal reflection of the porous photonic crystal fiber and flexible tunability of the graphene conductivity, the modulation depth of 0.075 dB μm−1 with a low optical loss of 2.13 × 10−4 dB μm−1, a long propagation length of ∼20 mm and polarization-insensitive characteristics in a wide wavelength of 1.3 to 1.8 μm can be achieved. This high-performance modulator may have great potential applications in various high-speed telecommunication, interconnection, and graphene-based integrated photonic systems.

Two-Dimensional Material-Based Fluorescent Optical Fiber for Early Detection of Partial Discharge

Two-Dimensional Material-Based Fluorescent Optical Fiber for Early Detection of Partial Discharge

Compressive Bearing Capacity and Ductility of Slurry-Infiltrated Fiber Concrete Blocks with Two-Dimensional Distributed Steel Fibers

Slurry-infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON) has excellent potential for application as a new material with good crack resistance, impact resistance, and seismic performance. In this paper, SIFCON blocks were cast in a single pour using the custom-made two-dimensional directional steel fiber placement device, followed by compressive testing. Based on the test results, the effects of fly ash substitution rate, steel fiber aspect ratio, and steel fiber volume fraction on the compressive bearing capacity and ductility of SIFCON blocks were investigated. The results indicate that the custom-made device in this paper effectively achieves the directional placement of steel fibers, offering a cost-effective solution that optimizes the construction process. Regarding the test results, it was observed that the compressive bearing capacity of SIFCON blocks decreases linearly with increasing fly ash substitution rate, while the addition of fly ash improves the ductility of the blocks. Notably, a 31% decrease in bearing capacity was noted when the fly ash substitution rate increases from 0% to 40%, whereas the ductility ratio increased by 99% for the same substitution rate range. Furthermore, the results revealed a positive correlation between the bearing capacity and ductility of SIFCON blocks with higher steel fiber aspect ratios and volume fractions. Specifically, the bearing capacity increased by 19% and 33% with steel fiber aspect ratio increments from 33 to 70 and volume fraction increases from 10% to 14%, respectively. Additionally, the ductility ratio of the test blocks increased by 104% when the aspect ratio of the steel fibers increased from 33 to 70, and by 37% when the volume fraction of steel fibers rose from 10% to 14%.

Impact protection using novel fibre reinforced concrete

The research described in this paper identifies how the use of three-dimensional (3D) unwelded fibre reinforcement can provide protection against back-face spalling in the case of damage caused by impact, and contributes to understanding how such material specification can carry significant long-term benefits. When subjected to ballistic impact or explosion, reinforced concrete suffers back-face spalling caused by compressive stress waves, resulting in projectiles that can cause injury and collateral damage. This conceptual study seeks to reduce concrete projectiles and subsequent damage using 3D unwelded fibre-reinforcement. Conventional two-dimensional (2D) straight fibres rely on orientation and positioning for effective bridging of rupture planes, whereas 3D fibres benefit from inherent superiority of their orientation across a rupture plane. Twenty-five kilograms of 3D unwelded fibres (3DUWBL) and 2D fibres per m3 of concrete were used in the mix designs. Samples were tested for compressive strength, fibre pull-out, three-point and four-point flexural testing and ballistic impact. There was significant improvement in toughness and post-fracture control within the 3DUWBL specimens. The 3DUWBL fibres exceeded EN 14889 standards, outperforming the 2D fibre specimens, and controlled back-face spalling and reduced airborne projectiles in comparison to the 2D fibres. The study is limited to demonstrating proof of concept. The implication of these results will inform future research studies in this area. The results identify a current gap in research associated with 3D unwelded fibre use and the reduction of back-face spalling. 3D fibres overcome the significant failings of even dispersion and bond pull-out strength ordinarily associated with 2D fibres. This is due to the x y z orientation and omission of the welded connection. The implications are a reduction in manufacturing time and costs, making 3DUWBL fibres a more viable industry application. This research shows that 3D unwelded fibre reinforcement provides good resistance to back-face spalling of concrete elements when they are subjected to ballistic stresses. Such fibres are not currently commercially available, but they would be cheaper to produce, and their novel fibre shape provides enhanced post-crack toughness performance with the addition of lower variability, providing a lower-risk form of crack control.

Advancements in Thermal Insulation through Ceramic Micro-Nanofiber Materials.

Ceramic fibers have the advantages of high temperature resistance, light weight, favorable chemical stability and superior mechanical vibration resistance, which make them widely used in aerospace, energy, metallurgy, construction, personal protection and other thermal protection fields. Further refinement of the diameter of conventional ceramic fibers to microns or nanometers could further improve their thermal insulation performance and realize the transition from brittleness to flexibility. Processing traditional two-dimensional (2D) ceramic fiber membranes into three-dimensional (3D) ceramic fiber aerogels could further increase porosity, reduce bulk density, and reduce solid heat conduction, thereby improving thermal insulation performance and expanding application areas. Here, a comprehensive review of the newly emerging 2D ceramic micro-nanofiber membranes and 3D ceramic micro-nanofiber aerogels is demonstrated, starting from the presentation of the thermal insulation mechanism of ceramic fibers, followed by the summary of 2D ceramic micro-nanofiber membranes according to different types, and then the generalization of the construction strategies for 3D ceramic micro-nanofiber aerogels. Finally, the current challenges, possible solutions, and future prospects of ceramic micro-nanofiber materials are comprehensively discussed. We anticipate that this review could provide some valuable insights for the future development of ceramic micro-nanofiber materials for high temperature thermal insulation.

Viscoelastic modelling and analysis of two-dimensional woven CNT-based multiscale fibre reinforced composite material system

Carbon nanotube (CNT) has fostered research as a promising nanomaterial for a variety of applications due to its exceptional mechanical, optical, and electrical characteristics. The present article proposes a novel and comprehensive micromechanical framework to assess the viscoelastic properties of a multiscale CNT-reinforced two-dimensional (2D) woven hybrid composite. It also focuses on demonstrating the utilisation of the proposed micromechanics in the dynamic analysis of shell structure. First, the detailed constructional attributes of the proposed trans-scale composite material system are described in detail. Then, according to the nature of the constructional feature, mathematical modelling of each constituent phase or building block’s material properties is established to evaluate the homogenised viscoelastic properties of the proposed composite material system. To highlight the novelty of this study, the viscoelastic characteristics of the modified matrix are developed using the micromechanics method of Mori–Tanaka (MT) in combination with the weak viscoelastic interphase (WI) theory. In the entire micromechanical framework, the CNTs are considered to be randomly oriented. The strength of the material (SOM) approach is used to establish mathematical frameworks for the viscoelastic characteristics of yarns, whereas the unit cell method (UCM) is used to determine the viscoelastic properties of the representative unit cell (RUC). Different numerical results have been obtained by varying the CNT composition, interface conditions, agglomeration, carbon fibre volume percentage, excitation frequency, and temperature. The influences of geometrical parameters like yarn thickness, width, and the gap length to yarn width ratio on the viscoelasticity of such composite material systems are also explored. The current study also addresses the issue of resultant anisotropic viscoelastic properties due to the use of dissimilar yarn thickness. The results of this micromechanical analysis provide valuable insights into the viscoelastic properties of the proposed composite material system and suggest its potential applications in vibration damping. To demonstrate the application of developed novel micromechanics in vibration analysis, as one of the main contributions, comprehensive numerical experiments are conducted on a shell panel. The results show a significant reduction in vibration amplitudes compared to traditional composite materials in the frequency response and transient response analyses. To focus on the aspect of micromechanical behaviour on dynamic response and for the purpose of brevity, only linear strain displacement relationships are considered for dynamic analysis. These insights could inform future research and development in the field of composite materials.

Enhanced Nonradiative Charge Recombination in Microfiber-Based Bismuthene.

After the first report of a graphene-based passive mode-locking ultrafast fiber laser, two-dimensional materials as efficient saturable absorbers offer a new horizon in ultrafast fiber laser. However, the interactions on atomic scale between these two-dimensional materials and fiber and the fiber effect on the carrier dynamics have not been realized. To figure out the exact role of fiber and the carrier dynamics affected by the fiber substrate related to ultrafast photonics, bismuthene, a newly reported 2D quantum material used in a passive mode-locking fiber laser, deposited on α-quartz has been investigated. We surprisingly found that the α-quartz substrate can strongly accelerate the nonradiative electron-hole recombination of bismuthene in theory, and the transient absorption spectra of bismuthene on normal glass and α-quartz further verify the substrate effect on carrier dynamics of bismuthene. The discovery provides new thinking about substrate effect to regulate the performance of ultrafast mode-locking fiber lasers as well as ultrafast photonics.

A comprehensive review of blood component detection utilizing One-Dimensional, Two-Dimensional, and photonic crystal fiber biosensors

This comprehensive review investigates the diverse landscape of blood component detection through the one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and photonic crystal fiber biosensors. Each biosensor, dedicated to specific blood components, is scrutinized in detail, with a focus on key parameters such as Quality Factor (Q) coefficient Loss, Figure of Merit (FOM), and Detection Limit (DL). The study discerns notable advancements in sensitivity and confinement loss within the realm of photonic crystal fiber sensors, attributing these improvements to recent structural modifications. The findings contribute valuable insights into the state-of-the-art techniques employed in blood component detection, paving the way for enhanced biosensor technologies in biomedical applications.

Janus silk fibroin/polycaprolactone-based scaffold with directionally aligned fibers and porous structure for bone regeneration

To promote bone repair, it is desirable to develop three-dimensional multifunctional fiber scaffolds. The densely stacked and tightly arranged conventional two-dimensional electrospun fibers hinder cell penetration into the scaffold. Most of the existing three-dimensional structural materials are isotropic and monofunctional. In this research, a Janus nanofibrous scaffold based on silk fibroin/polycaprolactone (SF/PCL) was fabricated. SF-encapsulated SeNPs demonstrated stability and resistance to aggregation. The outside layer (SF/PCL/Se) of the Janus nanofiber scaffold displayed a structured arrangement of fibers, facilitating cell growth guidance and impeding cell invasion. The inside layer (SF/PCL/HA) featured a porous structure fostering cell adhesion. The Janus fiber scaffold containing SeNPs notably suppressed S. aureus and E. coli activities, correlating with SeNPs concentration. In vitro, findings indicated considerable enhancement in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts and upregulation of genes linked to osteogenic differentiation with exposure to the SF/PCL/HA/Se Janus nanofibrous scaffold. Moreover, in vivo, experiments demonstrated successful critical bone defect repair in mouse skulls using the SF/PCL/HA/Se Janus nanofiber scaffold. These findings highlight the potential of the SF/PCL-based Janus nanofibrous scaffold, integrating SeNPs and nHA, as a promising biomaterial in bone tissue engineering.

Fast, sustainable, and simultaneous analysis of water- and fat-soluble vitamins by the two-dimensional microcarbon fiber fractionation system hyphenated with MS detection

BackgroundVitamins are micronutrients that are required for normal growth and development of living organisms. However, due to their various chemical properties (e.g., acid-base behavior, the presence of numerous forms) and fluctuating concentration levels within complex matrices, simultaneous analysis of multi-class vitamins, including their active forms, is a challenging task. The growing nutrient shortage in foods is concerning for food consumers, manufacturers, and quality control organizations. Hence, a simple, fast, and greener approach that can simultaneously analyze multi-class vitamins is required to aid food testing and clinical laboratories in evaluating vitamin content more rapidly and accurately. ResultsA green and rapid analytical method based on online two-dimensional microscale carbon fiber/activated carbon fiber fractionation-mass spectrometry (2DμCFs-MS) was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of vitamins (water- and fat-soluble vitamins and some analogs) in food supplements and fortified energy drinks. Vitamins have been successfully separated into three different fractions using the minimum toxic solvent (only 0.7 mL of organic solvent) in a single run within 6 min. The limit of detection (LOD) ranges from 0.1 to 10.4 ng/mL, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) ranges from 0.39 to 34.5 ng/mL. The method also showed adequate repeatability and intermediate precision, with RSD<10 % and R2 > 0.99 for most vitamins. The analytical method was evaluated in terms of greenness, with an analytical greenness (AGREE) score of 0.68. SignificanceThe 2DμCFs-MS system was developed to separate and detect multi-class vitamins simultaneously, which can be used as a beneficial tool to investigate vitamin content for food labeling and determining the vitamins in biological fluids and other complex samples. The developed method can tackle the challenge of simultaneous and fast routine analysis of multi-class vitamins.

Electrospun short fibers: a new platform for cancer nanomedicine applications

With the continuous development of nanomaterials, nanofibers prepared by electrospinning have gradually occupied people’s vision because of their unique advantages, such as crisscross network and extracellular matrix-mimicking structure, high drug loading efficiency, and sustained release kinetics. Traditionally, electrospun fibers are mainly used as filter materials, wound dressings, and tissue engineering scaffolds, while their wide applications are limited to cancer nanomedicine applications due to their dense network structure. In recent years, two-dimensional fiber membranes have been transformed into short fibers that can be reconstructed to form fibrous rings or microspheres for cancer theranostics. Herein, this paper provides an overview of the recent advances in the design of electrospun short fibers that retain the advantages of nanofibers with good dispersibility for different nanomedicine applications, including cancer cell capture, cancer treatments, and cancer theranostics. The rational preparation of electrospun short fibers that are available to boost the development of nanomedicine is also discussed.

Electrospun short fibers: a new platform for cancer nanomedicine applications

With the continuous development of nanomaterials, nanofibers prepared by electrospinning have gradually occupied people’s vision because of their unique advantages, such as crisscross network and extracellular matrix-mimicking structure, high drug loading efficiency, and sustained release kinetics. Traditionally, electrospun fibers are mainly used as filter materials, wound dressings, and tissue engineering scaffolds, while their wide applications are limited to cancer nanomedicine applications due to their dense network structure. In recent years, two-dimensional fiber membranes have been transformed into short fibers that can be reconstructed to form fibrous rings or microspheres for cancer theranostics. Herein, this paper provides an overview of the recent advances in the design of electrospun short fibers that retain the advantages of nanofibers with good dispersibility for different nanomedicine applications, including cancer cell capture, cancer treatments, and cancer theranostics. The rational preparation of electrospun short fibers that are available to boost the development of nanomedicine is also discussed.

Behavior and design of concrete filled stainless steel tubular columns under concentric and eccentric compressive loading

Concrete Filled Stainless Steel Tubular (CFSST) column is a novel type of composite columns that features excellent structural performance, corrosion resistance as well as aesthetic appearance. Owing to the differential mechanical properties between stainless steel and carbon steel, extending the current design codes of conventional CFST columns to CFSST columns may cause unreliable predictions. To this end, this paper summarizes the current state-of-art of CFSST columns and compiles the database of CFSST columns subjected to concentric compressive loading and eccentric compressive loading. Based on the analysis of current studies, the applicability of current international design codes is comprehensively evaluated, and the numerical simulation is also performed through three-dimensional Finite Element (FE) modeling and two-dimensional Fiber Section (FS) modeling technique, where the concrete confinement effect is properly incorporated. Parametric study is then conducted using the validated FS model to investigate the influence of concrete compressive strength, steel yield strength and section slenderness ratio on load-carrying capacity. Finally, a new approach is proposed to construct the axial force-bending moment interaction diagram of CFSST columns, which is simple to use and generates enhanced prediction accuracy as compared with the current design method.

Folding endurance and damage mechanisms of SiC fiber braided fabrics

Aiming at the issues of poor toughness, low folding endurance, and susceptibility to damage of silicon carbide (SiC) fiber tows during repeated folding process, two-dimensional (2D) SiC fiber braided fabrics with varying braiding angles were prepared in this study. The folding endurance and damage mechanisms of SiC fiber fabrics under different folding conditions were investigated through repeated folding tests, tensile tests, and optical microscope measurements. The results revealed that when the folding angle was (+180°, −180°), the SiC fiber braided fabric with a lower braiding angle (α = 37.8°) exhibited a folding endurance number of 1984 times, while the medium angle fabric (α = 41.2°) had a value of 761 times, and the high angle fabric (α = 43.1°) achieved 1733 times. During the folding process, both interlaced abrasion between fiber tows and external folding loads affected the mechanical properties of SiC fiber tows and their fabrics leading to material damage. Initially, the folding load played a major role in determining fold endurance when there were fewer number of folds; however, as the number of folds increased, the influence of interlaced abrasion became increasingly significant. Ultimately, these combined factors led to progressive damage evolution until failure occurred in the fabrics. Among all tested samples, the SiC fiber braided fabric with a higher braiding angle (α = 43.1°) demonstrated optimal fold endurance performance, and it had superior characteristics such as higher fold endurance numbers along with lower force loss rates for fiber tows after multiple folds and fabric force loss rates following repeated folds.

The synthesis of high-temperature resistant SiC fiber membrane by centrifugal spinning

SiC fibers have urgent application requirements under extreme conditions due to their excellent properties such as thermal stability, radiation resistance and high modulus. In this work, SiC fiber membranes with two-dimensional micro-nano fiber interwoven structures were synthesized by centrifugal spinning. TG results show that SiC fiber has good high-temperature resistance and oxidation resistance. There is no obvious damage to the SiC fiber membrane under the oxyacetylene flame heating at about 1450 °C. At heat treatment temperatures up to 2000 °C, the SiC fiber membrane still exhibits structural stability. The minimum diameter of SiC fibers is 0.7 μm. SiC fiber membranes exhibit superior mechanical and chemical stability under extreme temperature conditions. This work will help to prepare high-performance ceramic fiber membranes with different material systems.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3/Al2O3 composite densified through a slurry infiltration and sintering process

High fracture strength and fracture toughness are vital requirements for the Al2O3/Al2O3 composites. This advanced structural material is composed of two-dimensional alumina fiber fabrics with porous alumina matrices. However, the Al2O3/Al2O3 composites exhibit low delamination resistance under shear stress. In this study, an as-fabricated Al2O3/Al2O3 composite was densified through a slurry infiltration and sintering (SIS) process. The SIS-cycle-dependent mechanical properties of the Al2O3/Al2O3 composites were investigated. The results showed that the matrix was strengthened, and the fibers were unaffected after SIS process. With increasing SIS cycles, the flexural and interlaminar shear strengths increased, whereas the fracture toughness decreased. The best performance was reached after six SIS cycles, which had a flexural strength of 414.7 ± 41.6 MPa, an interlaminar shear strength of 25.6 ± 3.1 MPa, and a fracture toughness of 11.0 ± 0.3 MPa m1/2. The different changes in fracture strength and fracture toughness with the SIS cycles were attributed to matrix densification and enhanced interfacial bonding. The SIS process has the potential to improve the strength without sacrificing the damage tolerance.

Tannic acid-functionalized 3D porous nanofiber sponge for antibiotic-free wound healing with enhanced hemostasis, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties

Developing an antibiotic-free wound dressing with effective hemostasis and antibacterial and antioxidant capacity is highly desirable. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol-tannic acid porous nanofiber sponge (3D-TA) was prepared via electrospinning. Compared with two-dimensional (2D) fiber membrane, the unique fluffy 3D-TA nanofiber sponge had high porosity, water absorption and retention ability, hemostatic capacity. Furthermore, the 3D sponge functionalized by tannic acid (TA) endow the sponge with high antibacterial and antioxidant capacity without loading antibiotics. In addition, 3D-TA composite sponges have shown highly biocompatibility against L929 cells. The in vivo experiment shows the 3D-TA is enable to accelerate wound healing. This newly 3D-TA sponges hold great potential as wound dressings for future clinical application.

Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of two-dimensional continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites using wedge-loaded double cantilever beam method

In this study, the wedge-loaded double cantilever beam (W-DCB) method was applied to evaluate the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of two-dimensional (2D) continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). Based on the elastic foundation theory, a W-DCB model was built and its compliance formula was derived by considering the axial force effect, shear effect, asymmetric propagation, and incomplete interlaminar contact. The friction effect was analyzed and measured using the theory of error transfer and a quasi-in-situ measurement method, respectively. The results reveal that rational selection of the wedge angle and friction coefficient can reduce the friction effect. Meanwhile, the W-DCB formula was comprehensively verified by compliance curves, crack tip behaviors, and the cohesive zone of 2D CMCs, which demonstrates its accuracy in conjunction with the experimental data. Finally, the energy release rate (ERR) of the 2D CMCs calculated using the W-DCB theory was consistent with the measured data.

A new multi-scale modeling method for needled C/C composites

Needled composites have stronger interlaminar properties compared to two-dimensional fiber composite structures due to the introduction of z-directional fibers in the fiber composite layup. An effective multi-scale finite element model is developed in this paper for the complex structure of needle-punched composites. Three scales, namely fRVE, pRVE, and lRVE, are modeled from the fiber scale, the delamination scale, and the laminate scale. using ABAQUS, periodic boundary conditions are applied to the RVEs at different scales to obtain the effective mechanical properties of various RVEs. Meanwhile, the effect of needling density on the needled composites is predicted by applying the above multi-scale model. The increase of needling density can enhance the out-of-plane effective mechanical properties of the composites, but it also weakens the in-plane effective mechanical properties. The maximum error of the elastic modulus calculation is 17.68% with that of the reference, thus verifying the rationality of the multi-scale model.