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Mechanical Behavior and Functional Applications of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials and Structures

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Composites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 2277

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xin Zhang

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Guest Editor Assistant
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Terahertz Functional Devices and Intelligent Sensing, School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Interests: 3D printing; 4D printing; continuous fiber; polymer composites; composite structures; mechanics; multiscale analysis; failure mechanism
Dr. Di Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: impact behavior of composite structures; failure analysis of composites; damage resistance and damage tolerance; multiscale design and modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jin Wang

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicle and Mobility, School of Vehicle and Mobility, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: composite materials; composite structures; thin-walled structures; 3D printing; impact mechanics; thermoplastic composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qinyuan Lin

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Guest Editor Assistant
State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: composite structures; assembly processes; digital twin; shape performance regulation; damage mechanics
Prof. Dr. Bing Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Terahertz Functional Devices and Intelligent Sensing, School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Interests: polymer composites; smart structures; mechanics; multiscale analysis; elasticity and viscoelasticity; non-destructive testing and evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures are crucial in addressing modern engineering challenges across aerospace, automotive, energy, and healthcare fields. Their ability to deliver high strength-to-weight ratios, energy efficiency, and multifunctionality makes them indispensable for the development of next-generation technologies.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on the mechanical behavior and functional applications of fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures, aiming to bridge the gap between fundamental research and real-world applications. We encourage submissions of original research papers, short communications, and review articles. This Special Issue aims to cover the latest progress in this field and stimulate further academic interest to promote and benefit multidisciplinary scientific communities.

This Special will address innovative fabrication techniques, enhanced mechanical properties, and advanced functional capabilities of fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures. Potential topics for submissions include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Structural analysis and optimization design for fiber-reinforced composite materials.
  • Energy absorption and impact resistance in fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures.
  • Design concepts and engineering examples for mechanical protection.
  • The modeling and simulation of mechanical behavior in fiber-reinforced composite structures.
  • The mechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures under extreme environments.
  • The failure mechanism of 3D/4D-printed composite materials and structures.
  • Deformable or shape memory control method.
  • The design and analysis of morphing structures.
  • Repair and evaluation technology for fiber-reinforced composite structures.
  • The health monitoring of fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures.
  • Functional applications of fiber-reinforced composite materials and structures in aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and electronics industries.

Dr. Xin Zhang
Guest Editor Assistant

Dr. Di Zhang
Dr. Jin Wang
Guest Editors

Dr. Qinyuan Lin
Guest Editor Assistant

Prof. Dr. Bing Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • structural design
  • mechanics
  • function
  • finite element analysis
  • multiscale analysis
  • optimization
  • energy absorption
  • mechanical protection
  • extreme environments
  • repair

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4128 KB  
Article
Constitutive Model of Quasi-Static and Dynamic Tensile Behavior and High-Temperature Rheology of PEEK
by Lizhi Tian, Jiaxin Deng, Xin Zhang, Bing Wang, Tiegang Tang, Lei Lu, Cheng Fan and Chun Zhang
Materials 2025, 18(22), 5127; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18225127 - 11 Nov 2025
Viewed by 390
Abstract
Static and dynamic uniaxial tensile responses were investigated to accurately characterize and predict the mechanical properties of PEEK (polyether-ether-ketone) at strain rates ranging from 10−3 s−1 to 200 s−1 and temperatures ranging from 23 °C to 110 °C. The tensile [...] Read more.
Static and dynamic uniaxial tensile responses were investigated to accurately characterize and predict the mechanical properties of PEEK (polyether-ether-ketone) at strain rates ranging from 10−3 s−1 to 200 s−1 and temperatures ranging from 23 °C to 110 °C. The tensile responses showed dependences on the strain rate and temperature, and the dependences of the yield strength and elastic modulus on the temperature and strain rate were studied. A modified phenomenological Sherwood–Frost constitutive model considering a wide range of strain rates and temperatures was established to characterize the tensile mechanical response of PEEK material before yielding based on the experimental data. The results indicate that the model can accurately describe the pre-yield behavior of PEEK under different temperature and strain rate conditions, thus reducing the dependency on experimental data for subsequent researchers, thereby providing a theoretical foundation and modeling framework for the design and performance evaluation of CF/PEEK composite structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Behavior and Functional Applications of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials and Structures)
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20 pages, 3835 KB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Strength Improvement Techniques in Perforated Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Plates: Adhesive Filling, Bolt Reinforcement, and Elliptical Perforation Design
by Yiqing Dai, Jiachun Chen, Chao Yu, Ahmed D. Almutairi and Yan Yuan
Materials 2025, 18(18), 4290; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18184290 - 12 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 709
Abstract
Due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance, glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites have been used in various civil structures. However, the GFRP profiles may be perforated to allow bolting, wiring, and pipelining, causing stress concentration and safety concerns in load-carrying [...] Read more.
Due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance, glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites have been used in various civil structures. However, the GFRP profiles may be perforated to allow bolting, wiring, and pipelining, causing stress concentration and safety concerns in load-carrying scenarios. A fundamental understanding of the stress concentration mechanisms and the efficacy of mitigation techniques in such anisotropic materials remains limited, particularly for the complex stress states introduced by perforations and mechanical fasteners. This study investigates the effectiveness of three techniques, adhesive filling, bolt reinforcement, and elliptical perforation design, in mitigating stress concentration and enhancing the strength of perforated GFRP plates. The effects of perforation geometry, filler modulus, bolt types, and applied preloads on the stress concentration and bearing capacity are investigated through experimental and finite element analysis. The results reveal that steel bolt reinforcement significantly improves load-bearing capacity, achieving a 13.9% increase in the pultrusion direction and restoring nearly full strength in the transverse direction (4.91 kN vs. unperforated 4.89 kN). Adhesive filling shows limited effectiveness, with minimal load improvement, while elliptical perforations exhibit the lowest performance, reducing strength by 38% compared to circular holes. Stress concentration factors (SCF) vary with hole diameter, peaking at 5.13 for 8 mm holes in the pultrusion direction, and demonstrate distinct sensitivity to filler modulus, with optimal SCF reduction observed at 30–40 GPa. The findings highlight the anisotropic nature of GFRP, emphasizing the importance of reinforcement selection based on loading direction and structural requirements. This study provides critical insights for optimizing perforated GFRP components in modular construction and other civil engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Behavior and Functional Applications of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials and Structures)
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14 pages, 2047 KB  
Article
Fracture Behavior of Steel-Fiber-Reinforced High-Strength Self-Compacting Concrete: A Digital Image Correlation Analysis
by Maoliang Zhang, Junpeng Chen, Junxia Liu, Huiling Yin, Yan Ma and Fei Yang
Materials 2025, 18(15), 3631; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153631 - 1 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 635
Abstract
In this study, steel fibers were used to improve the mechanical properties of high-strength self-compacting concrete (HSSCC), and its effect on the fracture mechanical properties was investigated by a three-point bending test with notched beams. Coupled with the digital image correlation (DIC) technique, [...] Read more.
In this study, steel fibers were used to improve the mechanical properties of high-strength self-compacting concrete (HSSCC), and its effect on the fracture mechanical properties was investigated by a three-point bending test with notched beams. Coupled with the digital image correlation (DIC) technique, the fracture process of steel-fiber-reinforced HSSCC was analyzed to elucidate the reinforcing and fracture-resisting mechanisms of steel fibers. The results indicate that the compressive strength and flexural strength of HSSCC cured for 28 days exhibited an initial decrease and then an enhancement as the volume fraction (Vf) of steel fibers increased, whereas the flexural-to-compressive ratio linearly increased. All of them reached their maximum of 110.5 MPa, 11.8 MPa, and 1/9 at 1.2 vol% steel fibers, respectively. Steel fibers significantly improved the peak load (FP), peak opening displacement (CMODP), fracture toughness (KIC), and fracture energy (GF) of HSSCC. Compared with HSSCC without steel fibers (HSSCC-0), the FP, KIC, CMODP, and GF of HSSCC with 1.2 vol% (HSSCC-1.2) increased by 23.5%, 45.4%, 11.1 times, and 20.1 times, respectively. The horizontal displacement and horizontal strain of steel-fiber-reinforced HSSCC both increased significantly with an increasing Vf. HSSCC-0 experienced unstable fracture without the occurrence of a fracture process zone during the whole fracture damage, whereas the fracture process zone formed at the notched beam tip of HSSCC-1.2 at its initial loading stage and further extended upward in the beams of high-strength self-compacting concrete with a 0.6% volume fraction of steel fibers and HSSCC-1.2 as the load approaches and reaches the peak. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Behavior and Functional Applications of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials and Structures)
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