Special Issue "Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites: Processing/Structure/Performance Inter-relationships"

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2023 | Viewed by 1371

Special Issue Editors

Centre for Materials and Processes, Institut Mines-Télécom, IMT Nord Europe, Douai, France
Interests: numerical and experimental mechanics applied to forming processes of thermoplastic materials; processing–structure–performance relationships; thermoplastic composites manufacturing; image-based structural analysis; mechanical properties of thermoplastic matrix composites; finite element analysis; numerical homogenization for composite materials analysis; structural health monitoring; kinematic full-field measurements
Centre for Materials and Processes, Institut Mines-Télécom, IMT Nord Europe, Douai, France
Interests: advanced composites; polymer composites; composites manufacturing and properties; polymer processing and properties; advanced manufacturing; additive manufacturing and 3D printing; structural health monitoring; recycling; bio-based polymers and composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Centre for Materials and Processes, Institut Mines-Télécom, IMT Nord Europe, Douai, France
Interests: advanced composites; polymer composites; composites manufacturing and properties; advanced manufacturing; numerical simulation and modeling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The search for eco-responsible solutions is attracting the interest of end-use industries toward fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites (FRT). However, numerous challenges are still limiting the development of efficient optimization approaches of FRT composites for structural parts. Such challenges emanate from complexities related to (i) the multiscale structure of reinforcement and (ii) multiphysical phenomena governing the use of thermoplastics within liquid resin transfer processes. In this context, the development of new interdisciplinary approaches for better understanding processing–structure–performance inter-relationships is encouraged to alleviate challenges related to (i) smart manufacturing, (ii) advanced microstructure characterization, (iii) numerical modeling of physical phenomena or (iv) simulation approaches. The current Special Issue aims to explore recent developments focused on FRT composites falling within the scope of the aforementioned topics. Multidisciplinary articles and review papers are encouraged to cover emerging topics such as artificial intelligence applied to manufacturing, data-driven simulations, multimodal microstructure characterization, hierarchical FRT composites, mechanical metamaterials, etc. 

Dr. Abderrahmane Ayadi
Prof. Dr. Patricia Krawczak
Prof. Dr. Chung Hae Park
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Polymers 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 2400 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

  • high-performance thermoplastic composites
  • hierarchical fiber-reinforced composites
  • mechanical metamaterials
  • ultra-lightweight composites
  • one-shot short cycle time manufacturing processes
  • zero-defect manufacturing
  • low-cost manufacturing technologies
  • non-destructive image-based microstructure characterization
  • process-induced flaws prediction
  • numerical modeling and simulation
  • image-based full-scale simulations
  • data-driven simulations
  • artificial intelligence-based manufacturing

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Describing and Modeling Rough Composites’ Surfaces by Using Topological Data Analysis and Fractional Brownian Motion
Polymers 2023, 15(6), 1449; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15061449 - 14 Mar 2023
Viewed by 182
Abstract
Many composite manufacturing processes employ the consolidation of pre-impregnated preforms. However, in order to obtain adequate performance of the formed part, intimate contact and molecular diffusion across the different composites’ preform layers must be ensured. The latter takes place as soon as the [...] Read more.
Many composite manufacturing processes employ the consolidation of pre-impregnated preforms. However, in order to obtain adequate performance of the formed part, intimate contact and molecular diffusion across the different composites’ preform layers must be ensured. The latter takes place as soon as the intimate contact occurs and the temperature remains high enough during the molecular reptation characteristic time. The former, in turn, depends on the applied compression force, the temperature and the composite rheology, which, during the processing, induce the flow of asperities, promoting the intimate contact. Thus, the initial roughness and its evolution during the process, become critical factors in the composite consolidation. Processing optimization and control are needed for an adequate model, enabling it to infer the consolidation degree from the material and process features. The parameters associated with the process are easily identifiable and measurable (e.g., temperature, compression force, process time, ⋯). The ones concerning the materials are also accessible; however, describing the surface roughness remains an issue. Usual statistical descriptors are too poor and, moreover, they are too far from the involved physics. The present paper focuses on the use of advanced descriptors out-performing usual statistical descriptors, in particular those based on the use of homology persistence (at the heart of the so-called topological data analysis—TDA), and their connection with fractional Brownian surfaces. The latter constitutes a performance surface generator able to represent the surface evolution all along the consolidation process, as the present paper emphasizes. Full article
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Article
Sisal-Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Flame-Retardant Composites: Preparation and Properties
Polymers 2023, 15(4), 893; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040893 - 10 Feb 2023
Viewed by 587
Abstract
Natural-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites with a series of advantages including light weight, chemical durability, renewable resources, low in cost, etc., are being widely used in many fields such as the automotive industry, packaging, and construction. However, the flammability of plant fiber and the [...] Read more.
Natural-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites with a series of advantages including light weight, chemical durability, renewable resources, low in cost, etc., are being widely used in many fields such as the automotive industry, packaging, and construction. However, the flammability of plant fiber and the PP matrix restricts the application range, security, and use of these composites. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the flame retardants of such composites. In this paper, sisal-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP/SF) flame-retardant composites were prepared using the two-step melt blending method. The flame retardant used was an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) composed of silane-coated ammonium polyphosphate (Si-APP) and pentaerythritol (PER). The influence of different blending processes on the flammability and mechanical properties of the composites was analyzed. The findings suggested that PP/SF flame-retardant composites prepared via different blending processes showed different flame-retardant properties. The (PP/SF)/IFR composite prepared by PP/SF secondary blending with IFR showed excellent flame-retardant performance, with a limited oxygen index of about 28.3% and passing the UL-94 V-0 rating (3.2 mm) in the vertical combustion test. Compared with the (PP/IFR) /SF composite prepared by a matrix primarily blended with IFR and then secondly blended with SF, the peak heat release rate (pk HRR) and total heat release (THR) of the (PP/SF)/IFR composite decreased by 11.3% and 13.7%, respectively. In contrast, the tensile strength of the (PP/SF)/IFR system was 5.3% lower than that of the (PP/IFR)/SF system; however, the overall mechanical (tensile, flexural, and notched impact) properties of the composites prepared using three different mixing processes were similar. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Short flax fibres and shives as reinforcements in bio composites: a numerical and experimental study on the mechanical properties
Authors: Sofie Verstraete; Bart Buffel; Stijn Debruyne; Frederik Desplentere
Affiliation: Research Group ProPoliS, Department of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven Campus Bruges, Spoorwegstraat 12, 8200 Bruges, Belgium
Abstract: In order to propose a method which can reduce production costs and energy consumption, this work focuses on the use of the whole flax stem, containing both shives and technical fibres, as reinforcement in a bio-based polylactic acid (PLA) matrix. In this way, a lightweight, fully bio-based material with improved material properties is obtained. Plate structures with flax volume fractions up to 20% were fabricated to investigate the effects of flax shives and full straw flax on the mechanical properties and anisotropy of the material. A 62% increase in longitudinal stiffness was obtained, resulting in a 10% higher specific stiffness compared to short glass fibre reinforced plates. This is caused by the lower density of the flax fibres and shives (1.3 g/cm³) compared to 2.6 g/cm³ for glass. The anisotropy of the flax composite is 21% lower compared to short glass fibre reinforced plates, due to the presence of flax shives. A mathematical multilayer approach based on a three-phase micromechanical model is used to predict the material stiffness at different orientations. The fibre orientation in the injection moulded plates was predicted with Moldflow simulations. By taking this flow induced fibre orientation into account, a high agreement between experimental and predicted data was obtained.

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