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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 25500

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sergey I. Gutnikov

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Laboratory of Technology of Functional Materials, Division of Chemical Technology and New Materials, Chemical Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
Interests: fibers; glass fibers, carbon fibers; fiber-reinforced polymer materials; fiber reinforced composites; high modulus fiber-reinforced composites, high modulus fiber-reinforced composites

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are a relatively new class of chemically resistant, high-strength, and lightweight materials. Over the past 15 years, this class of materials has become widely used in various fields: aircraft, automotive, construction, energy, and many others. In this Special Issue, we are going to collect the most interesting results in this area. A wide range of topics will be considered. We welcome the submission of articles considering any of the following: properties of reinforcing fibers (carbon, glass, basalt polymer, etc.), the study of the interaction at the polymer-reinforcing fiber interface, the influence of different coupling agents on adhesion and other properties, the layout of fibers or textiles in the composite, and the properties of composite materials themselves.

Dr. Sergey I. Gutnikov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

polymer composite materials
fiber-reinforced polymers
carbon fiber reinforced polymers
glass fiber reinforced polymers
basalt fiber reinforced polymers
polymer fiber reinforced polymers
glass fiber
carbon fiber
aramid fiber
high strenghth
high modulus
fiber-binder adhesion
technical textiles
coupling agents

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5954 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical and Tribological Performances of Thermoplastic Polymers Reinforced with Glass Fibres at Variable Fibre Volume Fractions

by Moustafa Mahmoud Yousry Zaghloul, Karen Steel, Martin Veidt and Michael T. Heitzmann

Polymers 2023, 15(3), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030694 - 30 Jan 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1694

Abstract

High wear rates and frictional coefficients have always been the primary reasons for limiting the service life of critical elements such as pumps, couplings, bushings, bearings and gears. The premature and erratic failures are costing the industries extensive amounts of money every year. Additionally, under severe service conditions, the wear resistance requirements are higher, which greatly hinders the application of neat thermoplastics in different sectors. Hence, it is vital to enhance the tribological characteristics of thermoplastics. The mechanical and tribological properties of Polyamide 6, Thermoplastic Polyurethane, and glass fibre reinforced (GFR) Polyadmide 6 Composites of variable fibre volume fractions were investigated. Pin specimens of Polyamide 6 reinforced with (25%, 33%, and 50%) by volume of fibres were fabricated by an injection moulding process. The specimens were tested for tensile, compression, hardness, and wear under dry abrasive conditions using a pin-on-disc setup. Furthermore, the samples were scanned using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and the worn-out samples were analysed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results showed that the fibre volume fraction was inversely proportional to the wear resistance of the prepared composite materials. This research will enable the industry partners to supply cutting-edge technologies to the global oil and gas industry that not only minimizes the well running cost but also improves the well resilience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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15 pages, 4774 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compressive Behavior of Pultruded GFRP Boxes with Concentric Openings Strengthened by Different Composite Wrappings

by Ceyhun Aksoylu, Yasin Onuralp Özkılıç, Emrah Madenci and Alexander Safonov

Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4095; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194095 - 29 Sep 2022

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 1333

Abstract

Web openings often need to be created in structural elements for the passage of utility ducts and/or pipes. Such web openings reduce the cross-sectional area of the structural element in the affected region, leading to a decrease in its load-carrying capacity and stiffness. This paper experimentally studies the effect of web openings on the response of pultruded fiber-reinforced polymer (PFRP) composite profiles under compressive loads. A number of specimens have been processed to examine the behavior of PFRP profiles strengthened with one or more web openings. The effects of the size of the web opening and the FRP-strengthening scheme on the structural performance of PFRP profiles with FRP-strengthened web openings have been thoroughly analyzed and discussed. The decrease in load-carrying capacity of un-strengthened specimens varies between 7.9% and 66.4%, depending on the diameter of the web holes. It is observed that the diameter of the hole and the type of CFRP- or GFRP-strengthening method applied are very important parameters. All CFRP- and GFRP-strengthening alternatives were successful in the PFRP profiles, with diameter-to-width (D/W) ratios between 0.29 and 0.68. In addition, the load-carrying capacity after reinforcements made with CFRP and GFRP increased by 3.1–30.2% and 1.7–19.7%, respectively. Therefore, the pultruded profiles with openings are able to compensate for the reduction in load-carrying capacity due to holes, up to a D/W ratio of 0.32. The capacity significantly drops after a D/W ratio of 0.32. Moreover, the pultruded profile with CFRP wrapping is more likely to improve the load-carrying capacity compared to other wrappings. As a result, CFRP are recommended as preferred composite materials for strengthening alternatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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10 pages, 2501 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Sizing Agent on the Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical Performance of Basalt Fiber/Epoxy Composites

by Long Ma, Xiaotao Fu, Cong Zhang, Lincong Chen, Xiaolin Chen, Chuanfu Fu, Yunfei Yu and Hechen Liu

Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3533; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173533 - 28 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1393

Abstract

Basalt fiber and its resin composites have gradually supplanted traditional steel and glass fiber composites due to their superior strength, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance. However, basalt fiber still has significant flaws that restrict the functionality and use of its composites, such as less active functional groups and poor resin adherence. This study examines the effects of sizing agent on the characteristics of basalt fiber/epoxy resin composites. Epoxy resin emulsion and acrylate emulsion are employed as the primary auxiliary film-forming agents in this study. Polyurethane emulsion with various content levels is also used. The findings indicate that a 1% wt. of polyurethane emulsion concentration produces the greatest results, increasing the composite’s flexural strength, flexural modulus, tensile strength, and interlaminar shear strength by 122%, 34.0%, 102%, and 10.2%, respectively. At the same time, the storage modulus and Tg of the material will decrease. In addition, the breakdown strength can be raised by 112%, and insulation parameters such as leakage current and dielectric loss factor can be decreased by 26.4% and 15.6%, respectively. The effect of sizing agent B is the best. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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16 pages, 3455 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Analytical Model for Cure-Induced Deformation of Composite Laminates

by Xiaobo Peng, Jiang Xu, Yong Cheng, Long Zhang, Jie Yang and Yinghui Li

Polymers 2022, 14(14), 2903; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14142903 - 17 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1600

Abstract

Curing deformation prediction plays an important role in guiding the tools, curing process design, etc. Analytical methods can provide a rapid prediction and in-depth understanding of the curing deformation mechanism. In this paper, an analytical model is presented to study the cure-induced deformation of composite laminates. Based on the classical laminate theory, the thermal stress and deformation of composites during the curing process are calculated by considering the evolution of the mechanical properties of resin. Additionally, the coupling stiffness of the laminate is taken into consideration in the analytical model. An interface layer between the tool and the part is developed to simulate the variation of the tool–part interaction with the degree of resin cure. The maximum curing deformations and deformation profiles of different lay-up composite parts predicted by the proposed model are compared with the results of the finite element method and previous literature reports. Then, a comprehensive parametric study is carried out to investigate the influence of curing cycle, geometry, tool thermal expansion, and resin characteristics on the curing deformation of composite parts. The results reveal that geometry has a significant influence on the curing deformation of composite parts, but for dimensionally determined parts, curing deformation is mainly attributable to their own anisotropy in macro and micro aspects, as well as the stretching effect of the tool on the part. The percentage contribution of different factors to curing deformation composites with different lay-ups and geometries is also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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12 pages, 2689 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Basalt Fibre Reinforced Polymer Lamellas for Renovation of Concrete Structures

by Szymon Grzesiak, Matthias Pahn, Andreas Klingler, Emmanuel Isaac Akpan, Milan Schultz-Cornelius and Bernd Wetzel

Polymers 2022, 14(4), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14040790 - 18 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1896

Abstract

The level of energy consumption in renovation activities of buildings has huge advantages over the demolition of old buildings and the construction of new structures. Such renovation activities are usually associated with the simultaneous strengthening of their elements, such as externally bonded carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) lamellas or sheets on vertical and horizontal surfaces as structural reinforcements. This means the process of refurbishing a building, as well as the raw materials themselves have a significant impact on CO₂ emissions and energy consumption. This research paper demonstrates possibilities of replacing state of the art, highly energy-intensive CFRP lamellas with basalt fibre reinforced plastics as energy-efficient structural reinforcements for building constructions. The mechanical and thermal properties of basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP) composites with variable matrix formulations are investigated. The article considers macro- and microstructures of innovative BFRP. The investigations focus on fibre–matrix interactions with different sizing formulations and their effect on the tensile strength, strain as well as modulus of elasticity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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13 pages, 5138 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Objective Optimisation of Curing Cycle of Thick Aramid Fibre/Epoxy Composite Laminates

by Guowei Zhang, Ling Luo, Ting Lin, Boming Zhang, He Wang, Yuao Qu and Bangke Meng

Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4070; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13234070 - 23 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1365

Abstract

Aramid fibre-reinforced epoxy composites (AF/EP) are promising materials in the aerospace, transportation, and civil fields owing to their high strength, high modulus, and light weight. Thick composite laminates are gradually being applied to large composite structures such as wind turbine blades. During curing, temperature overheating is a common problem in thick composites, which leads to matrix degradation, thermal residual stresses, and uneven curing. This paper proposes a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) method to optimise the curing cycle of thick AF/EP laminates and reduce the overheating temperature. During curing, the temperature and strain evolution in a thick AF/EP laminate were monitored using fibre Bragg grating sensors. The effects of the curing factors on the overheating temperature of the thick AF/EP laminate were evaluated using the Taguchi method and predicted via the SNR method and analysis of variance. The results indicate that the dwelling temperature is the main factor affecting the overheating temperature. The optimal curing cycle involves an overheating temperature of 192.72 °C, which constitutes an error of 2.58% compared to the SNR method predictions. Additionally, in comparison to the initial curing cycle, the overshoot temperature in the optimised curing cycle was reduced by 58.48 °C, representing a reduction ratio of 23.28%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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19 pages, 2940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influences of Slenderness and Eccentricity on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete-Filled GFRP Tube Columns

by Hongbo Guan, Yifei Xia, Jinli Wang and Arsene Hugo Mbonyintege

Polymers 2021, 13(17), 2968; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13172968 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2477

Abstract

The existence of either eccentricity or slenderness has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of a structure or member. These properties can change the working mechanism, failure mode, and bearing capacity of the structure or member. A concrete-filled, glass fibre-reinforced, polymer tube composite column has the same problem. We carried out experiments on the influences of eccentricity and slenderness on the mechanical properties of concrete-filled, glass fibre-reinforced, polymer tube composite columns. The experimentally recorded stress–strain relationships are presented graphically, and the ultimate axial stresses and strains and the FRP tube hoop strains at rupture were tabulated. The results indicate that the influences of slenderness and eccentricity on the composite columns were significant with regard to the axial strain, hoop strain, ultimate bearing capacity, lateral displacement, and failure mode. Based on the existing research literature and the results reported in this paper, the bearing capacity formula of a composite slender column under an eccentric load was established. The theoretical results were in good agreement with the experimental results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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12 pages, 4150 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Objective Optimization of Resistance Welding Process of GF/PP Composites

by Guowei Zhang, Ting Lin, Ling Luo, Boming Zhang, Yuao Qu and Bangke Meng

Polymers 2021, 13(15), 2560; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13152560 - 31 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1731

Abstract

Thermoplastic composites (TPCs) are promising materials for aerospace, transportation, shipbuilding, and civil use owing to their lightweight, rapid prototyping, reprocessing, and environmental recycling advantages. The connection assemblies of TPCs components are crucial to their application; compared with traditional mechanical joints and adhesive connections, fusion connections are more promising, particularly resistance welding. This study aims to investigate the effects of process control parameters, including welding current, time, and pressure, for optimization of resistance welding based on glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene (GF/PP) TPCs and a stainless-steel mesh heating element. A self-designed resistance-welding equipment suitable for the resistance welding process of GF/PP TPCs was manufactured. GF/PP laminates are fabricated using a hot press, and their mechanical properties were evaluated. The resistance distribution of the heating elements was assessed to conform with a normal distribution. Tensile shear experiments were designed and conducted using the Taguchi method to evaluate and predict process factor effects on the lap shear strength (LSS) of GF/PP based on signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and analysis of variance. The results show that current is the main factor affecting resistance welding quality. The optimal process parameters are a current of 12.5 A, pressure of 2.5 MPa, and time of 540 s. The experimental LSS under the optimized parameters is 12.186 MPa, which has a 6.76% error compared with the result predicted based on the S/N. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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20 pages, 5782 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Scale Study of the Small-Strain Damping Ratio of Fiber-Sand Composites

by Haiwen Li, Sathwik S. Kasyap and Kostas Senetakis

Polymers 2021, 13(15), 2476; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13152476 - 27 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1586

Abstract

The use of polypropylene fibers as a geosynthetic in infrastructures is a promising ground treatment method with applications in the enhancement of the bearing capacity of foundations, slope rehabilitation, strengthening of backfills, as well as the improvement of the seismic behavior of geo-systems. Despite the large number of studies published in the literature investigating the properties of fiber-reinforced soils, less attention has been given in the evaluation of the dynamic properties of these composites, especially in examining damping characteristics and the influence of fiber inclusion and content. In the present study, the effect of polypropylene fiber inclusion on the small-strain damping ratio of sands with different gradations and various particle shapes was investigated through resonant column (macroscopic) experiments. The macroscopic test results suggested that the damping ratio of the mixtures tended to increase with increasing fiber content. Accordingly, a new expression was proposed which considers the influence of fiber content in the estimation of the small-strain damping of polypropylene fiber-sand mixtures and it can be complementary of damping modeling from small-to-medium strains based on previously developed expressions in the regime of medium strains. Additional insights were attempted to be obtained on the energy dissipation and contribution of fibers of these composite materials by performing grain-scale tests which further supported the macroscopic experimental test results. It was also attempted to interpret, based on the grain-scale tests results, the influence of fiber inclusion in a wide spectrum of properties for fiber-reinforced sands providing some general inferences on the contribution of polypropylene fibers on the constitutive behavior of granular materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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11 pages, 2940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Preparation of Triangular Melt-Spinning Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Fibers and Its Fabric Strengthening and Toughening Epoxy

by Ting Zhou, Meng Wang and Ning Chen

Polymers 2021, 13(13), 2204; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13132204 - 03 Jul 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1939

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced epoxy materials have the advantages of light weight, high strength and designability, which are widely used in high-technology fields. In this paper, triangular poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fibers prepared by melt spinning were used for the first time in reinforcing and toughening epoxy resins. Based on intermolecular complexation and plasticization, the triangular PVA fibers were successfully prepared via melt spinning and hot drawing. The thermal properties, crystallinity, morphology and mechanical properties of the triangular fibers with different draw ratios were characterized by DSC, FTIR, XRD, SEM and tensile testing. The results show that the comprehensive performance of the triangular fibers increased with the increase in the draw ratio. The tensile strength of triangular fibers increased from 0.3 to 4.22 cN/dtex. Then, the triangular PVA fiber and circular PVA fiber-reinforced and toughened epoxy materials were prepared, respectively. The mechanical properties of triangular PVA fiber/epoxy composites were higher than that of circular fiber-reinforced and toughened epoxy materials. Furthermore, the single-fiber pull-out test was used to analyze the interface capability of fibers and epoxy. The pull-out force of the circular fiber was 1.24 N, while that of the triangular fiber was 2.64 N. The specific surface area of the triangular PVA fiber was larger than that of the circular PVA fiber, which better made its contact with epoxy and was not easily pulled out. Experiments prove that triangular PVA fiber is an ideal material for strengthening and toughening epoxy resin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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19 pages, 7224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stress Distribution and Fracture Toughness of Underground Reinforced Plastic Pipe Composite

by Mohammed Y. Abdellah, Rami Alfattani, Ibrahim A. Alnaser and G. T. Abdel-Jaber

Polymers 2021, 13(13), 2194; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13132194 - 30 Jun 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3470

Abstract

Reinforced composite materials have many applications in the aerospace, marine, and petroleum industries. Glass fiber-reinforced pipes are of considerable importance as pressurized vessels, infrastructure materials, and petroleum wastewater pipelines. The stress intensity factor due to through-thickness discontinuities is a major parameter in fracture mechanics to understand the failure mechanisms in glass fiber-composite pipes. The stress intensity factor is calculated for a composite cylinder subjected to internal pressure using the linear extended finite element method based on the law of energy release evaluation of surface damage. The analytical model needs two material properties; they are the tensile strength and the fracture toughness; therefore, a standard tensile test was carried out on a standard specimen taken from the pipe’s wall thickness. Moreover, the compact tension test specimen was manufactured from the pipe’s wall thickness to obtain the fracture toughness. The average tensile strength was measured as 21.5 MPa with a standard deviation of 5.59 MPa, moreover, the average Young’s modulus was measured as 32.75 GPa with a standard deviation of 6.64 GPa. The fracture toughness was measured as 2322 (

M P a \sqrt{m}

) with a standard deviation of 142.5 (

M P a \sqrt{m}

), whereas the average surface release energy (

G_{I C}

) was 153.6 kJ/m² with a standard deviation of 22.53 kJ/m². A valuable design equation was extracted from the finite element model to measure the effect of cracks on the hoop stress of the cylinder wall thickness based on a nonlinear model. Moreover, an acceptable equation was used to calculate the correction and shape factor of a cylinder with movable and unmovable through-thickness cracks. This study provides useful tools and guidance for the design and analysis of composite cylinders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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Review

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40 pages, 5703 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Development in the Processing, Properties, and Applications of Epoxy-Based Natural Fiber Polymer Biocomposites

by Raed B. Alsuwait, Miloud Souiyah, Ibrahim Momohjimoh, Saheed Adewale Ganiyu and Azeez Oladipupo Bakare

Polymers 2023, 15(1), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15010145 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2957

Abstract

Growing environmental concerns have increased the scientific interest in the utilization of natural fibers for the development of epoxy biocomposite materials. The incorporation of one or more fibers in the production of hybrid epoxy polymer composites has been a subject of discussion. It is interesting to acknowledge that natural/synthetic fiber hybridized epoxy composites have superior properties over natural/natural fiber hybridized epoxy composites. Significant efforts have been devoted to the improvement of natural fiber surface modifications to promote bonding with the epoxy matrix. However, to achieve sufficient surface modification without destroying the natural fibers, optimization of treatment parameters such as the concentration of the treatment solution and treatment time is highly necessary. Synthetic and treated natural fiber hybridization in an epoxy matrix is expected to produce biocomposites with appreciable biodegradability and superior mechanical properties by manipulating the fiber/matrix interfacial bonding. This paper presents a review of studies on the processing of epoxy natural fiber composites, mechanical properties, physical properties such as density and water absorption, thermal properties, biodegradability study, nondestructive examination, morphological characterizations, and applications of epoxy-based natural fiber biocomposites. Other aspects, including a review of variables that enhance the mechanical and functional performance of epoxy/natural fibers composites while also increasing the biodegradability of the composite material for environmental sustainability, were presented. The future research focus was elucidated. It is hoped that this review will stimulate and refocus research efforts toward advancing the manufacture of epoxy/natural fiber composites to meet the growing demand for biocomposite materials in the global world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))

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