Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111544
Jie Xiao , Xiaoqiang Qin , Guodong Fang
Low-density polymeric nanocomposites are promising thermal protection materials due to their low density and low thermal conductivity, whereas their mechanical responses are affected by the high porosity and the pyrolysis state of the nanocomposites. The effect of the pyrolysis degree on the compressive mechanical properties of polymeric nanocomposites was investigated in this study. The specimens with different pyrolysis degrees were prepared based on the pyrolysis characteristics of the nanocomposites. The uniaxial compressive tests were conducted to analyze the compressive mechanical behavior and failure modes of the specimens with different pyrolysis degrees. It was found that with the increase of the pyrolysis degree, the elastic modulus and residual compressive strength of the low-density polymeric nanocomposites decrease, the porosity increases significantly, the interfacial strength between fibers and polymer matrix decreases, and the toughening mechanism of fibers in the nanocomposites declines as well. As pyrolysis progresses, the failure model transitions from unstable failure to compressive failure, reflecting the continuous deterioration of the nanocomposite microstructure.
{"title":"Effect of pyrolysis degree on residual mechanical properties of low-density polymeric nanocomposites","authors":"Jie Xiao , Xiaoqiang Qin , Guodong Fang","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111544","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111544","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Low-density polymeric nanocomposites are promising thermal protection materials due to their low density and low thermal conductivity, whereas their mechanical responses are affected by the high porosity and the pyrolysis state of the nanocomposites. The effect of the pyrolysis degree on the compressive mechanical properties of polymeric nanocomposites was investigated in this study. The specimens with different pyrolysis degrees were prepared based on the pyrolysis characteristics of the nanocomposites. The uniaxial compressive tests were conducted to analyze the compressive mechanical behavior and failure modes of the specimens with different pyrolysis degrees. It was found that with the increase of the pyrolysis degree, the elastic modulus and residual compressive strength of the low-density polymeric nanocomposites decrease, the porosity increases significantly, the interfacial strength between fibers and polymer matrix decreases, and the toughening mechanism of fibers in the nanocomposites declines as well. As pyrolysis progresses, the failure model transitions from unstable failure to compressive failure, reflecting the continuous deterioration of the nanocomposite microstructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111544"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hydrogel actuators hold significant potential for applications particularly in soft robots. However, designing hydrogel actuators that simultaneously exhibit both excellent mechanical properties and high actuation speeds remains challenging due to the inherent trade-off between these two characteristics. Herein, we propose a strategy to enhance a dual-network hydrogel by incorporating carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNTs). This design is rooted in a synergistically enhanced network of CNTs and dynamic disulfide bonds to achieve both robustness and rapid actuation, which distinguishes it from conventional systems. The hydrogel matrix is composed of N,N-diethylacrylamide (DEMA) and poly (vinylalcohol) (PVA), crosslinked by disulfide bonds, with CNTs embedded within. The PDEMA/PVA/CNT hydrogel actuator was fabricated via a simple one-pot synthesis method combined with freeze-thaw cycles. The actuator exhibits a tensile strength of 60 kPa and a fracture elongation of 648.5 %, which are attributed to its reinforced network structure. It also demonstrates rapid photothermal actuation mediated by dynamic disulfide bond exchange, initiated by the photothermal conversion of CNTs under near-infrared light irradiation. Furthermore, the integrated strain-sensing functionality enables its application in human motion monitoring. This work presents a promising strategy to develop hydrogel actuators with excellent mechanical and actuation performance for soft robots and wearable sensors.
{"title":"Dual-enhanced hydrogel actuators enabled by tuning the polymer network through synergistic CNT-dynamic covalent bonds","authors":"Wenjing Yang, Jinhan Zhou, Qin Yang, Tianrui Qiu, Sha Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111539","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111539","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogel actuators hold significant potential for applications particularly in soft robots. However, designing hydrogel actuators that simultaneously exhibit both excellent mechanical properties and high actuation speeds remains challenging due to the inherent trade-off between these two characteristics. Herein, we propose a strategy to enhance a dual-network hydrogel by incorporating carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNTs). This design is rooted in a synergistically enhanced network of CNTs and dynamic disulfide bonds to achieve both robustness and rapid actuation, which distinguishes it from conventional systems. The hydrogel matrix is composed of N,N-diethylacrylamide (DEMA) and poly (vinylalcohol) (PVA), crosslinked by disulfide bonds, with CNTs embedded within. The PDEMA/PVA/CNT hydrogel actuator was fabricated via a simple one-pot synthesis method combined with freeze-thaw cycles. The actuator exhibits a tensile strength of 60 kPa and a fracture elongation of 648.5 %, which are attributed to its reinforced network structure. It also demonstrates rapid photothermal actuation mediated by dynamic disulfide bond exchange, initiated by the photothermal conversion of CNTs under near-infrared light irradiation. Furthermore, the integrated strain-sensing functionality enables its application in human motion monitoring. This work presents a promising strategy to develop hydrogel actuators with excellent mechanical and actuation performance for soft robots and wearable sensors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111539"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have become indispensable in the aerospace and automotive industries owing to their superior strength-to-weight ratio and fatigue resistance. However, their structural integrity under combined extreme thermal conditions and high velocity impact remains a critical challenge in deep space exploration. Here, we developed a novel surface coating method incorporating Gold–Palladium (Au/Pd) and DLUX (Si ) to improve the dynamic stability of carbon fiber composites under high strain rates (∼3000s−1) and elevated temperatures (25–225 °C). Dynamic compression tests reveal substantial improvements in strength, including a 133.0 % increase at 225 °C for the hybrid-coated laminate compared to the as-prepared composite. Additionally, strain energy analysis shows a 225.8 % increase in peak energy absorption and a 55.4 % gain in total energy density, indicating improved damage tolerance under extreme conditions. Microstructural analyses demonstrate enhanced fiber–matrix bonding, suppressed delamination, reduced thermal expansion, and excellent thermal conductivity, collectively sustaining structural integrity under coupled loading. Finite element simulations provide numerical validation of experimental results, capturing interfacial debonding and failure evolution under high strain-rate loading. These combined gains in strength retention, energy absorption, and thermal stability under simultaneous high strain-rate and elevated-temperature loading establish a hybrid interfacial design framework that directly addresses the long-standing vulnerability of carbon fiber composites in extreme environments, enabling next-generation thermal protection systems for aerospace, defense, and extreme-environment applications.
{"title":"Enhancing dynamic thermomechanical and conductivity performance of carbon fiber composites with different interface frameworks","authors":"Md Newaz Sharif, Pengfei Wang, Kassaw D. Jibrel, Wajahat Raza, Xiaoman Zhang, Junlan Zhan, Songlin Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have become indispensable in the aerospace and automotive industries owing to their superior strength-to-weight ratio and fatigue resistance. However, their structural integrity under combined extreme thermal conditions and high velocity impact remains a critical challenge in deep space exploration. Here, we developed a novel surface coating method incorporating Gold–Palladium (Au/Pd) and DLUX (Si <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>O</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></math></span>) to improve the dynamic stability of carbon fiber composites under high strain rates (∼3000s<sup>−1</sup>) and elevated temperatures (25–225 °C). Dynamic compression tests reveal substantial improvements in strength, including a 133.0 % increase at 225 °C for the hybrid-coated laminate compared to the as-prepared composite. Additionally, strain energy analysis shows a 225.8 % increase in peak energy absorption and a 55.4 % gain in total energy density, indicating improved damage tolerance under extreme conditions. Microstructural analyses demonstrate enhanced fiber–matrix bonding, suppressed delamination, reduced thermal expansion, and excellent thermal conductivity, collectively sustaining structural integrity under coupled loading. Finite element simulations provide numerical validation of experimental results, capturing interfacial debonding and failure evolution under high strain-rate loading. These combined gains in strength retention, energy absorption, and thermal stability under simultaneous high strain-rate and elevated-temperature loading establish a hybrid interfacial design framework that directly addresses the long-standing vulnerability of carbon fiber composites in extreme environments, enabling next-generation thermal protection systems for aerospace, defense, and extreme-environment applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111537"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111538
Yong Liao , Zhangwen Wang , Bing Wang , Guodong Fang , Songhe Meng
2.5D woven composites have the complex meso-structures owing to the mutual compaction between fiber bundles, where the fiber bundles have the significant variations in local fiber distribution and fiber volume fraction along the fiber bundle paths. These complex microstructures directly affect the mechanical performances of the composites. An image-driven surrogate modeling approach is developed to construct meso-scale finite element (FE) models analyzing transverse tensile failure of fiber bundles. The transverse stress distributions in fiber bundles are rapidly predicted by the surrogate model, which are further used to correct the matrix stress concentration factor. The internal fiber bundle states of the 2.5D woven composites are studied by Micro-CT characterization, which can be recognized as the input to rapidly determine the transverse mechanical properties of the local fiber bundles. A refined FE model of the 2.5D woven composites combining the local variation mechanical properties of the fiber bundles can successfully reproduce the progressive damage evolution, identifying the main damage localized in bundle interlacing and bending regions, which are also validated by the tensile experiment.
{"title":"Image-driven analysis of tensile mechanical properties of 2.5D woven composites","authors":"Yong Liao , Zhangwen Wang , Bing Wang , Guodong Fang , Songhe Meng","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>2.5D woven composites have the complex meso-structures owing to the mutual compaction between fiber bundles, where the fiber bundles have the significant variations in local fiber distribution and fiber volume fraction along the fiber bundle paths. These complex microstructures directly affect the mechanical performances of the composites. An image-driven surrogate modeling approach is developed to construct meso-scale finite element (FE) models analyzing transverse tensile failure of fiber bundles. The transverse stress distributions in fiber bundles are rapidly predicted by the surrogate model, which are further used to correct the matrix stress concentration factor. The internal fiber bundle states of the 2.5D woven composites are studied by Micro-CT characterization, which can be recognized as the input to rapidly determine the transverse mechanical properties of the local fiber bundles. A refined FE model of the 2.5D woven composites combining the local variation mechanical properties of the fiber bundles can successfully reproduce the progressive damage evolution, identifying the main damage localized in bundle interlacing and bending regions, which are also validated by the tensile experiment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111538"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111536
Yongfeng Xu , Qingbing Fan , Haonan Li , Zhuang Hao , Yue Hao , Qiuyu Zhang , Chunmei Li
Epoxy resins and their fiber reinforced composites are widely used for low density, high strength, easy processing and superior mechanical performance. However, their inherent flammability and cross-linked structure hinder fire safety and recyclability. This work presents a novel approach by incorporating reactive flame retardants-9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) and a cyclotriphosphazene derivative-along with dual dynamic covalent bonds into the epoxy network. Specifically, a hexahydroxyl cyclotriphosphazene compound (HCCP–OH) bearing imine linkages is synthesized and employed as curing accelerator for epoxy resin, in combination with DOPO and methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MeHHPA). The resulting thermosetting epoxy resin contains reversible imine and ester bonds, exhibits a tensile strength of 87.1 MPa, a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 34.0%, and a UL-94 V-0 rating. Moreover, the resin can be reprocessed from powders into sheets via hot-pressing at 180 °C and 5 MPa for 1 h without any catalyst and completely degraded in diethylenetriamine at 130 °C for 6 h. Additionally, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites based on this matrix demonstrate superior mechanical and flame-retardant properties. They can retain about 60% of initial flexural strength after three healing cycles, while the fabrics are recovered intact through epoxy depolymerization. The strategy offers a practical route to sustainable, fire-safe composites.
{"title":"Catalyst-free recyclable and flame-retardant epoxy resins towards sustainable polymer composites","authors":"Yongfeng Xu , Qingbing Fan , Haonan Li , Zhuang Hao , Yue Hao , Qiuyu Zhang , Chunmei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Epoxy resins and their fiber reinforced composites are widely used for low density, high strength, easy processing and superior mechanical performance. However, their inherent flammability and cross-linked structure hinder fire safety and recyclability. This work presents a novel approach by incorporating reactive flame retardants-9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) and a cyclotriphosphazene derivative-along with dual dynamic covalent bonds into the epoxy network. Specifically, a hexahydroxyl cyclotriphosphazene compound (HCCP–OH) bearing imine linkages is synthesized and employed as curing accelerator for epoxy resin, in combination with DOPO and methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MeHHPA). The resulting thermosetting epoxy resin contains reversible imine and ester bonds, exhibits a tensile strength of 87.1 MPa, a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 34.0%, and a UL-94 V-0 rating. Moreover, the resin can be reprocessed from powders into sheets via hot-pressing at 180 °C and 5 MPa for 1 h without any catalyst and completely degraded in diethylenetriamine at 130 °C for 6 h. Additionally, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites based on this matrix demonstrate superior mechanical and flame-retardant properties. They can retain about 60% of initial flexural strength after three healing cycles, while the fabrics are recovered intact through epoxy depolymerization. The strategy offers a practical route to sustainable, fire-safe composites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111536"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111527
Yarong Wang , Zhiyong Liu , Kun Guo , Bing Xie , Houyang Chen , Pu Mao , Xiaoping Zhou
To meet the urgent demand for efficient and flexible catalysts in water flow-driven environments such as pipelines and rivers, an inorganic/organic based porous composite piezoelectric film was designed and prepared. By introducing an internal porous structure, the flexible deformation ability of BaTiO3-Polyvinylidene fluoride (BTO-PVDF) films was significantly improved while maintaining piezoelectric activity, effectively overcoming the bottleneck of traditional inorganic/organic composites that were difficult to balance piezoelectricity and softness. Guided by electromechanical coupling theory, the BTO volume fraction in the PVDF matrix was optimized to 10 %, achieving maximal synergy between piezoelectric response and softness. The porous BTO-PVDF thin-film catalyst exhibited dual-functional performance in both dye degradation and bacterial inactivation. Under ultrasonic irradiation, the degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye wastewater was achieved for 97.5 %, accompanying by stable catalytic activity over repeated cycles. The antibacterial properties reached more than 96.6 % against Escherichia coli within 30 min. Particularly importantly, in a simulated water flow circulation device, the porous BTO-PVDF film maintained a degradation efficiency of 69.2 % for RhB over a 12 h period, fully demonstrating its ability to directly utilize natural water flow. Free radical trapping experiments clarified that the main active species were •O2− and •OH radicals in the catalytic process. This design strategy of synergistically optimizing piezoelectricity and softness through porous composites provides a new way to develop efficient water purification technologies based on water flow.
{"title":"Water flow-driven piezo-catalysis of porous BTO-PVDF films: Balancing softness and piezoelectric response","authors":"Yarong Wang , Zhiyong Liu , Kun Guo , Bing Xie , Houyang Chen , Pu Mao , Xiaoping Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To meet the urgent demand for efficient and flexible catalysts in water flow-driven environments such as pipelines and rivers, an inorganic/organic based porous composite piezoelectric film was designed and prepared. By introducing an internal porous structure, the flexible deformation ability of BaTiO<sub>3</sub>-Polyvinylidene fluoride (BTO-PVDF) films was significantly improved while maintaining piezoelectric activity, effectively overcoming the bottleneck of traditional inorganic/organic composites that were difficult to balance piezoelectricity and softness. Guided by electromechanical coupling theory, the BTO volume fraction in the PVDF matrix was optimized to 10 %, achieving maximal synergy between piezoelectric response and softness. The porous BTO-PVDF thin-film catalyst exhibited dual-functional performance in both dye degradation and bacterial inactivation. Under ultrasonic irradiation, the degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye wastewater was achieved for 97.5 %, accompanying by stable catalytic activity over repeated cycles. The antibacterial properties reached more than 96.6 % against <em>Escherichia coli</em> within 30 min. Particularly importantly, in a simulated water flow circulation device, the porous BTO-PVDF film maintained a degradation efficiency of 69.2 % for RhB over a 12 h period, fully demonstrating its ability to directly utilize natural water flow. Free radical trapping experiments clarified that the main active species were •O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup> and •OH radicals in the catalytic process. This design strategy of synergistically optimizing piezoelectricity and softness through porous composites provides a new way to develop efficient water purification technologies based on water flow.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111527"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111526
Zhikun Zhang, Weijun Zhu, Ning Wang, Zhaoyu Ti, Tianjia Huang, Dongsheng Li
To enhance both the mechanical properties and electromagnetic wave absorption performance of lightweight lattice structures, this study proposes a functional Z-pins reinforcement approach. Carbon fiber reinforced composite prepreg filaments are arranged in a pyramidal configuration and embedded within the interior of a 3D-printed lattice structure, thereby activating the spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) mode inherent to the design. Simulation and experimental findings indicate that, when the incident angles reach up to 70°, the absorption performance is significantly improved, and the absorptivity remains above 80 % within the frequency range of 12.5–18 GHz. Furthermore, by incorporating carbon fiber composite filaments in the vertical direction, the compressive strength of the lattice structure increases by approximately 14 % compared to a pure resin-based counterpart. Owing to its superior mechanical integrity and electromagnetic absorption capabilities, the proposed lightweight lattice structure exhibits strong potential for multifunctional applications intelattice load-bearing and wave-absorbing functionalities.
{"title":"Functional Z-pins reinforced 3D printed lattice with large angular electromagnetic wave absorption","authors":"Zhikun Zhang, Weijun Zhu, Ning Wang, Zhaoyu Ti, Tianjia Huang, Dongsheng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111526","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To enhance both the mechanical properties and electromagnetic wave absorption performance of lightweight lattice structures, this study proposes a functional Z-pins reinforcement approach. Carbon fiber reinforced composite prepreg filaments are arranged in a pyramidal configuration and embedded within the interior of a 3D-printed lattice structure, thereby activating the spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) mode inherent to the design. Simulation and experimental findings indicate that, when the incident angles reach up to 70°, the absorption performance is significantly improved, and the absorptivity remains above 80 % within the frequency range of 12.5–18 GHz. Furthermore, by incorporating carbon fiber composite filaments in the vertical direction, the compressive strength of the lattice structure increases by approximately 14 % compared to a pure resin-based counterpart. Owing to its superior mechanical integrity and electromagnetic absorption capabilities, the proposed lightweight lattice structure exhibits strong potential for multifunctional applications intelattice load-bearing and wave-absorbing functionalities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111526"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146001731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111523
Zheng Zhang , Tianchao Huang , Wenjie Ding , Quanren Zeng , Min Sun , Guang Zhang , Dongyi Li , Helong Wu , Shaofei Jiang
The limited toughness, fracture energy, and elongation of carbon fiber-reinforced composites restrict their broader application. In contrast, silk fiber exhibit high toughness and ductility, making them attractive candidate for hybrid reinforcement. In this work, silk/carbon hybrid fiber reinforced composite were fabricated using continuous natural fiber 3D printing followed by vacuum-assisted hot pressing. Mechanical tests combined with scanning electron microscopy was employed to evaluate the effect of silk fiber content on the mechanical properties and damage mechanisms of hybrid fiber reinforced composite. The incorporation of silk fiber enhanced the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness by 62.32 %. With higher silk fiber fractions, tensile fracture energy and flexural ultimate strain improved by 153 % and 182 %, respectively. A finite element model based on the Hashin failure criterion was developed to accurately predicted the progressive damage, and the numerical simulation showed good agreement with experimental results. These findings demonstrate that hybridizing carbon with silk fibers provides a viable pathway to tailor toughness, ductility and other mechanical properties in composite systems.
{"title":"Numerical and experimental investigation of silk/carbon hybrid composites: Mechanical properties and progressive damage","authors":"Zheng Zhang , Tianchao Huang , Wenjie Ding , Quanren Zeng , Min Sun , Guang Zhang , Dongyi Li , Helong Wu , Shaofei Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111523","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111523","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The limited toughness, fracture energy, and elongation of carbon fiber-reinforced composites restrict their broader application. In contrast, silk fiber exhibit high toughness and ductility, making them attractive candidate for hybrid reinforcement. In this work, silk/carbon hybrid fiber reinforced composite were fabricated using continuous natural fiber 3D printing followed by vacuum-assisted hot pressing. Mechanical tests combined with scanning electron microscopy was employed to evaluate the effect of silk fiber content on the mechanical properties and damage mechanisms of hybrid fiber reinforced composite. The incorporation of silk fiber enhanced the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness by 62.32 %. With higher silk fiber fractions, tensile fracture energy and flexural ultimate strain improved by 153 % and 182 %, respectively. A finite element model based on the Hashin failure criterion was developed to accurately predicted the progressive damage, and the numerical simulation showed good agreement with experimental results. These findings demonstrate that hybridizing carbon with silk fibers provides a viable pathway to tailor toughness, ductility and other mechanical properties in composite systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111523"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146001730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111525
Neptun Yousefi , Han Tao , David B. Anthony , Milo S.P. Shaffer , Alexander Bismarck
Composites have long played a vital role in material science due to their lightweight, stiff, strong, and durable construction. Composites consist of at least two complementary materials, typically comprising reinforcing elements, prominently carbon or glass fibres, held in place by a surrounding polymer matrix. Conventional fibre composites already display a structural hierarchy from fibres within tows, to plies, to laminates forming large-scale structures. The term “hierarchical composites” specifically refers to materials that integrate reinforcements spanning additional length scales, down to the molecular range, most notably nanoscale reinforcements that complement microscale fibres. Natural structural materials rely extensively on hierarchical motifs to maximise performance, though using constituents limited by abundance and ambient aqueous processing. Technical hierarchical composites are broadly inspired by natural multiscale systems, sometimes implementing specific mechanisms from nature in new material classes. In hierarchical composites, the largest reinforcement, fibres, dominate in-plane mechanical properties. In contrast, nanoscale reinforcements may address matrix-dominated responses by, for example, improving shear properties that control stress transfer and kink band initiation, introducing additional toughening mechanisms to limit debonding or delamination, and providing direct reinforcement, particularly through-thickness. Nanomaterials can provide other benefits, such as improved fatigue life, acoustic damping, and solvent/fire resistance. The addition of nanomaterials may also imbue composites with multifunctionality, obviating other constituents or components and reducing system weight. We critically discuss the progress in developing hierarchical fibre reinforced carbon nanotube composites over the past decade and provide insight into manufacturing and their structural and functional performance.
{"title":"Scale matters: A perspective on structural hierarchical carbon fibre composites incorporating carbon nanotubes","authors":"Neptun Yousefi , Han Tao , David B. Anthony , Milo S.P. Shaffer , Alexander Bismarck","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Composites have long played a vital role in material science due to their lightweight, stiff, strong, and durable construction. Composites consist of at least two complementary materials, typically comprising reinforcing elements, prominently carbon or glass fibres, held in place by a surrounding polymer matrix. Conventional fibre composites already display a structural hierarchy from fibres within tows, to plies, to laminates forming large-scale structures. The term “hierarchical composites” specifically refers to materials that integrate reinforcements spanning additional length scales, down to the molecular range, most notably nanoscale reinforcements that complement microscale fibres. Natural structural materials rely extensively on hierarchical motifs to maximise performance, though using constituents limited by abundance and ambient aqueous processing. Technical hierarchical composites are broadly inspired by natural multiscale systems, sometimes implementing specific mechanisms from nature in new material classes. In hierarchical composites, the largest reinforcement, fibres, dominate in-plane mechanical properties. In contrast, nanoscale reinforcements may address matrix-dominated responses by, for example, improving shear properties that control stress transfer and kink band initiation, introducing additional toughening mechanisms to limit debonding or delamination, and providing direct reinforcement, particularly through-thickness. Nanomaterials can provide other benefits, such as improved fatigue life, acoustic damping, and solvent/fire resistance. The addition of nanomaterials may also imbue composites with multifunctionality, obviating other constituents or components and reducing system weight. We critically discuss the progress in developing hierarchical fibre reinforced carbon nanotube composites over the past decade and provide insight into manufacturing and their structural and functional performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111525"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111524
Qi Huang , Xiaohui Sun , Shiyi Wen , Fang Wang , Peiying Ma , Bingxin Liu , Wensheng Gao , Yongxiao Bai
The rapid advancement of the electronics industry has intensified the demand for high-performance thermal interface materials (TIMs). Leveraging the ultrahigh in plane thermal conductivity of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) as ideal fillers, external magnetic alignment techniques can induce their vertical arrangement in polymer matrices to establish efficient thermal pathways for high-performance TIMs. However, the sharp increase in viscosity of the composite system at high filler loadings severely restricts the directional alignment of BNNS within flexible substrates. In this study, we proposed a novel viscosity-modulation strategy for magnetic alignment that balances the magnetic driving force and viscous resistance, achieving highly precise orientation of BNNS in a silicone elastic (SE) matrix even at high filler content. The resulting composites exhibit a significantly enhanced through-plane thermal conductivity of 1.97 W m−1· K−1 and ultralow thermal contact resistance of 0.011 in2·K −1 W-1. Concurrently, the composite demonstrates excellent electrical insulation, high thermal stability, and resistance to atomic oxygen irradiation, indicating promising potential for intelligent thermal management applications in high-power electronic devices.
随着电子工业的快速发展，对高性能热界面材料（TIMs）的需求不断增加。利用氮化硼纳米片（BNNS）超高的平面热导率作为理想的填料，外磁定向技术可以诱导其在聚合物基质中的垂直排列，为高性能TIMs建立有效的热通道。然而，在高填料负载下，复合体系粘度的急剧增加严重限制了BNNS在柔性基板中的定向对准。在这项研究中，我们提出了一种新的粘度调制策略来平衡磁性驱动力和粘性阻力，即使在高填料含量的硅酮弹性（SE）基质中也能实现BNNS的高精度定向。复合材料的通平面导热系数为1.97 W m−1·K−1，接触热阻为0.011 in2·K−1 W-1。同时，该复合材料具有优异的电绝缘性、高热稳定性和耐原子氧辐照性，在大功率电子器件的智能热管理应用中具有广阔的潜力。
{"title":"Magnetically assisted vertical alignment of boron nitride nanosheets via viscosity modulation for thermal interface materials with low thermal resistance","authors":"Qi Huang , Xiaohui Sun , Shiyi Wen , Fang Wang , Peiying Ma , Bingxin Liu , Wensheng Gao , Yongxiao Bai","doi":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.compscitech.2026.111524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid advancement of the electronics industry has intensified the demand for high-performance thermal interface materials (TIMs). Leveraging the ultrahigh in plane thermal conductivity of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) as ideal fillers, external magnetic alignment techniques can induce their vertical arrangement in polymer matrices to establish efficient thermal pathways for high-performance TIMs. However, the sharp increase in viscosity of the composite system at high filler loadings severely restricts the directional alignment of BNNS within flexible substrates. In this study, we proposed a novel viscosity-modulation strategy for magnetic alignment that balances the magnetic driving force and viscous resistance, achieving highly precise orientation of BNNS in a silicone elastic (SE) matrix even at high filler content. The resulting composites exhibit a significantly enhanced through-plane thermal conductivity of 1.97 W m<sup>−1</sup>· K<sup>−1</sup> and ultralow thermal contact resistance of 0.011 in<sup>2</sup>·K <sup>−1</sup> W<sup>-1</sup>. Concurrently, the composite demonstrates excellent electrical insulation, high thermal stability, and resistance to atomic oxygen irradiation, indicating promising potential for intelligent thermal management applications in high-power electronic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":283,"journal":{"name":"Composites Science and Technology","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 111524"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号