The mechanical properties of the hybrid materials and epoxy and carbon fiber (CF) composites were improved significantly as compared to the CF composites made from unmodified epoxy. The reasons could be attributed to the strong interfacial interaction between the CF and the epoxy composites for the existence of carbon nanomaterials. The microstructure and dispersion of carbon nanomaterials were...

Most materials expand upon heating. However, although rare, some materials contract upon heating. Such negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials have enormous industrial merit because they can control the thermal expansion of materials. Recent progress in materials research enables us to obtain materials exhibiting negative coefficients of linear thermal expansion over -30 ppm K-1. Such giant ...

Hybrid staggered architecture composites, like nacre and bone, are known for two discernible aspects: superior strength and synergistic toughness. What is lacking is the scientific rationale proving suitability of these materials under impact/time dependent loading. The current investigation aims to address the structure-property correlationship of these materials by development of an analytica...

The rising concern about environmental issues and the need to find a realistic alternative to glass or carbon-reinforced composites have led to an increased interest in polymer composites filled with natural-organic fibers, derived from renewable and biodegradable sources. The scope of this article is to raise awareness regarding the current scientific and technological knowledge on these so-ca...

This paper discusses a summary of analytical modeling as applied to selected smart composites which include piezoelectric composites, shape memory alloy (SMA) fiber composites, and piezoresistive composites. First we discuss the definition of ‘smart materials’ which exhibit coupling among mechanical, thermal and electromagnetic behavior, then the Eshelby’s formulations based on a simple algebra...

thermal interface materials. It has been demonstrated that addition of an optimized mixture of graphene and multilayer graphene to the composites with different matrix materials produces the record-high enhancement of the effective thermal conductivity at the small filler loading fraction (fr10 vol%). The thermal conductivity enhancement due to the presence of graphene in the composites has bee...

There is a long-standing challenge to realize in situ visualization of incorporated inorganic materials in organic–inorganic composites in a post-labeling manner, owing to the lack of specific fluorescent organic dye molecules for targeting inorganic materials. Herein, we observe that the specific covalent B–O binding between the hydroxyl groups of inorganic materials and commercially available...

The special topic ‘‘Metaland Polymer-Matrix Composites’’ is intended to capture the state of the art in the research and practice of functional composites. The current set of articles related to metal-matrix composites includes reviews on functionalities such as self-healing, self-lubricating, and selfcleaning capabilities; research results on a variety of aluminum-matrix composites; and invest...

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)-based composites with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ)and micronized copper quaternary (MCQ)treated wood fibers were manufactured through injection molding. The mechanical properties, water absorption, and biological resistance properties of the fabricated composites with different coupling treatments were investigated. Composites with ACQand MCQ-treated wood ha...

Whether used as structural components in design or matrix materials for composites, the mechanical properties of polymers are increasingly important. The compressive response of extruded polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) rod with aligned polymer chains and Al-Ni-PMMA particulate composites are investigated across a range of strain rates and temperatures. The particulate composites were prepared us...