Carbon fibers (CFs) have high specific tensile strength, high modulus, and outstanding wear resistance, and are widely used for the reinforcement of advanced composite materials. CF-reinforced thermoplastic composites have received much attention because of their easy processability and recycling convenience compared with thermosetting composites. Surface treatment of CFs is generally employed to increase the surface functional groups and interfacial adhesion between the CFs and the surrounding polymer matrix. In this review, we explore recent advances in the surface treatment of CFs and preparation of CF/thermoplastic composites. The thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of the composites are also discussed.

Recent advances in carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites: A review

his study presents a method of simultaneous reduction and surface funcionalization of graphene oxide by a one-step poly(norepinephrine) funcionalization. The pH-induced aqueous functionalization of graphene oxide y poly(norepinephrine), a catecholamine polymer inspired by the robust dhesion of marine mussels, chemically reduced and functionalized graphene xide. Moreover, the polymerized norepinephrine (pNor) layer provided mulifunctionality on the reduced graphene oxide that includes surface-initiated olymerization and spontaneous metallic nanoparticle formation. This facile urface modifi cation strategy can be a useful platform for graphene-based ano-composites.

Simultaneous Reduction and Surface Functionalization of Graphene Oxide by MusselInspired Chemistry

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the fastest-growing additive manufacturing methods used in printing fibre-reinforced composites (FRC). The performances of the resulting printed parts are limited compared to those by other manufacturing methods due to their inherent defects. Hence, the effort to develop treatment methods to overcome these drawbacks has accelerated during the past few years. The main focus of this study is to review the impact of those defects on the mechanical performance of FRC and therefore to discuss the available treatment methods to eliminate or minimize them in order to enhance the functional properties of the printed parts. As FRC is a combination of polymer matrix material and continuous or short reinforcing fibres, this review will thoroughly discuss both thermoplastic polymers and FRCs printed via FDM technology, including the effect of printing parameters such as layer thickness, infill pattern, raster angle and fibre orientation. The most common defects on printed parts, in particular, the void formation, surface roughness and poor bonding between fibre and matrix, are explored. An inclusive discussion on the effectiveness of chemical, laser, heat and ultrasound treatments to minimize these drawbacks is provided by this review.

FDM-Based 3D Printing of Polymer and Associated Composite: A Review on Mechanical Properties, Defects and Treatments.

Polymeric foams can be found virtually everywhere due to their advantageous properties compared with counterparts materials. Possibly the most important class of polymeric foams are polyurethane foams (PUFs), as their low density and thermal conductivity combined with their interesting mechanical properties make them excellent thermal and sound insulators, as well as structural and comfort materials. Despite the broad range of applications, the production of PUFs is still highly petroleum-dependent, so this industry must adapt to ever more strict regulations and rigorous consumers. In that sense, the well-established raw materials and process technologies can face a turning point in the near future, due to the need of using renewable raw materials and new process technologies, such as three-dimensional (3D) printing. In this work, the fundamental aspects of the production of PUFs are reviewed, the new challenges that the PUFs industry are expected to confront regarding process methodologies in the near future are outlined, and some alternatives are also presented. Then, the strategies for the improvement of PUFs sustainability, including recycling, and the enhancement of their properties are discussed.

https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/11/10/1841/pdf/1

Polyurethane Foams: Past, Present, and Future

Construction, mechanism and prospective of conductive polymer composites with multiple interfaces for electromagnetic interference shielding: A review

Self-lubricating composites based on Polyphenylene sulfide/Polytetrafluoroethylene (PPS/PTFE) reinforced with short carbon fibers (CF) were prepared by melt-blending. The effect of CF loadings on morphology, mechanical and dry-sliding behavior of the composite were carefully investigated in expectation of providing valuable information for the application of polymer-based composites. Results indicated that the incorporation of CF apparently improved the tensile strength, flexural modulus and hardness of PPS/PTFE blends. Meanwhile, the specific wear rate and average friction coefficient of PPS/PTFE reinforced by 15 vol% CF reached to 5.2 × 10−6 mm3/Nm and 0.085, which are 88% and 47% lower than that of mono-PPS/PTFE blend at the same sliding condition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of the worn surfaces revealed that the main wear mechanism of the PPS/PTFE composites transformed from adhesive wear to abrasive wear by the introduction of CF. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of worn surface and the macroscopic observations of steel ring counterpart indicated the existence of uniform, smooth and PTFE-rich transfer film for PPS/PTFE/CF trinary blends, which is responsible for the enhanced tribological properties.

Enhanced mechanical and tribological properties in polyphenylene sulfide/polytetrafluoroethylene composites reinforced by short carbon fiber

Thermally conductive composites obtained by flake graphite filling immiscible Polyamide 6/Polycarbonate blends

Multi-scale structure construction of carbon fiber surface by electrophoretic deposition and electropolymerization to enhance the interfacial strength of epoxy resin composites

Different particle size of expandable graphite (EG) were incorporated into water-blown semi-rigid polyurethane foams (SPFs), which acted as the fire shield, in order to enhance the fire retardant properties. In this study, the particle size of EG was systematically varied from 70 µm to 960 µm. The effect of EG particle size on the density, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of SPFs was also investigated. Results showed that EG with smaller particle size showed almost no effect on the fire retardant properties of SPFs while the larger particle size of EG could effectively enhance it. It was observed that the flame retardancy of the composite improved with the increase of EG size which was attribute to the formation and densification of isolation layer with the increase in volume of expanded graphite. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of EG/SPF composites increased linearly by two steps with the increase in EG particle size. Horizontal burning test confirmed the above conclusion. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that EG particles and its size exhibited minor effect on the thermal stability of the SPF composites. Moreover, SPF filled with medium particle size of EG (about 400 µm) exhibited a poor compression performance compared with the others. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39885.

Effect of expandable graphite particle size on the flame retardant, mechanical, and thermal properties of water‐blown semi‐rigid polyurethane foam

High-performance ablative composites demonstrate promising applications in the field of aerospace for thermal protection. In this study, the preparation of flexible thermal ablative composites with...

Shengtai Zhou

Papers

Enhanced mechanical and tribological properties in polyphenylene sulfide/polytetrafluoroethylene composites reinforced by short carbon fiber

Thermally conductive composites obtained by flake graphite filling immiscible Polyamide 6/Polycarbonate blends

Multi-scale structure construction of carbon fiber surface by electrophoretic deposition and electropolymerization to enhance the interfacial strength of epoxy resin composites

Effect of expandable graphite particle size on the flame retardant, mechanical, and thermal properties of water‐blown semi‐rigid polyurethane foam

Room-Temperature Self-Healing Ablative Composites via Dynamic Covalent Bonds for High-Performance Applications