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New Advances in Composites Design and Manufacturing

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 15789

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Arlindo Silva

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Guest Editor

Engineering Product Development Pillar, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore 487372, Singapore
Interests: materials selection; natural materials; design education; design theory and methodology; ideation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Composite materials are a feature of the present and continue to be considered a material of the future. They show massive advantages in weight and strength/stiffness compared to other more conventional materials, yet other aspects like cost, sustainability, maintainability, and eco-impact are still areas in which improvements are sought. Design methods, which were derived from established procedures for simpler materials, have now considerably evolved, and new, improved manufacturing processes are continuously seeing the light of day.

In recent years, the body of knowledge has increased significantly and spread its attention considerably to encompass topics that were recently not considered major concerns, most notably environmental sustainability, life-cycle cost, life-cycle engineering and life-cycle assessment, incorporation of natural materials, weight reduction as a major driver of energy saving, hybrid manufacturing processes, etc.

This Special Issue aims to look at composites beyond today. What recent advances will enable a fresh look at the design, manufacturing, and maintenance of composite structures? What manufacturing processes can be enhanced to cater for these new composites? What new components can be incorporated into composites to enhance specific behavioral (structural, cost, maintenance, eco-impact, etc.) aspects? How can we redefine the way in which composites are designed, used, disposed of, or potentially reused? Can we manufacture for design instead of designing for manufacture? The analysis of these very broad and ill-defined problems can no longer focus on specific issues: It has to tackle a web of influences ranging from design to production, from supply chain to end-of-life, from consumer preference to market trends, from public awareness to public policy, etc.

Manuscripts submitted to this Special Issue should tackle the specific and/or the broad, the technical and/or the social, the environmental, and/or the financial sustainability. Especially sought after are manuscripts that bridge these fields to produce a web of knowledge that may inform the scientific and the industrial community on ways to move forward and exploit the advantages of composite materials while mitigating their drawbacks.

Dr. Arlindo Silva
Guest Editor

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 2700 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

Design methods and techniques
Product design and development
Materials selection methodologies
Technology evaluation and selection
Renewable composites
Composites with renewable materials
Self-healing composites
Cost modeling
Management of uncertainty in design
Life-cycle engineering
Life-cycle assessment

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Computed Tomography in the Study of Microstructure of Molded Pieces Made of Poly(3-hydroxybutyric-co-3-hydroxyvaleric acid) (PHBV) Biocomposites with Natural Fiber

by Wiesław Frącz, Grzegorz Janowski, Maciej Pruchniak and Łukasz Wałek

Polymers 2021, 13(17), 2942; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13172942 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2411

Abstract

In order to determine the structure homogeneity of biocomposites filled with fibers, as well as the evaluation of fibers’ arrangement and their orientation on the sample cross-section at varied injection rates, a study was conducted using computed tomography (CT). The main advantage of this test is the fact that in order to assess the microstructure on cross-sections, the samples do not have to be processed mechanically, which allows for presenting the actual image of the microstructure. The paper presents the issues of such tests for the biocomposite of poly (3-hydroxybutyric-co-3-hydroxyvaleric acid) (PHBV)-hemp fibers. It should be emphasized that CT scanning of PHBV-hemp fiber biocomposites is quite difficult to perform due to the similar density of the fibers and the polymer matrix. Due to the high difficulty of distinguishing fibers against the background of the polymer matrix during CT examination, a biocomposite containing 15% hemp fibers was analyzed. The samples for testing were manufactured using the injection molding process at variable injection rates, i.e., 10, 35 and 70 cm³/s. The images obtained by computed tomography show the distribution of hemp fibers and their clusters in the PHBV matrix and the degree of porosity on the sample cross-section. There were significant microstructural differences for the samples injected at the highest injection rates, including, among others, the occurrence of a smaller number of fibers and pores on the surface layer of the molded piece. The phenomenon observed was verified by testing chosen mechanical properties, shrinkage and water absorption of the samples. Some properties improved with an increasing injection rate, while others deteriorated and vice versa. An analysis of biocomposites’ microstructures using computed tomography provides a wide range of possibilities for future research, including an assessment of the structure of the molded parts. These tests may allow one, for example, to detect the cause of molded piece properties decreasing in a specific area as a result of a high degree of fiber disorientation, as well as the defects resulting from high porosity of the material. Such analyses can be particularly useful for producers that deal with the injection molding of pieces molded with specific properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Composites Design and Manufacturing)

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23 pages, 4196 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Void Content Minimization in Vacuum Infusion (VI) via Effective Degassing

by Jaime Juan, Arlindo Silva, Jose Antonio Tornero, Jose Gámez and Nuria Salán

Polymers 2021, 13(17), 2876; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13172876 - 27 Aug 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2139

Abstract

This paper addresses the major concern which component porosity represents in Vacuum Infusion (VI) manufacturing due to resin gelation at pressures close to absolute vacuum. Degassing is a fundamental step to minimize or even avoid resin outgassing and enhance dissolution of voids created during preform impregnation. The efficacy of different degassing procedures based on vacuum degassing, and assisted by adding a nucleation medium, High Speed (HS) resin stirring and/or later pressurization during different time intervals have been analyzed in terms of final void content is studied. Through a rigorous and careful design of the manufacturing process, outgassing effects on final void content were isolated from the rest of porosity causes and specimens with two clearly identifiable regions in terms of porosity were manufactured to facilitate its analysis. Maximum void content was kept under 4% and porous area size was reduced by 72% with respect to conventional vacuum degassing when resin was stirred at HS; therefore, highlighting the importance of enhancing bubble formation during degassing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Composites Design and Manufacturing)

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Graphical abstract

18 pages, 28599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Particleboard: Investigation of the Environmental Parameters

by Muhammad Aiman Hakim Mohd Azman, Sharizal Ahmad Sobri, Mohd Natashah Norizan, Mohd Nazri Ahmad, Wan Omar Ali Saifuddin Wan Ismail, Kamarul Ariffin Hambali, Mohd Hendra Hairi, Andi Hermawan, Mazlan Mohamed, Pao Ter Teo, Mohammad Radzif Taharin and Noorsidi Aizuddin Mat Noor

Polymers 2021, 13(13), 2043; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13132043 - 22 Jun 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3026

Abstract

Particleboard is not entirely a wood replacement but a particular material with its properties, making it more effective at different times than heavy or solid wood. The world’s biggest concern is environmental problems with formaldehyde as a particulate board binder that can lead to human carcinogenic agents. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of particleboard production was performed using openLCA software. The impact assessment was carried out according to the software’s features. This preliminary investigation aims to analyze the chemical composition of particleboard and identify its environmental impact. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) system was used to track the functional group of aliphatic hydrocarbons, inorganic phosphates, and main aliphatic alcohols found in particleboards made in Malaysia. Based on the FTIR results, aliphatic groups were found in numerous aggravates that the spectroscopic infrared was likely to experience. The most important vibrational modes were C–H, at approximately 3000 cm⁻¹, and –CH deformations around 1460 cm⁻¹ and 1380 cm⁻¹. Eight effect groups demonstrated that 100% of the input and all analyses produced the same relative outcome. The life cycle of a product is determined by pollution of the air, water, and soil. Thus, particleboard has a minimal impact on the environment, except for global warming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Composites Design and Manufacturing)

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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 3692 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sensorized Robotic Skin Based on Piezoresistive Sensor Fiber Composites Produced with Injection Molding of Liquid Silicone

by Antonia Georgopoulou, Silvain Michel and Frank Clemens

Polymers 2021, 13(8), 1226; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13081226 - 10 Apr 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2754

Abstract

Soft robotics and flexible electronics are rising in popularity and can be used in many applications. However, there is still a need for processing routes that allow the upscaling in production for functional soft robotic parts in an industrial scale. In this study, injection molding of liquid silicone is suggested as a fabrication method for sensorized robotic skin based on sensor fiber composites. Sensor fibers based on thermoplastic elastomers with two different shore hardness (50A and 70A) are combined with different silicone materials. A mathematical model is used to predict the mechanical load transfer from the silicone matrix to the fiber and shows that the matrix of the lowest shore hardness should not be combined with the stiffer fiber. The sensor fiber composites are fixed on a 3D printed robotic finger. The sensorized robotic skin based on the composite with the 50A fiber in combination with pre-straining gives good sensor performance as well as a large elasticity. It is proposed that a miss-match in the mechanical properties between fiber sensor and matrix should be avoided in order to achieve low drift and relaxation. These findings can be used as guidelines for material selection for future sensor integrated soft robotic systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Composites Design and Manufacturing)

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Review

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25 pages, 9391 KiB

Open AccessReview

Review and Suggestion of Failure Theories in Voids Scenario for VARTM Processed Composite Materials

by Vivek Kumar Dhimole, Pruthvi Serrao and Chongdu Cho

Polymers 2021, 13(6), 969; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13060969 - 22 Mar 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4036

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced composite structures are used in different applications due to their excellent strength to weight ratio. Due to cost and tool handling issues in conventional manufacturing processes, like resin transfer molding (RTM) and autoclave, vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) is the best choice among industries. VARTM is highly productive and cheap. However, the VARTM process produces complex, lightweight, and bulky structures, suitable for mass and cost-effective production, but the presence of voids and fiber misalignment in the final processed composite influences its strength. Voids are the primary defects, and they cannot be eliminated completely, so a design without considering void defects will entail unreliability. Many conventional failure theories were used for composite design but did not consider the effect of voids defects, thus creating misleading failure characteristics. Due to voids, stress and strain uncertainty affects failure mechanisms, such as microcrack, delamination, and fracture. That’s why a proper selection and understanding of failure theories is necessary. This review discusses previous conventional failure theories followed by work considering the void’s effect. Based on the review, a few prominent theories were suggested to estimate composite strength in the void scenario because they consider the effect of the voids through crack density, crack, or void modeling. These suggested theories were based on damage mechanics (discrete damage mechanics), fracture mechanics (virtual crack closure technique), and micromechanics (representative volume element). The suggested theories are well-established in finite element modeling (FEM), representing an effective time and money-saving tool in design strategy, with better early estimation to enhance current design practices’ effectiveness for composites. This paper gives an insight into choosing the failure theories for composites in the presence of voids, which are present in higher percentages in mass production and less-costly processes (VARTM). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Composites Design and Manufacturing)

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