Advances in Fiber–Matrix Interface: Cohesion Enhancement, Characterization and Modeling of Interfacial Debonding

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Topic is to offer a platform for researchers, scientists, engineers, and practitioners to showcase and disseminate their latest research findings, innovations, and insights in the field of understanding and enhancing fiber–matrix cohesion in polymer-based reinforced composites.

Environmental issues represent one of the primary problems in new industrial developments. For car manufacturers, one of the main directions in CO₂ reduction is to reduce the weight of structures, especially by replacing metallic parts with plastic composites. The use of short fiber-reinforced thermoplastic is thus widely increasing, even in under-the-hood applications. One of the main topics of research on the composites used for these applications is damage propagation through their microstructure, especially for difficult solicitation environments. The loss of reinforcement due to damage propagation slows the integration of such materials in the automotive and aeronautic industries.

This Topic emphasizes the advancement of knowledge on the damage phenomenon that can occur in polymer matrixes, both at the matrix–reinforcement interface and in the fibers, and its consequences on the mechanical properties of the composite.

This Topic welcomes a wide range of studies dealing with fiber–matrix cohesion enhancement and damage propagation in novel composites and/or single fibers. The subjects of interest include: experimental characterization of natural fibers, and interphase resistance as well as chemical treatments and/or manufacturing techniques allowing a better fiber/matrix cohesion.

Manuscripts that study the evolution of physical, chemical, or mechanical properties as a function of environmental conditions such as temperature and water absorption are highly encouraged.

Contributions documenting the analytical and numerical modeling of the damage process and propagation are also perfectly fitted to this Topic.

This Topic welcomes studies performed on all kinds of polymer-based matrixes, over a wide range of reinforcement architectures, from short fibers to yarns, as well as a wide range of manufacturing processes, from injection to additive manufacturing.

Dr. Quentin Bourgogne
Prof. Dr. Hamid Zahrouni
Dr. Hubert Chapuis
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Fibers fibers	3.9	7.4	2013	23.3 Days	CHF 2000	Submit
Journal of Composites Science jcs	3.7	5.8	2017	16.2 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Materials materials	3.2	6.4	2008	15.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Polymers polymers	4.9	9.7	2009	14 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
Applied Mechanics applmech	1.5	3.5	2020	20.4 Days	CHF 1400	Submit

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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All Fibers J. Compos. Sci. Materials Polymers Applied Mechanics

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15 pages, 4033 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Microstructural and Chemical Analysis of PBT/Glass Fiber Composites: Influence of Fiber Content and Manufacturing on Composite Performance

by Oumayma Hamlaoui, Riadh Elleuch, Hakan Tozan, Imad Tawfiq and Olga Klinkova

Fibers 2025, 13(9), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib13090117 - 28 Aug 2025

Abstract

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the microstructural characteristics and the chemical content of Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) composites that have different contents of Glass Fiber (GF). Blending of VALOX 420 (30 wt% GF/PBT) with unreinforced VALOX 310 allowed the composites to be [...] Read more.

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the microstructural characteristics and the chemical content of Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) composites that have different contents of Glass Fiber (GF). Blending of VALOX 420 (30 wt% GF/PBT) with unreinforced VALOX 310 allowed the composites to be prepared, with control of the concentration and distribution of the GF. The GF reinforcement and PBT matrix were characterized by an advanced microstructural spectrum and spatial analysis to show the influence of fiber density, dispersion, and chemical composition on performance. Findings indicate that GF content has a profound effect on microstructural properties and damage processes, especially traction effects in various regions of the specimen. These results highlight the significance of accurate control of GF during fabrication to maximize durability and performance, which can be used to inform the design of superior PBT/GF composites in challenging engineering applications. The implications of these results are relevant to a number of high-performance sectors, especially in automotive, electrical, and consumer electronic industries, where PBT/GF composites are found in extensive use because of their outstanding mechanical strength, dimensional stability, and thermal resistance. The main novelty of the current research is both the microstructural and chemical assessment of PBT/GF composites in different fiber contents, and this aspect is rather insufficiently studied in the literature. Although the mechanical performance or macro-level aging effects have been previously assessed, the Literature usually did not combine elemental spectroscopy or spatial microstructural mapping to correlate the fiber distribution with the damage mechanisms. Further, despite the importance of GF reinforcement in achieving the right balance between mechanical, thermal, and electrical performance, not much has been conducted in detail to describe the correlation between the microstructure and the evolution of damage in short-fiber composites. Conversely, this paper will use the superior spatial elemental analysis to bring out the effects of GF content and dispersion on micro-mechanisms like interfacial traction, cracking of the matrix, and fiber fracture. We, to the best of our knowledge, are the first to systematically combine chemical spectrum analysis with spatial mapping of PBT/GF systems with varied fiber contents—this allows us to give actionable information on material design and optimized manufacturing procedures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Fiber–Matrix Interface: Cohesion Enhancement, Characterization and Modeling of Interfacial Debonding)

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