Passive vibration control using polymer composites has been extensively investigated by the engineering community. In this paper, a new kind of vibration dampening polymer composite was developed where oriented nylon 6 fibres were used as the reinforcement, and 3D printed unoriented nylon 6 was used as the matrix material. The shape of the reinforcing fibres was modified to a coiled structure which transformed the fibres into a smart thermoresponsive actuator. This novel self-reinforced composite was of high mechanical robustness and its efficacy was demonstrated as an active dampening system for oscillatory vibration of a heated vibrating system. The blocking force generated within the reinforcing coiled actuator was responsible for dissipating vibration energy and increase the magnitude of the damping factor compared to samples made of non-reinforced nylon 6. Further study shows that the appropriate annealing of coiled actuators provides an enhanced dampening capability to the composite structure. The extent of crystallinity of the reinforcing actuators is found to directly influence the vibration dampening capacity.
Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites have high mechanical properties that make them exemplary engineered materials to carry loads and stresses. Coupling fibre and matrix together require good understanding of not only fibre morphology but also matrix rheology. One way of having a strongly coupled fibre and matrix interface is to size the reinforcing fibres by means of micro- or nanocarbon materials coating on the fibre surface. Common coating materials used are carbon nanotubes and nanofibres and graphene, and more recently carbon black (colloidal particles of virtually pure elemental carbon) and graphite. There are several chemical, thermal, and electrochemical processes that are used for coating the carbonous materials onto a carbon fibre surface. Sizing of fibres provides higher interfacial adhesion between fibre and matrix and allows better fibre wetting by the surrounded matrix material. This review paper goes over numerous techniques that are used for engineering the interface between both fibre and matrix systems, which is eventually the key to better mechanical properties of the composite systems.
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