Stress-Responsive Reinforced Polymer Composites via Functionalization of Glass Fibers

Abstract

Debonding and delamination in fiber reinforced polymer composites has been a prevailing challenge in modern composite applications, as this form of precursor damage can be crucial to understanding failure in these types of composites. Mechanochemistry may offer a unique solution to monitor these failure modes through the use of mechanophores: molecular units which undergo a specific chemical reaction through mechanical deformation of highly strained bonds present in the molecule. In this work, the fluorescent cinnamoyl mechanophore is grafted to the surface of a glass fiber and incorporated into a glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite to monitor the mechanophore activation during loading. Additionally, a thermal and mechanical study is performed to understand the effect of mechanophore surface functionalization on property changes of the resulting composite. This work is indeed successful at producing a composite capable of detecting interphase stresses and damage through monitoring of the fluorescent cinnamoyl mechanophore, allowing for an understanding of how this damage initiates in the material.

Effect of Embedded g-C3N4 Nanosheets on the Hydration and Thermal Response Behavior of Cross-Linked Thermoresponsive Copolymer Films

“…Stimuli-responsive polymers are able to respond to the external environment and exhibit reversible or irreversible changes in their chemical structure and physical properties. − Various types of stimuli, e.g., light, , gas, , pH, , mechanical forces, , temperature, , electric field, , and magnetic field, , have been applied to trigger the changes of the chain conformation, self-assembly, and solubility of stimuli-responsive polymers. As an important type of stimuli-responsive polymers, thermoresponsive polymers with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) attract significant attention both in theories and applications due to their fast response, high sensitivity, and easy control of temperature response. − Typically, when the external temperature is below the transition temperature (TT), thermoresponsive polymers with LCST behavior are more hydrophilic, since intermolecular hydrogen bonds between water molecules and polymer chains can be formed.…”

Tribological properties of differently shaped zinc‐based metal‐organic framework particles reinforced epoxy resin composites

“…3,4 Fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites commonly improve the tribological properties of polymer materials due to their good processability and excellent tribological properties 5 ; EP is widely applied in fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. [6][7][8][9] Carbon fiber, 10,11 glass fiber, 12,13 aramid fibre, 14,15 and PTFE fibre 16,17 fabrics are the most common in fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. We recently investigated the tribological properties of carbon-felt reinforced monomer casting nylon-6 (MCPA6) composites.…”