| 1. |
- Ansari, Farhan, et al.
(författare)
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Interface tailoring through covalent hydroxyl-epoxy bonds improves hygromechanical stability in nanocellulose materials
- 2016
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 134, s. 175-183
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wide-spread use of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) biocomposites and nanomaterials is limited by CNF moisture sensitivity due to surface hydration. We report on a versatile and scalable interface tailoring route for CNF to address this, based on technically important epoxide chemistry. Bulk impregnation of epoxide-amine containing liquids is used to show that CNF hydroxyls can react with epoxides at high rates and high degree of conversion to form covalent bonds. Reactions take place inside nanostructured CNF networks under benign conditions, and are verified by solid state NMR. Epoxide modified CNF nanopaper shows significantly improved mechanical properties under moist and wet conditions. High resolution microscopy is used in fractography studies to relate the property differences to structural change. The cellulose-epoxide interface tailoring concept is versatile in that the functionality of molecules with epoxide end-groups can be varied over a wide range. Furthermore, epoxide reactions with nanocellulose can be readily implemented for processing of moisture-stable, tailored interface biocomposites in the form of coatings, adhesives and molded composites.
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| 2. |
- Ansari, Farhan, et al.
(författare)
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Nanostructured biocomposites based on unsaturated polyester resin and a cellulose nanofiber network
- 2015
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Pergamon Press. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 117, s. 298-306
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biocomposites reinforced by natural plant fibers tend to be brittle, moisture sensitive and have limited strength. Wood cellulose nanofibers (CNF) were therefore used to reinforce an unsaturated polyester matrix (UP) without the need of coupling agents or CNF surface modification. The nanostructured CNF network reinforcement strongly improves modulus and strength of UP but also ductility and toughness. A template-based prepreg processing approach of industrial potential is adopted, which combines high CNF content (up to 45 vol%) with nanoscale CNF dispersion. The CNF/UP composites are subjected to moisture sorption, dynamic thermal analysis, tensile tests at different humidities, fracture toughness tests and fractography. The glass transition temperature (T-g) increases substantially with CNF content. Modulus and strength of UP increase about 3 times at 45 vol% CNF whereas ductility and apparent fracture toughness are doubled. Tensile properties at high humidity are compared with other bio-composites and interpreted based on differences in molecular interactions at the interface.
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| 3. |
- Badia, J. D., et al.
(författare)
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Effect of sisal and hydrothermal ageing on the dielectric behaviour of polylactide/sisal biocomposites
- 2017
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 149, s. 1-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dielectric properties of virgin polylactide (PLA) and its reinforced composites with different weight amounts of sisal fibres were assessed at broad temperature (from −130 °C to 130 °C) and frequency ranges (from 10−2–107 Hz), before and after being subjected to accelerated hydrothermal ageing. The synergetic effects of both the loading of sisal and hydrothermal ageing were analysed by means of dielectric relaxation spectra. The relaxation time functions were evaluated by the Havriliak-Negami model, substracting the ohmic contribution of conductivity. The intramolecular and intermolecular relaxations were respectively analysed by means of Arrhenius and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann-Hesse thermal activation models. The addition of fibre increased the number of hydrogen bonds, which incremented the dielectric permittivity and mainly hindered the non-cooperative relaxations of the biocomposites by increasing the activation energy. Hydrothermal ageing enhanced the formation of the crystalline phase at the so-called transcrystalline region along sisal. This fact hindered the movement of the amorphous PLA fraction, and consequently decreased the dielectric permittivity and increased the dynamic fragility.
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| 4. |
- Carlstedt, David, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of state of charge on elastic properties of 3D structural battery composites
- 2019
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 169, s. 26-33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effects of state of charge (SOC) on the elastic properties of 3D structural battery composites are studied. An analytical model based on micromechanical models is developed to estimate the effective elastic properties of 3D structural battery composite laminae at different SOC. A parametric study is performed to evaluate how different design parameters such as volume fraction of active materials, stiffness of constituents, type of positive electrode material, etc. affect the moduli of the composite lamina for extremes in SOC. Critical parameters and configurations resulting in large variations in elastic properties due to change in SOC are identified. As the extreme cases are of primary interest in structural design, the effective elastic properties are only estimated for the electrochemical states corresponding to discharged (SOC = 0) and fully charged (SOC = 1) battery. The change in SOC is simulated by varying the volume and elastic properties of the constituents based on data from literature. Parametric finite element (FE) models for square and hexagonal fibre packing arrangements are also analysed in the commercial FE software COMSOL and used to validate the analytical model. The present study shows that the transverse elastic properties E2 and G23 and the in-plane shear modulus G12 are strongly affected by the SOC while the longitudinal stiffness E1 is not. Fibre volume fraction and the properties of the coating (such as stiffness and Poisson's ratio) are identified as critical parameters that have significant impact on the effect of SOC on the effective elastic properties of the composite lamina. For configurations with fibre volume fraction Vf ≥ 0.4 and Young's modulus of the coating of 1 GPa or higher, the transverse properties E2 and G23 change more than 30% between extremes in SOC. Furthermore, for configurations with high volume fractions of electrode materials and coating properties approaching those of rubber the predicted change in transverse stiffness E2 is as high as +43%. This shows that it is crucial to take effects of SOC on the elastic properties into account when designing 3D structural battery composite components. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
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| 5. |
- Castro, Daniele Oliveira, et al.
(författare)
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The use of a pilot-scale continuous paper process for fire retardant cellulose-kaolinite nanocomposites
- 2018
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 162, s. 215-224
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nanostructured materials are difficult to prepare rapidly and at large scale. Melt-processed polymer-clay nanocomposites are an exception, but the clay content is typically below 5 wt%. An approach for manufacturing of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)/kaolinite nanocomposites is here demonstrated in pilot-scale by continuous production of hybrid nanopaper structures with thickness of around 100 μm. The colloidal nature of MFC suspensions disintegrated from chemical wood fiber pulp offers the possibility to add kaolinite clay platelet particles of nanoscale thickness. For initial lab scale optimization purposes, nanocomposite processing (dewatering, small particle retention etc) and characterization (mechanical properties, density etc) were investigated using a sheet former (Rapid Köthen). This was followed by a continuous fabrication of composite paper structures using a pilot-scale web former. Nanocomposite morphology was assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mechanical properties were measured in uniaxial tension. The fire retardancy was evaluated by cone calorimetry. Inorganic hybrid composites with high content of in-plane oriented nanocellulose, nanoclay and wood fibers were successfully produced at pilot scale. Potential applications include fire retardant paperboard for semi structural applications and as reinforcement mats in molded thermoset biocomposites.
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| 6. |
- Doddapaneni, Venkatesh, et al.
(författare)
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Engineered PMMA-ZnO nanocomposites for improving the electric arc interruption capability in electrical switching applications : Unprecedented experimental insights
- 2017
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 141, s. 113-119
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polymer inorganic nanocomposites (PINCs) have been engineered for controlling the electrical arc and to improve the arc interruption capability of the electrical switching applications, like circuit breakers. Several PINCs are fabricated by formation of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) in a poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix via in-situ polymerization method to avoid agglomeration of QDs, leading to a good spatial distribution of QDs in the polymer matrix. These PINCs have been characterized in detail for the morphology of QDs, interaction between QDs and polymer matrix, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation absorption. ZnO QDs have been assessed to have particle diameter of 3.5 nm, and their presence in the PMMA is revealed by the unique luminescence characteristics of the QDs under UV light. The presence of ZnO QDs broadened the range of UV radiation absorption of PMMA and the absorption edge is gradually shifted from 270 nm to 338 nm with step-wise loading of ZnO QDs. The PINCs are tested to determine their reproducibility and impact on the electrical arcs of current 1.6 kA generated using a specially designed test-setup. Interaction of PINCs with the electrical arcs generates ablation of chemical species towards core of the electrical arc, resulting in increase of voltage leading to cool-down the arc temperature. This experimental study demonstrates for the first time that these PINCs are reproducible, reliable and provides superior arc interruption capability.
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| 7. |
- Doddapaneni, Venkatesh, et al.
(författare)
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New experimental insights for controlling the electrical arcs in electrical switching applications : a comparative study on PMMA nanocomposites of Au and ZnO
- 2017
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050.
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Polymer inorganic nanocomposites (PINCs) are developed, not only due to scientific interest but also improving theelectric arc interruption process in the electrical switching applications like circuit breakers. The novelty of this work isin integrating the current developments in PINCs into electrical switching application in order to extend the limits of thepower switching devices. Several PINCs are fabricated by using pre-synthesized Au nanoparticles (NPs) of size 2.75 ±0.4 nm and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix via in-situ polymerization method. Six homogeneous PINCsamples with ultra-low wt% of Au NPs varying from 0.0003 to 0.005 wt% have been fabricated. We find that thepresence of Au NPs improved the convective heat transfer and visible optical radiation absorption of PMMA. Thefabricated PINCs are tested for their arc interruption performance and the results are compared with ZnO PINCs in ourearlier work. The results of the experiments insights demonstrate the impact of PINCs on the electrical arcs and theirpotential advantages of having PINCs for the electric arc interruption process in high power switching devices.
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| 8. |
- Elnekhaily, Sarah A., et al.
(författare)
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Damage initiation in unidirectional fiber composites with different degrees of nonuniform fiber distribution
- 2018
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 155, s. 22-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper reports a study of the initiation of the first failure event in unidirectional composites subjected to transverse tension. Two energy based point failure criteria – critical dilatational energy density and critical distortional energy density – are considered. The manufacturing induced disorder in the fiber distribution in the composite cross section is described in terms of the degree of nonuniformity, which is quantified and for which an algorithm is developed. The nonuniformity is captured in a representative volume element (RVE) whose minimum size is determined based on statistics of nearest fiber distance distribution. Several realizations of the RVE for three fiber volume fractions and three degrees of nonuniformity are analyzed using a finite element model. A parametric study of the effect of matrix/fiber stiffness ratio on the damage initiation is also conducted. Significant effects of the fiber distribution nonuniformity on the strain to onset of damage are found.
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| 9. |
- Espadas-Escalante, Juan José, et al.
(författare)
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A phase-field model for strength and fracture analyses of fiber-reinforced composites
- 2019
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 174, s. 58-67
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A phase-field model for brittle fracture is proposed and evaluated for strength and fracture analyses of composites. In addition to the elastic properties, this approach makes use of only the fracture toughness and the strength of the material. The capability of the method is shown in analyses of composites at two scales. In laminates, strengths of notched laminates are estimated, including hole size effects. In a lamina, cracks developed in both transverse tension and compression are analyzed and compared to other numerical methods in the literature. The effects of a spectral and a hydrostatic-deviatoric decomposition of the strain energy density, two variants often used in phase-field formulations, are studied. It is shown that the choice of the decomposition affects the fracture development. Results are compared to experiments and simulations in the literature showing the capabilities of the phase-field approach.
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| 10. |
- Fu, Qiliang, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Transparent plywood as a load-bearing and luminescent biocomposite
- 2018
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 164, s. 296-303
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transparent wood (TW) structures in research studies were either thin and highly anisotropic or thick and isotropic but weak. Here, transparent plywood (TPW) laminates are investigated as load-bearing biocomposites with tunable mechanical and optical performances. Structure-property relationships are analyzed. The plies of TPW were laminated with controlled fiber directions and predetermined stacking sequence in order to control the directional dependence of modulus and strength, which would give improved properties in the weakest direction. Also, the angular dependent light scattering intensities were investigated and showed more uniform distribution. Luminescent TPW was prepared by incorporation of quantum dots (QDs) for potential lighting applications. TPW can be designed for large-scale use where multiaxial load-bearing performance is combined with new optical functionalities.
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