Finite Element Analysis of the Ballistic Impact on Auxetic Sandwich Composite Human Body Armor.

In this study, the ballistic impact behavior of auxetic sandwich composite human body armor was analyzed using finite element analysis. The auxetic core of the armor was composed of discrete re-entrant unit cells. The sandwich armor structure consisted of a front panel of aluminum alloy (Al 7075-T6), UHMWPE (sandwich core), and a back facet of silicon carbide (SiC) bonded together with epoxy resin. Numerical simulations were run on Explicit Dynamics/Autodyne 3-D code. Various projectile velocities with the same boundary conditions were used to predict the auxetic armor response. These results were compared with those of conventional monolithic body armor. The results showed improved indentation resistance with the auxetic armor. Deformation in auxetic armor was observed greater for each of the cases when compared to the monolithic armor, due to higher energy absorption. The elastic energy dissipation results in the lower indentation in an auxetic armor. The armor can be used safely up to 400 m/s; being used at higher velocities significantly reduced the threat level. Conversely, the conventional monolithic modal does not allow the projectile to pass through at a velocity below 300 m/s; however, the back face becomes severely damaged at 200 m/s. At a velocity of 400 m/s, the front facet of auxetic armor was destroyed; however, the back facet was completely safe, while the monolithic panel did not withstand this velocity and was completely damaged. The results are encouraging in terms of resistance offered by the newly adopted auxetic armor compared to conventional monolithic armor.

Heat insulation effect in solar radiation of polyurethane powder coating nanocomposite.

This study aims to improve polyurethane-based coating by modified zirconium oxide and aluminum oxide nanoparticles for preparing thin polymeric heat insulation coatings. In the first step, the nanoparticles were chemically modified with the silane coupling agent. Then, three different weight percent of modified nanoparticles (1, 3, and 5% w/w) were mixed with polyurethane, to prepare the nanocomposites, which were coated on metallic plate samples. Then, these plates are used to measure the radiation heat transfer coefficients, absorption coefficient in a region of short wavelengths (UV/VIS/NIR), the emissivity coefficient, and thermography of the samples in a region of long wavelengths (IR). Results showed that by adding the modified nanoparticles to the polyurethane matrix, absorption was decreased and the emissivity coefficient was increased. According to the thermography results, it was observed that the surface temperature of both samples with 3% w/w of nanoparticles had the minimum temperature compare to others. Minimum heat surface observed for 3% w/w of modified nano zirconium oxide.

Separation of ctDNA by superparamagnetic bead particles in microfluidic platform for early cancer detection.

Introduction: Conventional biopsy, based on extraction from a tumor of a solid tissue specimen requiring needles, endoscopic devices, excision or surgery, is at risk of infection, internal bleeding or prolonged recovery. A non-invasive liquid biopsy is one of the greatest axiomatic consequences of the identification of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a replaceable surgical tumor bioQpsy technique. Most of the literature studies thus far presented ctDNA detection at almost final stage III or IV of cancer, where the treatment option or cancer management is nearly impossible for diagnosis. Objective: Hence, this paper aims to present a simulation study of extraction and separation of ctDNA from the blood plasma of cancer patients of stage I and II by superparamagnetic (SPM) bead particles in a microfluidic platform for early and effective cancer detection. Method: The extraction of ctDNA is based on microfiltration of particle size to filter some impurities and thrombocytes plasma, while the separation of ctDNA is based on magnetic manipulation to high yield that can be used for the upstream process. Result: Based on the simulation results, an average of 5.7 ng of ctDNA was separated efficiently for every 10 µL blood plasma input and this can be used for early analysis of cancer management. The particle tracing module from COMSOL Multiphysics traced ctDNA with 65.57% of sensitivity and 95.38% of specificity. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the ease of use and versatility of a microfluidics platform and SPM bead particles in clinical research related to the preparation of biological samples. As a sample preparation stage for early analysis and cancer diagnosis, the extraction and separation of ctDNA is most important, so precision medicine can be administered.

An Extended Thickness-Dependent Moisture Absorption Model for Unidirectional Carbon/Epoxy Composites.

Moisture absorption tests for materials that exhibit non-Fickian behavior generally require a relatively long period to reach saturation. Therefore, it would be beneficial to establish a relationship between the moisture content and the thickness to minimize the experimental time and cost. This research characterizes the moisture absorption behavior of AS4/8552 carbon/epoxy composites. Specimens were prepared at 4, 8, and 16 plies and immersed in distilled water at 60 °C. The relationship between the non-Fickian parameters (Fickian to non-Fickian maximum moisture content ratio ϕ, non-Fickian diffusivity per square thickness α, and non-Fickian initiation time to) and thickness was characterized using a thickness-dependent model. A comparison with other materials revealed that all three non-Fickian parameters are able to be fitted using a power law. Nevertheless, the upper boundary for the applicability of this model was not determined in this study. The Weibull distribution plots indicate that the probability of non-Fickian moisture absorption is influenced by ϕ and α at approximately 62% within a normalized thickness range of 2-3. In regards to to, it is 82% at a normalized thickness of 6. Therefore, the Weibull distribution is proposed for the assessment of non-Fickian moisture absorption based on the material's thickness.

Thermal Delamination Modelling and Evaluation of Aluminium-Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Hybrid.

This paper aims to propose a temperature-dependent cohesive model to predict the delamination of dissimilar metal-composite material hybrid under Mode-I and Mode-II delamination. Commercial nonlinear finite element (FE) code LS-DYNA was used to simulate the material and cohesive model of hybrid aluminium-glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminate. For an accurate representation of the Mode-I and Mode-II delamination between aluminium and GFRP laminates, cohesive zone modelling with bilinear traction separation law was implemented. Cohesive zone properties at different temperatures were obtained by applying trends of experimental results from double cantilever beam and end notched flexural tests. Results from experimental tests were compared with simulation results at 30, 70 and 110 °C to verify the validity of the model. Mode-I and Mode-II FE models compared to experimental tests show a good correlation of 5.73% and 7.26% discrepancy, respectively. Crack front stress distribution at 30 °C is characterised by a smooth gradual decrease in Mode-I stress from the centre to the edge of the specimen. At 70 °C, the entire crack front reaches the maximum Mode-I stress with the exception of much lower stress build-up at the specimen's edge. On the other hand, the Mode-II stress increases progressively from the centre to the edge at 30 °C. At 70 °C, uniform low stress is built up along the crack front with the exception of significantly higher stress concentrated only at the free edge. At 110 °C, the stress distribution for both modes transforms back to the similar profile, as observed in the 30 °C case.

Representative Cell Analysis for Damage-Based Failure Model of Polymer Hexagonal Honeycomb Structure under the Out-of-Plane Loadings.

The honeycomb (HC) core of sandwich structures undergoes flexural loading and carries the normal compression and shear. The mechanical properties and deformation response of the core need to be established for the design requirements. In this respect, this article describes the development of the smallest possible representative cell (RC) models for quantifying the deformation and failure process of the Nomex polymer-based hexagonal HC core structure under the out-of-plane quasi-static loadings. While the hexagonal single and multi-cell models are suitable for the tension and compression, a six-cell model is the simplest RC model developed for shear in the transverse and ribbon direction. Hashin's matrix and fiber damage equations are employed in simulating the failure process of the orthotropic cell walls, using the finite element (FE) analysis. The FE-calculated load-displacement curves are validated with the comparable measured responses throughout the loading to failure. The location of the fracture plane of the critical cell wall in the out-of-plane tension case is well predicted. The wrinkling of the cell walls, leading to the structural buckling of the HC core specimen in the compression test, compares well with the observed failure mechanisms. In addition, the observed localized buckling of the cell wall by the induced compressive stress during the out-of-plane shear in both the transverse and ribbon direction is explained. The mesoscale RC models of the polymer hexagonal HC core structure have adequately demonstrated the ability to predict the mechanics of deformation and the mechanisms of failure.

Numerical Prediction of Residual Stresses Distribution in Thin-Walled Press-Braked Stainless Steel Sections.

Stainless steels are increasingly used in construction today, especially in harsh environments, in which steel corrosion commonly occurs. Cold-formed stainless steel structures are currently increasing in popularity because of its efficiency in load-bearing capacity and its appealing architectural appearance. Cold-rolling and press-braking are the cold-working processes used in the forming of stainless steel sections. Press braking can produce large cross-sections from thin to thick-walled sections compared to cold-rolling. Cold-forming in press-braked sections significantly affect member behaviour and joints; therefore, they have attained great attention from many researchers to initiate investigations on those effects. This paper examines the behaviour of residual stress distribution of stainless steel press-braked sections by implementing three-dimensional finite element (3D-FE) technique. The study proposed a full finite element procedure to predict the residual stresses starting from coiling-uncoiling to press-braking. This work considered material anisotropy to examine its effect on the residual stress distribution. The technique adopted was compared with different finite element techniques in the literature. This study also provided a parametric study for three corner radius-to-thickness ratios looking at the through-thickness residual stress distribution of four stainless steels (i.e., ferritic, austenitic, duplex, lean duplex) in which have their own chemical composition. In conclusion, the comparison showed that the adopted technique provides a detailed prediction of residual stress distribution. The influence of geometrical aspects is more pronounced than the material properties. Neglecting the material anisotropy shows higher shifting in the neutral axis. The parametric study showed that all stainless steel types have the same stress through-thickness distribution. Moreover, R/t ratios' effect is insignificant in all transverse residual stress distributions, but a slight change to R/t ratios can affect the longitudinal residual stress distribution.

Moisture Absorption Effects on Mode II Delamination of Carbon/Epoxy Composites.

It is necessary to consider the influence of moisture damage on the interlaminar fracture toughness for composite structures that are used for outdoor applications. However, the studies on the progressive variation of the fracture toughness as a function of moisture content M (%) is rather limited. In this regard, this study focuses on the characterization of mode II delamination of carbon/epoxy composites conditioned at 70 °C/85% relative humidity (RH). End-notched flexure test is conducted for specimens aged at various moisture absorption levels. Experimental results reveal that mode II fracture toughness degrades with the moisture content, with a maximum of 23% decrement. A residual property model is used to predict the variation of the fracture toughness with the moisture content. Through numerical simulations, it is found that the approaches used to estimate the lamina and cohesive properties are suitable to obtain reliable simulation results. In addition, the damage initiation is noticed during the early loading stage; however, the complete damage is only observed when the numerical peak load is achieved. Results from the present research could serve as guidelines to predict the residual properties and simulate the mode II delamination behavior under moisture attack.

Fabrication of High-Quality Polymer Composite Frame by a New Method of Fiber Winding Process.

Polymer composite frame has been frequently used in the main structural body of vehicles in aerospace, automotive, etc., applications. Manufacturing of complex curved composite frame suffer from the lack of accurate and optimum method of winding process that lead to preparation of uniform fiber arrangement in critical location of the curved frame. This article deals with the fabrication of high-quality polymer composite frame through an optimal winding of textile fibers onto a non-bearing core frame using a fiber-processing head and an industrial robot. The number of winding layers of fibers and their winding angles are determined based on the operational load on the composite structure. Ensuring the correct winding angles and thus also the homogeneity of fibers in each winding layer can be achieved by using an industrial robot and by definition of its suitable off-line trajectory for the production cycle. Determination of an optimal off-line trajectory of the end-effector of a robot (robot-end-effector (REE)) is important especially in the case of complicated 3D shaped frames. The authors developed their own calculation procedure to determine the optimal REE trajectory in the composite manufacturing process. A mathematical model of the winding process, matrix calculus (particularly matrices of rotations and translations) and an optimization differential evolution algorithm are used during calculation of the optimal REE trajectory. Polymer composites with greater resistance to failure damage (especially against physical destruction) can be produced using the above mentioned procedure. The procedure was successfully tested in an experimental composite laboratory. Two practical examples of optimal trajectory calculation are included in the article. The described optimization algorithm of REE trajectory is completely independent of the industrial robot type and robot software tools used and can also be used in other composite manufacturing technologies.