Computational modelling of the crushing of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composites.

The use of lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites in transportation vehicles has necessitated the need to guarantee that these new materials and their structures are able to deliver a sufficient level of crashworthiness to ensure passenger safety. Unlike their metallic counterparts, which absorb energy primarily through plastic deformation, CFRPs absorb energy through a complex interaction of damage mechanisms involving matrix (polymer) cracking, fibre/matrix debonding, fibre pull-out/kinking/fracture, delamination and inter/intralaminar friction. CFRP is primarily deployed as a laminate and can potentially deliver a higher specific energy absorption than metals. Translating this capability to a structural scale requires careful design and is dependent on geometry, fibre architecture, laminate stacking sequence and damage initiation strategies for optimal uniform crushing. Consequently, the design of crashworthy CFRP structures currently entails extensive physical testing which is expensive and time consuming. This paper reports on progress and challenges in the development of a finite-element computational capability for simulating the crushing of composites for crashworthiness assessments, with the aim of reducing the burden of physical testing. It addresses the 'tyranny of scales' in modelling structures constructed of CFRP composites. Intrinsic to this capability is the acquisition of reliable material data for the damage model, in particular interlaminar and intralaminar fracture toughness values. While quasi-static values can be obtained with a reasonable level of confidence, results achieved through dynamic testing are still the subject of debate and the relationship between fracture toughness and strain rate has yet to be satisfactorily resolved. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nanocracks in nature and industry'.

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Synthesized Gold Nanoparticle/Carbon Nanotube Hybrids for Photothermal Conversion.

In this work, a room-temperature atmospheric pressure direct-current plasma has been deployed for the one-step synthesis of gold nanoparticle/carboxyl group-functionalized carbon nanotube (AuNP/CNT-COOH) nanohybrids in aqueous solution for the first time. Uniformly distributed AuNPs are formed on the surface of CNT-COOH, without the use of reducing agents or surfactants. The size of the AuNP can be tuned by changing the gold salt precursor concentration. UV-vis, ζ-potential, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggest that carboxyl surface functional groups on CNTs served as nucleation and growth sites for AuNPs and the multiple potential reaction pathways induced by the plasma chemistry have been elucidated in detail. The nanohybrids exhibit significantly enhanced Raman scattering and photothermal conversion efficiency that are essential for potential multimodal cancer treatment applications.

Microplasma assisted synthesis of gold nanoparticle/graphene oxide nanocomposites and their potential application in SERS sensing.

This is the first study on the deployment of direct current atmospheric pressure microplasma technique for the single step synthesis of gold nanoparticle/graphene oxide (AuNP/GO) nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and their formation mechanisms have been discussed in detail. Our AuNP/GO nanocomposites are highly biocompatible and have demonstrated surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties as compared to pure AuNPs and pure GO. Their potential as SERS substrate has been further demonstrated using probe molecules (methylene blue) at different concentrations.

Tension and Compression Properties of 3D-Printed Composites: Print Orientation and Strain Rate Effects.

This study examines the impact of three factors on the tensile and compressive behaviour of 3D-printed parts: (1) the addition of short carbon fibres to the nylon filament used for 3D printing, (2) the infill pattern, and (3) the speed at which the materials are strained during testing. The results show that adding carbon fibres to the nylon filament reduces variability between tests and emphasises the effect of print orientation. When the infill pattern is aligned with the direction of loading, the tensile strength of all samples increases, with the largest increase of 100% observed in the carbon fibre-reinforced samples, compared to a 37% increase in the strength of nylon samples. The carbon fibre-reinforced samples are also highly dependent on strain rate, with a 60% increase in tensile strength observed at a faster testing speed of 300 mm/min (9 min-1) compared to 5 mm/min (0.15 min-1). Nylon samples show a decrease of approximately 10% in tensile strength at the same increased speed. The compressive strength of the composite samples increases by up to 130% when the print path is parallel to the loading direction. Increases of up to 50% are observed in the compressive modulus of the composite samples at a test speed of 255 mm/min (9 min-1) compared to 1.3 mm/min (0.05 min-1). Similar trends are not seen in pure nylon samples. This study is the first to report on the variation of Poisson's ratio of short carbon fibre-reinforced 3D-printed parts. The results show increases of up to 34% and 76% in the tensile and compressive Poisson's ratios, respectively, when printing parameters are altered. The findings from this research will contribute to the design and numerical modelling of 3D-printed composites.