Industrial microwave technology for processing polymers and polymer based composites is currently in a state of considerable flux. This paper extends the applications horizon of microwaves in the area of reinforced thermoplastic composites joining, and places emphasis on the development of equipment and facilities aiming at maximising bond quality. It discusses the microwave facility used, incl...

The nonlinear cohesive law derived from the weak van der Waals force for carbon nanotube/polymer interfaces is incorporated in present study of CNT-reinforced composites. Carbon nanotubes can indeed improve the mechanical behavior of composite at the small strain, but such improvement disappears at relatively large strain because the completely debonded nanotubes behave like voids in the matrix...

A series of observations of polymer sheathing in multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)−polycarbonate composites are presented. This sheathing was observed in images of the composite fracture surface and is consistent with diameter distributions of the as-received and embedded MWCNTs. A novel nanomanipulation experiment, where the sheathing balls up when contacted by an AFM tip, confirms this phen...

Concrete columns confined with high-strength fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites can enhance the strength as well as the ductility of such structures. In recent years, the use of FRP composites to repair and strengthen existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures has been widely used. When the columns of existing RC structures are wrapped with FRP composites, the core concrete of such col...

In this study, a technique has been proposed for developing constitutive models for polymer composite systems reinforced with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). Since the polymer molecules are on the same size scale as the nanotubes, the interaction at the polymer/nanotube interface is highly dependent on the local molecular structure and bonding. At these small length scales, the lattice s...

applications of thermoplastic composites have developed extensively. the thermoplastic composites in comparison with the thermoset composites have many advantages. thermoplastic composites can be melted and remolded many times. the duration of manufacturing process of these composites is short, producing very tough material, and the welding ability and multiple recyclings are their further adva...

Effective elastic properties for carbon nanotube reinforced composites are obtained through a variety of micromechanics techniques. An embedded carbon nanotube  in  a  polymer  matrix  and  its surrounding  interphase  is  replaced with an equivalent fiber for  predicting  the  mechanical  properties of  the  carbon  nanotube/polymer composite. The effects of an interphase layer between the nan...

We have established the cohesive law for interfaces between a carbon nanotube (CNT) and polymer that are not well bonded and are characterized by the van der Waals force. The tensile cohesive strength and cohesive energy are given in terms of the area density of carbon nanotube and volume density of polymer, as well as the parameters in the van der Waals force. For a CNT in an infinite polymer,...

Unit cell homogenization techniques are applied on multiple length scales to compute the macroscopic hyperelastic stiffness characteristics of textile-reinforced polymer matrix composites. On the smallest scale (~50μm) the effective transversely isotropic properties of tows (or yarns) are computed based on both fiber and matrix properties. These position-dependent transversely isotropic effecti...

This paper presents a concise state-of-the-art review on the use of Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) in bridge engineering. The is organized into commonly used FRP components, and different materials/manufacturing techniques for repairing construction bridges. Efforts have been made to give clear view bridges using most relevant literature. FRPs certain desired properties like high strength wei...