We demonstrate a new method that can simultaneously improve the strength and toughness of the glass fiber-reinforced bismaleimide-triazine (BT) resin composites by using polyethylene glycol (PEG) to construct a flexible bridge at the interface. The mechanical properties, including the elongation, ultimate tensile stress, Young's modulus, toughness and dynamical mechanical properties were studie...

The present study aimed to analyze the application of waste material from copper production– slag (ŻŻL) as filler for composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Copper was introduced in amounts 1–20 wt%, and its influence appearance (color analysis), chemical structure (Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy), microstructure (optical microscopy), well static (tensile tests) d...

Various tissue-engineered vascular grafts have been studied in order to overcome the clinical disadvantages associated with conventional prostheses. However, previous tissue-engineered vascular grafts have possessed insufficient mechanical properties and thus have generally required either preoperative cellular manipulation or the use of bioreactors to improve their performance. In this study, ...

Biomaterials have been used to repair the human body for millennia, but it is only since the 1970s that man-made composites have been used. Hydroxyapatite (HA)-reinforced polyethylene (PE) is the first of the 'second-generation' biomaterials that have been developed to be bioactive rather than bioinert. The mechanical properties have been characterized using quasi-static, fatigue, creep and fra...

Natural fibers are used in polymer composites to improve mechanical properties to replace inorganic reinforcing agents produced by non-renewable resources. The present study investigates the tensile and flexural behaviors of palm fibers-high density polyethylene (HDPE) composite as a function of volume fraction. The surface of the fibers was treated by mercerization treatments to improve the we...

This work aimed at elucidating the influence of zwitterionic hard segments on the structures and properties of shape memory polyurethanes (SMPUs). A series of zwitterionic SMPUs was successfully prepared with N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), 1,3-propanesultone (1,3-PS), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG6000). The influence of MDEA-PS-based zwitterionic hard segment...

The aim of this study was to develop electrospun chitosan/polyethylene oxide-based randomly oriented fiber mats reinforced with chitin nanocrystals (ChNC) for wound dressing. Microscopy studies showed porous mats of smooth and beadless fibers with diameters between 223 and 966 nm. The addition of chitin nanocrystals as well as crosslinking had a positive impact on the mechanical properties of t...

This paper describes the analysis of a long length reinforced thermoplastic pipe. For this new class of pipe, which is constructed of a polyethylene liner pipe over wrapped with two layers of non-impregnated twisted aramid cords, peculiar deformation behaviour was observed when a pipe was pressurised. This behaviour was found to be a result of a difference in cord-slack between the two reinforc...

We examined the correlation of wear effects with dielectric properties of carbon nanofibers (CNFs; untreated and organosilane-treated)-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. Wear testing for the nanocomposites over up to 120 h was carried out, and then, dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss factor of the polymer composites with the increased wear time were studied. Scanni...

Living systems rely on pervasive vascular networks to enable a plurality of biological function in both soft and hard tissue. Extensive vasculature in composite structures, such as osseous tissue in bone and tracheary elements in trees, exemplify natural materials that are lightweight, high-strength, and capable of mass and energy transport. In contrast, synthetic composites possess high streng...