Structures, fiber-reinforced polymer

Fiber-reinforced polymer structures are typically laid up by hand, consolidated (compressed together) with the polymer resin matrix material, and cured with heat and pressure. This method is capable of producing uniquely shaped, strong, and lightweight structural pieces. Fiber-reinforced polymers can also be used in mass-production methods thermoplastic materials can be employed to produce many relatively simple shapes that do not call for high strength. Variations on these methods, such as extrusion and pultrnsion, represent combinations of these methodologies. 

Another approach to exploit the properties of nanocarbons consists in integrating them in standard fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPC). The rationale behind this route is to form a hierarchical composite, with the nanocarbon playing a role at the nanoscale and the macroscopic fiber providing mainly mechanical reinforcement. This strategy typically aims to give FRPCs added functionality, improve their interlaminar properties and increase the fiber surface area. The first two properties are critical for the transport industry, for example, where the replacement of structural metallic... 

For applications where only mechanical properties are relevant, it is often sufficient to use resins for the filling and we end up with carbon-reinforced polymer structures. Such materials [23] can be soft, like the family of poly-butadiene materials leading to rubber or tires. The transport properties of the carbon fibers lead to some limited improvement of the transport properties of the polymer. If carbon nanotubes with their extensive propensity of percolation are used [24], then a compromise between mechanical reinforcement and improvement of electrical and thermal stability is possible provided one solves the severe challenge of homogeneous mixing of binder and filler phases. For the macroscopic carbon fibers this is less of a problem, in particular when advanced techniques of vacuum infiltration of the fluid resin precursor and suitable chemical functionalization of the carbon fiber are applied. 

McGarry, F.J. (1969). The fracture of polymers and fiber reinforced polymer composites. In Proc. AlAAj ASME lOlh Structures, Structural Dynamics Mater. Conf., New Orleans, pp. 456-471. 

Development of FRP (Fiber-reinforced polymer) -reinforced polymer concrete structural members [81-82]... 

ACI-440.R-07 (2007). Report on Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Reinforcement for Concrete Structures. Farmington HiUs, MI, American Concrete Institute. 

Blontrock, H., F. Taerwe and S. Matthys (1999). Properties of fibre reinforced plastics at elevated temperatures with regard to fire resistance of reinforced concrete members. Fourth International Symposium on Fiber Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement for Concrete Structures, Farmington HUls, MI, pp. 43-54. 

Bai, Y. (2009) Material and structural performance of fiber-reinforced polymer composites at elevated and high temperatures. PhD thesis. EPFL, Lausanne. 

While thermoplastic polymers can also find applications in load bearing stmcmres, particularly for thermoplastic polymers that have very high melting temperatures, thermosetting polymers have dominated the application in load bearing, fiber reinforced polymer composite structures. Therefore, this book will focus on thermosetting polymer composites. 

Improvements in the properties and performance of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix materials from the addition of nano- and microscale particles have been reported in the literature [8], The availabiHty of different types of nanoparticles offered the possibiHty to tailor fiber/matrix interactions at a nanoscale level. Recently, it has been proven that nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed in a polymer matrix are able to play a beneficial role on the fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion in different types of structural composites [ 11 ], as it will be shown later. Hence, regarding structural properties, nanocomposites appear particularly appropriate as means of enhancing the mechanical properties of conventional composites rather than their use as nanocomposites by themselves, except in some particular cases. 

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