This study presents lightweight designs using the tensegrity paradigm for the simply supported problem. Three tensegrity solutions are explored: super-structures, sub-structures, and cable-structures. The basic units of the three kinds are first studied, where we analytically calculate the minimal mass required, along with the optimal inclinations angles, to sustain a simply supported load. By applying self-similar rules and varying the structure subdivisions and complexities, the structure mass is further minimized under bar-yielding and buckling constraints. This study finds the optimal complexities and subdivisions of the three solutions. Numerical results validate and compare the minimal mass designs. These proposed lightweight designs are applicable to bridge designs and other scenarios that undergo simply supported loads.
The rapid advancement of modern transportation systems has spurred a huge demand for low cost, lightweight, and high reliability composite materials, primarily owing to their high specific strength, design flexibility, and superior resistance to corrosion and high temperature, which makes them ideal alternatives to traditional metallic structures. Our work presents a thorough state-of-art review of the recent research and development progress of composite materials primarily in aerospace, rail transit, and automotive industries. Before addressing the application progress, some representative failure criteria have been introduced, providing the understanding and reference to the damage identification and fatigue life prediction. Despite significant advantages, the widespread integration of composite structures into modern transportation systems presents both a substantial challenge and a promising opportunity. Particularly, the structural integrity issues of composite structures have received more and more attention in engineering applications and assessment approaches, mainly in connection with failure constitutive laws, manufacturing considerations, extreme service conditions, structural health monitoring, repair and recycling, etc. An overview of the development of advanced composites within transportation systems is therefore provided, serving a reference for scientists and engineers.
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
Structural and hetero-interfacial engineering of magnetic bimetallic composites based polyurethane microwave absorbing coating for marine environment
Qiaoqiao Han, Junhuai Xu, Jianyang Shi, Mi Zhou, Haibo Wang, Liang Geng, Junjie Xiong, Zongliang Du
doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2025.108770
海洋环境用磁性双金属复合聚氨酯吸波涂料的结构与异质界面工程
Construction of microwave-absorbing materials adapted to marine application scenarios remain a challenge. Herein, environmentally stable CoxNiy@C absorbers are fabricated. The CoNi-C heterogeneous interface in these absorbers induces a more inhomogeneous space charge distribution than Co-C and Ni-C interfaces, contributing to strong hetero-interfacial polarization and thereby improving microwave absorption performance. The C2 absorber demonstrated an EAB of 5.68 GHz, covering the entire Ku-band at a thickness of 1.98 mm. Additionally, simulations revealed an excellent radar stealth effect in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mode. The 3D graphite skeleton of the absorber can extend the diffusion path of corrosive media and facilitate bacterial deposition, producing synergistic anti-corrosion and antibacterial effects. After immersion in a 3.5 % NaCl solution for 47 days, the |Z|0.01Hz value of polyurethane (PU)/C2 coating remained at 6.32 × 108 Ω cm2, indicating superior anticorrosion characteristics. The antibacterial rates of C2 reached 99.77 % against Escherichia coli and 99.11 % against Staphylococcus aureus. This work offers fresh concepts for the development of next-generation multifunctional microwave absorbents.
Optimization of interfacial adhesion and mechanical performance of flax fiber-based eco-composites through fiber fluorination treatment
Olivier Téraube, Jean-Charles Agopian, Monica Francesca Pucci, Pierre-Jacques Liotier, Pierre Conchon, Éric Badel, Samar Hajjar-Garreau, Honorine Leleu, Jean-Baptiste Baylac, Nicolas Batisse, Karine Charlet, Marc Dubois
doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112228
通过氟化处理优化亚麻纤维基生态复合材料的界面附着力和力学性能
Natural fibers, such as flax, are more and more used as biobased reinforcement for eco-composites manufacturing but their natural polarity makes them incompatible with most polymers (mostly dispersive). Nowadays, treatments such as torrefaction are known to reduce the polarity of natural fibers and thus increase the mechanical performance of the reinforced composites. However, these treatments could harm fibers and limit the gain in performance. Thereby, the use of a controlled fluorination treatment allowed, via the grafting of fluorine on the fiber surface, to decrease the polarity of these fibers while maintaining an equivalent Young's modulus and limiting the reduction of at break performance to just ∼30%. Therefore, by incorporating these fluorinated reinforcements in an epoxy matrix and by mechanically testing these composites, not only superior mechanical performances to those reinforced by raw fibers, but also superior to torrefied fiber-reinforced composites were measured, e.g.: the flexural modulus increased by 25% after fluorination vs. 10% after torrefaction and the flexural strain at break was enhanced by 10% after fluorination vs. decrease by 35% after torrefaction).
Study on moulding control factors to reduce void contents in manufacturing CFRP parts by HP-RTM
Manseok Yoon, Minsu Ahn
doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112231
利用HP-RTM法降低CFRP零件孔隙率的成型控制因素研究
Research and development efforts are ongoing to apply Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) to the automotive industry for weight and exhaust gas reduction. Among the available manufacturing processes, High Pressure Resin Transfer Molding (HP-RTM) stands out as the most suitable for mass production due to its cost efficiency, cycle time, and moldability. However, concerns over void formation and quality reliability have limited its application in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). This study investigates control factors that can reduce void content in CFRP parts manufactured via HP-RTM. By comparing classical Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) with HP-RTM, a key control factor is identified, and changes in void content and static properties are observed across varying factors. The study concludes that while increasing molding pressure minimally affects absolute void content, it slightly increases relative void content due to reduced product thickness. Additionally, higher internal release agent content and resin injection velocity increase void formation due to altered flow dynamics. However, using a nip edge reduces void size and variation, ensuring more consistent product quality. By optimizing key factors such as vacuum, normal pressing force, and injection parameters in HP-RTM, void content can be consistently maintained at 1% or lower. These findings will contribute to the practical application of HP-RTM in the AAM industry and provide valuable insights into the manufacturing process of CFRP parts.
Mechanical bionic compression resistant fiber/hydrogel composite artificial heart valve suitable for transcatheter surgery
Yajuan Wang, Yuxin Chen, Wenshuo Wang, Xiaofan Zheng, Shiping Chen, Shengzhang Wang, Fujun Wang, Lu Wang, Yongtai Hou, Chaojing Li
doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112234
适用于经导管手术的机械仿生抗压纤维/水凝胶复合人工心脏瓣膜
The heart valve is a key structure for human blood circulation, and the development of artificial heart valves (AHVs) has become one of the research hotspots in the field of cardiovascular diseases. Compared to the vulnerability of biological valves to compression damage in transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery (TAVR), polymer valves have shown superior performance in research. However, its structural differences from natural valves have limited its development. In this study, polycaprolactone gelatin (PCL-Gel) co-spinning directional nanofibers (FIB) were used to construct a three-layer structure of orientation layer-random layer-orientation layer imitating natural valves. Then, PCL-Gel/PAAm-co-PAA-Fe composite (COM-Fe) was prepared by iron ion crosslinking the oriented fiber membrane wrapped by polyacrylamide polyacrylic acid copolymer hydrogel (COM). The COM-Fe material has anisotropy similar to that of native valves and fully meets the thickness requirements for transcatheter surgery. In vitro simulated compression results showed that the COM-Fe material has no significant structural or strength loss after short-term curling compression. In vitro fluid dynamics results showed that the COM-Fe samples could fully achieve the parameters specified in ISO 5840-3:2021. In addition, COM-Fe materials showed excellent biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo, and demonstrated anti-inflammation potential in a rat subcutaneous embedding model. It can be seen that biomimetic COM-Fe composite materials with good curling compression resistance and valve function have great potential for application in the direction of transcatheter AHVs.
The development of polymer nanocomposites has emerged as a promising approach for achieving higher-density energy storage. However, challenges in directly characterizing the interface between the matrix and nanoparticles, a pivotal factor for performance enhancement, have led to a shortfall in effective modeling methods. In this work, we propose a novel interfacial modeling approach that quantitatively describes the continuous transition of dielectric properties across the interface, capturing the inhomogeneous nature observed experimentally. A finely tuned Polynomial Chaos Neural Network (PCNN) with a determination coefficient exceeding 0.999 is developed to elucidate the relationship between model parameters and nanocomposite permittivity. The finite element model employing the proposed interface model demonstrates improved accuracy in predicting the permittivity of various nanocomposite systems with a physical insight into the interface. Built upon the interface model, a developed phase field model is then incorporated to investigate the dielectric breakdown mechanism in nanocomposites, highlighting the interface’s capacity to repel the breakdown path. 3D phase field simulations on electrical treeing successfully forecast the electrical tree structures in pure epoxy and nanocomposites with new insights into the dielectric breakdown. This research addresses a crucial need in the numerical modeling of nanocomposite interfaces and their role in dielectric breakdown analysis, providing a valuable tool for the design of next-generation dielectric materials with improved energy storage capabilities.
Additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the fabrication of ceramic (Silicon Carbide, SiC)-polymer composites, offering enhanced material properties such as lighter weight, toughness, and thermal characteristics. Despite these advancements, a significant knowledge gap persists in effectively processing SiC with high solid loading to achieve desired mechanical and thermal behaviors. This paper addresses this gap by exploring material properties and addressing two major challenges: adequate rheology and avoiding printing failure for excessive separation force in photopolymerization-based AM processes. In this study, high solid loading SiC-polymer composite resins were successfully developed for direct light projection (DLP)-based AM. Resin processability was determined by rheological properties and curing parameters, with resin preparation involving orthogonal optimization of compositions to achieve suitable viscosity, stability, and homogeneity. Experimental determination of photocuring parameters (curing time and critical exposure) was also conducted. Viscosity was found to increase with particle size reduction, with higher solid loading resulting in exponential viscosity growth. Additionally, a 3D part with a hollow structure and fine resolution, featuring densified uniform particle distribution, was successfully fabricated. This study further developed a DLP prototype and SiC-polymer composites with varied particle size and loading concentrations were additively manufactured. The influence of SiC particles on compressive strength and thermal conductivity of the 3D printed samples was investigated. Results revealed a proportional relationship between compressive strength, thermal conductivity, and solid loading, demonstrating significant improvements compared to pure polymer matrices. This study provides a material basis for polymerization-based 3D printing of porous structures, demonstrating the potential for advanced applications in various industries.
