Hair-Reinforced Elastomer Matrix Composites: Formulation, Mechanical Testing, and Advanced Microstructural Characterization.

Epoxy matrix composites reinforced with high-performance fibers, such as carbon, Kevlar, and glass, exhibit excellent specific stiffness and strength in many mechanical applications. However, these composites are disappointingly non-recyclable and are usually disposed of in landfill sites, with no realistic prospect for biodegradation in a reasonable time. In contrast, moldable composites with carbonized elastomeric matrices developed in the last decades possess attractive mechanical properties in final net-shape products and can also be incinerated or recycled.

Fracture Toughness of Moldable Low-Temperature Carbonized Elastomer-Based Composites Filled with Shungite and Short Carbon Fibers.

This work evaluated the fracture toughness of the low-temperature carbonized elastomer-based composites filled with shungite and short carbon fibers. The effects of the carbonization temperature and filler content on the critical stress intensity factor () were examined. The parameter was obtained using three-point bending tests for specimens with different / ratio (notch depth to sample thickness) ranging from 0.

The Analysis of Micro-Scale Deformation and Fracture of Carbonized Elastomer-Based Composites by In Situ SEM.

Carbonized elastomer-based composites (CECs) possess a number of attractive features in terms of thermomechanical and electromechanical performance, durability in aggressive media and facile net-shape formability, but their relatively low ductility and strength limit their suitability for structural engineering applications. Prospective applications such as structural elements of micro-electro-mechanical systems MEMS can be envisaged since smaller principal dimensions reduce the susceptibility of components to residual stress accumulation during carbonization and to brittle fracture in general. We report the results of in situ in-SEM study of microdeformation and fracture behavior of CECs based on nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) elastomeric matrices filled with carbon and silicon carbide.

Low-Temperature Carbonized Elastomer-Based Composites Filled with Silicon Carbide.

Thermally stable composites obtained by the low-temperature carbonization of an elastomeric matrix filled with hard dispersed silicon carbide particles were obtained and investigated. Evolution of the microstructure and of mechanical and thermal characteristics of composites during thermal degradation and carbonization processes in a wide range of filling from 0 to 450 parts per hundred rubber was studied. For highly filled composites, the compressive strength values were found to be more than 200 MPa; Young's modulus was more than 15 GPa.