Deep Transfer Learning Approach for Localization of Damage Area in Composite Laminates Using Acoustic Emission Signal.

Intelligent composite structures with self-aware functions are preferable for future aircrafts. The real-time location of damaged areas of composites is a key step. In this study, deep transfer learning was used to achieve the real-time location of damaged areas.

Microfluidic Chip with Fiber-Tip Sensors for Synchronously Monitoring Concentration and Temperature of Glucose Solutions.

Monitoring the properties of fluids in microfluidic chips often requires complex open-space optics technology and expensive equipment. In this work, we introduce dual-parameter optical sensors with fiber tips into the microfluidic chip. Multiple sensors were distributed in each channel of the chip, which enabled the real-time monitoring of the concentration and temperature of the microfluidics.

Identification of Multiple Mechanical Properties of Laminates from a Single Compressive Test.

In-plane elastic and interlaminar properties of composite laminates are commonly obtained through separate experiments. In this paper, a simultaneous identification method for both properties using a single experiment is proposed. The mechanical properties of laminates were treated as uncertainties and Bayesian inference was employed with measured strain-load curves in compression tests of laminates with embedded delamination.

Analysis and simulation of fracture behavior in naturally occurring Bouligand structures.

Through natural selection processes, refined biological materials could be created that adapt to various environments and exhibit specific functions. Such materials include typical Bouligand structures that can be widely observed in marine creatures that have hard shells. Consisting of a helicoidal arrangement of aligned fibrils, layered single-twisted Bouligand-type structures (SBS) display exceptional fracture and damage resistance.

ZrWO/ZrO Composites with Low/Near-Zero Coefficients of Thermal Expansion Fabricated at Ultralow Temperature: An Integration of Hydrothermal Assembly and a Cold Sintering Process.

ZrWO/ZrO composites with tunable low/near-zero coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) are promising candidates in several fields including aerospace, precision manufacturing and measurement, electronic circuit, etc., for counteracting the thermal expansion effect. However, bottleneck issues (such as the unstable decomposition of ZrWO phase, manufacturing size limitation, etc.

Plane stress measurement of orthotropic materials using critically refracted longitudinal waves.

Stress measurement in anisotropic materials attracted considerable interest from the field of engineering. This study presents an improved ultrasonic method for measuring plane stresses in orthotropic materials. This study considers the velocity variations of critically refracted longitudinal (LCR) waves induced by orthotropic anisotropy and internal stresses.

ZrB₂-CNTs Nanocomposites Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering.

ZrB₂-based nanocomposites with and without carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as reinforcement were prepared at 1600 °C by spark plasma sintering. The effects of CNTs on the microstructure and mechanical properties of nano-ZrB₂ matrix composites were studied. The results indicated that adding CNTs can inhibit the abnormal grain growth of ZrB₂ grains and improve the fracture toughness of the composites.

Application of CCG Sensors to a High-Temperature Structure Subjected to Thermo-Mechanical Load.

This paper presents a simple methodology to perform a high temperature coupled thermo-mechanical test using ultra-high temperature ceramic material specimens (UHTCs), which are equipped with chemical composition gratings sensors (CCGs). The methodology also considers the presence of coupled loading within the response provided by the CCG sensors. The theoretical strain of the UHTCs specimens calculated with this technique shows a maximum relative error of 2.

Super flame-retardant lightweight rime-like carbon-phenolic nanofoam.

The desire for lightweight nanoporous materials with high-performance thermal insulation and efficient anti-ablation resistance for energy conservation and thermal protection/insulation has greatly motivated research and development recently. The main challenge to synthesize such lightweight materials is how to balance the relationship of low thermal conductivity and flame retardancy. Herein, we propose a new concept of lightweight "rime-like" structured carbon-phenolic nanocomposites to solve this problem, where the 3D chopped network-structured carbon fiber (NCF) monoliths are incorporated with nanoporous phenolic aerogel to retain structural and functional integrity.

Enhanced thermal shock resistance of ceramics through biomimetically inspired nanofins.

We propose here a new method to make ceramics insensitive to thermal shock up to their melting temperature. In this method the surface of ceramics was biomimetically roughened into nanofinned surface that creates a thin air layer enveloping the surface of the ceramics during quenching. This air layer increases the heat transfer resistance of the surface of the ceramics by about 10,000 times so that the strong thermal gradient and stresses produced by the steep temperature difference in thermal shock did not occur both on the actual surface and in the interior of the ceramics.

Facile route to nitrides: transformation from single element to binary and ternary nitrides at moderate temperature through a new modified solid-state metathesis.

In this article, we report a new modified solid-state metathesis pathway to synthesize nitrides using Li(3)N as a nitrification reagent to transform single element to nitrides. In this process, not only binary (including mono- and multinitrides) but also ternary nitrides can be approached by varying the molar ratio of Li(3)N to a single element. A possible two-step reaction mechanism for Li(3)N and single elements was proposed.