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In this study, the correlation between the Raman structure, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of TeO 2 -ZnO-La 2 O 3 –WO 3 glasses with varying WO 3 contents are systematically established. By exploring the critical point in the transformation process of glass network structural units, the optimal glass components of 74TeO 2 -12ZnO-5La 2 O 3 –9WO 3 glass possess the maximum thermal stability (158 °C) and the highest mechanical properties at the same time. The maximum Vicker hardness and Young's modulus of the optimal glass can reach up to 4.007 GPa and 56.212 GPa, which are higher than those of the well-known TeO 2 -ZnO-Na 2 O (TZN) and TeO 2 -ZnO-La 2 O 3 (TZL) glasses. Furthermore, the 0.5 mol% Er3+-doped glass at this critical point (TZLW-0.5Er) exhibits a higher laser figure of merit (54.29 × 10−21 cm2 ms), a larger laser gain bandwidth value (116 nm) and higher emission cross-sections at 1600 nm (2.52 × 10−21 cm2) and 1625 nm (1.06 × 10−21 cm2) than other host glasses. Finally, high-efficiency laser outputs at 1600 and 1625 nm based on TZLW-0.5Er glass fiber are successfully achieved by simulation. These results show the greater practical potential of TZLW-0.5Er glass with higher mechanical strength compared to TZN and TZL fibers for the 1.6 μm-band laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass sealing materials applied in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) are prone to excessive softening and outflow at high temperatures, while cracks tend to form upon cooling. To address these challenges, this study develops mullite fiber reinforced glass sealing materials based on K 2 O–Na 2 O–CaO–BaO–SiO 2 silicate glass, incorporating varying amounts of mullite fibers. The mechanical properties, phase structural transformations, and microstructural changes of these composite sealing materials are thoroughly investigated. The fibers form a network skeletal structure within the sealing material, enhancing the material's strength and high-temperature thermal stability. By incorporating 10% mullite fibers, the G10 sealing material, as compared to pure glass, exhibits a 44% increase in flexural strength and an 85% improvement in maximum strain value. Additionally, G10 boasts a thermal expansion coefficient of 10.25 × 10−6 K−1, demonstrating excellent chemical compatibility with interconnect and achieving tight adhesion at the interface. Most importantly, G10 possesses superior sealing capabilities, maintaining its gastightness even after undergoing 1000 h and 7 thermal cycles without any degradation. • The mullite fiber improves the strength and toughness of the sealing materials. • Mullite fiber form a support structure in the glass and prevent the glass flowing out. • The additional mullite fiber significantly hindered the chromium diffusion at the sealant/interconnect interface. • The leakage rate of the mullite fiber-glass composited sealing material is less than 0.002 sccm cm−1. • The sealant remain gas tightness after 1000 h at 750 °C and 7 thermal cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the residual tensile behaviour of hybrid Carbon Glass fibers reinforced thermoplastic PEEK laminates after they were exposed for 5 min to a hydrogen/oxygen flame. This flame results in a severe thermal aggression characterized by a wall temperature ranging from 900 to 1270 °C and with different heat fluxes (from 200 to 800 kW/m2). The thermally-induced damages were examined by means of microscopic observations and micro CT analyses. The results show that the mass loss linearly depends on the measured heat flux for a 5 min exposure. Depending on the fire testing conditions, the mechanical properties in tension (stiffness and strength) are totally degraded after exposure to the highest heat fluxes (600 and 800 kW/m2) but the retention of the tensile properties is moderate (about −35 to −60% decrease in strength and stiffness, respectively) after exposure to a 200 kW/m2 heat flux. The residual tensile properties of CG/PEEK laminates follow master curves representing the correlations between the mass loss and the changes in the tensile properties regardless the heat flux. These master curves provide a relevant design rule for composite parts to be used under critical service conditions (H 2 /O 2 flame exposure). • The influence of a H 2 /O 2 flame on the behaviour of composite materials was studied. • Wall temperature ranges from 900 to 1270 °C for heat fluxes from 200 to 800 kW/m2. • The mechanical properties are totally degraded after exposure to 600–800 kW/m2. • The changes in the tensile properties are correlated to the mass loss. • Master curves provide a criterion to design composite parts under H 2 /O 2 flame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide-enriched phosphate glasses are esteemed for their applicability in the biomaterial area, yet the investigation into the influence of TiO 2 on the crystallization dynamics of glass melts and the spinnability of sodium-calcium-magnesium phosphate glasses remains unclear. To elucidate these effects, sodium-calcium-magnesium phosphate glasses with 0, 5, and 10 mol% of TiO 2 have been prepared using the melt-quenching method, and glass fibers were drawn from the correspondent glass melts. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy have disclosed that the introduction of TiO 2 induces a depolymerization in phosphate network, causing a transition from Q2 species to Q1 units, and reduction in both the theoretical network connectivity (NC theor) and the average chain length (n theor). Meanwhile, the interposition of TiO 2 also gives rise to the replacement of P–O–P linkages with P–O–Ti bonds, along with the formation of [TiO 5 ] groups. This structural transformation resulted in the increase in molar volume and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), concurrently lowering the glass transition and softening points. Evidently, the TiO 2 -free glass exhibited crystallization across a temperature range spanning from its transition to the liquidus temperature. However, the introduction of TiO 2 and the subsequent formation of P–O–Ti bonds effectively inhibited crystallization, which is favorable for drawing glass fibers. Analyses of viscosity-temperature relationships using various rheological models suggested that TiO 2 raises fragility for all glasses, suggesting a more "open" structure in the glass melts, which can be supported by the increment in free volume. The m-D diagram failed to describe the enhancement in spinnability imparted from TiO 2. While, the quantitative fiber spinnability index (K fib) increases with higher TiO 2 content, as a successful indicative of an improved ability to form fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass-based sealing materials exhibit significant potential for utilization in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). We conducted a study on the impact of mullite fibers with varying particle sizes on glass composite sealing materials. We evaluated and discussed properties such as coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), softening temperature (Ts), gastightness, interfacial compatibility, and flexural strength of the sealing materials with different ranges of fiber particle sizes. Our findings indicate that the three different particle sizes of mullite fiber-glass composite sealing materials met the required coefficients of thermal expansion, displayed good interfacial compatibility, and exhibited gastightness lower than 0.0016 sccm cm−1. Notably, the mullite fiber-reinforced sealing material that underwent ball-milling for 1 h outperformed the other two variants. It demonstrated fewer defects, a 57.1 % increase in flexural strength, and a 117.4 % higher maximum strain value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effect of different ratios of Bis-EMA/Bis-GMA resin mixtures on the inherent viscosity and curing-related properties: including degree of cure (DC%), shrinkage strain, Knoop micro-hardness (KH) and flexural strength of resin-impregnated fiber-bundles. Bis-EMA/Bis-GMA monomers were mixed (by weight) in the following ratios: M1 = 30 %/70 %, M2 = 50 %/50 %, M3 = 70 %/30 %, and M4 = 100 %/0 %. Standard measurements were made of refractive index, viscosity, degree of conversion, shrinkage strain and Knoop hardness (KHN). For 60 % glass fiber-bundles impregnated with 40 % resin, three-point bending test for flexural strength and shrinkage strain were measured. Data were analyzed by One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests (α = 0.05). For resin mixtures, increasing Bis-EMA proportion decreased refractive index (p < 0.05), and viscosity (p < 0.05), and increased monomer conversion (DC%), shrinkage strain and KHN (p < 0.05). DC% increased after 1 h for all resin mixtures. The shrinkage strain and flexural strength of resin-impregnated fiber-bundles reduced with increased Bis-EMA. Monomeric mixtures with highest amounts of Bis-EMA showed enhancement in several clinically-relevant properties and polymerization of respective resin-impregnated glass fibers. This makes them potential candidates for impregnating glass fibers in fiber-reinforced restorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Swelling-assisted pyrolysis was proposed for the recovery of glass fibers from WTBs. • Resin decomposition ratio reached 76.8 % at 350 °C in swelling-assisted pyrolysis. • The swelling treatment physically disrupted the cross-linked structure of the WTBs. • The oxidation duration was reduced owing to the less content of pyrolysis char. • Tensile strength of fibers from swollen-WTB was higher than that from original-WTB. The recycling of end-of-life wind turbine blades has become a global environmental challenge driven by the rapid growth of wind power. Pyrolysis is a promising method for recovering glass fibers from these discarded blades, but traditional pyrolysis is often operated at high temperatures, which degrades the mechanical properties of recovered fibers. To address this issue, a swelling-assisted pyrolysis method was proposed to recover high-quality glass fibers from end-of-life wind turbine blades at low temperatures. The results confirmed that the decomposition of the resin matrix within the blade was significantly promoted at low temperatures in the swelling-assisted pyrolysis process, achieving a resin decomposition ratio of 76.8 % at 350 °C. This improvement was attributed to enhanced heat transfer and co-pyrolysis with acetic acid. Swelling could physically disrupt the cross-linked structure of the blade, creating a more porous and layered structure, thereby enhancing heat transfer during the pyrolysis process. Simultaneously, the co-pyrolysis with acetic acid could generate hydrogen radicals, which promoted the cracking of macromolecular oligomers into lighter products or gaseous alkanes. Consequently, the formation of pyrolysis char within the solid pyrolysis product was reduced, shortening the oxidation duration to 30 min. In comparison to traditional pyrolysis, the swelling-assisted pyrolysis process effectively suppressed the diffusion of surface defects over the recovered fibers, leading to promising improvements in their flexibility, elasticity, and mechanical properties, with tensile strength notably increased by 27.5 %. These findings provided valuable insights into recovering high-quality glass fibers from end-of-life wind turbine blades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct synthesis of graphene on nonmetallic substrates via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has become a frontier research realm targeting transfer-free applications of CVD graphene. However, the stable mass production of graphene with a favorable growth rate and quality remains a grand challenge. Herein, graphene glass fiber fabric (GGFF) was successfully developed through the controllable growth of graphene on non-catalytic glass fiber fabric, employing a synergistic binary-precursor CVD strategy to alleviate the dilemma between growth rate and quality. The binary precursors consisted of acetylene and acetone, where acetylene with high decomposition efficiency fed rapid graphene growth while oxygen-containing acetone was adopted for improving the layer uniformity and quality. Notably, the bifurcating introducing-confluent premixing (BI-CP) system was self-built for the controllable introduction of gas and liquid precursors, enabling the stable production of GGFF. GGFF features solar absorption and infrared emission properties, based on which the self-adaptive dual-mode thermal management film was developed. This film can automatically switch between heating and cooling modes by spontaneously perceiving the temperature, achieving excellent thermal management performances with heating and cooling power of ∼501.2 and ∼108.6 W m−2, respectively. These findings unlock a new strategy for the large-scale batch production of graphene materials and inspire advanced possibilities for further applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing, with its ability to assemble a variety of materials in complex and customized architectures, is developing rapidly. The integration of technologies and materials into a sustainable production, however, is still challenging. The present investigation offers new functional glass-based products, from nearly room temperature processing, based on direct ink writing (DIW) of pastes from 'light' alkali activation (2.5 M NaOH) of pharmaceutical glass waste, added with 20 wt% of TiO 2 nanoparticles. The inks were refined by the inclusion of porous glass microspheres (PGMs, 20–30 wt%), previously fabricated from fiber glass waste. Printed scaffolds, stabilized by simple drying (i.e. 'unfired'), were successfully applied in the photodegradation of methylene blue. The degradation efficiency reached 100% within 75 min, and the 3D-printed composites could be easily separated from the solution for subsequent reuse. The degradation efficiency declined only by 7.5%, after 5 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro-In vivo correlation (IVIVC) is a main focus of the pharmaceutical industry, academia and the regulatory sectors, as this is an effective modelling tool to predict drug product in vivo performance based on in vitro release data and serve as a surrogate for bioequivalence studies, significantly reducing the need for clinical studies. Till now, IVIVCs have not been successfully developed for in situ forming implants due to the significantly different in vitro and in vivo drug release profiles that are typically achieved for these dosage forms. This is not unexpected considering the unique complexity of the drug release mechanisms of these products. Using risperidone in situ forming implants as a model, the current work focuses on: 1) identification of critical attributes of in vitro release testing methods that may contribute to differences in in vitro and in vivo drug release from in situ forming implants; and 2) optimization of the in vitro release method, with the aim of developing Level A IVIVCs for risperidone implants. Dissolution methods based on a novel Teflon shape controlling adapter along with a water non-dissolvable glass fiber membrane (GF/F) instead of a water dissolvable PVA film (named as GF/F-Teflon adapter and PVA-Teflon adapter, respectively), and an in-house fabricated Glass slide adapter were used to investigate the impact of: the surface-to-volume ratio, water uptake ratio, phase separation rate (measured by NMP release in 24 h post injection in vitro or in vivo), and mechanical pressure on the drug release patterns. The surface-to-volume ratio and water uptake were shown to be more critical in vitro release testing method attributes compared to the phase separation rate and mechanical pressure. The Glass slide adapter-based dissolution method, which allowed for the formation of depots with bio-mimicking surface-to-volume ratios and sufficient water uptake, has the ability to generate bio-relevant degradation profiles as well as in vitro release profiles for risperidone implants. For the first time, a Level A IVIVC (rabbit model) has been successfully developed for in situ forming implants. Release data for implant formulations with slightly different PLGA molecular weights (MWs) were used to develop the IVIVC. The predictability of the model passed external validation using the reference listed drug (RLD), Perseris®. IVIVC could not be developed when formulations with different PLGA molar ratios of lactic acid to glycolic acid (L/G) were included. The present work provides a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the testing method attributes on drug release from in situ forming implants, which is a valuable practice for level A IVIVC development. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since standard distributions do not fundamentally have an acceptable fit to all types of data sets, it is necessary to construct extensions of standard distributions to increase their capability in data modeling. As a result of this shortage in old ones, we proposed a novel generator based on the trigonometric function (Arctan). We selected the Frechet distribution as the baseline for the generator's applicability. This generator produces the "new Arctan Frechet distribution" (NATFD). The fundamental properties of the proposed distribution have been taken into consideration. Estimating the given distribution's parameters is accomplished using the maximum-likelihood method. A simulation study is carried out to evaluate the superiority of the proposed distribution, and two actual data sets are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the growth of uniformly distributed nickel oxide (NiO) nanofibers on a glass substrate by the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) process and explores its photocatalytic features towards an AZO dye. The nanofiber grown by the SILAR process is subjected to annealing at 400°C to decompose the hydroxide group into oxide. X-ray diffraction pattern divulges the Face-Centered Cubic (FCC) structure of NiO, and its average crystallite size (46–61 nm). The fibrous morphology with the width varying from 37.83 to 42.05 nm is confirmed through FESEM micrographs. The existence of nickel and oxide, with atomic percentages in the ratio 40:60 is confirmed by EDX analysis. From the UV–visible spectrum, the band gap energy E g is determined using a Tauc plot and the values are varied between 3.38 eV and and 3.41 eV. Photocatalytic degradation efficiency for the Congo red dye is found to be 93% for reusable NiO nanofibers under the illumination of UV light. The photodegradation pathway of Congo red dye is presented based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The prospective applications of the current work in wastewater treatment make it significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of lunar stations for research and habitation requires high-performance building materials that can adapt to the harsh lunar environment. One of the feasible building materials is fiber-reinforced composites, for which the composition of glass fibers can be designed like lunar soils, i.e., terrestrial basalt, and in turn the "lunar glass" can be drawn into fibers. Because of a wide variation of TiO 2 in lunar soils, our study focused on a series investigation on the effect of TiO 2 (0.55 wt%-6.14 wt%) on fiber spinnability and strength of the simulated "lunar glass and glass fibers". The baseline glass composition was derived from a simulated TiO 2 -lean lunar soil and other glasses were made at different TiO 2 doping levels. The addition of TiO 2 was found to reduce the thermal stability of the melt, there appears a TiO 2 threshold (6.14 wt%), at which fibers cannot be drawn without breakage because of melt devitrification. The fiber tensile strength exhibits a nonlinear characteristic with an apparent maximum at 1.52 wt% TiO 2. FTIR and Raman spectroscopic studies were carried out to investigate the glass network structure responses to TiO 2 modifications and show TiO 2 functions as a network modifier, depolymerizing the silicate network. Statistical structure (FTIR & Raman based)–property modeling was attempted to further elucidate the effect of TiO 2 -induced structure change on T g and fiber tensile strength. Good agreements were found between the model predictions and the measured values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research presents an examination of the consequential effects brought about by the introduction of short-cut E-glass fibers (GF) on the properties of high-dielectric constant, high-thermal conductivity microwave composite systems (x GF/(8- x)BNNS/78 wt%ST/polyolefin, x = 0-8 wt%, BNNS: hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets). The GF is modified using KH550, with the success of the surface modification definitively confirmed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). All components are found to exhibit consistently ultra-high and stable dielectric constants within the 8–12 GHz frequency range (D k = 17.7–18.08). Based on thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results, the incorporation of modified GF improve the thermal stability of the composite materials, enhancing thermal decomposition temperature, residual carbon content and glass transition temperature. Furthermore, replacing BNNS with GF significantly amplifies the mechanical properties of the composite substrate. This substitution leads to a notable reduction in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) in all directions while simultaneously increasing the bending and tensile strength. At the same time, the composites can maintain reasonably high thermal conductivity values. Overall, with a GF concentration of 4 wt%, the composite showcases an appreciable increase in dielectric constants (17.81), a high thermal conductivity (1.3 W/m·K) and enhances mechanical properties (cross-plane CTE: 15.44 μm/(m·°C), in-plane CTE: 26.06 μm/(m·°C), bending strength: 65.6 MPa, tensile strength: 17.42 MPa). Considering its superior performance metrics, the composite can be identified as an optimal choice for microwave composite dielectric substrate material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work investigates the effects of drilling parameters on hole quality, including delamination and circularity, produced in hybrid composite materials consisting of neat glass fibre (NG) and hybrid glass fibre/Al-wire mesh in two distinct sequences, the first one being with Al-mesh in the outermost layers (AG) and the other with Al-mesh in the central layer (GA). The operation's process parameters are feed rate (F = 20, 40, and 60 mm/min), spindle speed (N = 1000, 2000, and 3000 rpm), and drill point angle (Ɵ = 90°, 120°, and 135°). Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array is used for the study. The optimal levels and effects of the process parameters were determined. Gray relational analysis (GRA) was employed to examine the complicated interactions influencing the results and ANOVA was used to evaluate the influence of process parameters. The results indicated that for all specimens, push-out delamination was more severe than peel-up. Circularity is minimized by using N = 3000 rpm, F = 20 mm/min, and Ɵ = 90°. At speed (N) of 3000 rpm circularity reduces by 83.5% and 76.5% compared to 1000 or 2000 rpm, respectively. Compared to other specimens, AG-specimen produced minimal delamination and circularity by an average of 6% and17.38%. The results of the confirmation test and regression model provide good agreement between the experimental and predicted results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen as a fuel of the future for mobile applications has the potential to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions significantly (Groos et al., 2023 [1]). A main focus to enable hydrogen powered aviation is the efficient storage onboard (Prewitz et al., 2023 [2] ; Verstraete et al., 2010 [3] ; Prewitz et al., 2020 [4]). Especially the storage volume is a major challenge because of the rather low volumetric energy density of compressed or either liquified hydrogen in comparison with kerosene (Hassan et al., 2021 [5] ; Stetson et al., 2014 [6] ; Troeltsch et al., 2020 [7]). Glass capillaries have a high strength, also their geometry and low hydrogen permeability make them a suitable micro pressure tank (Prewitz et al., 2018; Veziroglu et al., 2003 [8] ; Meyer-Scherf, 2015 [9]). By combining glass capillaries and carbon fibers in a polymer matrix, a material composite could be developed that is both a structural element, contributing to load bearing, and a hydrogen tank at the same time. The synergetic use of the structure as storage could be a solution to tackle the problem of the increased required storage volume for hydrogen powered aviation. This paper presents a theoretical micromechanical analysis, the design and manufacturing process of the composite material, and the experimental results of tensile testing conducted on a glass capillary hybridized carbon fiber reinforced plastic (GCRP). The aim is to determine the influence of the glass capillary content on the tensile strength and tensile modulus of the GCRP. • Development of carbon fiber and glass capillary hybrid structural hydrogen storage. • Multipurpose utilization and potential synergetic effects could save weight. • Tensile mechanical properties shows degradation with increasing capillary fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are attracting worldwide attention due to their multiple merits such as extreme safety, low cost, feasible assembly, and environmentally friendly enabled by water-based electrolytes. At present, AZIBs have experienced systematic advances in battery components including cathode, anode, and electrolyte, whereas research involving separators is insufficient. The separator is the crucial component of AZIBs through providing ion transport, forming contact with electrodes, serving as a container for electrolyte, and ensuring the efficient battery operation. Considering this great yet ignored significance, it is timely to present the latest advances in design strategies, the systematic classification and summary of separators. We summarize the separator optimization strategies mainly along two approaches including the modification of the frequently used glass fiber and the exploitation of new separators. The advantages and disadvantages of the two strategies are analyzed from the material types and the characteristics of different strategies. The effects and mechanisms of various materials on regulating the uniform migration and deposition of Zn2+, balancing the excessively concentrated nucleation points, inhibiting the growth of dendrites, and the occurrence of side reactions were discussed using confinement, electric field regulation, ion interaction force, desolvation, etc. Finally, potential directions for further improvement and development of AZIBs separators are proposed, aiming at providing helpful guidance for this booming field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass fiber reinforced composite aerogel felt is an important thermal insulation material, but its thermal insulation performance is often compromised due to the limitation of preparation methods. In this study, the high performance glass fiber composite silica aerogel insulation thin felt was successfully prepared by in-situ sol-gel impregnation and combustion drying process for the first time. Especially, the drying time for the whole procedure is extremely quick, only taking a few minutes. The composite felt shows the characteristics of light weight, porous, hydrophobic, and has good mechanical properties. More importantly, due to the unique composite structure of the prepared felt, it has extremely low thermal conductivity (0.016 W/(m·K)) and thermal stability. The infrared thermal imager further confirmed that glass fiber composite silica aerogel thin felt has excellent thermal insulation ability, and has promising application potential in the thermal management system of power battery. Finally, the preparation process and drying mechanism based on sol-gel impregnation combined with combustion drying technology were discussed. Compared with the common technology, the preparation method has significant advantages of high efficiency and low cost, which offer an innovative technical approach for producing composite aerogel felt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since high costs restrict the wide-range implementation of green hydrogen production capacities based on proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), efforts on cost reduced components need to be made. Beside the necessary noble metal catalyst, the membrane material is a main cost driver. In this work, a novel glass fibre reinforced PFSA/ssPS composite membrane is investigated as an alternative to widely used Nafion®. These membranes are processed into membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs) in conjunction with catalyst-coated substrates, prepared via electrochemical catalyst deposition. This approach is promising to reduce costs due to less expensive raw materials and due to increasing catalyst utilization by graded catalyst layers. Characterisation of the components and entire MEAs was performed ex-situ as well as in-situ via PEMWE operation. Novel MEAs revealed 2.0 V at 0.5 A cm2, which indicates good potential, but still requires further development efforts. • PEM based on Aquivion ionomer, glass fibre fabric and crushed ion exchange resin. • CCM based on glass fibre reinforced composites reveals 2 V at 2 A cm−2. • Ti-PTL/ATO/Ir anode unveils 2 V and GDL/CNF/Pt cathode 2.3 V at 2 A cm−2. • Electrodeposited electrodes maintain 2.2 V during 62 h of operation at 2 A cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents the effect of using recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), from the Egyptian construction waste, in different proportions on the bond performance between concrete and its internal reinforcement, where two types of reinforcement were used: a- steel reinforcing bars, and b- glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. 72 samples of concrete were prepared and tested with replacement ratios for natural aggregate (NA) with RCA: 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 %. The samples were divided into 150 mm cubes to conduct axial compression tests, and pull-out samples to investigate the effect of replacement ratios on the bond between concrete with steel and GFRP rebars. Results showed that concrete loses 26% of its compressive strength after replacing NA with 100% RCA. The results of the pull-out test for steel samples showed 30% higher bonding than GFRP samples. A slight decrease in bond was observed between the control and the tested samples, where the steel and GFRP samples showed a decrease of 5% and 9%, respectively, over the control samples for each, at a replacement percentage of 100%. It was also clear that the steel reinforcement bars had a stronger bond with the concrete, and this can be attributed to the stronger mechanical interlocking of the steel ribs than their counterparts in the GFRP. Failure patterns showed the crushing of concrete with steel bars, in contrast to the GFRP bars, which showed slipping from within the concrete with failure of the ribs in many samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most common statistical systems used in structures especially for wide span slabs are ribbed slabs with shallow wide beams (SWB). This experimental study aimed to investigate and enhance the flexural behavior of high-strength concrete SWB using hybrid longitudinal reinforcement from steel and advanced composite materials as a tensile main reinforcement in SWB. Longitudinal advanced composite bars locally manufactured from ribbed glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) and the second type was ribbed basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP). A group of six half scale SWB were examined in structures laboratory of American University in Cairo with dimensions 2.1 x 0.6 x 0.25 m for length (L), width (B) and depth (d) respectively with constant size effect (d/B). The first three specimens were completely reinforced at tension side with Steel, GFRP or BFRP ribbed bars to be considered a control specimen. Use of GFRP and BFRP bars enhanced the flexural capacity of SWB with 41% and 43% respectively compared to specimen completely reinforced with steel. But on the other hand, the crack propagation of specimens completely reinforced with GFRP and BFRP developed more quickly and had larger crack width compared to specimen completely reinforced with steel. Hybrid reinforcement from Steel with GFRP, Steel with BFRP and Steel with GFRP and BFRP specimens are used to enhance the crack pattern and mode of failure without a significant loss in flexural capacity of SWB. The flexural capacity of these three specimens was enhanced with 26%, 30% and 41% with a significant enhancement in crack pattern and ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a comprehensive analysis of emission in erbium-doped and erbium and ytterbium co-doped fluoroindate glasses has been presented. The luminescence of the erbium transitions and the effect of ytterbium co-doping under 488, 808 and 976 nm laser excitation have been discussed. Optimization of rare-earth (RE) ions doping concentration and the energy transfer processes related to the sensibilization effect in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped fluoroindate glasses focusing on the reciprocal distribution of radiative transitions, energy transfer parameters, and lifetimes have been analyzed. The luminescence consists of several bands in the visible (525, 546 and 660 nm) and the infrared (1550 and 2700 nm) spectral regions that correspond to characteristic radiative energy transitions within the erbium ions. In glasses co-doped with the Er3+/Yb3+ system, an augmentation in the emission intensity was observed in the visible and at 1550 nm, while a decrease was observed in the 2700 nm infrared band. The increase of the Yb3+: 2F 5/2 lifetime under 488, 808 and 976 nm excitation showed significant Er3+: 4I 11/2 → Yb3+: 2F 5/2 back energy transfer. Based on the analysis of the available literature, it can be concluded that energy transfer upconversion and cooperative energy upconversion play a significant role in modulating luminescence intensity values within the examined emission bands. This effect is likely enhanced due to the incorporation in a low phonon energy glass matrix. As a result of the above optimization, a glass optical fiber co-doped with 0.8 YbF 3 /1.4 ErF 3 (in mol%) was drawn and characterized, showing a strong emission at 2.77 μm. The optimized Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped fluoroindate glass and glass optical fiber confirmed their ability to be used in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions as efficient optical fiber sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution a comprehensive spectroscopic study of Dy3+ doped fluoroindate glass samples and glass fiber is presented. The mid-infrared (MIR) emission from DyF 3 doped bulk glass samples (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 mol.%) is investigated when pumping at 1320 nm. A broadband mid-infrared emission spanning from 2800 nm to 3500 nm with 0.88 ms emission lifetime of the 6H 13/2 level in 0.2 mol.% glass sample was observed. Also 0.2 mol.% of DyF 3 doped fluoroindate glass fiber was drawn and its photoluminescence properties were studied showing the emission spectrum to 3500 nm and the 6H 13/2 level lifetime of 0.91 ms. The results obtained show that fluoroindate glass is a good candidate for further development of tunable fiber lasers and broadband mid-infrared spontaneous emission fiber sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the resistance to fracture of endodontically treated premolars (ETPs) with mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavities filled with nanohybrid composite (NHC), fiber-reinforced composite (FRC), horizontal glass fiber posts (HFP), and ceramic inlays (CI). Eighty-four intact maxillary premolars were taken, and endodontic treatment was performed followed by MOD cavity preparations (except in the control group). They were distributed into 7 groups based on type of restoration: intact teeth (control group), ETP + MOD (not restored), NHC, FRC + NHC, HFP + NHC, FRC + HFP + NHC, and CI groups. Samples were subjected to universal testing machine until the fracture occurred and failure mode was visually inspected. Mean and standard deviation of fracture resistance of the 7 groups ranged from 265.6 ± 68.0 N to 1023.7 ± 76.5 N. The highest reading was noted for intact teeth followed by FRC + HFP + NHC group and then the CI group, with no significant difference among the 3 groups. The lowest reading was noted for the ETP + MOD group. Maximum unrepairable fractures were seen in the ETP + MOD and CI groups. FRC + HFP + NHC combination and CIs increased the resistance to fracture of ETPs significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To alleviate the environmental crisis caused by electrical waste, green reverse flotation of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) has been an appealing approach. Unfortunately, whether the floatability of non-metallic particles (NMPs) is caused by resin or glass fiber has not been confirmed. The floatability of NMPs, glass fiber particles in NMPs, pure resin particles and pure glass fiber particles were studied to determine the contribution to the floatability of NMPs. Firstly, the surface morphology of NMPs was analyzed by SEM, the results show that glass fiber and resin are locked together, leading to confusion in the mechanism of flotation. FTIR results show that the hydrophobic functional groups in NMPs are mainly derived from resins. Secondly, the floatability of each sample was also characterized by contact angle (CA) and wrap angle. The results show that NMPs and pure resin particles have excellent floatability with CA of 77.31º and 85.19º, while pure glass fiber particles have strong hydrophilicity with CA of 0º. The wrap angles of pure resin particles and pure glass fiber particles are 245º and 76º, respectively. Furthermore, the flotation results show that accumulated float yield of pure resin reach 100% within 120 s. The cumulative yield of pure glass fiber particles and NMPs after combustion is 6.22% and 12.52%, respectively. This study reveals the flotation mechanism of NMPs in WPCBs, proves that resin is the cause of the floatability of NMPs, which provides a guidance for the subsequent efficient recycling of WPCBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of polymeric composites can cause large deformation under temperature changes, affecting coupling with devices made of other materials in radio frequency (RF) communication systems and limiting their application in RF systems. In order to obtain polyphenylene sulphide (PPS)-based composites with low CTE, a series of PPS-based composites containing different loadings of ceramic powders (including Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 , BN, AlN, Al 2 O 3) were fabricated by melt extrusion method using PPS with 40 wt% glass fibre (GF) as matrix material. The experimental results showed that the PPS composites with Zr 2 WP 2 O 12 (ZWP) as a filler had a lower CTE compared to the samples with other fillers at the same filler loading. The CTE of PPS/GF/ZWP steadily decreased with increasing ZWP addition. At 20 vol% ZWP loading, a 67% (about 18 ppm/°C) reduction of CTE compared to the PPS/GF was achieved. The addition of ZWP powder to PPS/GF also led to an improvement in the dielectric loss of the composite. When the ZWP content is 20 vol%, the dielectric loss of the composites is about 0.0035, which is 24.4% lower than PPS/GF. Hence, the PPS/GF/ZWP composites have great potential for applications in RF communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical glass fibers can propagate light signals, while their control depends on nonlinear optical crystals. In this study, we fabricated nonlinear optical glass-ceramic (GC) fibers in which the polar fresnoite phase was crystallized based on perfect surface crystallization (PSC) in the SrO–TiO 2 –SiO 2 system. GC fibers free from voids were obtained from precursor glass fibers with a diameter of ∼100 μm by controlling PSC. The propagation loss of a GC fiber was evaluated to be ∼0.37 dB/cm, which is comparable to that of the LiNbO 3 single-crystal optical waveguide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach was used in drilling woven glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites to clamping the specimen by a controllable force at drill entry and exit sides. The influence of cutting and support conditions on thrust force, push-out and peel-up delaminations, and burr factor was investigated. A series of ASTM tests were implemented to determine tensile, in-plane shear, Mode I and Mode II fracture toughness properties, which were used to predict the critical thrust force (CTF) at delamination initiation. The delamination and burr areas were accurately measured via inexpensive, easy, and accurate image processing technique. Result from drilling processes revealed that the supported specimens are approximately free from burr accompanied with insignificant peeling within the drill (10 mm)/support hole (12 mm) tolerance. By using support plates, the thrust force was increased up to 8.3% compared to the unsupported conditions. On the other hand, the delaminations were decreased by about 65.5%. The delaminations were dominated by Mode I fracture toughness, which is lower than that of Mode II by 41%. The predicted CTF using concentrated load models are slightly lower than the measured values, which interpret the occurrence of delamination damage on the cutting zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric composites with low dielectric constants (ε), low dielectric loss (tan δ), and excellent thermal-mechanical stability are highly desired for high signal transmission speed and high device integration. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based composites exhibit tremendous potential due to the outstanding dielectric properties and high-frequency stability of PTFE. However, achieving PTFE-based dielectric composites with thermal-mechanical stability and low dielectric constant is challenging. Herein, we develop a glass fiber/polytetrafluoroethylene (GF/PTFE) composite for high-frequency communication applications with a designed skeleton structure. By the paper-making process, the glass fiber can be dispersed in random directions to set up a skeleton with the PTFE matrix entering the space in the fiber network. The modification of GF was also carried out to low down the dielectric loss of the composite. Benefiting from the supporting effect of the skeleton structure and surface modification, the thermal-mechanical stable dielectric composite was achieved with a low dielectric constant, and dielectric loss remained (m-GF content = 15 wt%, ε = 2.326 and tan δ = 5.24 × 10−3 at 30 GHz, xy-CTE = 29 ppm/°C and z-CTE = 47 ppm/°C). Moreover, the composites also have good dielectric constant frequency stability and thermal conductivity. Thus, this work provided an effective way to tailor the structure of functional composites with disordered fiber fillers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of openings on the behavior of arched beams and the effectiveness of different strengthening materials in enhancing their performance. The study involves three stages. The first stage focuses on the effect of openings on the behavior of curved beams. The second stage examines the effect of different strengthening materials, including carbon fiber sheets, glass fiber sheets, and steel plates, on the deflection and failure load in the presence of openings. In the third stage, Finite Element models are used to simulate the tested beams with different strengthening materials, and the differences between beams with and without openings are analyzed. The results show that the presence of openings negatively affects the ultimate load, deflection, and ductility ratio of arched beams. Regarding strengthening, beams strengthened with steel plates demonstrate a higher ultimate load, approximately 5.6% and 21% higher than beams strengthened with carbon fiber and glass fiber sheets, respectively. Moreover, the deflection of beams strengthened with steel plates is 6.4% and 8.9% higher than beams strengthened with CFRP and GFRP. The presented work is introduced to offer a valuable solution to some developed systems for controlling, repairing, and supporting structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

to investigate and compare the reinforcing effects of glass fibers (GFs) and ZrO 2 nanoparticles at different ratios on the Flexural Strength (FS), Microhardness (MH), and Surface Roughness (SR) of autopolymerizing provisional PMMA. A total of one hundred and twenty specimens of autopolymerizing PMMA were prepared for FS, MH, and SR tests and grouped as follows: no additives (control group), for the tested groups, different ratios of GFs and ZrO 2 at 5% of autopolymerizing PMMA were incorporated. The ratios of GFs/ZrO 2 nanoparticles were 0%-5%, 1%-4%, 2%-3%, 2.5%-2.5%, 3%-2%, 4%-1% and 5%-0% (n = 5). The FS was evaluated using the three-point bending test, MH was evaluated using the Vickers microhardness tester and SR was evaluated using a contact-type profilometer. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Tukey's test, and Person correlation at 0.05 level of significance. The unreinforced group had the lowest FS, MH, and SR mean values followed by (0%GFs + 5% ZrO 2), (1% GFs + 4% ZrO 2), (2% GFs + 3% ZrO 2), (2.5% GFs + 2.5% ZrO 2), (3% GFs + 2% ZrO 2), (4% GFs + 1% ZrO 2) and (5% GFs + 0% ZrO 2) which had the highest values. Hybrid reinforcement with GFs, ZrO 2 nanoparticles, or a combination of them effectively improved flexural strength and microhardness of autopolymerizing provisional PMMA that would create provisional restorations with extended clinical service. GFs demonstrated superior reinforcing effects compared to ZrO 2 nanoparticles. However, reinforcement with 2.5–5% GFs increased the surface roughness for provisional restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vinylester-glass fiber composites have a wide scale of applications, however the combination between multiple fillers can cause some disadvantages due to complicated processing, high cost and incompatibility. This paper presents a novel trial for filling commercial vinylester (VE) resin with glass fiber (GF), as one filler component, in dual directions to prepare water pipe composite using the continuous winding technique, for the first time. 10% to 25% VE-GF composites were prepared with distributing GF in axial and hoop directions. The composites were cured via in-situ polymerization; the crosslinked network is occurred between catalyst and unsaturation sites in prepolymer. All concentrations show stability in all stages of thermal degradation, compared with blank VE; the more stable composite is 25% VE-GF. GF filled in axial and hoop directions enhanced the mechanical strength of both axes. The improved concentration (20% VE-GF composite) increased axial tensile strength and hoop tensile strength respectively to 32 MPa and 51 MPa, compared with 22 MPa and 42 MPa for blank VE. Furthermore, this concentration enhanced the strengths of surface harness and pull off from 39 BHC and 2.2 MPa to 46 BHC and 5.3 MPa, respectively. The 25% VE-GF composite decreased these values, but still higher than blank. GF improved the resistance of vinylester toward water absorption in different immersion conditions, especially the 25% VE-GF composites. The filling direction doesn't affect the composite stability. As a key issue for sustainable applied polymer composites, the proposed technique presents stable and low cost composite with one filler type, as physically, thermally and mechanically stable water pipe system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is the most commonly reported metric for fiber in dairy cattle nutrition. An empirical method, NDF is defined by the procedure used to measure it. The current definitive method for NDF treated with amylase (aNDF) is AOAC Official Method 2002.04 performed on dried samples ground through the 1-mm screen of a cutting mill with refluxing and then filtration through Gooch crucibles without (AOAC−; reference method) or with (AOAC+) a glass fiber filter filtration aid. Other methods in use include grinding materials through the 1-mm screen of an abrasion mill, using filtration through a Buchner funnel with a glass fiber filter (Buch), and use of the ANKOM system (ANKOM Technology, Macedon, NY) that simultaneously extracts and filters samples through filter bags with larger (F57) or smaller (F58) particle size retentions. Our objective was to compare the AOAC and alternative methods using samples ground through the 1-mm screens of cutting or abrasion mills. Materials analyzed were 2 alfalfa silages, 2 corn silages, dry ground and high-moisture corn grains, mixed grass hay, ryegrass silage, soybean hulls, calf starter, and sugar beet pulp. Samples were run in duplicate in replicate analytical runs performed on different days by experienced technicians. Compared with cutting mill–ground samples, the aNDF% of dry matter results from abrasion mill–ground samples were or tended to be lower for 8 of 11 samples. Method affected aNDF% results for all materials, with method × grind interactions for 6 of 11 samples. For ash-free aNDF% assessed with cutting mill–ground materials, a priori selected contrasts showed that the number of materials for which methods differed or tended to differ from the AOAC methods were 4 (Buch), 8 (F57), and 3 (F58); and 3 for AOAC– versus AOAC+. However, statistically different does not necessarily mean substantially different. For a given feed and grind, a positive value for the absolute difference between the AOAC– mean and an alternative method mean minus 2 times the standard deviation of AOAC− suggests that values for the alternative method fall outside of the range of results likely to be observed for the reference method. The number of observed positive values for materials processed with cutting and abrasion mills, respectively, were 0 and 2 (AOAC+); 2 and 2 (Buch); 8 and 10 (F57); 4 and 7 (F58); and 0 and 4 (AOAC−). With the materials tested, methods in order of agreement with the reference method were Buch, F58, and F57, which often gave lower values. The AOAC+ gave results similar to AOAC−, substantiating it as an allowed modification of AOAC−. Best agreement between the reference method and variant NDF methods was achieved with the 1-mm screen cutting mill grind. The 1-mm abrasion mill grind produced more aNDF% results that were lower than the reference method but with fewer differences when filter particle retention size was smaller. The use of filters that retain finer particles could be explored to improve comparability of variant NDF methods and grinds. Further evaluation with an expanded set of materials is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to steel, glass has higher strength and lower density, which makes it stand out as a pressure resistant vessel for hydrogen storage. However, glass easily breaks when it encounters locally concentrated stress. For high pressure hydrogen storage, the stress distribution of a glass vessel during pressure loading needs to be homogeneous without local stress concentration. Herein, the stress-strain behavior of portable hydrogen storage vessels made of glass fiber tubes is investigated theoretically and experimentally, respectively. The effects of different glass materials, wall thickness and pressure on the strength of the microtubes are investigated. Meanwhile, the method of filling the triangular gaps and adding solid fiberglass border was proposed to reduce the stress concentration. The result reveals that glass materials have little effect on the strength of microtubes. The optimal wall thickness is 12.5 μm for microtubes with an inner diameter of 100 μm. Filling the triangular gaps can reduce stress and expansion. The arrayed microtubes with solid fiberglass border are less deformed during fiber drawing technique. The stress increases at the tangent point of the arrayed microtubes with solid fiberglass border, but the stress of the outermost microtubes is significantly decreases. [Display omitted] • The fabrication process of the high-pressure microtube hydrogen storage vessel was present. • The stress-strain behavior during hydrogen storage of the microtubes was revealed. • The method of filling the triangular gaps and adding solid fiberglass borders was proposed to reduce the stress concentration. • The arrayed microtubes with solid fiberglass border has good stability during fiber drawing technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article contextualizes and expands upon research related to oxidative liquefaction of wind turbine blades for resin degradation and glass fiber recovery, presented at the 17th SDEWES conference series on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environmental Systems 2022. The effect of five different parameters, including reaction temperature, residence time, pressure, waste-to-liquid ratio, and oxidant concentration, on resin degradation, has been studied in detail. Experiments were performed in the temperature range of 250 °C–350 °C with a residence time of 30–90 min, at a pressure of 20–40 bar, a waste-to-liquid ratio of 5–25%, and oxidant concentrations of 15–45% by weight. The maximum resin degradation yield achieved was in the range of 95–100% against the different combinations of tested parameters, and its minimum value was 43%, but detailed analysis revealed that the waste-to-liquid ratio is the key parameter affecting resin degradation yield. In addition, energy consumption is one of the important parameters determining the economic feasibility of the process, so a detailed optimization of the experimental plan based on maximum resin degradation and energy consumption has also been performed to identify the most suitable conditions that support the implication of the process at a larger scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High cost and low mechanical strength are the main obstacles for the large-scale application of glass fiber separator in Na-ion batteries. Recycling of glass fiber separator is an important mean to reduce cost, but secondary film formation of glass fiber in the recycling process is the key problem. In this work, glass fibers are extracted from waste glass fiber separators and then compounded with cellulose. The recycled separator is successfully prepared through a simple slurry sieving technology. Attributed to effective combination of cellulose and glass fiber, the mechanical strength of recycled separator (81.5 Mpa) has been significantly improved relative to original fiberglass separator (0.3 Mpa), while the cost is greatly reduced. As paired with Na x Ni[Fe(CN) 6 ]/Na metal, the battery delivers fine cycle stability (93.3% of capacity retention after 500 cycles at 1 C) and high rate performance (73.2% of specific capacity retention at 10 C). The above results open a new path for the recycling of glass fiber-based separators with excellent performance and low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) is recognized as one of the leading technologies for resolving the internet data traffic capacity issue. Although the successful development of rare-earth doped fiber amplifiers enables to achieve optical signal amplification in various telecommunication wavebands, their bandwidth is limited by the inherent sharp 4f electronic transition. Here, we propose the clustering engineering strategy in tellurium (Te)-doped glass fiber for broadband optical amplification. The correlation among the glass system, chemical state of Te and the optical response are systematically studied. The active Te-doped phosphate glass with intense and broadband luminescence is successfully achieved by control of the cluster state of the Te atoms. Subsequently, Te-activated phosphate fiber is successfully drawn and the optical response is transferred smoothly. Importantly, the amplified spontaneous emission and broadband optical amplification are achieved for the first time in Te-doped glass fiber. A small signal on-off gain covering an ultra-wide range of O + E + S + C + L bands is observed under excitation at 808 nm. Our results establish a critical step toward advancing Te-based photonic materials for novel broadband fiber amplifiers serviced in telecommunication system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, researchers have been interested in incorporating inorganic nanoparticles into thermosetting epoxy composites to improve their mechanical properties. This research explores the diffusion of ball milled zircon (ZrSiO 4) and anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles with glass fibre reinforced epoxy polymer (GFRP) composites at the same weight percentages (0:0, 2.5:2.5, 5:5, and 7.5:7.5) to improve mechanical properties. The ZrSiO 4 and TiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared by an ultrasonic liquid processor, and composites were fabricated using the compression molding technique. The void percentage was calculated from the theoretical and measured densities of composites. Mechanical tests were conducted in accordance with ASTM standards. The particle sizes of zircon and titanium dioxide were calculated as 70.5 nm and 64.5 nm, respectively, using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), which reveals the fibre pullout, damaged interfaces, filler dispersion, and voids in specimens. The chemical composition, crystalline structure, and size were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that the GFRP composite with Zircon and TiO 2 incorporated at a concentration of 5:5 wt% has a greater tensile strength of 74.34%, a tensile modulus of 18.14%, a flexural strength of 33.55%, a flexural modulus of 33.61%, a shore "D" hardness of 4.66%, and a capacity to absorb energy of 61.14% in notched specimens with neat GFRP. With filler addition, the percentage of elongation at failure in the 5:5 wt percent for the tensile test is 44.36%, and the flexural test is 24.38% higher than the neat sample. Hence, this work improves the GFRP composites' mechanical and structural properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sustainability is one of the prime objectives of the manufacturing industries. To accomplish this focus, industries are developing low-energy consumption manufacturing process, which reduces production cost and the environmental impact. The GFRP composites find applications in various structural applications, such as aircraft, wind turbine blades etc. owing to their lightweight, high strength, and stiffness. In this study we explored manufacturing of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite using vacuum-assisted resin infusion microwave curing (VARIMC) and thermal curing. This study investigated the role of curing parameters (microwave power and cure time) on mechanical performance of the GFRP composites. Analysis of energy consumption during VARIMC and thermal curing were also carried out in this work. The mechanical properties of GFRP composites are observed to be better at 540 W microwave power with cure time of 720 s compared to 8100 s for thermal curing (2000 W). The VARIMCed GFRP samples exhibited better or comparable properties than thermally cured samples. The VARIMC process utilized about 1.186 MJ/kg of energy, which was almost 36 times less than the energy consumed by thermal curing (43.2 MJ/kg). [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two series of glasses compositions, xGeSe 2 -(100-x) As 2 Se 3 (x = 15,42,63,79,94 mol%) and Ge 30 As y Se 70-y (y = 4,10,15,20 mol%), were selected for optimization with a high Brillouin gain coefficient(g B) by considering both the acousto-optic parameters and the stability of glass against crystallization. The variation in its thermal, mechanical, and material acousto-optic properties were systematically investigated. In the xGeSe 2 -(100-x) As 2 Se 3 series of glasses, the gradual increase of GeSe 2 , resulted in a significant increase in elastic modulus and longitudinal sound velocity (V L), whereas refractive index(n) and acoustic attenuation(α) decreased rapidly. The decrease in n, and the increase in V L were not conducive to the calculation of the g B. Furthermore, in the Ge 30 As y Se 70-y series of glasses, n increased to a maximum of 2.62, and α decreased to a minimum of 215 dB/cm/GHz2, with increasing As content. The highest g B = 33.77 × 10−11m/W was obtained in Ge 30 As 20 Se 50 at 1550 nm, and this value was ∼2.3 times greater than that obtained in As 2 S 3 (g B = 14.43 × 10−11m/W) and ∼1.6 times greater than that obtained in As 2 Se 3 (g B = 20.89 × 10−11m/W) chalcogenide (ChG) glass. On the basis of Ge 30 As 20 Se 50 host glass, a chalcogenide single-refractive-index fiber was drawn with a lowest optical loss of 0.7 dB/m at 6.5 μm. The above results provided an important reference for the further development of new chalcogenide glass fiber with high g B , and broadened the application in Brillouin lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigated the structure and packaging features of Bi–B–Zn sealing glass with Bi 2 O 3 concentrations ranging from 38 to 63 (wt %). The results indicate that when Bi 2 O 3 and the Bi/B ratio grow, the glass transition temperature (Tg) and the glass softening temperature changes correspondingly, with the lowest values occurring when the Bi/B ratio is 4. Both the infrared and Raman spectra demonstrate that the [BiO] units and [BO] units in the glass network structure increase or decrease when the Bi/B ratio increases. This modification will lower the number of broken bonds during the transition and crystallization process, hence increasing the stability of the oxide glass. The polyimide optical fiber etched with Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) was encapsulated on 65-manganese steel, an elastic material. The results indicate that the residual pre-stress before and after encapsulation reaches 1.4 nm when the Bi/B ratio is 4 and that the encapsulation performance is commensurate with the material structure analysis results. A good glass penetration distance helps the bonding effect of the sealing glass, as seen by the microstructure of the bonding interface. At ambient temperature, the average tensile force of a G04 sample bonded with optical fiber was 2.72 N. The samples were then placed in a tube furnace replicating a high-temperature subterranean environment for an extended duration. According to the findings, the FBG sensor is capable of stable sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we presented a new model called the alpha power inverse power Burr-Hatke distribution (APIPBHD). It provides several greater advantages in fitting a variety of different types of data. Estimates of the model parameters are provided and based on traditional research methods. We established the superiority of the proposed distribution by utilizing the importance and adaptability of the APIPBHD compared to other well-known distributions. The real data set includes 63 observations, all of which were manufactured to approximate the strengths of glass fibers to highlight the relevance and flexibility of the provided technique. We proved our superiority using one set of real data. Finally, major findings and conclusions are recorded at the end of the paper. Also, we added future work on the upcoming research depending on the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the effect of silane treatment of S-2 Glass fibres on the fracture toughness and water sorption/solubility behaviour of fibre-reinforced flowable dental composites. The effect of epoxy- and methacrylate-based silane coupling agents (SCAs) on the mechanical strength and hydrolytic properties were investigated. The concentration of the selected SCAs on the mechanical and physical properties were investigated. The influence of molecular structure and concentration in the interfacial adhesion at the fibre-matrix interfaces was also studied. Short S-2 Glass fibres of 250 µm in length and 5 µm in diameter were etched with acid to remove any impurities and roughen the surface. The acid-etched fibres were silane treated with 3MPS, 3GPS, and 8MOTS at different concentrations by weight (%). The silane-treated fibres were incorporated at 5 % into the dental resin mixture. Untreated fibres were added at 5 % to the dental resin mixture and served as the control group. The physical properties such as water sorption, solubility, and desorption along with mechanical properties such as fracture toughness and total fracture work of the fibre-reinforced dental composites grafted with the above-mentioned SCAs were evaluated. The surface morphology of the fractured surface was studied and analysed. The fracture toughness tests showed that the dental composites grafted with optimum weight per cent (wt. %) concentration of the SCA had a better stress intensity factor (K IC) when compared to the 2.0 wt. % and 3.0 wt. % concentration. The K IC value of dental composites grafted with untreated surface etched glass fibres was less than the K IC values of dental composites grafted with optimum concentrations of 3MPS, 3GPS, and 8MOTS by 81.6 %, 38.6 %, and 110.5 %, respectively. A similar trend was found while investigating the total work of fracture of the dental composites, between optimum concentration, 2.0 wt. % and 3.0 wt. % concentration of respective SCA. The increase in silane concentration also led to an increase in the water sorption/solubility characteristics. The absorption of water was most severe in the fibre-reinforced dental composites without silane treatment (32.9 µg/mm3). The ANOVA results showed that the fibre-reinforced dental composites grafted with 8MOTS at optimum concentration showed an increase in fracture toughness when compared to optimum concentrations of 3GPS and 3MPS by 51.9 % and 15.9 %, respectively. The enhanced mechanical and physical characteristics are due to the increased adhesion between the fibre and silane achieved from the optimum wt. % concentration of 8MOTS. Similarly, dental composites grafted with 8MOTS at optimum concentration showed a decrease in water sorption characteristics when compared to optimum concentrations of 3GPS and 3MPS by 18.2 % and 0.6 %, respectively. The decreased water sorption characteristics at the optimum concentration of 8MOTS could be due to the reduced availability of reactive hydroxyl groups and the hydrophobic characteristics of 8MOTS. Silane coupling agents (SCAs) are important components of dental composites. The type and concentration of SCA have a significant effect on material properties. The current study focuses on understanding the effects of different SCAs and wt. % concentrations on the interfacial fracture behaviour and the influence of different SCAs on the water sorption and solubility behaviour of S-2 Glass fibre-reinforced flowable dental composites. [Display omitted] • In-depth investigation of silane treatment on short S-2 Glass fibre. • Study the effects of varying concentration (wt. %) of three distinct types of SCA on interfacial and hydrolytic behaviour. • The fracture toughness study revealed the optimum concentration of SCAs intensifies the fibre/resin interfacial bonding. • Morphology analysis verified that the optimum concentrations of SCAs resulted in cohesive failures at the interface. • Water sorption investigation showed that the optimum concentration of SCAs resulted in the least sorption and solubility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium borate ceramics have several advantages such as light weight, high-temperature resistance, and low thermal conductivity. However, the poor mechanical properties of magnesium borate ceramics limit their further application. In this study, a combination of dry preparation and low-temperature sintering was proposed for the preparation of fiber-reinforced magnesium borate ceramics (SDHs) made from MgO, H 3 BO 3 , and glass fibers. The results from this study confirmed that the SDHs have a low thermal conductivity (0.286–0.677 W m−1 k−1) at 200–800 °C while maintaining a certain cold modulus of rupture (23.83–71.95 MPa). The insights gained from this study may be useful for heat preservation and partial load bearing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research studies the flexural behavior of concrete beams reinforced with biaxial geogrids, distributed short glass and steel fibers. No longitudinal steel reinforcement bars were used. Therefore, an amount of short glass and steel fibers was used to improve the concrete beam behavior against flexural failure. Eleven specimens of single reinforced (flexural reinforcement) concrete beams and double reinforced (compression and flexural reinforced) concrete beams using two biaxial geogrids sheet layers, with randomly distributed short glass and steel fibers were cast. The samples were tested using two points of load along the beam specimen span with an increment of loading by 5 KN to evaluate several parameters. The studied parameters are using geogrids as a main flexural reinforcement, using geogrid sheet layers as a flexural and compression reinforcement, using short glass and steel fibers as an additional reinforcement of concrete with various ratios 0.25 %, and 0.75 %. The test results indicated that the use of geogrid layers as the main flexural reinforcement improved the behavior of the concrete beam specimens at failure. As well as; more enhancement of beam specimens at failure was observed when using short glass and steel fibers with geogrid reinforcement in concrete beams. The tested beam specimens which were reinforced by geogrids in the flexural and compression zone using 0.75 % of steel fibers gave better results due to modes of failure, toughness, failure load capacity, crack width, and post cracking stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extrusion-based fused deposition modeling (FDM) has become the most frequently used additive manufacturing method because of its shorten production time and cost. However, low surface quality remains a limitation to meet the regulatory standards set by traditional manufacturing, which requires post-processing to improve it. In this work, annealing and acetone vapor treatments are applied to short glass fiber reinforced PLA/TPU composites parts obtained by FDM, respectively. Their effects on the surface finishing, dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties of FDM parts using different post-processing methods are compared. The result shows that the annealing treatment dramatically improves the surface finish, but can reduce the dimensional accuracy and ductility of the FDM parts. Better ductility and dimensional accuracy but lower tensile strength are obtained by using acetone vapor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Conventional end-of-life approaches for wind turbine blades (WTBs) cause severe environmental issues. • Recycling of WTBs is highly imperative for a clean, green, and sustainable environment. • Circular economy models are needs to be in more practice for zero WTB waste. Wind is a clean, efficient, fastest-growing, renewable energy source, which is extensively applied for power generation. The expected design lifetime of a wind turbine lies between 20 to 25 years and requires decommissioning at its end-of-life (EOL) stage. In recent years, the global trend is shifted towards power generation through wind turbines and has globally increased the decommissioned wind turbine blades (WTBs). Compared to other components of wind turbines, it is not convenient to recycle the carbon/glass fiber-reinforced composite-based WTBs, due to their complicated nature and inhomogeneity. Additionally, it is extremely harmful to landfill or incinerate WTBs, as these strategies may result in severe health and environmental issues. Consequently, recycling of WTBs is a viable pathway for the renewable energy sector that ensures the sustainability of wind turbines. To date, only 80% - 85% of the wind turbine materials can be recycled but have potential to reach at 100 % through proper attention required on recovery of all wind turbine materials and adaptation of circular economy (CE) models. The motivation behind this review is to emphasize the importance of sustainable options to treat WTB wastes and minimize the utilization of conventional EOL approaches such as landfilling and incineration. This review also shed lights on the current research and development (R&D) projects, which are related to the adaption of various hybrid recycling technologies and CE models. Moreover, this review also highlights current challenges and future developments of WTB composites. It is concluded that consistent and collaborative efforts should be made by each of the individuals, such as researchers, policy makers, and legislative and industrialist stake holders to improve the viability and effectiveness of the wind energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, nanoparticles obtained by Sol-gel method have been incorporated as a filler in glass fiber/polyester composite in order to improve the mechanical properties of the resulting material. This work covered on the characterization and the study of the polymer matrix with 5 wt.%nano TiO 2 , 5 wt.%nano Al 2 O 3 , 5 wt.%nano SiO 2.The results obtained revealed that sol-gel powders with a spherical morphology have excellent thermal stability. Acoustic emission analysis was used to investigate the microscopic damage mechanisms and progression in glass fiber reinforced nanocomposites. Thus, acoustic emission from four modes of approval has been identified: matrix cracking, matrix/fiber decohesion, delamination and fiber breakage. This study shows the increase of mechanical performance and the decrease of damage modes of @Polyester. From the SEM images, the good dispersion of nanofillers, absence of agglomerates, the good affinity with the improving of the interface compatibility were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the environmental hazard of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs), there is an urgent need to develop efficient recycling technology of useful metal elements in WPCBs and to promote the efficient use of WPCBs. Therefore, we tried to intensify the efficient recovery of metal elements from WPCBs by introducing ultrasound into the flotation process. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and laser particle size analysis confirmed that ultrasonic treatment was conducive to removing the epoxy resin and fine metal particles on the surface of glass fibers and promoting particle dispersion, which significantly improved metal recovery. In addition, wettability analysis demonstrated that the enhanced hydrophobicity of the non-metallic components caused by ultrasonic treatment improved the flotation performance of non-metallic components, thereby strengthening the reverse flotation separation efficiency of the metal components and the non-metallic components. Consequently, compared with traditional flotation, ultrasonic-enhanced flotation promoted the significant increase of total metal recovery and Cu, Al and Zn recovery from WPCBs, in which the total metal recovery and Cu, Al and Zn recovery from WPCBs increased by 7.20%, 4.82%, 15.41% and 5.58%, respectively. Based on this, our findings will provide an important guide for efficiently recovering valuable metal elements from WPCBs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To seek dentine analogue materials in combined experimental, analytical, and numerical approaches on the mechanical properties and fatigue behaviours that could replace human dentine in a crown fatigue laboratory test. A woven glass fibre-filled epoxy (NEMA grade G10; G10) and a glass fibre-reinforced polyamide-nylon (30% glass fibre reinforced polyamide-nylon 6,6; RPN) were investigated and compared with human dentine (HD). Flexural strength and elastic modulus (n = 10) were tested on beam-shaped specimens via three-point bending, while indentation hardness (n = 3) was tested after fracture. Abutment substrates of G10, RPN and HD were prepared and resin-bonded with monolithic lithium disilicate crowns (n = 10), then subjected to wet cyclic loading in a step-stress manner (500 N initial load, 100 N step size, 100,000 cycles per step, 20 Hz frequency). Data were statistically analysed using Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc comparisons (α = 0.05). Survival probability estimation was performed by Mantel-Cox Log-Rank test with 95% confidence intervals. The fatigue failure load (FFL) and the number of cycles until failure (NCF) were evaluated with Weibull statistics. Finite Element Models of the fatigue test were established for stress distribution analysis and lifetime prediction. Fractographic observations were qualitatively analysed. The flexural strength of HD (164.27 ± 14.24 MPa), G10 (116.48 ± 5.93 MPa), and RPN (86.73 ± 3.56 MPa) were significantly different (p < 0.001), while no significant difference was observed in their flexural moduli (p = 0.377) and the indentation hardness between HD and RPN (p = 0.749). The wet cyclic fatigue test revealed comparable mean FFL and NCF of G10 and RPN to HD (p = 0.237 and 0.294, respectively) and similar survival probabilities for the three groups (p = 0.055). However, RPN promotes higher stability and lower deviation of fatigue test results than G10 in Weibull analysis and FEA. Even though dentine analogue materials might exhibit similar elastic properties and fatigue performance to human dentine, different reliabilities of fatigue on crown-dentine analogues were shown. RPN seems to be a better substrate that could provide higher reliability and predictability of laboratory study results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]