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In evaluating high-performance multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) based carbon fiber composites, effective chemical functionalization of fillers for sufficient exfoliation and precise interface interactions with resin matrix are challenging to attain due to significant interlayer cohesive energy and inactive surfaces of composites. Herein, we demonstrate an effective way to produce carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite with amended interfacial characteristics via incorporation of MWCNT through oxidation followed by silane functionalization with their exfoliation levels (0/48/60/72 h). The surface functional elements, morphological changes, elemental groups, quantitative information, and thermal degradation of silane functionalized MWCNTs were characterized by FESEM/HR-TEM, XRD, UV, and TG-DTA analysis, respectively. The influence of silane functionalized MWCNT reinforcement on CFRP's mechanical properties were examined using tensile, flexural, ILSS, and damping behavior was analyzed through impulse excitation technique (IET). The resulting silane-modified MWCNTs with 60 h oxidation (OAC-60) infused CFRP demonstrated significant enhancement in flexural strength (73.8%), tensile strength (58.2%), interlaminar shear strength (28.5%) compared to pure-CFRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the impact of hybrid nanoparticle reinforcements on the mechanical properties of Epoxy-Polylactic Acid (PLA) composites. The researchers conducted experiments and numerical analysis to investigate the effects of adding different fillers on the tensile and bending strength of the composites. The results showed that the addition of nanofillers, such as SiO2, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), improved the mechanical properties of the composites. The study provides valuable insights for researchers and engineers working with epoxy-PLA composites. Additionally, the article references two related articles that provide further insights into the mechanical behavior of composite materials. [Extracted from the article]

An alarming adulteration of nature with automotive tail pipe emissions causing global warming demands suitable engine modification. Further use of alternative renewable fuels with fine-tuning the engine and required modifications could reduce the diesel engine emissions. Oxygenated fuels (such as methanol, ethanol and Butanol) act as stand-in fuel that could enrich the global energy requisites and affirmatively downsize the emissions by accelerating combustion efficiency. Under this circumstance, the experimental analysis was done on a single-cylinder four-stroke DI CI engine using conventional diesel as fuel by injection of ethanol, diethyl ether (DEE) and Butanol independently to into intake manifold at three injection timings viz., TDC, 5°ATDC and 10°ATDC respectively under the constant 27°CA injection duration with the help of a distinct setup comprises of the electronic control unit (ECU) and injector system. The resolutions drawn from the recorded results at 80% load during experimentation summarized that DEE exhibited improved BTE of 2.5% and 1% and reduced smoke emissions of 12.54% and 10.6% compared to that obtained with ethanol and Butanol, respectively. On the other hand, DEE emitted excessive NOx and inferior HC, CO emissions compared to ethanol and Butanol apart from shortened ignition delay and combustion duration. The conclusions are drawn from the injection of oxygenates that apart from the perspective of performance, DEE injection at the 5°ATDC was noticed to be optimal at 27°CA injection duration (3 ms) too for emissions characteristics of a diesel engine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigated the effects of graphene and SiO2 addition on the mechanical and fracture properties of epoxy (80%) -- Poly Lactic acid (PLA) (20 %) composites. Epoxy-PLA composites were loaded with graphene and SiO2 (0.1-0.5 wt. % with equal weightage of each filler), and were manufactured by bath sonication followed by manual casting. The tensile, flexural strength and fracture toughness of nanocomposites increased with an increase in filler concentration till it reached 0.3 wt. %. The addition of filler content higher than 0.3 wt. % drastically reduced the mechanical and fracture properties. The fractured surfaces from the tensile tests were examined using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging to understand the effects of filler addition. The numerical analysis was also performed to simulate the impact of filler concentration on the tensile strength of nanocomposites using representative volume element (RVE) in ANSYS workbench. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]