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Basalt fiber-reinforced composite (BFRC) is extensively used in various fields such as rail transportation and aerospace. However, how to design the structure of BFRC to optimize its impact resistance remains a great challenge. Herein, inspired by the double-twisted Bouligand structure of coelacanth scales, a biomimetic BFRC is prepared. Significantly, the peak impact force of double-twisted BFRC (DT-BFRC) is 3408.12 N, which increases by 48.56% compared with unidirectionally laminated BFRC (UL-BFRC). The maximum residual elastic modulus of DT-BFRC reaches 7.88 J, which is 236.75% higher than that of UL-BFRC. This work offers a promising way to efficiently develop impact resistant BFRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear‐thickening fluid (STF) refers to a system where nonaggregating solid particles are suspended in a specific fluid. Due to its unique viscosity variation, STFs have attracted a lot of attention as soft body armor materials for impact protection. In this work, two kinds of STFs were designed using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and spherical or irregularly shaped silica particles. Rheological results showed that shear thickening can even occur at lower shear rates in the irregularly shaped silica‐based STF; however, the thickening range of the spherical silica‐based STF was broader. Meanwhile, the composites prepared with STFs and aramid fabrics exhibited better antistab properties than neat fabrics. Compared to composite prepared with irregularly shaped silica‐based STF, spherical silica‐based STF/aramid composite had better stabbing resistance. In addition to the binding effect of silica particles to the fiber bundle, it was considered that when the fabric composite was subjected to impact, spherical particles were easier to slide so that the STF was more likely to be thickened to achieve a greater viscosity, resulting in the better stabbing resistance performance. Our studies will provide guidance for the design of the high‐performance soft body armor equipment. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48809. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Boron carbide ceramics used as neutron absorbing materials in fast breeder reactor were fabricated with boron carbide powders and different rare-earth oxide additives by pressureless sintering. The effects of rare-earth oxide as well as phenolic resin on densities and mechanical properties of the composites were studied. The addition of Dy2O3, Eu2O3, and Sm2O3 was found to be beneficial in the densification of B4C ceramics. B4C with 4wt% rare-earth oxide and 18wt% phenolic resin, exhibiting bulk density of 90–96% T.D., flexural strength of 276–358MPa, could be prepared by pressureless sintering at 1960–2080°C, which are capable of meeting the requirement of fast breeder reactor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]