The curing kinetics can influence the final macroscopic properties, particularly the three-point bending of the fiber-reinforced composite materials. In this research, the curing kinetics of commercially available glass fiber/epoxy resin prepregs were studied by non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The curing kinetic parameters were obtained by fitting and the apparent activation energy E_a of the prepreg, the pre-exponent factor, and the reaction order value obtained. A phenomenological nth-order curing reaction kinetic model was established according to Kissinger equation and Crane equation. Furthermore, the optimal curing temperature of the prepregs was obtained by the T-β extrapolation method. A vacuum hot pressing technique was applied to prepare composite laminates. The pre-curing, curing, and post-curing temperatures were 116, 130, and 153 °C respectively. In addition, three-point bending was used to test the specimens’ fracture behavior, and the surface morphology was analyzed. The results show that the differences in the mechanical properties of the samples are relatively small, indicating that the process settings are reasonable.

Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite laminates have excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and designability and thus are widely used in various engineering fields. However, their interlayer performance is relatively poor due to no fiber reinforcement between the laminate layers. These layers are adhered through resin bonding only, caused during their usage, which results in composite material delamination damage, thus, limiting its performance. In response, researchers have conducted numerous studies on how to improve the interlaminate properties of laminates through component and structural modifications of the composites and interlaminate toughening. Short fiber toughening is a simple and effective way to solve this problem. This paper reviews the latest research progress in short fiber interlaminate toughening and short fiber modified resin toughening, analyzes the mechanisms of short fiber toughening is fiber bridging, fiber debonding, fracture, and the toughening mechanisms specific to different fibers. This review paper also discusses the current problems encountered in short fiber toughening and provides an outlook on the future development direction for short fiber toughening to provide a reference for subsequent research on short fiber toughened composites.

Three-dimensional integrated woven spacer sandwich composites have been widely used as industrial textiles for many applications due to their superior physical and mechanical properties. In this research, 3D integrated woven spacer sandwich composites of five different specifications were produced, and the mechanical properties and performance were investigated under different load conditions. XR-CT (X-ray computed tomography) images were employed to visualize the microstructural details and analyze the fracture morphologies of fractured specimens under different load conditions. In addition, the effects of warp and weft direction, face sheet thickness, and core pile height on the mechanical properties and performance of the composite materials were analyzed. This investigation can provide significant guidance to help determine the structure of composite materials and design new products according to the required mechanical properties.