Microwave imaging and defectoscopy are promising techniques for dielectric composite evaluation. Their most significant advantage is their relatively high penetration depth. Another feature worth noting is that traditional methods could not acquire an internal content with such a low impact on both the sample and surrounding environment, including the test operator, compared to other techniques. This paper presents microwave non-destructive and noninvasive methods for quality evaluation of layered composite materials using an open-ended waveguide probe. Pure |S₁₁| parameters only exceptionally give a clear answer about the location of material cracks. Therefore, this makes it necessary to analyze these parameters simultaneously along with several other factors, such as stand-off distance, probe type or wave polarization. The purpose of the work was to find the dependency between the physical state of a layered composite powerplant pipeline and the S-matrix parameters response (reflection and transmission parameters) in a Ku frequency band that has not yet been extensively researched. Lower-frequency measurements broaden the application possibility for thicker composites, mainly because of a higher penetration depth and measurement setup availability. Different methods have been shown, including reflection and transmission/reflection methods, both in close proximity and in stand-off distance. The measurements are based on a low-complexity experimental setup.

Although cooling at ambient temperature is widely used and is said to be safe and convenient, faster cooling may have an influence not only on the time of the manufacturing process but also on the mechanical response, especially the residual stress. The study aimed to investigate the influence of the cooling rate after curing on the mechanical response of filament-wound thick-walled carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) rings. Three cooling rates were taking into consideration: cooling with the oven, at room temperature, and in the water at 20 °C. The splitting method was used to examine the residual strains. In the radial compression test, the mechanical response was investigated between the rings with different cooling regimes. The FEM analysis of the compression test in elastic range was also performed. Both the splitting method and the radial compression test showed no significant difference in the mechanical response of the CFRP rings. The presented results showed that the fast-cooling rate slightly decreases the mechanical performance of the filament-wound rings.

Fire resistance is a major issue concerning composite materials for safe operation in many industrial sectors. The design process needs to meet safety requirements for buildings and vehicles, where the use of composites has increased. There are several solutions to increasing the flame resistance of polymeric materials, based on either chemical modification or physical additions to the material’s composition. Generally, the used flame retardants affect mechanical properties either in a positive or negative way. The presented research shows the influence of the mixed-mode behavior of epoxy resin. Fracture toughness tests on epoxy resin samples were carried out, to investigate the changes resulting from different inorganic filler contents of aluminum trihydroxide (ATH). Three-point bending and asymmetric four-point bending tests, with different loading modes, were performed, to check the fracture behavior in a complex state of loading. The results showed that the fracture toughness of mode I and mode II was reduced by over 50%, compared to neat resin. The experimental outcomes were compared with theoretical predictions, demonstrating that the crack initiation angle for higher values of KI/KII factor had a reasonable correlation with the MTS prediction. On the other hand, for small values of the factor K_I/K_II, the results of the crack initiation angle had significant divergences. Additionally, based on scanning electron microscopy images, the fracturing of the samples was presented.

Authors: Wojciech Błażejewski, Paweł Gąsior and Jerzy Kaleta

An experimental and analytical approach to the relaxation problem of wood-based materials—OSB (Oriented Strand Boards—pressed wood-based composite panels) beams, including beams with CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced polymer) tape composite reinforcement, is presented. It is a relevant engineering and scientific problem due to the fact that wood and wood-based materials, as well as composite reinforcements, are widely used in building constructions. Their rheological properties are very important and complicated to estimate. A 10 day long relaxation test of thick OSB beams without reinforcement and with CFRP tape was performed. A four-point bending test with five different bending levels was performed, during which the reduction of the loading force was measured. A five-parameter rheological model was used to describe the rheology of the beams. The equations of this model were calculated with the use of Laplace transform, whereas the values of the parameters were calculated based on the experimental relaxation curves. A high correlation between experimental and theoretical results was obtained. A beam reinforced with CFRP tape was treated as a system with a viscoelastic element (OSB) and an elastic element (CFRP), joined together without the possibility of slipping. The equations of the mathematical model were calculated based on the assumptions of the linear theory of viscoelasticity and the convolution integral. A good correlation between experimental and theoretical results was obtained. A significant redistribution of stresses was observed during the relaxation of the reinforced beam. The reinforced beams show a higher stiffness of approximately 63% and carry proportionally higher loads than unreinforced beams at the same deflection values.

The paper deals with the subject of diagnostics and the quick repairs of long-term operated metallic materials. Special attention was paid to historical materials, where the structure (e.g., puddle iron) is different from modern structural steels. In such materials, the processes of microstructural degradation occur as a result of several decades of exposure, which could overpass 100 years. In some cases, their intensity can be potentially catastrophic. For this reason, the search for minimally invasive diagnostic methods is ongoing. In this paper, corrosion and fracture toughness tests were conducted, and the results of these studies were presented for two material states: post-operated and normalized (as a state “restoring” virgin state). Moreover, through the use of modern numerical methods, composite crack-resistant patches have been designed to reduce the stress intensity factors under cyclic loads. As a result, fatigue lifetime was extended (propagation phase) by more than 300%.