Towards green engineering designs: Natural fibre-based hybrid composites for structural applications

项目目标：目的是了解和开发新型混杂纤维增强二维编织复合材料层压板，以定制其机械性能。该项目的目标是双重的：(a)探索天然纤维和合成纤维使用纺织预制体生产混合复合材料，(b)通过多尺度计算模型和实验力学来理解和优化这种混合复合材料的机械性能。研究愿景和方法：愿景是通过探索天然纤维和合成纤维，开发新型混合复合聚合物材料，并为轻量化结构应用提供新的设计机会。虽然合成复合材料（例如碳/环氧树脂层压形式）比金属和金属合金（例如非常高的比强度和刚度）具有许多优点，但近年来，考虑到可持续性和环保制造方面，对天然纤维基复合材料的研究越来越受到关注。为了充分探索天然纤维基复合材料，重要的是要确定其潜力，同时，在使用它们作为结构材料的关键挑战。了解复合材料结构在工作载荷条件下的力学行为和破坏机制是至关重要的。只有通过这种基本的理解，才有可能开发新的材料系统以及强大的失效理论，使我们能够设计可靠的复合材料结构。本项目提出的工作是朝着这个方向迈出的一步。重点是探索天然纤维和合成纤维在聚合物基体中的综合效应，并优化这种混合效应对其机械性能和失效机制的影响；其目的是开发多尺度计算模型，以便更好地了解机械行为和失效机制，从而使我们能够朝着开发适合苛刻使用条件的最佳材料系统的方向发展。研究背景：提议的工作汇集了两个广泛的领域：“复合材料制造”和“建模与仿真”。虽然这项拟议的工作处于低技术准备水平，但它将丰富我们部门内正在进行的研究活动，也可以成为工业参与和未来研究活动的肥沃主题（例如与EPSRC -制造和材料主题，Innovate UK -先进材料和绿色运输主题保持一致）。值得注意的是，先进的复合材料在许多应用中得到了广泛的应用，人们对探索具有成本效益和环境友好的制造工艺和原材料的兴趣越来越大。另一方面，目前先进复合材料的结构设计规则还不成熟，材料本身也没有完全定制，这对充分挖掘复合材料在结构应用中的潜力是一个重大挑战。具有增强的损伤容限（即稳定的失效机制）和稳健的设计方法的新型材料系统现在被要求依赖于先进的制造工艺和计算建模技术。在这方面，基于天然纤维的混合复合材料的拟议工作解决了其中的一些挑战，因此有可能吸引工业合作。

Project Aim & Objective: The aim is to understand and develop novel hybrid fibre-reinforced 2D woven composite laminates to tailor their mechanical properties. The objective of this project is twofold: (a) explore natural fibres along with synthetic fibres to produce hybrid composites using textile preforms, and (b) understand and optimise the mechanical properties of such hybrid composites via multiscale computational models and experimental mechanics. Research Vision and Approach: The vision is to develop novel hybrid composite polymer materials by exploring naturally available fibres together with synthetic fibres, and to provide new design opportunities for lightweight structural applications. Although synthetic composite materials (e.g. carbon/epoxy in a laminate form) offer several advantages over metals and metal alloys (e.g. very high specific strength and stiffness), there is a growing research attention in recent years for natural fibre based composites considering into account the aspects of sustainability and environmentally friendly manufacturing. To fully explore natural fibre based composites, it is important to identify their potential and, at the same time, key challenges in using them as structural materials. Understanding the mechanical behaviour of and failure mechanisms in composite structures when exposed to service loading conditions is vital. Only through this fundamental understanding it is possible to develop new material systems as well as robust failure theories that can allow us to design reliable composite structures. The work proposed in this project is a step forward in this direction. The emphasis is on exploring the combined effect of natural and synthetic fibres within a polymer matrix and on optimizing such a hybrid effect on their mechanical properties and failure mechanisms; and the aim is to develop multiscale computational models that can offer a better insight into the mechanical behaviour and failure mechanisms, which would then allow us to move towards developing optimum material systems for demanding service conditions. Research Context: The proposed work brings together two broad areas: 'composite manufacturing' and 'modelling and simulation'. Although this proposed work is at a low technological readiness level, it will enrich our ongoing research activities within the department and can also be a fertile topic for industrial engagement and future research activities (e.g. aligns with EPSRC - manufacturing and materials themes, Innovate UK - advanced materials and green transport themes). It is important to note that advanced composites are widely being used in many applications, and there is a growing interest in exploring cost-effective and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and raw materials. On the other hand, the current structural design rules for advanced composites are not mature nor materials themselves are fully tailored, which is a major challenge to fully explore the potential of composite materials in structural applications. Novel material systems with enhanced damage tolerance (i.e. stable failure mechanisms) and robust design approaches are now being called for which depend upon advanced manufacturing processes and computational modelling techniques. In this regard, the proposed work on natural fibre based hybrid composites addresses some of these challenges and thus has the potential to attract industrial collaborations.