TY - JOUR A1 - Rodricks, Carol Winnifred A1 - Prockat, Annabell A1 - Kalinka, Gerhard A1 - Trappe, Volker T1 - Novel Recyclable Hierarchical Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites: Preserving Fiber Length and Orientation Using Elium N2 - Current recycling methods for polymer matrix composites produce short, unoriented carbon fibers, limiting their use to intermediate‐strength applications. A method is therefore needed to recycle fibers while preserving their original length and orientation, enabling a circular economy for carbon fiber composites. This study proposes a novel hierarchical composite designed to retain fiber length and orientation during recycling. Virgin carbon fibers are encased in an insoluble epoxy matrix to form tapes that act as the primary units of the structure. The primary tape matrix shields the fibers from chemical degradation while preserving their alignment throughout recycling. The tapes are then embedded in a secondary recyclable matrix, Elium, a thermoplastic polymer soluble in acetone with mechanical properties comparable to epoxy. The composite is recycled by dissolving the secondary Elium matrix in acetone and recovering the primary tape units with intact fiber length and orientation. The primary units can then be used to assemble new composites. In this study, hierarchical composite laminates underwent recycling up to three times. Their mechanical properties were assessed after each cycle. Laminates with an Elium secondary matrix retained 60%–90% of the mechanical performance of epoxy‐based laminates. Minimal degradation was observed between cycles, and fiber length, orientation, and volume fraction were fully preserved. Pushout tests confirmed that fibers in the primary tapes were sufficiently shielded during the recycling process. These results validate the feasibility of a hierarchical recyclable composite that combines recyclability with high mechanical performance, serving as a proof of concept and providing opportunities for future development. KW - Review KW - Interface KW - Micromechanics KW - Polymer matrix composites KW - Glass fibre reinforced composites PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655276 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.70869 SN - 0272-8397 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Wiley Periodicals LLC. AN - OPUS4-65527 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Epishin, A. I. A1 - Nolze, Gert A1 - Malakhov, A. Yu. A1 - Pervukhina, O. L. T1 - Investigation of the Structure of Interfaces Between Metals and Alloys Joined by Explosion Welding N2 - The structure of interfaces in Fe20Cr6Al/Cu, titanium/steel and brass/Invar bimetals obtained by explosion welding from sheet components with a thickness of 1 and 4, 25 and 5, 12 and 8 mm, respectively, was studied using analytical methods of scanning electron microscopy. The wave dimensions (length/height) were approximately 200/50 μm for Fe20Cr6Al/Cu, 700/70 μm for titanium/steel and 350/100 μm for brass/Invar. At the micron scale, mutual penetration of the welded components into each other (trans-interface diffusion) was not detected. In the iron-based plate of Fe20Cr6Al/Cu bimetal, a strong texture and cracks, which are a critical defect, were formed as a result of severe plastic deformation. Less pronounced textures were revealed in the components of titanium/steel bimetal. In titanium/steel bimetal, Laves phase particles Fe2Ti were found near the welded interface, while in brass/Invar bimetal, local contact melting was observed. However, the particles Fe2Ti and local melting areas are not critical defects, as they do not cause unacceptable deterioration in the adhesive strength of the welded joints, which was confirmed by a high shear strength of 500-570 MPa for the brass/Invar bimetal. KW - EBSD KW - Welding KW - Interface PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-025-12660-x SN - 1059-9495 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-64732 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Colombo, Marta A1 - Mostoni, Silvia A1 - Fredi, Giulia A1 - Rodricks, Carol A1 - Kalinka, Gerhard A1 - Riva, Massimiliano A1 - Vassallo, Andrea A1 - Di Credico, Barbara A1 - Scotti, Roberto A1 - Zappalorto, Michele A1 - D'Arienzo, Massimiliano T1 - Interfacial Chemistry Behind Damage Monitoring in Glass Fiber‐Reinforced Composites: Attempts and Perspectives N2 - Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (GFRPs) are widely used in structural applications but degrade over time due to internal damage. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) enables early damage detection, improving reliability and reducing maintenance costs. Traditional SHM methods are often invasive and expensive. An emerging solution involves the embedding of carbon‐based filler like carbon nanotubes and reduced graphene oxide into GFRPs, forming conductive networks that detect damage through resistance changes. However, poor adhesion among GF, filler, and matrix can reduce mechanical performance. Therefore, tailoring GF and filler surface chemistry is essential to enhance durability and enable effective self‐sensing properties. This review summarizes the most recent efforts in modifying GF with carbon‐based filler to design GFRP with improved sensing ability and mechanical performance. After a brief introduction on the role of SHM solutions in early damage detection, an overview of the common GF and filler used in GFRPs will be provided. Then, the most relevant GF modification strategies exploited to incorporate carbon‐based filler in GFRPs will be described, focusing on the chemical grafting approach, which allows a careful optimization of the fiber/matrix interface. Last, a concise summary of the key mechanical and electrical tests to evaluate interfacial adhesion and self‐sensing will be supplied. KW - Review KW - Interface KW - Micromechanics KW - Polymer matrix composites KW - Glass fibre reinforced composites PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-639934 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.70332 SN - 0272-8397 SP - 1 EP - 30 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-63993 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schraa, Lucas A1 - Rodricks, Carol A1 - Kalinka, Gerhard A1 - Roetsch, Karl A1 - Scheffler, Christina A1 - Sambale, Anna A1 - Uhlig, Kai A1 - Stommel, Markus A1 - Trappe, Volker T1 - Characterisation and Modelling of the Fibre-Matrix Interface of Short Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics using the Push-Out Technique N2 - This study investigates the suitability of the single fibre push-out (SFPO) test for the determination of the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of injection moulded short fibre reinforced thermoplastics. It includes a detailed description of the required sample preparation steps and the boundary conditions of the SFPO setup. Experimental SFPO tests were carried out on PA66 GF, PPA GF35 and PA6 GF50 materials. Furthermore, a finite element model was set up to simulate the behaviour of these materials during this test. The numerical results showed that the inhomogeneous stress distribution in the fibre-matrix interphase during the test causes the measured apparent IFSS to underestimate the true strength of the interphase. The simulations put the experimental results into perspective and provide valuable information for the further development of the test setup. This study therefore not only provides new insights into the interphase strength of injection moulded short fibre reinforced thermoplastics, but also an insight into local load conditions during testing and thus an indication of the true IFSS. KW - GFRP KW - Interface KW - fibre matrix bond KW - single fibre push-out PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-626087 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112317 SN - 1879-1069 VL - 297 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Niederlande AN - OPUS4-62608 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Alem, Sayed Ali Ahmad A1 - Sabzvand, Mohammad Hossein A1 - Govahi, Parnian A1 - Poormehrabi, Pooria A1 - Azar, Mahdi Hasanzadeh A1 - Siouki, Sara Salehi A1 - Rashidi, Reza A1 - Angizi, Shayan A1 - Bagherifard, Sara T1 - Advancing the next generation of high-performance metal matrix composites through metal particle reinforcement N2 - Metal matrix composites (MMCs) offer asignificant boost to achieve a wide range of advanced mechanical properties and improved performance for a variety of demanding applications. The addition of metal particles as reinforcement in MMCs is an exciting alternative to conventional ceramic reinforcements, which suffer from numerous shortcomings. Over the last two decades, various categories of metal particles, i.e., intermetallics, bulk metallic glasses, high-entropy alloys, and shape memory alloys, have become popular as reinforcement choices for MMCs. These groups of metal particles offer a combination of outstanding physico-mechanical properties leading to unprecedented performances; moreover, they are significantly more compatible with the metal matrices compared to traditional ceramic reinforcements. In this review paper, the recent developments in MMCs are investigated. The importance of understanding the active mechanisms at the interface of the matrix and the reinforcement is highlighted. Moreover, the processing techniques required to manufacture high-performance MMCs are explored identifying the potential structural and functional applications. Finally, the potential advantages and current challenges associated with the use of each reinforcement category and the future developments are critically discussed. Based on the reported results, the use of metal particles as reinforcement in MMCs offers a promising avenue for the development of advanced materials with novel mechanical properties. Further progress requires more in-depth fundamental research to realize the active reinforcing mechanisms at the atomic level to precisely identify, understand, and tailor the properties of the integrated composite materials. KW - Intermetallic KW - Composite KW - Metal matrix composite KW - Interface KW - High entropy alloy KW - Bulk metallic glass PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-620730 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114-024-01057-4 SN - 2522-0128 VL - 8 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 68 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-62073 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -