This study proposed an effective and sustainable technique for the curing of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) using microwaves. The method involves applying a metallic resonance coating layer to envelop the CFRP composite’s surface. Next, the composite is positioned within a multi-mode cavity, which is used as an applicator, and is powered by four 250 W solid-state power amplifiers. To ensure precise control over the heating pattern and achieve uniform heating of the composite, a sophisticated control algorithm is developed. This algorithm can independently regulate the phase, power level, and frequency of each power amplifier. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of this proposed approach in achieving precise control over the microwave-based curing process for CFRPs.

In the recent years, the development of wind turbines has been so hectic in Taiwan. The design of the turbine blades directly impacts power effectiveness. In this study, the effects of manufacturing parameters and environmental factors on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites that are used in turbine blades are discussed. Parameters of the manufacturing process affect the mechanical properties. Carbon composites made by a different numbers of layers are tested on various aspects of performance such as mechanical strength and corrosion resistance.

As an important member of semiconducting transition metal oxides, MoO2 nanomaterials have many advantages in optical and electrical applications. However, MoO2 itself has no significant photocatalytic performance possibly because of its inferior conductivity and strong recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Here, we propose a facile, one-step pyrolysis method to prepare a novel C fibers@MoO2 nanoparticles core–shell composite, where the oxidative MoO2 nanoparticles in situ grew on the surface of conducting C fibers. Due to the compositing of MoO2 and C fibers, during photocatalysis tests, the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs was effectively inhibited, and the lifetime of the photogenerated carries was efficiently prolonged, finally significantly improving the solar-driven photocatalytic activity on degrading various organic and inorganic pollutants in water, such as methylene blue, rhodamine B, phenol, and potassium dichromate, showing the great potential for environmental remediation by degrading toxic industrial chemicals in waste water under sunlight. Moreover, the composite presented good stability in composition and structure during the repeated use and long-term storage. In addition, this one-step growth method is an easy-to-handle, environmentally friendly, and low-cost synthesis method for large-scale production.

Carbon fibers exhibit exceptional properties such as high stiffness and specific strength, making them excellent reinforcements for composite materials. However, it is difficult to directly measure their tensile properties and estimates are often obtained by tensioning fiber bundles or composites. While these macro scale tests are informative for composite design, their results differ from that of direct testing of individual fibers. Furthermore, carbon filament strength also depends on other variables, including the test length, actual fiber diameter, and material flaw distribution. Single fiber tensile testing was performed on high-strength carbon fibers to determine the load and strain at failure. Scanning electron microscopy was also conducted to evaluate the fiber surface morphology and precisely measure each fiber’s diameter. Fiber strength was found to depend on the test gage length and in an effort to better understand the overall expected performance of these fibers at various lengths, statistical weak link scaling was performed. In addition, the true Young’s modulus was also determined by taking the system compliance into account. It was found that all properties (tensile strength, strain to failure, and Young’s modulus) matched very well with the manufacturers’ reported values at 20 mm gage lengths, but deviated significantly at other lengths.

Additive manufacturing (AM) holds tremendous promise in terms of revolutionizing manufacturing. However, fundamental hurdles limit the widespread adoption of this technology. First, production rates are extremely low. Second, the physical size of the parts is generally small, less than a cubic foot. Third, the mechanical properties of the polymer parts are generally poor, limiting the potential for direct part replacement and functional use of the polymer components. This article describes various ways in which carbon fibers (CFs) can be used to address these fundamental hurdles. First, CF-reinforced polymers developed for AM have demonstrated specific strengths approaching aerospace-quality aluminum. Second, CF additions can radically reduce the distortion and warping of the material during deposition, which enables large-scale, out-of-the-oven, high deposition rate manufacturing. Finally, the complementary nature of CF technology and AM is discussed, showing how merging the two manufacturing processes enables the construction of complex components that would not be possible with either technology alone.