Polymer materials offer cost-effective solutions in engineering, yet their limitations prompt research into nano-reinforced composites for improved performance.

Polymer matrix composites (PMCs) are made by reinforcing a polymer-based matrix with glass, carbon, or aramid fibers. PMCs are classified into thermosetting and thermoplastic resins based on the type ...

Most space missions rely on chemical rockets for propulsion. Rockets must carry fuel, which increases spacecraft mass and limits their speed and travel distance. For decades, researchers have explored ...

Polymer matrix composites are highly susceptible to damage when used in various environmental extremes. This susceptibility results from a number of physical factors common to polymers in general and ...

Left to right: Postdoctoral researcher Zhenchuang Xu, postdoctoral researcher Yuting Zhou, and chemistry professor Jeffrey S. Moore. Source | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign To avoid their ...

Traditional carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite materials are neither recyclable nor repairable due to the thermoset polymers' permanently crosslinked network. Strong and durable like ...

UD tapes must be fully impregnated since there is no carrier to support the material in the transverse direction such as the paper used with thermoset prepregs. Most UD tapes are supplied in ...