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This study aims to evaluate the development of composites made of epoxy (E) resin with different weight percentages of polypropylene (PP) and graphene oxide (Go) to form nanocomposite plates.

A hand lay-up process was used to develop 21 different composites, with varying concentrations of PP (5%–35%) and Go (5%–35%). A ternary composite of E matrix was produced by combining binary fillers PP and Go (5%–35%) in a 1:1 ratio to a (95%–5%) solution. With the help of adopting the melt condensation deal to extract Go, the modified Hummers method was used to make Go platelets.

Through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction investigations, the particulate’s size and structural characteristics were identified. Based on the FESEM analysis of the collapsed zones of the composites, a warp-and-weft-like structure is evident, which endorses the growth yield strength, flexural modulus and impact strength of the composites.

The developed nanocomposites have exceptional mechanical capabilities compared to plain E resin, with E resin exhibiting better tensile strength, modulus and flexural strength when combined with 10% PP and 10% Go. When compared to neat E resin, materials formed from composites have exceptional mechanical properties. When mixed with 10% PP and 10% Go, E resin in particular displays improved tensile strength (23 MPa), tensile modulus (4.15 GPa), flexural strength (75.6 MPa) and other attributes. Engineering implications include automobile side door panels, spacecraft applications, brake pads and flexible battery guards.

This study aims to address the environmental impact of nondegradable synthetic materials by promoting their reuse. Specifically, it investigates the feasibility of using polyester needle felt carpet waste as the matrix for thermoplastic composites reinforced with glass and jute fibers at various fiber contents (20, 30 and 40 Wt. %).

The research used both glued and unglued carpet wastes to examine the effect of adhesive impurities on composite properties. The mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated through tensile, bending and Izod impact tests. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the microstructural effects of adhesive impurities on the fiber/matrix interface.

The results showed that unglued carpet composites outperformed glued carpet composites, exhibiting 51% greater tensile strength, 294% higher bending strength and 293% superior impact strength on average. The mechanical properties of the unglued carpet composites generally improved with increasing fiber content. In contrast, glued carpet composites demonstrated optimal performance at specific fiber contents within the studied range. Microscopic analysis revealed that adhesive impurities in the glued composites caused fiber/matrix bond disruption and delamination under load.

This study highlights the potential of recycling polyester needle felt carpet waste into high-performance thermoplastic composites. It underscores the significant impact of adhesive impurities on the mechanical properties of these composites and provides insight into optimizing fiber content for improved material performance.

The paper aims to highlight the computational implementation of a nonlinear piezoelectric constitutive model and its application in determining the impact of misalignment between initial poling direction and applied electrical field, and mechanical boundary conditions on actuator performance.

The numerical analysis is based on an existing three‐dimensional model, where the original rate‐independent evolution equations are replaced by their rate‐dependent counterparts to facilitate implementation, which is performed in a partial differential equation solver. The execution of the model is verified through several benchmark constitutive responses.

The analysis shows that small angles of poling and loading axes misalignment such as may occur in fabrication (less than 5^○) have minor impact on piezoelectric performance regardless of the type of imposed mechanical boundary conditions. On the other hand, larger angles of misalignment can have a significant impact, the feasibility of which in actuator design remains to be seen. Furthermore, it is shown that the linear response range of these actuators can be expanded by increased levels of mechanical constraint at the cost of maximum actuation stroke regardless of the degree of misalignment.

The misalignment, which occurs accidentally, but can also be introduced purposefully during the fabrication process when poled material is cut into specimen form, may exhibit desirable performance features for actuator design when combined with appropriate mechanical constraints.