Xingzhong Gao

Ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber is ideal for cut‐resistant fabrics but suffers from poor thermal insulation, restricting its use in low‐temperature environments. This study proposes a method to improve the thermal insulation of UHMWPE fibers while preserving mechanical performance. Novel core–shell aerogel fibers were prepared with UHMWPE as the core and silica aerogel (SiO ₂ ) as the shell. Thermal imaging and cut‐resistant tests were used to evaluate the properties. The results show that SiO ₂ aerogel significantly enhances thermal insulation: at a 100°C heating stage, the fabric surface temperature is 6.7°C lower than the control fabric. Compared with traditional insulation materials, the same thermal insulation effect is achieved with a 41.7% thinner thickness. The aerogel shell adheres firmly without shedding, ensuring long‐term stability. Furthermore, the cut resistance is about 53.36% higher than conventional labor protection gloves. This work supports the development of lightweight, thin, high‐performance fabrics with excellent cut resistance and thermal insulation for cold‐region protective applications.

Composites are macroscopic combinations of chemically dissimilar materials preferred for new high-tech applications where mechanical performance is an area of interest. Mechanical apprehensions chiefly include tensile, creep, and fatigue loadings; each loading comprises different modes. Fatigue is cyclic loading correlated with stress amplitude and the number of cycles while defining the performance of a material. Composite materials are subject to various modes of fatigue loading during service life. Such loadings cause micro invisible to severe visible damage affecting the material’s performance. Mode I fatigue crack propagates via opening lamina governing a visible tear. Recently, there has been an increasing concern about finding new ways to reduce delamination failure, a life-reducing aspect of composites. This review focuses on mode I fatigue behaviours of various preforms and factors determining failures considering different reinforcements with respect to fibres and matrix failures. Numerical modelling methods for life prediction of composites while subjected to fatigue loading are reviewed. Testing techniques used to verify the fatigue performance of composite under mode I load are also given. Approaches for composites’ life enhancement against mode I fatigue loading have also been summarized, which could aid in developing a well-rounded understanding of mode I fatigue behaviours of composites and thus help engineers to design composites with higher interlaminar strength.

The thermo-oxidative stability of carbon fiber polymer matrix composites with different integral reinforced structures was investigated experimentally and numerically. Specimens of 2-D plain woven composites and 2.5-D angle-interlock woven composites were isothermally aged at 180 °C in hot air for various durations up to 32 days. The thermal oxidative ageing led to the degradation of the matrix and the fiber/matrix interface. The degradation mechanisms of the matrix were examined by ATR-FTIR and thermal analysis. The interface cracks caused by thermal oxidative ageing were sensitive to the reinforced structure. The thermo-oxidative stability of the two composites was numerically compared in terms of matrix shrinking and crack evolution and then experimentally validated by interlaminar shear tests.