Reinforced polymers of a new generation for the manufacturing industry, mainly for aviation and automotive. Materials with a better adherence between layers, which do not prevent the division at the moment of the differentiated refuse collection. Materials which, together with the structural functions (rigidity and resistance), can support also functional performances as, for example, the capability to change shape under the impulse of external stimuli (morphing), to signal the presence of defects or to self-healing if damaged.
The article "Recent advances in fiber/matrix interphase engineering for polymer composites” published on the scientific magazine “Progress in Materials Science”, magazine of large impact for this specific scientific sector, talks about the characteristics of these new composite polymers and about the engineering progress which made possible to modify their properties in a controlled manner.
The authors are József Karger-Kocsis (professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics; last year he was a visiting professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Trento), Haroon Mahmood (currently PhD student in Materials, Mechatronics and Systems Engineering) and Alessandro Pegoretti (professor, for the degree courses and for the doctoral school, of Materials Science and Technology at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Trento).
The publication summarizes the recent developments (starting from the year 2000) achieved by the international research in the field of engineering properties of composite materials for industrial applications through the controlled modification of the fiber/matrix interphase.
«Since many years the University of Trento - underlines Alessandro Pegoretti – performs research activities in the sphere of composite materials, with particular attention to the issues of fiber/matrix adhesion. We are talking about a very sensitive field because it involves many different competences: physics, chemistry, engineering. As a matter of fact, in our group the research activities range from the development of chemical processes, the use of a number of transformation technologies and measurement techniques, to the modelling of the observed behaviours».
Pegoretti goes on: «There is a great demand of new materials by the manufacturing industry, which needs to built more and more lighter and sturdier components. Many of the research projects our doctoral students are working on aim to create new composite materials of polymeric matrix attained by combining the characteristics of traditional reinforcing fibres, such as glass and carbon fibre, with latest generation nanofillers, such as glass or ceramic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and graphene».