A Review on Tough Soft Composites at Different Length Scales
Soft composites are widely employed in industrial and biomedical fields, which often serve as load-bearing structural materials by virtue of a special combination of high strength, high toughness, and low flexural stiffness. Understanding the toughening mechanism of such composites is crucial for de...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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Series: | Textiles |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/1/3/27 |
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author | Wei Cui Ruijie Zhu |
author_facet | Wei Cui Ruijie Zhu |
author_sort | Wei Cui |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Soft composites are widely employed in industrial and biomedical fields, which often serve as load-bearing structural materials by virtue of a special combination of high strength, high toughness, and low flexural stiffness. Understanding the toughening mechanism of such composites is crucial for designing the next-generation soft materials. In this review, we give an overview of recent progress in soft composites, focusing on the design strategy, mechanical properties, toughening mechanisms, and relevant applications. Fundamental design strategies for soft composites that dissipate energy at different length scales are firstly described. By subsequently elucidating the synergistic effects of combining soft and hard phases, we show how a resulting composite can achieve unprecedented mechanical performance by optimizing the energy dissipation. Relevant toughening models are discussed to interpret the superior strength and fracture toughness of such soft composites. We also highlight relevant applications of these soft composites by taking advantage of their special mechanical responses. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:59:03Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-7a347dc97e84484f850f4234d8454032 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2673-7248 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:59:03Z |
publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Textiles |
spelling | doaj.art-7a347dc97e84484f850f4234d84540322023-11-23T10:48:45ZengMDPI AGTextiles2673-72482021-11-011351353310.3390/textiles1030027A Review on Tough Soft Composites at Different Length ScalesWei Cui0Ruijie Zhu1State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaGraduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, JapanSoft composites are widely employed in industrial and biomedical fields, which often serve as load-bearing structural materials by virtue of a special combination of high strength, high toughness, and low flexural stiffness. Understanding the toughening mechanism of such composites is crucial for designing the next-generation soft materials. In this review, we give an overview of recent progress in soft composites, focusing on the design strategy, mechanical properties, toughening mechanisms, and relevant applications. Fundamental design strategies for soft composites that dissipate energy at different length scales are firstly described. By subsequently elucidating the synergistic effects of combining soft and hard phases, we show how a resulting composite can achieve unprecedented mechanical performance by optimizing the energy dissipation. Relevant toughening models are discussed to interpret the superior strength and fracture toughness of such soft composites. We also highlight relevant applications of these soft composites by taking advantage of their special mechanical responses.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/1/3/27soft compositemechanical propertytoughnesstoughening mechanismfabricationapplication |
spellingShingle | Wei Cui Ruijie Zhu A Review on Tough Soft Composites at Different Length Scales Textiles soft composite mechanical property toughness toughening mechanism fabrication application |
title | A Review on Tough Soft Composites at Different Length Scales |
title_full | A Review on Tough Soft Composites at Different Length Scales |
title_fullStr | A Review on Tough Soft Composites at Different Length Scales |
title_full_unstemmed | A Review on Tough Soft Composites at Different Length Scales |
title_short | A Review on Tough Soft Composites at Different Length Scales |
title_sort | review on tough soft composites at different length scales |
topic | soft composite mechanical property toughness toughening mechanism fabrication application |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/1/3/27 |
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