Plant Fiber Reinforced Composites (eBook)

This book comprehensively and systematically introduces the microstructure characteristics of plant fibers and the manufacturing process, interface characteristics, mechanical behaviors and physical properties of plant fiber reinforced composites, as well as their engineering demonstration applications. Plant fibers derived from natural resources have been thrust into the global spotlight as environment-friendly materials with attractive advantages of renewability, biodegradability, high specific strength and modulus and good sound absorption and heat insulation performance, and have become promising alternative to traditional synthetic fibers in making fiber-reinforced composites with structure-function integration. This book combines the basic theory with engineering applications for highlighting the unique research method for plant fiber reinforced composites with hierarchical structure. It is intended for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in natural fiber composites, and scientific researchers and engineers looking to develop the design and manufacture of green composites in the fields of aerospace, railway transportation vehicles, automotive engineering and civil infrastructures.

Prof. Yan Li received her B.E. and M.E. degrees in Composite Materials from Beihang University, Beijing, China, in 1993 and 1996, respectively, and her Ph.D. degree in Mechanics of Composites from the University of Sydney, Australia, in 2002. She has been working in the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and then joined Tongji University in 2003. She is now a professor and the executive dean of the School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, China.

Prof. Yan Li's major research interests are the design and manufacture of fiber reinforced composites, especially plant fiber reinforced polymer composites, additive manufacturing of composites, intelligent technology of composites, et. al. She has published over 150 journal and conference papers. She also edited two technical books and contributed book chapters for four technical books specialized on natural fiber reinforced composites. She was selected as the Distinguished Young Scholar by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). She also serves as the associate editor of Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica, Journal of Aeronautical Materials, Chinese Quarterly of Mechanics and editorial board member of several leading SCI journals in this field, including Composites Science and Technology, Composites Part A, Composites Part B and Composites Communications, et. al.

Dr. Qian Li received her B.E. degree in Aircraft Manufacture Engineering from Tongji University, Shanghai, China, in 2013, and the Dual Awards Ph.D. degree in Mechanics from Tongji University in 2018 and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, in 2019, respectively. Since April. 2021, Dr. Li has been in School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University as Distinguished Researcher.

Dr. Li focuses on the research of the hierarchical interfacial mechanical behaviors of plant fiber reinforced composites and the structural design of green composites. Since 2013, Dr. Li has published 13 peer-reviewed technical papers in top-tier SCI journals, along with another seven papers included in key international conference proceedings. She served as a reviewer of several international journals and 2016 ISAMS international conference. Dr. Li was awarded Tsai Best Student Paper Award at international conference ICCM-21 (total seven candidates in the world, selected as the only representative of China) and other highly recognized domestic and overseas academic awards, including Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Tongji University (2019), Excellent Paper Award of Shanghai Composite Materials Society (2018), First-Prize in SAMPE Lightweight Natural Fiber Bridge Contests (2012 and 2014), et. al. She was also elected to High-quality Overseas Talents Program in Shanghai.

 

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This book comprehensively and systematically introduces the microstructure characteristics of plant fibers and the manufacturing process, interface characteristics, mechanical behaviors and physical properties of plant fiber reinforced composites, as well as their engineering demonstration applications. Plant fibers derived from natural resources have been thrust into the global spotlight as environment-friendly materials with attractive advantages of renewability, biodegradability, high specific strength and modulus and good sound absorption and heat insulation performance, and have become promising alternative to traditional synthetic fibers in making fiber-reinforced composites with structure-function integration. This book combines the basic theory with engineering applications for highlighting the unique research method for plant fiber reinforced composites with hierarchical structure. It is intended for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in natural fiber composites, and scientific researchers and engineers looking to develop the design and manufacture of green composites in the fields of aerospace, railway transportation vehicles, automotive engineering and civil infrastructures.