The paper reports an experimental investigation on the mechanical and thermal properties of multifunctional composite laminates integrated with microencapsulated phase change materials. The different microstructures were created by incorporating microencapsulated phase change materials in glass–epoxy composites at weight fraction between 0 and 20 wt.%. To characterise the mechanical properties, tension, compression and flexural tests were conducted. The scanning electron microscope studies were used to investigate the damage mechanisms associated with these loading conditions. Thermal storage capability of the multifunctional composites was characterised using heat flux meters. The apparent heat capacity of the composites was linearly proportional to the concentration of microencapsulated phase change materials. Alternative design analysis resulted in an optimised laminate configuration with high thermal storage capability coupled with excellent mechanical properties.

This paper presents a novel technique for improving aluminium–glass/epoxy composite interfacial bonding through the generation of metallic nano-architectures on the metal surface. Silver nanowires (AgNWs) deposited via solution casting at varying concentrations and annealed at different temperatures in an air atmosphere improved the aluminium-glass/epoxy composite fracture toughness as measured via mode I experiments. For AgNW concentrations of 1 and 3 g/m2 deposited via a single-stage process and annealed at 375 °C, the initiation fracture toughness of the aluminium-glass/epoxy composite improved by 86% and 157%, respectively, relative to the baseline composite without AgNWs. The corresponding steady-state fracture toughness of these nano-modified fibre metal laminates (FMLs) were at least seven times greater than the baseline composite. The FML variant in which AgNWs were deposited at a concentration of 3 g/m2 through a two-stage process followed by annealing at 375 °C and 300 °C, respectively after each deposition, achieved the highest steady-state fracture toughness of all nano-modified composites—a fracture toughness value that was 13 times greater than the baseline composite. Intrinsic and extrinsic toughening mechanisms dictated by the morphology of the silver nano-architectures were found to be responsible for the improved initiation and steady-state fracture toughness in nano-modified FMLs.

Although Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs) show many advantages compared to other composite materials, their layered structure, a result of bonding dissimilar materials, makes FMLs prone to delamination. Conventional solutions to toughen the metal-composite interface have already reached their limit. For further improvement to the metal-composite interfacial bonding properties, a multiscale approach involving micro/nanotoughening mechanisms needs to be implemented. However, the fabrication of FMLs with controlled toughening at different length scales is complicated. This paper introduces a new methodology to manufacture FMLs having micro-and nanosized features using a 3D interconnected silver nanowire interleave at the metal-composite interface. The effects of processing parameters on the extent and effectiveness of the multiscale toughening mechanisms are presented.