Browsing by Author "Peng, ZX"

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    Multifunctional rubber based composites for marine applications: A review
    (Engineers Australia, 2017-11-27) Fu, Y; Yeoh, GH; Wang, C; Peng, ZX
    Rubbers are widely used materials, and fillers play an important role in enhancing the electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of rubber based composites. In recent years, nano-fillers have attracted considerable attentions due to their ability to impart multifunctional properties to rubber matrixes. In spite of the various advancements of multifunctional rubber based composites in dry conditions such as for land-based uses, many developments are still required for wet conditions such as for marine applications. As ocean covers over 70% of Earth's surface, there are high demands for multifunctional rubber based composites in marine environments and the challenges are different to those in dry conditions. Three key challenges to be addressed are the acoustic characteristics (e.g. sound absorption), wettability in relation to fluid drag reduction and antifouling property. This paper firstly reviews the past and current advancements on synthesis and characterisation of rubber and its reinforced composites. Design and development of rubber based composites will be directed towards the availability of techniques and processes to manufacture the necessary multifunctional properties (compositions, structures and/or surfaces) and evaluating the performance in harsh marine environments. Each key challenge as aforementioned will be addressed individually through review of experimental and numerical approaches to thoroughly assess the multifunctional properties of rubber based composites with the specific focus on the state-of-the-art technologies for marine applications. Future directions are also proposed.© 2017 Engineers Australia