Fiber-reinforced composites for aerospace, energy, and marine applications: an insight into failure mechanisms under chemical, thermal, oxidative, and mechanical load conditions

Abstract Fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) materials have gained significant traction in various industrial sectors, including aerospace, marine, and energy applications, owing to their outstanding mechanical properties, lightweight nature, high strength, and corrosion resistance. However, ensuring the reliability and durability of these materials under diverse environmental conditions, such as exposure to elevated temperatures, mechanical loads, and chemicals/oxidations, remains a critical challenge. In this study, we provide an in-depth insight into the failure mechanisms of FRC materials under several scenarios expected when in service or during operations, particularly for failure arising from mechanical, thermal, and chemical exposure, which are the main conditions experienced in aircraft, helicopters, drones, wind turbines, and ships. Moreover, we excerpt representative cases that illustrate changes in material properties due to prolonged exposure to an uneven temperature gradient leading to thermal expansion mismatch, matrix softening, and fiber degradation. Also, a critical examination of the stress distribution, damage evolution, and failure criteria of FRC materials due to mechanical loads under the tensile, flexural, impact, and compressive loading conditions through experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies is presented to offer significant contributions to the understanding of failure mechanisms and their consequences for structural design and performance optimization. Thus, chemical and oxidative degradation in FRC materials, including matrix degradation, fiber-matrix interface debonding, and their impact on mechanical properties, has been analyzed. The media include aviation fuels, seawater environments, hydraulic fluids, deicer, and acidic and alkaline solvents. Furthermore, this work includes an overview of numerical and analytical perspectives concerning the tripod (mechanical, thermal, and chemical oxidations). To bring forth a series of models, theories, and assumptions employed by several researchers to recreate real-world applications with very high accuracy to experimental data, a detailed overview of the FRC failure mechanism in various environmental conditions has been reviewed, and gaps that can be explored in future research have been highlighted. Challenges and limitations hindering the accurate screening of composite materials for intended applications have been reported. It is anticipated that scholars, engineers, and researchers engaged in the development and application of the FRC materials in the aerospace, marine, and energy industries will find this review beneficial. It will assist them in comprehending composite failures under different environmental and loading conditions and provide critical insights for advancing the design, manufacturing, durability, and reliability of the FRC-based structures and components in the harsh operating environments. Graphical Abstract