Dear Colleagues,

Composite materials, especially fiber-hardened materials, are a modern category of materials of particular interest to industry. These materials, with outstanding performance in terms of the high ratio of mechanical strength to specific gravity (specific strength) and in maintaining high values of mechanical strength at high temperatures, consist of a strong and rigid phase dispersed in the form of fibers aligned in a ductile matrix. Under the conditions of the existence of a fiber–matrix connection and of a correct choice of the fiber material and of the matrix, there is a transfer of the mechanical stresses from the matrix to the fibers; the composite shows a similar mechanical strength to the fibers without showing their fragility. On this principle, composite materials with exceptional performance have been created, finding industrial uses despite their sometimes very high price, due to the expensive technologies used to obtain them. These include composites with glass fibers and carbon fibers incorporated in synthetic resins (used in the construction of submarines, car bodies, jet aircraft compressors), and boron or silicon carbide composites in the aluminum matrix (helicopter blades, aircraft structural elements, etc.). However, the most important uses of composites are expected from research into the incorporation of ceramic fibers into a metal matrix resistant to oxidation at high temperatures. Another direction for the use of composite materials is the application of composite coatings, with particularly good results, in repair without removing technological and transport pipelines from operation; these can also be applied to any pressure vessel or tank which has defects such as those encountered in pipes.

The main problems to be avoided when using composite materials are the degradation due to cyclic loading and due to the corrosion phenomenon. The need to investigate experimentally and numerically the ways one can increase the fatigue strength of composite materials is an objective of recent research. The use of finite element technology, duplicated and verified by experimental tests, can lead to obtaining composites with a high fatigue resistance. The use of a modified polymer system with both flexibilizers and mineral fillers and the addition of small amounts of metal oxides to give the filler anti-corrosion properties, together with different types of fabrics, can reduce the danger of corrosion in composite materials.

We are pleased to invite you to publish studies on increasing the fatigue and corrosion resistance of composite materials, especially used in various coatings used in the industry.

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish original research articles, critical reviews, as well as practical studies by industry experts, with the main objective of investigating the influence of fatigue and corrosion resistance on the load-bearing capacity of composite materials used in various industrial applications.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Theoretical and experimental research on the analysis of interactive coupled systems consisting of fibers and polymers;
• Novel methods and procedures for assessing the influence of the phenomenon of fatigue and corrosion on the operating behaviour of composite materials;
• Novel modern technologies for manufacturing composite materials;
• Trends in the use of composite materials in the repair of various equipment;
• Numerical analysis on the use of composite materials using the finite element method.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Alin Dinita
Dr. Marius Marinel Stanescu
Guest Editors

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• properties of composite materials
• properties of composite materials
• degradation mechanisms
• fatigue analysis
• corrosion degradation