National Physical Laboratory

Functional Materials Publications

The Composites and Polymeric Materials Group use a broad range of measurement technology to understand material behaviour, supporting businesses of all sizes.

Journals and peer-reviewed publications

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NPL Good Practice Guides, Reports and Measurement Notes

Composites

Polymeric materials

NPL Reports

  • 2008—2011

    Composites

    • Characterization of Nanosized Filled Particles in Polymeric Systems: A Review. W R Broughton,  NPL Report MAT 12, January 2008.
    • Thick Composites: Part I: Mechanical Test Review Part II: Cure Optimisation. M R L Gower, R M Shaw and W R Broughton, NPL Report MAT 24, April 2008.
    • Project ACLAIM (Advanced Composite Life Assessment and Integrity Management): Measurement of Mode I and Mode II Fracture Toughness for Mixed Material Systems use in ACLAIM Case Studies. M R L Gower, NPL Report MAT 19, May 2008.
    • Project ACLAIM: Case Study 1 Report – Interfacial De-Bonding of Wind Turbine Blade Web Pull-Off Coupons, M R L Gower, S R Frost and I Stewart. NPL Report MAT RES 043, May 2008.
    • Advanced Composite Life Assessment and Integrity Management: What, Where and How to Measure?, M R L Gower, W R Broughton and G D Sims, NPL Report MAT RES 165, 2008.
    • Development of Test Methods for Measuring Thick Section Tensile and Compression Properties of Polymer Matrix Composites, M R L Gower, and R M Shaw, NPL Report MN 06, April 2009.
    • Towards a Planar Cruciform Specimen for Biaxial Characterisation of Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs), M R L Gower, and R M Shaw, NPL Report MN 09, July 2009.
    • Test Method Recommendations for Qualification of FRPs Containing Virgin and Recycled Precursor Materials, W R Broughton and M R L Gower,  NPL Report MAT(RES)098, March 2010.
    • Project IMAJINE (Innovative multi-Materials Jointing and INtegrity Engineering): Work Task 1 – Definition of Joint Configurations for IMAJINE Case Studies, M R L Gower, NPL REPORT MAT RES 138, March 2011.
    • Project IMAJINE (Innovative multi-Materials Jointing and INtegrity Engineering): Work Task 2 – Long-term testing protocols for case studies, M R L Gower, S Frost and R Lee, NPL REPORT MAT RES 139, March 2011.

    Polymeric Materials

    • Review of methods for the characterisation of the dispersion in polymer nanocomposites. Rides, M, MAT 34, October 2009, NPL Report
    • The Effect of Heat Transfer Coefficients and Thermal Conductivity on Polymer Processing Simulation, A Dawson, J M Urquhart and M Rides, NPL Report MAT 17, March 2008.
    • A Dawson, M Rides and C R G Allen, The measurement of the thermal conductivity of amorphous polymers above the glass transition temperature, NPL Report MAT 7, December 2007.
    • A Dawson, M Rides, H1 Polymer Processing Literature Review, Thermal Conductivity Measurement and Behaviour of Amorphous Polymers Above Glass Transition Temperature, DEPC-MPR (RES) 036, 2007.
    • The use of the melt flow rate method for moisture sensitive materials and an evaluation of the uncertainties in melt flow rate measurement, M Rides & C R G Allen, NPL Report MAT 3, Sept 2007.
    • Polymer flow incorporating slip and implications for polymer processing simulation, M Rides, D Fleming and C R G Allen, DEPC-MN 040, March 2006.

NPL Measurement Notes

  • Environmental and Fatigue Testing of Fibre Bundles and Impregnated Strands, W R Broughton and M J Lodeiro, NPL Measurement Note CMMT(MN)063, 2000.
  • Techniques for Monitoring Water Absorption in Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Composites, W R Broughton and M J Lodeiro, NPL Measurement Note CMMT(MN)64, 2000.
  • Environmental and Fatigue Testing of Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Composites, W R Broughton and M J Lodeiro, NPL Measurement Note CMMT(MN)67, 2000.
  • Through-Thickness Testing of Polymer Matrix Composites, W R Broughton, M R L Gower, M J Lodiero and R M Shaw, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)06, 2001.
  • Geometric and Material Property Effects on the Strength of Rubber-Toughened Adhesive Joints, W R Broughton, L E Crocker and J M Urquhart, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)10, 2001.
  • Effects of Specimen Geometry on the Strength of Flexible Adhesive Joints, W R Broughton, E Arranz, R D Mera and B C Duncan, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)11, 2001.
  • Assessment of Surface Characterisation Techniques for Adhesive Bonding, W Broughton, M Lodeiro, R Shaw, E Arranz and S Gnaniah, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)24, 2002.
  • Optimisation of Corona Discharge Surface Treatment for Improved Adhesive Bonding Using Design of Experiments, W Broughton, M Lodeiro and S Gnaniah, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)25, 2002.
  • Geometric and Material Property Effects on the Performance of Adhesive Joints, L E Crocker and W R Broughton, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)29, 2002.
  • Geometric and Bolt Position Effects on the Performance of Bolted T-Joints, M R L Gower and W R Broughton, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)30, 2002.
  • Near Surface Strain Measurements on Quartz Wafers and Devices, W R Broughton, A T Fry, D –A Mendels and C J Chunnilall, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)52, 2003.
  • Monitoring the Effect of Damage in Bonded and Bolted T-Joints, W R Broughton and R M Shaw, NPL Measurement Note MATC(MN)56, 2003.
  • Accelerated Weathering: Performance Testing of Polymer Matrix Composites, W R Broughton, G D Pilkington, and D K Ratnakela, NPL Measurement Note DEPC-MN 047, 2007.
  • Measurement of Residual Stresses and Strains in Carbon Fibre Composites, A S Maxwell, W R Broughton, M J Lodeiro, and R Shaw, NPL Measurement Note MN 7, 2009.