From Failure Mechanisms to Sustainable Design: Research on Printed and Hybrid Composites by Associate Professor Chensong (Jonathan) Dong

NTU MSE Seminar Hosted by Associate Professor Aravind Dasari

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing of fibre-reinforced composites offers opportunities to manufacture lightweight components with complex geometries and tailored reinforcement arrangements. Realising this potential requires an understanding of how printed architecture, constituent behaviour and loading conditions influence mechanical performance. Understanding damage initiation and failure progression under different loading modes is essential for predicting load-carrying capacity and designing components with more predictable failure responses. This seminar will present research on the tensile and flexural behaviour of 3D-printed composites, including Onyx and its reinforcement with continuous carbon fibre (CCF) and high-strength high-temperature (HSHT) glass fibre. A central theme is the contrast between tensile and flexural failure, particularly the differing development of damage and softening under these loading conditions. Experimental observations and finite element analysis will be used to explore the roles of tensile and compressive behaviour, alongside possible contributions from interlayer damage.

The discussion will also examine the contrasting flexural responses of CCF and HSHT glass-fibre composites, including catastrophic fracture and gradual post-damage softening. Particular attention will be given to compressive-side failure initiation, subsequent tensile-side involvement, and the implications for modelling and reinforcement design. The seminar will conclude with a complementary study on the sustainable selection of carbon/glass/flax hybrid composites using Green Quality Function Deployment (GQFD) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). This framework integrates mechanical performance, cost and environmental criteria to rank candidate designs subject to flexural strength requirements. Together, these studies highlight how understanding composite failure and evaluating design trade-offs can support the development of reliable and more sustainable composite structures.

Biography

Associate Professor Chensong (Jonathan) Dong
Curtin University, Australia

Chensong (Jonathan) Dong is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Curtin University, Australia. His research focuses on composite materials, including hybrid and natural-fibre composites, additive manufacturing, and design optimisation. He combines experimental investigation, finite element analysis and data-driven methods to study mechanical behaviour and support composite design, with growing emphasis on sustainability and multi-criteria decision-making. He teaches advanced strength of materials, finite element analysis and materials engineering, and supervises doctoral and final-year research projects.