Composites articles from across Nature Portfolio

Silane coupling agents retard early hydration when incorporated into fresh cement paste. Here the authors show how silane coupling agents hinder calcium dissolution of tricalcium silicate from ab initio metadynamics simulations and hydration experiments.

Fibre-reinforced polymers are widely used — and waste is growing fast. Appropriate recycling technologies should be purposefully selected to reintegrate fibre-reinforced polymer waste into sustainable industries, yield high-quality industrial products and promote the broader recycling of fibre-reinforced polymers.

A wide range of zero-dimensional powders can be converted into versatile, high-performance one-dimensional micro-/nanofibres by using two-dimensional cellulose sheets as a mediator, preserving the particles’ nanostructural features and acting as building blocks for complex geometric shapes to satisfy application requirements.

Recent high-profile concrete material failures, including the collapse of parts of public buildings in the UK, have highlighted the need for a greater understanding of the durability of concrete. Here, John Provis explores the need to recognise the complexity of concrete when planning both the research and application of this key construction material.

A recent study presents an approach for characterizing and quantifying the pore space in assemblies of particles, enabling research into pore-scale flow physics and insight into the interplay between the solid and void phases in granular materials.

Nature provides an endless source of inspiration for advanced materials, fuelled by evolutionary innovations over many millions of years. Capitalizing on this wealth of biological solutions requires an approach to materials innovation that is informed by a holistic understanding of multi-functional biological systems and leverages the defining feature of the natural world — diversity.