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Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2024) | Viewed by 18592

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yuwei Chen

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Guest Editor

School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
Interests: functional nanocomposites; energy storage; functional resin; fiber reinforcement; 3D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yumin Xia

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Guest Editor

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, 2999 North Renmin Road, Shanghai, China
Interests: design and synthesis of functional polymers; research and development of high-performance fibers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The addition of functional fillers into a polymer matrix has been extensively explored and used in many applications, such as electronics, medicine, aerospace, energy storage, sensors, etc. With the fast development of science and technology, novel particles and their composites with multiple functions have been invented to meet new requirements. Moreover, new manufacturing methods to prepare the particles and composites are also emerging. One challenge is to prepare high-performance or functional polymer composites with low filler content in an easy, scale-up approach. Another challenge is to endow the function into the composite efficiently and subtly through rational design of the particles or the particle distribution in the polymer matrix.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the advances and cutting-edge technologies of particles and particle-reinforced functional polymer composites. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Synthesis and characterization of novel particles, such as cellulose, graphene, carbon black, MXene, etc.;
Novel manufacturing technology of particle-reinforced polymer composites;
Rational design of the distribution of particles in the polymer matrix;
Properties of composites enhanced by particles;
Transparent conductive particle/polymer composites;
Multifunctional polymer composites.

Dr. Yuwei Chen
Dr. Yumin Xia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cellulose
graphene
carbon black
particle-reinforced polymer
polymer matrix
conductive particle/polymer composites
multifunctional polymer composites
properties of composites enhanced

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 6758 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flexible Composite Electrolyte Membranes with Fast Ion Transport Channels for Solid-State Lithium Batteries

by Xiaojun Ma, Dongxu Mao, Wenkai Xin, Shangyun Yang, Hao Zhang, Yanzhu Zhang, Xundao Liu, Dehua Dong, Zhengmao Ye and Jiajie Li

Polymers 2024, 16(5), 565; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16050565 - 20 Feb 2024

Viewed by 959

Abstract

Numerous endeavors have been dedicated to the development of composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) membranes for all-solid-state batteries (SSBs). However, insufficient ionic conductivity and mechanical properties still pose great challenges in practical applications. In this study, a flexible composite electrolyte membrane (FCPE) with fast ion transport channels was prepared using a phase conversion process combined with in situ polymerization. The polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoro propylene (PVDF-HFP) polymer matrix incorporated with lithium lanthanum zirconate (LLZTO) formed a 3D net-like structure, and the in situ polymerized polyvinyl ethylene carbonate (PVEC) enhanced the interface connection. This 3D network, with multiple rapid pathways for Li⁺ that effectively control Li⁺ flux, led to uniform lithium deposition. Moreover, the symmetrical lithium cells that used FCPE exhibited high stability after 1200 h of cycling at 0.1 mA cm⁻². Specifically, all-solid-state lithium batteries coupled with LiFePO₄ cathodes can stably cycle for over 100 cycles at room temperature with high Coulombic efficiencies. Furthermore, after 100 cycles, the infrared spectrum shows that the structure of FCPE remains stable. This work demonstrates a novel insight for designing a flexible composite electrolyte for highly safe SSBs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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13 pages, 7648 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Monodisperse Mesoporous Carbon Spheres/EPDM Rubber Composites and Their Enhancement Mechanical Properties

by Tong Zheng, Wenjing Jia, Hongjie Meng, Jiajie Li and Xundao Liu

Polymers 2024, 16(3), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030355 - 28 Jan 2024

Viewed by 944

Abstract

Monodisperse mesoporous carbon spheres (MCS) were synthesized and their potential applications in ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) foam were evaluated. The obtained MCS exhibited a high specific surface area ranging from 621-to 735 m²/g along with large pore sizes. It was observed that the incorporation of MCS into EPDM foam rubber significantly enhances its mechanical properties. The prepared MCS-40 rubber composites exhibit the highest tear strength of 210 N/m and tensile strength of 132.72 kPa, surpassing those of other samples. The enhancement mechanism was further investigated by employing computer simulation technology. The pores within the MCS allowed for the infiltration of EPDM molecular chains, thereby strengthening the interaction forces between the filler and matrix. Moreover, a higher specific surface area resulted in greater adsorption of molecular chains onto the surface of these carbon spheres. This research offers novel insights for understanding the enhancement mechanism of monodisperse mesoporous particles/polymer composites (MCS/EPDM) and highlights their potential application in high-performance rubber composites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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15 pages, 19107 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Systematic Investigation of the Degradation Properties of Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber/Polyamide Elastomer/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites in Thermo-Oxidative and Hot Oil Environments

by Guangyong Liu, Huiyu Wang, Tianli Ren, Yuwei Chen and Susu Liu

Polymers 2024, 16(2), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020226 - 12 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1023

Abstract

The physical blending method was used in order to prepare nitrile-butadiene rubber/polyamide elastomer/single-walled carbon nanotube (NBR/PAE/SWCNT) composites with better thermal-oxidative aging resistance. The interactions between SWCNTs and NBR/PAE were characterized using the Moving Die Rheometer 2000 (MDR 2000), rheological behavior tests, the equilibrium swelling method, and mechanical property tests. The 100% constant tensile stress and hardness of NBR/PAE/SWCNT composites increased from 2.59 MPa to 4.14 MPa and from 62 Shore A to 69 Shore A, respectively, and the elongation decreased from 421% to 355% with increasing SWCNT content. NBR/PAE/SWCNT composites had improved thermal-oxidative aging resistance due to better interactions between SWCNTs and NBR/PAE. During the aging process, the tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with the increase in aging time compared to the unaged samples, and the constant tensile stress gradually increased. There was a more significant difference in the degradation of mechanical properties when aged in a variety of oils. The 100% constant tensile stress of NBR/PAE/SWCNT composites aged in IRM 903 gradually increased with aging time while it gradually decreased in biodiesel. The swelling index gradually increased with increasing SWCNT content. Interestingly, the swelling index of the composites in cyclohexanone decreased with the increase in SWCNT content. The reasons leading to different swelling behaviors when immersed in different kinds of liquids were investigated using the Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) method, which provides an excellent guide for the application of some oil-resistant products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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10 pages, 5486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermoelectric Properties of One-Pot Hydrothermally Synthesized Solution-Processable PEDOT:PSS/MWCNT Composite Materials

by Haibin Li, Shisheng Zhou, Shanxiang Han, Rubai Luo, Jingbo Hu, Bin Du, Kenan Yang, Yizhi Bao, Junjie Jia and Xuemei Zhang

Polymers 2023, 15(18), 3781; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15183781 - 15 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1137

Abstract

The combination of organic and inorganic materials has been considered an effective solution for achieving ambient thermoelectric energy harvesting and has been developing rapidly. Here, PEDOT:PSS/MWCNT (PPM) composite hydrogels were synthesized using the self-assembled gelation process of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and the interaction between PEDOT:PSS and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) without the addition of any surfactant. After immersion in dimethyl sulfoxide and freeze-drying, the hydrogel is easily dispersed in water and used as a direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing ink. At room temperature, the PPM-20 printed film with 20 wt% MWCNT solids achieved a maximum power factor of 7.37 μW m⁻¹ K⁻² and maintained stable thermoelectric properties during repeated bending cycles. On this basis, a thermoelectric generator (TEG) consisting of five legs was printed, which could be produced to generate an open circuit voltage of 6.4 mV and a maximum output power of 40.48 nW at a temperature gradient of 50 K, confirming its great potential for application in high-performance flexible organic/inorganic thermoelectric materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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11 pages, 4288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Zinc Oxide with Core–Shell Structure and Its Application in Rubber Products

by Zhibin Wang, Zhanfeng Hou, Xianzhen Liu, Zhaolei Gu, Hui Li and Qi Chen

Polymers 2023, 15(10), 2353; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102353 - 18 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2255

Abstract

Zinc oxide is a crucial component in rubber products, but its excessive usage can lead to environmental damage. As a result, reducing the amount of zinc oxide in products has become a critical issue that many researchers aim to address. This study employs a wet precipitation method to prepare ZnO particles with different nucleoplasmic materials, resulting in ZnO with a core–shell structure. The prepared ZnO underwent XRD, SEM, and TEM analysis, indicating that some of the ZnO particles were loaded onto the nucleosomal materials. Specifically, ZnO with a silica core–shell structure demonstrated 11.9% higher tensile strength, 17.2% higher elongation at break, and 6.9% higher tear strength compared to the indirect method of ZnO preparation. The core–shell structure of ZnO also helps reduce its application in rubber products, thereby achieving the dual objective of protecting the environment and improving the economic efficiency of rubber products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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11 pages, 1528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Natural Rubber Tearing Strength by Mixing Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Short Fibers

by Jun He, Baoyuan Huang, Liang Wang, Zunling Cai, Jing Zhang and Jie Feng

Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1768; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071768 - 1 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2518

Abstract

Rubber products generally need to have high resistance to abrasion, tear, and cutting. Filling short fiber with strong mechanical properties and forming a net in the rubber matrix is a good method to realize the above aims. In this article, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) short fibers with a diameter of 20 μm and a length of 2 cm were filled into natural rubber (NR) to improve the tear strength of the NR. The influence of the short fiber mass fraction and vulcanization conditions on the mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that the milling process and vulcanization conditions are key factors in enhancing tear resistance performance. Double-roll milling and vulcanization at 143 °C for 40 min result in strong interfacial adhesion between the UHMWPE short fibers and the NR. The addition of 2 phr of UHMWPE fiber increases the tear strength of the composite material by up to 150.2% (from 17.1 kN/m to 42.8 kN/m) while also providing excellent comprehensive performance. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging confirmed that the UHMWPE short fibers are dispersed in the NR matrix homogeneously, and the interface is close and compact. As a control experiment, UHMWPE resin powder was directly filled into the NR, and then the composite was vulcanized using the same process as that used for the NR/UHMWPE short fiber composite. The results show that the mechanical strength of the NR/resin powder composite exhibits minor improvement compared with NR. As there is no complicated surface modification of the UHMWPE fiber, the results reported may be helpful in improving the tear resistance of the industrially prepared rubber conveyor belts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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19 pages, 10578 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Different Silane Coupling Agents In-Situ Modified Sepiolite on the Structure and Properties of Natural Rubber Composites Prepared by Latex Compounding Method

by Zhanfeng Hou, Dawei Zhou, Qi Chen and Zhenxiang Xin

Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1620; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071620 - 24 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2020

Abstract

With the increasing demand for eco-friendly, non-petroleum-based natural rubber (NR) products, sepiolite, a naturally abundant, one-dimensional clay mineral, has been identified as a suitable material for reinforcing NR through the latex compounding method. To create superior NR/sepiolite composites, three silane coupling agents with different functional groups were used to modify sepiolite in situ via grafting or adsorption during the disaggregation and activation of natural sepiolite, which were subsequently mixed with natural rubber latex (NRL) to prepare the composites. The results showed that the modified sepiolite improved the dispersion and interfacial bonding strength with the rubber matrix. VTES-modified sepiolite containing C=C groups slightly improved the performance but retarded the vulcanization of the NR composites, and MPTES and TESPT-modified sepiolites containing -SH and −S₄− groups, respectively, effectively accelerated vulcanization, inducing the composites to form a denser crosslink network structure, and exhibiting excellent dynamic and static properties, such as the modulus at a 300% increase from 8.82 MPa to 16.87 MPa, a tear strength increase from 49.6 N·mm⁻¹ to 60.3 N·mm⁻¹, as well as an improved rolling resistance and abrasive resistance of the composites. These findings demonstrate that modified sepiolite can be used to produce high-quality NR/sepiolite composites with enhanced properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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19 pages, 8698 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ESBR Nanocomposites Filled with Monodisperse Silica Modified with Si747: The Effects of Amount and pH on Performance

by Lijian Xia, Anmin Tao, Jinyun Cui, Abin Sun, Ze Kan and Shaofeng Liu

Polymers 2023, 15(4), 981; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040981 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1456

Abstract

To prepare silica/rubber composites for low roll resistance tires, a novel strategy was proposed in this study, in which autonomous monodisperse silica (AS) was prepared and modified using 3-mercaptopropyloxy-methoxyl-bis(nonane-pentaethoxy) siloxane (Si747), after which silica/emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR) master batches were produced using the latex compounding technique. Meanwhile, the commercial precipitated silica (PS) was introduced as a control. In this study, the effects of amount of Si747 and pH value on the properties of the silica/ESBR composites were systematically analyzed. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results indicated that Si747 reduced the silanol group by chemical grafting and physical shielding, and the optimum amounts of Si747 for AS and PS modification were confirmed to be 15% and 20%, respectively. Under a pH of 9, ESBR/modified AS (MAS) composites with 15% Si747 presented better silica dispersion and a weaker Payne effect, compared with ESBR/modified PS (MPS) composites with 20% Si747. Meanwhile, in terms of dynamic properties, the ESBR/MAS composites exhibited a better balance of lower rolling resistance and higher wet skid resistance than the ESBR/MPS composites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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18 pages, 5538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Study of Enteromorpha-Based Reinforcing-Type Flame Retardant on Flame Retardancy and Smoke Suppression of EPDM

by Peipei Sun, Ziwen Zhou, Licong Jiang, Shuai Zhao and Lin Li

Polymers 2023, 15(1), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15010055 - 23 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1510

Abstract

Enteromorpha, as a waste from marine pollution, brings great pressure to environmental governance every year, especially for China. Under the premise of a shortage of industrial materials, taking appropriate measures can turn waste into wealth, which will benefit us a lot. In this work, a bio-based reinforcing-type flame retardant based on Enteromorpha is designed. The designed Enteromorpha-based flame retardant system (AEG) mainly focuses on the reinforcing and flame retardant effects on ethylene-propylene-diene tripolymer (EPDM). For the AEG system, ammonium polyphosphate (APP) serves as both the acid source and the gas source; the simple hybrid material (GN) produced by loading graphene (GE) and Enteromorpha (EN) using tannic acid (TA) as a regulator serves as an acid source and a carbonizing source. The results show that when 40 phr AEG is added, the LOI of EPDM/AEG40 reaches 32.5% and the UL-94 reaches the V-0 level. The PHRR and THR values of EPDM/AEG40 are 325.9 kW/m² and 117.6 MJ/m², respectively, with decrements of 67.3% and 29.7%, respectively, compared with the results of neat EPDM composite. Especially, the TSP and TSR values of EPDM/AEG40 are reduced from 15.2 m² of neat EPDM to 9.9 m² with a decrement of 34.9% and reduced from 1715.2 m²/m² of neat EPDM to 1124.5 m²/m² with a decrement of 34.4%, indicating that AEG is effective in flame retardancy and smoke suppression. Meanwhile, the tensile strength and tear strength of EPDM/AEG composites are much higher than neat EPDM, therefore, with the future development of innovate reinforcing-type flame-retardant Enteromorpha, the application of Enteromorpha in the polymer flame-retardant field will surely usher in bright development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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Review

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21 pages, 10836 KiB

Open AccessReview

Contributing Factors of Dielectric Properties for Polymer Matrix Composites

by Quan Wang, Junbo Che, Weifei Wu, Zhendong Hu, Xueqing Liu, Tianli Ren, Yuwei Chen and Jianming Zhang

Polymers 2023, 15(3), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030590 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3606

Abstract

Due to the trend of multi-function, integration, and miniaturization of electronics, traditional dielectric materials are difficult to satisfy new requirements, such as balanced dielectric properties and good designability. Therefore, high dielectric polymer composites have attracted wide attention due to their outstanding processibility, good designability, and dielectric properties. A number of polymer composites are employed in capacitors and sensors. All these applications are directly affected by the composite’s dielectric properties, which are highly depended on the compositions and internal structure design, including the polymer matrix, fillers, structural design, etc. In this review, the influences of matrix, fillers, and filler arrangement on dielectric properties are systematically and comprehensively summarized and the regulation strategies of dielectric loss are introduced as well. Finally, the challenges and prospects of high dielectric polymer composites are proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Polymer Composites)

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