Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue

Article Menu

Share Help Cite Discuss in SciProfiles

Open AccessReview

Peer-Review Record

Synergy of Hybrid Fillers for Emerging Composite and Nanocomposite Materials—A Review

Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1907; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131907

by Olusegun A. Afolabi^*

and Ndivhuwo Ndou

Reviewer 1: Anonymous

Reviewer 2:

Jiaotong Sun

Reviewer 3:

Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan

Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1907; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131907

Submission received: 21 May 2024 / Revised: 28 June 2024 / Accepted: 30 June 2024 / Published: 3 July 2024

(This article belongs to the Section Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites)

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The review is meaningful and good for the summary of work related to hybrid fillers in composites. The manuscript can be published with minor revision.

1. The quality of figures in the manuscript should be highly improved, especially figure 2 and figure 3.

2. There is no page information for some references.

Author Response

Reviewer 1: Questions and comments.
The review is meaningful and good for the summary of work related to hybrid fillers in
composites. The manuscript can be published with minor revision.
1. The quality of figures in the manuscript should be highly improved, especially figure 2 and
figure 3.

Response: Thank you for your kind recommendation on the manuscript. All the Figures have
been improved. Kindly see pages 11,12, 17 -20.

2. There is no page information for some references

Response: Thank you for your comment. All references have been ensured to have page
information.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The subject of this review is synergetic effects of hybrid fillers in polymeric (nano)composite materials, which is a quite novel perspective for analyzing the polymeric composite materials. However, the overall arrangement of the manuscript is in chaos. The logical relations are vague, especially between part 3 and part 4. Since it is stated that “The use of hybrid fillers offers a viable way to improve the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of these sophisticated materials” in abstract, why not illuminate the synergy of hybrid hillers in contrast to single fillers from the viewpoint of different properties? The contributions in Table 2 could be divided into different groups in terms of different properties. The summary of characterizations in Table 2 could be deleted and it made no sense.

The image quality should be enhanced since the resolutions of some figures are quite low.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

And also, the writing errors existed. For instance, the sentence “In this review, the synergistic impact of using hybrid fillers in the production of developing composite and nanocomposite materials” in abstract lacks verbs; What is the meaning of “The classification of the polymer matrix can include; ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), polymer matrix composites (PMCs), and metal matrix composites (MMCs) [2]”?

Author Response

Reviewer 2: Questions and Comments.
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
1. The subject of this review is synergetic effects of hybrid fillers in polymeric (nano)composite
materials, which is a quite novel perspective for analyzing the polymeric composite materials.
However, the overall arrangement of the manuscript is in chaos. The logical relations are vague,
especially between part 3 and part 4.

Response: Thank you for your observation: The arrangements of the manuscript have been
corrected by logically relating the previous section to the next one for better understanding. Kindly
see pages 11; 19; and 21, lines 308; 456; and 512 respectively.

2. Since it is stated that “The use of hybrid fillers offers a viable way to improve the mechanical,
thermal, and electrical properties of these sophisticated materials” in abstract, why not illuminate
the synergy of hybrid hillers in contrast to single fillers from the viewpoint of different properties?

Response: Thank you for your suggestion: The contrast between the single and hybrid fillers has
been discussed in the summary and recommendation section. Kindly see page 22, lines 551 – 566.

3. The contributions in Table 2 could be divided into different groups in terms of different
properties.

Response: Thank you for your comment: The contributions in Table 2 are based on different
individual author and their various research outcomes, hence dividing it into different groups might
not bring out the desired information about the outcomes of each author.

4. The summary of characterizations in Table 2 could be deleted and it made no sense.

Response: Thank you for your comment: Characterization is an important aspect of composite
materials processing and testing. It will be good to keep the summary of the characterization done
by each author in their findings for better understanding of their work.

5. The image quality should be enhanced since the resolutions of some figures are quite low.

Response: Thank you for your observation: The resolution of the Figures has been improved.

Comments on the Quality of English Language
6. And also, the writing errors existed. For instance, the sentence “In this review, the synergistic
impact of using hybrid fillers in the production of developing composite and nanocomposite
materials” in abstract lacks verbs;

Response: Thank you for your observation: The verb has been included. Kindly see page 1, lines
17 – 18.

7. What is the meaning of “The classification of the polymer matrix can include; ceramic matrix
composites (CMCs), polymer matrix composites (PMCs), and metal matrix composites (MMCs)
[2]”?

Response: Thank you for your comment: the sentence has been corrected. Kindly see page 20,
paragraph 1, lines 484 – 486.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

1. Can you provide a detailed overview of the historical development of composite materials and explain why they have gained significant attention since the middle of the last century?

2. What are the main characteristics that make composite and nanocomposite materials highly desirable in various industries today?

3. Can you explain the structure of composite materials, specifically focusing on the roles of the reinforcement and matrix phases?

4. How do fillers enhance the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of composites and nanocomposites?

5. What are the benefits of using hybrid fillers in composite materials, and how do they create synergistic effects?

6. In which specific industries are composite materials particularly useful, and what are some examples of their applications?

7. How did the work of researchers from Toyota in the early 1990s contribute to the prominence of polymer nanocomposites?

8. What are the unique properties of carbon nanomaterials that make them effective as fillers in polymer nanocomposites?

9. What challenges are associated with creating composites that have both strong electrical conductivity and good mechanical characteristics with minimal filler content?

10. Why are recyclable polymeric materials, such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), considered promising alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics, and what are their key properties?

11. How have natural fiber-reinforced composite materials been utilized as alternatives to synthetic fibers in various structural and transportation applications?

12. In what ways do polymer nanocomposites outperform traditional micro-composites in terms of mechanical capabilities and other properties?

13. Why have polymer nanocomposites containing inorganic fillers garnered significant interest in modern technology, and what are some specific uses?

14. How do foam materials, particularly microcellular foams, benefit from the combination of fillers and polymer matrices, and what are their notable advantages?

15. What are the key considerations and methods involved in the foaming processes of polymers to achieve the desired foam structure?

16. How have polymer-based nanocomposite foams contributed to academic research, particularly in areas like electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and piezoresistive sensing systems?

17. Why are polymer-based dielectrics widely used in high-voltage insulation applications, and what future-oriented properties are desired for these materials?

18. What issues arise due to the permeability disparity between fillers and polymers in dielectrics, and how do these issues affect electrical properties?

19. Can you summarize the findings of Keramati et al.'s micromechanical investigation of a hybrid smart nanocomposite and its estimated properties using the Mori-Tanaka model?

20. How did Kuang et al.'s research on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) improve the composite's electrical conductivity?

21. What improvements did Olhan and Behera observe in the mechanical, thermal, and viscoelastic properties of textile structure-based nanocomposite components with graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) as fillers?

22. How have hybridized graphene/carbon nanofiber wax colloids been utilized in paper-based electronics and thermal control, according to Wu et al.'s study?

23. What is the primary focus of the present paper regarding the synergistic effects of hybrid fillers in emerging composite and nanocomposite materials?

24. How do fillers enhance the performance of composite materials beyond the capabilities of reinforcement and resin components alone?

25. Why are fillers considered the most cost-effective primary element in composite materials compared to resins and reinforcement?

26. What specific improvements can fillers provide in terms of mechanical qualities, fire and smoke resistance, and dimensional control in composite laminates?

27. Can you list and describe several fillers commonly used in composite fabrication, such as graphene nanosheets (GNS), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and others, including their methods of fabrication and processing?

28. What makes calcium carbonate a frequently utilized inorganic filler in composites, and what are its typical applications?

29. Why is kaolin (hydrous aluminum silicate) commonly used as a filler in composites, and how is it processed for this purpose?

30. How does alumina trihydrate improve fire and smoke performance in composite materials, and what are its common applications?

31. What role does calcium sulfate play as a flame and smoke retardant filler in composites, and what makes it a cost-effective option?

32. Can you summarize the research findings of Bibero et al. regarding the characterization of MoS2 and h-BN samples obtained through liquid exfoliation processes?

33. How does Kuang et al.'s study illustrate the impact of varying CNT content on the electrical conductivity of PLA/xC composites?

34. What advantages does the use of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) as fillers provide in nanocomposites in terms of thermal conductivity and stress transmission?

35. How do hybrid fillers enhance the filler interfaces and strength performance of multifiller polymer composites?

36. What are the expected benefits of dual-filler arrangements in composites, specifically regarding electric field endurance and dielectrically weak interfaces?

37. Can you describe the method used by Li et al. to observe the distribution of organo-montrorillonite and calcium carbonate within the polymer matrix, and what were the findings?

38. What process did Ribeiro et al. use to prepare MoS2/h-BN hybrid nanosheets, and what were the results of the SEM and TEM analyses?

39. How do GNP-CNF hybrid fillers emulsified in isopropyl alcohol contribute to the development of flexible and multifunctional nanocarbon-coated paper, and what are its potential applications?

40. What does the research of Song et al. suggest about the influence of internal composite structures on the physical properties of the materials?

41. How does the microstructure of rGO-PI/BNNS-PI nanocomposites, as analyzed by Guo et al., contribute to the material's properties, and what techniques were used to characterize these structures?

42. What does the FTIR spectrum of PVA and its nanocomposites reveal about their molecular structure, and how does the XRD pattern support these findings?

43. How do the morphological characteristics of PVA/NCC/GO composites, as observed in SEM and UV-vis analyses, relate to their functional properties?

44. What different types of polymer matrices have been employed in the fabrication of biocomposites and nanocomposite materials, and what are their respective advantages?

45. Why are polymer nanocomposites containing 2D nanofillers particularly suitable for achieving outstanding temperature control capacities and unique dielectric characteristics?

46. What are some specific polymer matrices mentioned in the research, such as epoxy resin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and what properties do they impart to nanocomposites?

47. Can you provide examples of how different fillers and hybrid fillers have been used with specific polymer matrices to enhance composite material properties?

48. What challenges and advancements have been observed in the development of polymer-based composites with high thermal conductivity, particularly with the use of fillers like graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)?