Green Composite Materials: Design, Application, and Recycling
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Sustainable Science and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 650
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sustainability; green composites; waste recovery; eco-innovation
Interests: sustainability; green composites; waste recovery; eco-innovation
Interests: additive manufacturing; functional composites; polymer processing; polymer recycling; stimuli-responsive polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Eco-friendly composite materials are sustainable alternatives to traditional materials, designed to minimize negative environmental impacts throughout their entire life cycle. These composites are based on a matrix (often biodegradable or recycled polymers) and natural reinforcements (such as plant fibers, cellulose, shells, or agro-industrial waste). The design of these materials focuses on optimizing their mechanical, thermal, and biodegradable properties, maintaining a balance between technical performance and environmental sustainability. In terms of application, eco-friendly composites are used in sectors such as construction, automotive, packaging, agriculture, and biomedicine. For example, structural panels reinforced with natural fibers or bioplastics with lignocellulosic fillers offer weight reduction, a lower carbon footprint, and competitive costs. Recycling these materials represents a technical and environmental challenge, especially when polymer matrices are combined with plant fibers. However, strategies such as mechanical reuse, composting, phase separation, and pyrolysis are being developed to enable their reincorporation into the production chain.These materials are key to the transition to a circular economy, as they promote the efficient use of resources, waste recovery, and reduction in pollutants, aligning with global sustainability goals.
Our objective is to bring together original research, critical reviews, and recent technological developments regardubg the design, manufacturing, applications, and recycling of eco-friendly composite materials, with an emphasis on their contribution to sustainability, the circular economy, and reductions in environmental impact in key sectors such as construction, packaging, transportation, agriculture, and health.
This Special Issue seeks to address interdisciplinary topics related to the following:
- Design and characterization of biocomposites reinforced with natural fibers, agro-industrial waste, or additives from renewable sources.
- New synthesis processes and sustainable manufacturing technologies (e.g., 3D printing, extrusion, compression molding).
- Industrial applications and case studies with positive environmental and socioeconomic impacts.
- Life cycle assessment (LCA), biodegradability, recyclability, and compostability analyses.
- Advances in regulations, ecological certifications, and technical challenges regarding the implementation of green materials.
- Innovations in mechanical, chemical, or biological recycling strategies for eco-friendly compounds.
Prof. Dr. Salvador García-Enriquez
Dr. José Guillermo Torres-Rendón
Dr. Joamin Gonzalez-Gutierrez
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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. Applied Sciences 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 2400 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
- sustainability
- green composites
- natural fibers
- recycling
- circular economy
- biodegradability
- waste recovery
- eco-innovation
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