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J. Compos. Sci.
Special Issues
Feature Papers in Journal of Composites Science in 2026
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Feature Papers in Journal of Composites Science in 2026

A special issue of Journal of Composites Science (ISSN 2504-477X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1188

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Francesco Tornabene

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Innovation Engineering, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: advanced composite materials; computational mechanics; doubly curved shells; functionally graded materials; generalized differential quadrature; multifield analysis; nanomaterials and nanotechnology; solid mechanics; theory of structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Composites Science, I am pleased to announce this Special Issue, entitled “Feature Papers in Journal of Composites Science in 2026”. This Special Issue will be a collection of articles from Editorial Board Members, Guest Editors, and Leading Researchers discussing new knowledge or new cutting-edge developments in the science of composites in 2025. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following items:

  • Fiber-reinforced composites;
  • Novel composites;
  • Nanocomposites;
  • Biomedical composites;
  • Energy composites;
  • Modeling, nondestructive evaluation;
  • Processing and manufacturing, properties and performance;
  • Repair, testing, nanotechnology;
  • Physics, chemistry, and mechanics characterization of composites.

Dr. Francesco Tornabene
Guest Editor

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. Journal of Composites Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1800 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

  • fiber-reinforced composites
  • novel composites
  • nanocomposites
  • biomedical composites
  • energy composites
  • modeling, nondestructive evaluation
  • processing and manufacturing, properties and performance
  • repair, testing, nanotechnology
  • physics, chemistry, and mechanics characterization of composites

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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15 pages, 8937 KB  
Article
Lay-Up Optimization for Bicycle Frame Tubular Composite Structures Produced with Aligned Formable Fibre Technology (AFFT™)
by Tommaso Vitali, Paolo Meda, Federico Olla, Roberto Frassine and Marco Luigi Longana
J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(4), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10040176 - 25 Mar 2026
Viewed by 493
Abstract
With Aligned Formable Fibre Technology (AFFT™), fibers are reformatted into highly oriented epoxy prepreg tapes, enabling the structural reuse of recycled composite waste. The present study investigates whether discontinuous fiber laminates produced with AFFT™ can be characterized and optimized with [...] Read more.
With Aligned Formable Fibre Technology (AFFT™), fibers are reformatted into highly oriented epoxy prepreg tapes, enabling the structural reuse of recycled composite waste. The present study investigates whether discontinuous fiber laminates produced with AFFT™ can be characterized and optimized with the same finite-element workflows long established for continuous fiber composites and whether the resulting structures meet demanding stiffness targets. Initially, various manufacturing methods were adopted, including vacuum bagging, compression molding at 7 bar to simulate autoclave conditions, and compression molding at 90 bar, comprising the three most reasonable manufacturing processes for AFFT™ laminates. Experimentally measured orthotropic properties were introduced into a finite-element model representing an idealized bicycle top tube, which was chosen as a case study. A genetic algorithm screened candidate stacking sequences, minimizing the combined bending-and-torsion deflection. The best lay-ups reduced deformation by more than 30% compared to a quasi-isotropic baseline, showing that well-oriented short fibers can significantly contribute to the stiffness of composites. Tubes produced with the optimized lay-up were tested in three-point bending tests, and the measured stiffness matched simulations within 5%. These results confirm a key point for sustainable engineering: despite the absence of continuous fibers, conventional simulation strategies accurately predict the performance of AFFT™ laminates and can be used as the basis for effective genetic optimization. This validation is significant: it enables the design of stiff, high-performance structures from recycled materials using established, cost-effective methods. By proving that optimization strategies developed for traditional continuous fiber composites apply to AFFT™, this study offers a trusted and accessible pathway to scale circular economy solutions in next-generation composite products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Journal of Composites Science in 2026)
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20 pages, 28591 KB  
Article
Development of Biomass-Reinforced PLA Composites for 3D Printing
by Regina Silva, Faouzia Tayari, Tiago Brilhante, Isabel Cardoso, Pedro Pinto, Rui Ribeiro, Vânia Freitas, Artur Ferreira and Nuno Gama
J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(3), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10030136 - 5 Mar 2026
Viewed by 421
Abstract
In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites reinforced with lignocellulosic materials were developed to reduce the environmental impact of plastics. PLA–biomass composites, incorporating cork, rice husk, coffee grounds, or oak gall at loadings of 2.5% to 20.0% (w.w−1), were produced via [...] Read more.
In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites reinforced with lignocellulosic materials were developed to reduce the environmental impact of plastics. PLA–biomass composites, incorporating cork, rice husk, coffee grounds, or oak gall at loadings of 2.5% to 20.0% (w.w−1), were produced via melt extrusion and subsequently used in 3D printing. The results showed that the incorporation of biomass reduced the mechanical performance of the composites despite being adequate for 3D printing. Rice husk and coffee grounds increased filament density, whereas cork and oak gall decreased it. Thermal properties were largely preserved, with glass transition temperatures (Tg) near 70 °C and decomposition temperatures well above the printing temperature, indicating that thermal resistance was not compromised. SEM analysis of the printed objects revealed good layer definition for neat PLA and rice husk composites, highlighting rice husk as the most promising biomass filler in terms of print quality. Hence, the results demonstrated that incorporating rice husk into PLA offers a viable route for more sustainable composites suitable for additive manufacturing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Journal of Composites Science in 2026)
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