Skip to Content

Materials

Materials is an international peer-reviewed, open access journal on materials science and engineering published semimonthly online by MDPI.
The Spanish Materials Society (SOCIEMAT), Manufacturing Engineering Society (MES) and Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology (CSMNT) are affiliated with Materials and their members receive discounts on the article processing charges.
Indexed in PubMed | Quartile Ranking JCR - Q2 (Metallurgy and Metallurgical Engineering | Physics, Applied | Physics, Condensed Matter)

All Articles (54,773)

This study evaluates the mechanical behavior and durability of a silty soil stabilized with Portland cement and recycled ground glass powder (GGP). The porosity–cement index (η/Civ) was applied to predict unconfined compressive strength (qu), splitting tensile strength (qt), and accumulated mass loss (ALM) under wetting–drying cycles. Mixtures were prepared with cement contents of 3%, 6%, and 9%, GGP contents of 5%, 15%, and 30%, and dry unit weights of 13.5, 14.5, and 15.5 kN/m3, and were cured for 7, 28, and 90 days. The experimental program consisted of a large dataset, comprising 486 mechanical tests (unconfined compressive and splitting tensile strength) and 81 durability tests, providing a robust basis for both empirical modeling and machine learning analysis. The results confirmed a strong power-law relationship between η/Civ and both qu and qt, achieving high coefficients of determination (R2 > 0.98). The strength coefficient (A) increased consistently with curing time and GGP addition, indicating enhanced pozzolanic reactivity and matrix densification. After 90 days, qu increased by over 250% and qt by nearly 700%. Durability tests revealed exponential reductions in ALM with higher density and binder content, achieving values below 0.5% for the densest mixtures, which contained 30% GGP. These findings validate the η/Civ index as an effective predictor of strength and durability in soil–cement–GGP geomaterials, establishing a solid basis for future integration with machine learning models. The implementation of twenty-eight machine learning presets for predicting qu, qt, and ALM demonstrated that the Matern 5/2 Gaussian Process Regression and the trilayered neural network are the most suitable algorithms, achieving R2 values higher than 0.987 in both the validation and testing stages.

21 February 2026

The granulometric curve of the soil sample and ground glass powder GGP.

Humulus lupulus L. (hops) is best known for its application in the brewing industry; however, growing scientific interest has revealed its high content of natural antioxidants, including flavonoids and polyphenols. These compounds exhibit pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, positioning hops as a promising plant-derived ingredient for cosmetic use. The present study evaluates the antioxidant properties of Humulus lupulus L. (HL) extract and cosmetic formulations loaded with hop-based active substances. Antioxidant capacity was determined using ABTS, Folin–Ciocâlteu, and FRAP methods. The hop extract showed limited free radical scavenging activity and reducing power; however, these results still confirm its antioxidant potential. Importantly, cosmetic emulsions enriched with the HL extract maintained substantial antioxidant activity, demonstrating successful incorporation and stability of the bioactive compounds within the formulations. Physicochemical stability tests, including pH monitoring and visual evaluation during storage, indicated good stability under different conditions. In vivo studies confirmed the effectiveness of cosmetics containing HL extracts as natural anti-irritant agents, demonstrated by a 10% reduction in erythema after a three-week application period. These findings provide evidence supporting the use of Humulus lupulus L. in the development of plant-based cosmetic products designed to improve the health of skin prone to irritation.

21 February 2026

There are many social needs that nanoarchitectonics, as an emerging technology, can meet, such as converting and storing energy [...]

21 February 2026

Volume V of the Special Issue “Obtaining and Characterization of New Materials” continues to provide a multidisciplinary venue for reporting cutting-edge breakthroughs in materials science and engineering, building on the success of earlier volumes [...]

21 February 2026

News & Conferences

Issues

Open for Submission

Editor's Choice

Get Alerted

Add your email address to receive forthcoming issues of this journal.

XFacebookLinkedIn
Materials - ISSN 1996-1944