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Polymer Composites: Microstructural, Thermal and Mechanical Properties (Third Edition)

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2025 | Viewed by 792

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Council of Research, Pozzuoli, Italy
Interests: polymer composites; microstructure; thermal properties; mechanical properties; microscopy; fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs); reinforcement; interface microstructure
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, the increasing demand for high-performing materials and structures has stoked interest in the development and use of polymer composites in a wide range of industrial fields. These materials, combining at least two different phases, have the uniqueness needed to meet diverse design requirements with significant weight savings as well as a high strength-to-weight ratio. However, despite these strengths, some features, such as the difficult prediction of durability under structural loads, still severely limit their use.

This consideration is even more true for eco-friendly composites more recently developed in light of environmental concerns aimed at preserving fossil resources in favor of renewable ones. Their increased attraction is witnessed by numerous papers dealing with composites from biomatrices and/or reinforced with natural fibers in place of synthetic ones, but this trend is not yet reflected in a relevant range of industrial applications because of many challenges such as moisture, weathering, and biological attacks.

A further extension of the composites market cannot ignore a careful estimate of microstructural details, as well as a preliminary analysis of the final performances, especially in terms of thermal and mechanical properties.

This Special Issue aims to collate recent advancements made in the field of polymer composites through both original research papers and reviews.

Dr. Pietro Russo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • polymer composites
  • microstructure
  • thermal properties
  • mechanical properties
  • microscopy
  • fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs)
  • reinforcement
  • interface microstructure

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 10063 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Polypropylene Biocomposites Reinforced with Short Man-Made Cellulose Fibres and Softwood Flour—Optimisation of Properties Using Response Surface Methodology
by Piotr Franciszczak, Andrejs Kovalovs and Magdalena Kwiatkowska
Materials 2025, 18(6), 1239; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18061239 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 507
Abstract
Wood–polymer composites and composites reinforced with natural and man-made cellulose fibres are being extensively used in the automotive and building industries. The main shortcoming of the former is their low-impact resistance and brittleness. The relatively high cost of natural and cellulose fibres is [...] Read more.
Wood–polymer composites and composites reinforced with natural and man-made cellulose fibres are being extensively used in the automotive and building industries. The main shortcoming of the former is their low-impact resistance and brittleness. The relatively high cost of natural and cellulose fibres is the limitation of the latter. This research uses a hybrid combination of wood flour and short man-made cellulose fibres to develop polypropylene composites for injection moulding that excel in mechanical characteristics and have low material cost. Both reinforcements are of wood origin. The synergistic hybrid effect of this combination of reinforcements helps to achieve their mechanical performance superior to that of wood–polymer composites at preserved low cost. The proposed Response Surface Methodology enables the calculation of necessary weight fractions of two reinforcements to achieve desired mechanical properties like strength, tensile, flexural modulus, and impact resistance. Full article
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