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Advanced Resin Composites: From Synthesis to Application

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 3354

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
Interests: polymer composites; fatigue; structural health monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
College of Fiber Engineering and Equipment Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
Interests: high performance thermoset; resin-based composite

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Resin-based composites are widely used in high-end applications such as aerospace, the marine industry, dentistry, and medical devices owing to their high specific strength, good chemical and corrosion resistance, and flexible processing. The research on resin-based composites is comprehensive, involving polymer synthesis and modification, the development of reinforcement, the interface between science and processing technology, etc. The flourishing development and demand in resin-based composites have attracted many researchers to engage in this promising filed. Based on this, we established a Special issue in Materials titled Advanced Resin Composites: From Synthesis to Application.

This Special Issue provides a forum for publishing papers focusing on the in-depth study of resin-based composites including the synthesis and modification of the matrix and reinforcement; their structural, mechanical, chemical, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties; and the various applications of all kinds of resin-based composites.

Prof. Dr. Zhanjun Wu
Dr. Cong Peng
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • resin
  • filler
  • reinforcement
  • composite
  • interface
  • modification
  • mechanical properties
  • electronic properties
  • optical properties
  • thermal behavior

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 8198 KiB  
Article
Differential Effects of Adding Graphene Nanoplatelets on the Mechanical Properties and Crystalline Behavior of Polypropylene Composites Reinforced with Carbon Fiber or Glass Fiber
by Hiroki Satoh, Ayumu Morita and Yoshihiko Arao
Materials 2025, 18(5), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18050926 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 408
Abstract
Short fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites (SFRTPs) have excellent recyclability and processability, but their mechanical properties are weak compared to continuous fiber products. Various studies have reported that the addition of GNPs improves the mechanical properties of SFRTPs, but it is unclear what effect different [...] Read more.
Short fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites (SFRTPs) have excellent recyclability and processability, but their mechanical properties are weak compared to continuous fiber products. Various studies have reported that the addition of GNPs improves the mechanical properties of SFRTPs, but it is unclear what effect different types of reinforcing fibers have on a hybrid composite system. In this study, the effect of adding a small amount (1 wt%) of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) to fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites on their mechanical properties was investigated from a crystallinity perspective. GNPs were mixed with polypropylene (PP)/carbon fiber (CF) or PP/glass fiber (GF) using a melt blending process, and composites were molded by injection molding. The results of mechanical property characterization showed no significant effect when GNPs were added to PP/CF, but when GNPs were added to PP/GF, this increased the composite’s tensile strength and Young’s modulus by approximately 20% and 10%, respectively. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS) predicted using the modified Kelly–Tyson equation did not change much before and after the addition of GNPs to PP/CF. On the other hand, the IFSS increased from 10.8 MPa to 19.2 MPa with the addition of GNPs to PP/GF. The increase in IFSS led to an increase in the tensile strength of PP/GF with the incorporation of GNPs. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that GNPs accelerated the crystallization rate, and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed that GNPs acted as a crystal nucleating agent. However, CF was also shown to be a nucleating agent, limiting the effect of GNP addition. In other words, it can be said that the addition of GNPs to PP/GF is more effective than their addition to PP/CF due to the differential crystallization effects of each fiber. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Resin Composites: From Synthesis to Application)
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18 pages, 9602 KiB  
Article
Investigation on the Curing and Thermal Properties of Epoxy/Amine/Phthalonitrile Blend
by Cong Peng, Tao Luo, Zhanjun Wu and Shichao Li
Materials 2024, 17(17), 4411; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17174411 - 7 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1267
Abstract
The bisphenol A-type phthalonitrile (BAPH) was blended with the classic epoxy system E51/DDS to prepare the epoxy/phthalonitrile thermoset. The curing kinetics were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) using the isoconversional principle, and the average activation energy (Eα) of the E51/DDS [...] Read more.
The bisphenol A-type phthalonitrile (BAPH) was blended with the classic epoxy system E51/DDS to prepare the epoxy/phthalonitrile thermoset. The curing kinetics were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) using the isoconversional principle, and the average activation energy (Eα) of the E51/DDS curing reaction was found to decrease from 87 kJ/mol to 68.6 kJ/mol. Combining the results of the rheological study, the promoting effect of phthalonitrile on the crosslink of epoxy/amine is confirmed. The curing reaction of the blended resin was characterized using FTIR, and the results showed that BAPH could react with DDS. The thermal behaviors of the thermosets were investigated via DMA and TGA. The glass transition temperature (Tg) is found to increase from 181 °C to 195 °C. The char yield increases from 16% to 59.6% at 800 °C in a N2 atmosphere, which is higher than the calculated value based on the proportional principle. The AFM phase images show that there is no phase separation in the cured thermoset. The results imply that the cured epoxy/amine/phthalonitrile blend is probably a kind of copolymer. The real-time TG-MS indicated that the pyrolysis of the thermoset can be divided into two relatively independent stages, which can be assigned to the cleavage of the E51/DDS network, and the phthalocyanine/triazine/isoindoline, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Resin Composites: From Synthesis to Application)
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Review

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31 pages, 6199 KiB  
Review
Conventional Thermoset Composites and Their Sustainable Alternatives with Vitrimer Matrix—Waste Management/Recycling Options with Focus on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin Composites
by Paraskevi Markouti, Evanthia Tzouma, Alkiviadis S. Paipetis and Nektaria-Marianthi Barkoula
Materials 2025, 18(2), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18020351 - 14 Jan 2025
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Abstract
Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) with epoxy matrices are widely applied in high-performance structural applications and represent one of the biggest classes of materials with urgent need for end-of-life management. Available waste management methodologies for conventional thermoset composites with a focus on CFRPs are briefly [...] Read more.
Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) with epoxy matrices are widely applied in high-performance structural applications and represent one of the biggest classes of materials with urgent need for end-of-life management. Available waste management methodologies for conventional thermoset composites with a focus on CFRPs are briefly reviewed and their limitations are highlighted. In the quest to obtain materials with mechanical performance, thermal stability, and sustainability, the research community has turned its interest to develop polymer composites with adaptable and dynamic networks in their matrix, and lately also at an interface/interphase level. The current review focuses on the life extension/waste management options that are opened through the introduction of covalent adaptable networks in the epoxy matrix of CFRPs. The processing conditions that are applied for the healing/repairing, welding/reshaping, and/or recycling of CFRPs are presented in detail, and compared based on the most common dynamic exchange reactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Resin Composites: From Synthesis to Application)
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