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Structure, Morphology and Crystallization of Polymer Composites

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Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Structure, Morphology, and Crystallization of Polymer Composites” will address a complete comprehension of all aspects of the crystallization process in heterogeneous thermoplastic materials. Composite materials are of great interest in different applications due to their resistance combined to lightness, and the emerging renewed importance of the crystallization process in the advanced sectors of aerospace, automotive, and oil and gas transportation needs urgent responses and innovative solutions to improve the interfacial adhesion and the mechanical behavior of composites. Very different thermal properties between polymers and reinforcements may originate detachment or tension, to the detriment of the mechanical properties and strong reductions of lifecycles of materials. The processing conditions are of crucial importance to ensure cohesion between matrixes and reinforcements, opposing their poor chemico-physical interactions. Original papers are invited on any type of structure or morphology, from micro- to nano-scale, arising under diverse processing conditions, also discussing structure-processing correlations. The effect of the reinforcement on the nucleation density, crystallization, and degradation kinetics of polymer matrixes, are of particular importance for advanced composites. Novel strategies to control the structure and the morphology or accelerating crystals growth, surface modifications of fillers, crystallization models accounting for temperature gradients or heat pathways, and any influence on the crystallization behavior of innovative composite materials are very welcome.

Dr. Maria Raimo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

polymer composites
structure
morphology
crystallization
phase transition
heat transfer
surface treatment
interface
properties
modeling

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 2226 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the PSSMA Content on the Heat Transfer Performances of Polyurea Nano-Encapsulated Phase Change Materials

by Jun-Won Kook, Kiseob Hwang and Jun-Young Lee

Materials 2021, 14(12), 3157; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14123157 - 08 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1731

Abstract

Polyurea nano-encapsulated phase change materials (PUA-NEPCMs) were prepared from an n-octadecane core and through the formation of amide bonds by the reaction of toluene 2,4-diisocyanate and poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) sodium salt (PSSMA), followed by the subsequent formation of a PUA shell using a miniemulsion system. The effects of the synthetic conditions on the thermal properties and encapsulat ion effect of the NEPCMs were systematically investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that the melting enthalpy and encapsulation efficiency of the PUA-NEPCMs prepared under optimal conditions reached 123.00 J/g and 54.27%, respectively. Although previous results suggested that the introduction of PSSMA results in a reduced heat transfer performance for NEPCMs, DSC analysis of the prepared PUA-NEPCMs showed that increasing PSSMA contents enhanced the heat transfer performance due to a decrease in the degree of supercooling. Our results could therefore lead to further enhancements in the heat transfer performance of PUA-NEPCMs, in addition to expanding their field of application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure, Morphology and Crystallization of Polymer Composites)

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Review

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25 pages, 5626 KiB

Open AccessReview

Impact of Thermal Properties on Crystalline Structure, Polymorphism and Morphology of Polymer Matrices in Composites

by Maria Raimo

Materials 2021, 14(9), 2136; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092136 - 22 Apr 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2237

Abstract

Morphological analysis at different levels is fundamental to understand properties of materials, as these latter are dictated not only by the chemical composition but also by the shape. Solid structures arise from a balance between thermodynamic and kinetic factors, which, especially for polymer composites, depend also on interactions amongst components. In particular, morphology is strongly affected by the heat transfer pattern during crystallization and by the difference in thermal behavior between polymer matrix and filler. Polymers show a spherulitic structure, arising from the start of crystallization in several points of the liquid phase. Within a general rounded shape, spherulites show variability in growth patterns, morphology, and geometry of boundaries. The appearance and the number of spherulites, as well as their growth mechanism, may vary not only in dependence of the chemical composition and the crystalline structures but also, for a same polymer, in consequence of experimental conditions and incorporation of fillers. This article reviews the crystallization process of polymer matrices in the framework of crystal growth and heat transport theories, and explains microstructural differences between composites and neat matrices on the basis of the differences in thermal capacity and conductivity between polymers and additives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure, Morphology and Crystallization of Polymer Composites)

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