Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Materials Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Processing and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 3352

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jingwei Tian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Interests: CFRP composites; electrochemical corrosion protection; friction behavior and wear mechanism; functional fillers; organic coating

Dr. Rui Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Key Laboratory of Structures Dynamic Behavior and Control, Harbin Institute of Technology, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150090, China
2. Key Laboratory of Smart Prevention and Mitigation of Civil Engineering Disasters, Harbin Institute of Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Harbin 150090, China
3. School of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
Interests: fiber-reinforced composites; fiber hybrid; FRP cable; fatigue damage; life prediction and evaluation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled "Processing and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites", will collect manuscripts reporting creative concepts and new findings in design, state-of-the-art approaches in processing, synthesis, characterization, mechanical modelling and properties. Its articles will identify problems that limit the performance and reliability of a composite material and its composite parts and propose solutions that lead to innovation in design and the successful exploitation and commercialization of composite materials across the widest spectrum of engineering uses.

In addition to traditional fiber-/particulate-reinforced engineering composites, research on topics such as composites with outstanding physical, mechanical and fracture properties, and unique functions and, thus, significant application potential, such as biomimetic and bio-inspired composites for biomedical applications, functional nano-composites for thermal management, energy harvesting and storage, fiber-reinforced polymers, and composites for extreme service environments, is encouraged.

Dr. Jingwei Tian
Dr. Rui Guo
Guest Editors

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. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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 polymer composites
advanced and functional polymer composites
engineering structure
additive manufacturing
3D printing
process modeling and simulation
polymer composite coating

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 (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 4557 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Accelerated Thermal Aging on the Dispersion Stability of Fine-Denier Silicone Emulsions for Carbon Fiber Precursor Processing

by Jae-Yeon Yang, Dong-Chul Chung, Kwan-Woo Kim and Byung-Joo Kim

Materials 2026, 19(4), 702; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19040702 - 12 Feb 2026

Viewed by 344

Abstract

Fine-denier silicone emulsions play an important role in the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor treatment process by reducing surface tension and preventing fiber fusion during thermal stabilization and carbonization. These emulsions are typically prepared by dispersing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymers with various functional groups into water through different emulsification methods. In this study, two types of silicone emulsions—one prepared using a mechanical disperser and the other using a high-shear colloid mill—were manufactured on a pilot scale and systematically compared. Thermal aging was conducted at 50 °C and 70 °C for approximately one month, and changes in particle size, dispersion stability, and physicochemical properties were evaluated. The colloid-mill emulsification method produced smaller and more uniform silicone particles and exhibited superior thermal and dispersion stability relative to the mechanically dispersed emulsion. NMR relaxation, Turbiscan multiple light scattering, and viscosity measurements confirmed that the colloid-mill emulsion maintained a stable microstructure with minimal aggregation even under elevated-temperature storage. These results demonstrate that high-shear emulsification is an effective approach for producing fine-denier silicone emulsions with enhanced stability, making the colloid-mill method a more reliable and practical route for preparing silicone-based oiling agents used during PAN precursor processing in carbon fiber manufacturing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 13088 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spinline Cooling as a Determinant of Crystalline Structure and Mechanical Properties in Melt-Spun UHMWPE/HDPE Blend Fibers

by Yating Jiang, Yanfeng Wang and Fei Wang

Materials 2026, 19(4), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19040689 - 11 Feb 2026

Viewed by 301

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of cooling rates on the structural evolution and mechanical properties of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene/high-density polyethylene fibers by systematically varying cooling media from ambient air (f1) to room-temperature water (f5). A significant structural inversion was observed between the as-spun and drawn fiber stages: while slow cooling (f1) promotes thermodynamic crystallization to form large, stable grains and maximum initial crystallinity (54%), rapid quenching (f5) effectively “freezes” the molecular chains in a low-crystallinity, highly orientable precursor state by suppressing thermal relaxation. During subsequent hot-drawing, the quenched samples (f5) exhibited a superior response to tensile stress, achieving the highest maximum draw ratio due to reduced crystalline obstacles and enhanced chain mobility. This enables efficient stress-induced crystallization, leading to near-perfect crystal orientation (f_c > 0.95) and a dense microfibrillar framework. Consequently, the fiber performance trends reversed, with f5 achieving peak tensile strength (1.33 GPa) and modulus, whereas f1 remained limited by its rigid thermal history. These findings highlight that rapid quenching is essential for developing high-performance fibers by preserving a precursor structure that maximizes the potential of stress-induced crystallization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

36 pages, 3587 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Sunflower Seed Hull Content on the Mechanical, Thermal, and Functional Properties of PHBV-Based Biocomposites

by Grzegorz Janowski, Marta Wójcik, Irena Krešić, Wiesław Frącz, Łukasz Bąk, Ivan Gajdoš and Emil Spišák

Materials 2026, 19(2), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19020268 - 8 Jan 2026

Viewed by 592

Abstract

This paper presents the potential use of sunflower seed hulls (SSH) as a sustainable filler for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) biocomposites. Ground SSH were incorporated into the PHBV matrix at loadings of 15, 30, and 45 wt% via extrusion and injection molding. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated the presence of possible interactions between the filler and the matrix. Mechanical testing revealed a significant increase in stiffness, with the tensile modulus increasing from 2.6 GPa for pure PHBV to approximately 4.5 GPa for the composite containing 45 wt% SSH. However, the tensile strength decreased by approximately 10–40%, while elongation at break dropped to 1.0–1.5%, depending on the SSH dosage, respectively. The thermal analysis indicated that high filler contents suppress crystallization during cooling under laboratory conditions in Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis due to the confinement effect. The key practical advantage is the exceptional improvement in dimensional stability with a processing shrinkage reduction of approximately 80% in the thickness direction. Although water absorption increased with filler loading, biocomposites containing 15–30 wt% SSH exhibited the optimal balance of high stiffness, hardness, and dimensional accuracy. These properties make the developed material a promising option for the production of precise technical molded parts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 24231 KB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Interfacial Adhesion and Mechanical Performance of Multimaterial Joints Fabricated by Material Extrusion

by Jakub Zatloukal, Mathieu Viry, Aleš Mizera, Pavel Stoklásek, Lukáš Miškařík and Martin Bednařík

Materials 2025, 18(16), 3846; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163846 - 16 Aug 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1748

Abstract

Multimaterial 3D printing is transforming the landscape of additive manufacturing, enabling the production of advanced, functional parts with tailored properties for sectors like automotive, aerospace, and engineering. However, achieving strong interlayer adhesion between different polymers remains a significant challenge, limiting the mechanical reliability. This study investigates adhesion properties of widely used materials—polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), polylactic acid (PLA), and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG)—and enhances mechanical performance of structural joints through optimized interlayer bonding techniques. Using the Material Extrusion (MEX) method, tensile testing was employed to evaluate the mechanical strength of joints by co-depositing and bonding material layers during the printing process. The results demonstrate that specific material combinations and joint design strategies, particularly increasing the interfacial contact area and applying interlayer bonding pressure, significantly enhance tensile strength. For instance, the strength of PC/PTEG composite joints increased from 15.2 MPa (standard joint) to 29.9 MPa (interlayer bonding strategy), nearly doubling the bond strength. These findings provide valuable insights into the behavior of multimaterial joints and propose practical approaches for improving the durability and functionality of 3D-printed structures. This research lays the groundwork for advancing multimaterial additive manufacturing, with implications for high-performance applications in engineering, aerospace, and beyond. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Processing and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composites

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI