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Recent Advances in Polymer Synthesis and Modification
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Recent Advances in Polymer Synthesis and Modification

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 14209

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rafał Malinowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Łukasiewicz Research Network-Institute for Engineering of Polymer Materials and Dyes, Maria Skłodowska-Curie 55, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Interests: polymer materials; polymer chemistry; polymer processing; modification and research of surface; films activation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At present, polymeric materials constitute a rapidly developing branch of the global economy, which is confirmed by the dynamic growth in their production. This is due to their numerous advantages, mainly their low specific weight, high mechanical strength, ability to be repeatedly processed and formed into products of different shapes, high chemical resistance, favorable electrical properties, resistance to corrosion, and high resistance of most of them to photo- and biodegradation. Notwithstanding the above, new technical and technological solutions and new kinds of polymer materials are constantly being sought. This is usually carried out at the stage of polymer synthesis or as a result of its chemical or physical modification.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the problems of synthesis and modification of various polymers (standard, engineering, high-performance, biodegradable, bio-based, conductive, etc.). Presentation of research results in the field of recent advances in polymer synthesis and modification as well as of important trends in this area is welcome. Reviews, full papers, and short communications focused on this area are invited.

Dr. Rafał Malinowski
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • Polymer synthesis
  • Polymer modification
  • Polymer characteristics
  • Reactive extrusion
  • Composites
  • Copolymers
  • Polymer processing

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 9909 KiB  
Article
DMA Analysis of Plasma Modified PVC Films and the Nature of Initiated Surface Changes
by Róbert Janík, Marcel Kohutiar, Andrej Dubec, Maroš Eckert, Katarína Moricová, Mariana Pajtášová, Darina Ondrušová and Michal Krbata
Materials 2022, 15(13), 4658; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15134658 - 2 Jul 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2682
Abstract
The application of DCSBD (Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge) plasma is referred to as the surface modification/activation of materials. The exposure of material surfaces to DCSBD plasma is initiated by changes in their chemical composition, surface wettability and roughness. The given study presents [...] Read more.
The application of DCSBD (Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge) plasma is referred to as the surface modification/activation of materials. The exposure of material surfaces to DCSBD plasma is initiated by changes in their chemical composition, surface wettability and roughness. The given study presents the mentioned plasma application in the context of the modification of the material viscoelastic properties, namely the PVC polymer film. The measurement of viscoelastic properties changes of PVC was primarily examined by a sensitive thermal method of dynamic-mechanical analysis. This analysis allows identifying changes in the glass transition temperature of PVC, before and after DCSBD plasma application, Tangens Delta, supported by glass transition temperatures of Elastic and Loss modulus. The results of the present study prove that DCSBD plasma applied on both sides to PVC surfaces causes changes in its viscoelastic properties. In addition, these changes are presented depending on the variability of the material position, with respect to the winding of the electrodes in the ceramic dielectric generating the DCSBD plasma during modification. The variability of the PVC position holds an important role, as it determines the proportion of filamentous and diffuse components of the plasma that will interact with the material surface during modification. The application of DCSBD plasma must, therefore, be considered a complex modification of the material, and as a result, non-surface changes must also be considered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Polymer Synthesis and Modification)
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25 pages, 7208 KiB  
Article
Influence of Small Amounts of ABS and ABS-MA on PA6 Properties: Evaluation of Torque Rheometry, Mechanical, Thermomechanical, Thermal, Morphological, and Water Absorption Kinetics Characteristics
by Carlos Bruno Barreto Luna, Edson Antonio dos Santos Filho, Danilo Diniz Siqueira, Edcleide Maria Araújo, Emanuel Pereira do Nascimento and Tomás Jeferson Alves de Mélo
Materials 2022, 15(7), 2502; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15072502 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2524
Abstract
In this work, polyamide 6 (PA6) properties were tailored and improved using a maleic anhydride-grafted acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS-MA). The PA6/ABS-MA blends were prepared using a co-rotational twin-screw extruder. Subsequently, the extruded pellets were injection-molded. Blends were characterized by torque rheometry, the Molau test, [...] Read more.
In this work, polyamide 6 (PA6) properties were tailored and improved using a maleic anhydride-grafted acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS-MA). The PA6/ABS-MA blends were prepared using a co-rotational twin-screw extruder. Subsequently, the extruded pellets were injection-molded. Blends were characterized by torque rheometry, the Molau test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), impact strength, tensile strength, Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetry (TG), Contact Angle, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and water absorption experiments. The most significant balance of properties, within the analyzed content range (5, 7.5, and 10 wt.%), was obtained for the PA6/ABS-MA (10%) blend, indicating that even low concentrations of ABS-MA can improve the properties of PA6. Significant increases in impact strength and elongation at break have been achieved compared with PA6. The elastic modulus, tensile strength, HDT, and thermal stability properties of the PA6/ABS-MA blends remained at high levels, indicating that maleic anhydride interacted with amine end-groups of PA6. Torque rheometry, the Molau test, and SEM analysis suggested interactions in the PA6/ABS-MA system, confirming the high properties obtained. Additionally, there was a decrease in water absorption and the diffusion coefficient of the PA6/ABS-MA blends, corroborating the contact angle analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Polymer Synthesis and Modification)
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20 pages, 7610 KiB  
Article
Influence of Rigid Segment Type on Copoly(ether-ester) Properties
by Konrad Walkowiak, Izabela Irska, Agata Zubkiewicz, Zbigniew Rozwadowski and Sandra Paszkiewicz
Materials 2021, 14(16), 4614; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14164614 - 17 Aug 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2223
Abstract
The growing ecological awareness of society created the tendency to replace petrochemically based materials with alternative energy carriers and renewable raw materials. One of the most requested groups of polymer materials with significant technological importance is thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). They combine the properties [...] Read more.
The growing ecological awareness of society created the tendency to replace petrochemically based materials with alternative energy carriers and renewable raw materials. One of the most requested groups of polymer materials with significant technological importance is thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). They combine the properties of elastomers such as flexibility with the typical properties of thermoplastics, like easy processing. Herein, one compares the influence of rigid segments on the properties of copoly(ester-ether). Thermoplastic polyesters based on bio-1,6-hexanediol and terephthalic (T), furanic (F), and napthalate (N) diesters, i.e., PHT, PHF, and PHN, were obtained employing melt polycondensation. Additionally, to grant elastic properties of polyesters, systems containing 50 wt.% of bio-based polyTHF®1000 (pTHF) with a molecular mass of 1000 g/mol, have been prepared. The composition and chemical structure have been determined by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The temperatures corresponding to phase transition changes were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) analyses. The crystalline structure was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Additionally, the influence of pTHF–rich segment on the tensile properties, water absorption, as well as thermal and thermo-oxidative stability, has been analyzed. It was found that incorporation of soft phase allows creation of thermoplastic elastomers with tensile characteristics comparable to the commercially available ones, by means of elongation at break higher than 500%, low values of tensile modulus, without exhibiting yield point. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Polymer Synthesis and Modification)
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16 pages, 4282 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Mechanical and Biocidal Properties of Lapacho from Tabebuia Plant as a Biocomposite Material
by Magdalena Stepczyńska, Alona Pawłowska, Krzysztof Moraczewski, Piotr Rytlewski, Andrzej Trafarski, Daria Olkiewicz and Maciej Walczak
Materials 2021, 14(15), 4241; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14154241 - 29 Jul 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2045
Abstract
The aim of this article is to discuss in detail the physicochemical properties of polylactide (PLA) reinforced by cortex fibers, which may cause bacterial mortality and increased biodegradation rates. PLA biocomposites containing cortex Lapacho fibers from Tabebuia (1–10 wt%) were prepared by extrusion [...] Read more.
The aim of this article is to discuss in detail the physicochemical properties of polylactide (PLA) reinforced by cortex fibers, which may cause bacterial mortality and increased biodegradation rates. PLA biocomposites containing cortex Lapacho fibers from Tabebuia (1–10 wt%) were prepared by extrusion and injection moulding processes. The effects of Lapacho on the mechanical and biocidal properties of the biocomposites were studied using tensile and impact tests, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), and the method of evaluating the antibacterial activity of antibacterial treated according to the standard ISO 22196:2011. It also presented the effects of Lapacho on the structural properties and biodegradation rates of biocomposites. This research study provides very important results complementing the current state of knowledge about the biocidal properties of Lapacho from Tabebuia plants and about cortex-reinforced biocomposites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Polymer Synthesis and Modification)
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15 pages, 1553 KiB  
Article
Bactericidal and Fungistatic Properties of LDPE Modified with a Biocide Containing Metal Nanoparticles
by Katarzyna Janczak, Daria Kosmalska, Daniel Kaczor, Aneta Raszkowska-Kaczor, Lauren Wedderburn and Rafał Malinowski
Materials 2021, 14(15), 4228; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14154228 - 28 Jul 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3483
Abstract
The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the combined action of metal nanoparticles (silver, copper, zinc oxide, iron oxide) would ensure the appropriate biocidal properties oflow-density polyethylene (LDPE) against pathogenic microorganisms. According to the research hypothesis, appropriately selected concentrations of the [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the combined action of metal nanoparticles (silver, copper, zinc oxide, iron oxide) would ensure the appropriate biocidal properties oflow-density polyethylene (LDPE) against pathogenic microorganisms. According to the research hypothesis, appropriately selected concentrations of the applied metal nanoparticles allow for a high level of biocidal activity of polymeric materials against both model and pathogenic bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella pneumophila, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica) and fungi (Aspergillus brasiliensis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, Penicilium expansum), whilst ensuring the safety of use due to the lack of migration of particles to the surrounding environment. Studies have shown that adding 4% of a biocide containing Ag, Cu, ZnO, and Fe2O3 nanoparticles is the most optimal solution to reduce the number of S. aureus, S. enterica and P. aeruginosa by over 99%. The lowest effectiveness was observed against L. pneumophila bacteria. As for E. coli, a higher biocide content did not significantly increase the antibacterial activity. The results showed a high efficiency of the applied biocide at a concentration of 2% against fungal strains. The high efficiency of the obtained biocidal results was influenced by the uniform dispersion of nanoparticles in the material and their low degree of agglomeration. Furthermore, a slight migration of components to the environment is the basis for further research in the field of the application of the developed materials in industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Polymer Synthesis and Modification)
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