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Polymer Based Composites: From Polymer Modification and Interfacial Analysis to Performances and Applications

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Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 10686

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ibrahim M. Alarifi

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah, Riyadh 11952, Saudi Arabia
Interests: materials science; biomaterials; nanotechnology; carbon fibers; polymers; composites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the coming years, the interfacial bond between the fiber and polymer matrix must be optimized if fiber-reinforced composites are to achieve their maximum mechanical performance and, more specifically, their long-term durability. The use of natural fibers as plastic reinforcement relies heavily on the quality of the fiber–matrix interface. Polymeric chains that support entanglements and interdiffusion with the matrix are used to achieve good compatibility between cellulose fibers and non-polar matrices. The elongation of the composite at the break increases as the concentration increases. Conversely, the modulus of the composite decreases as the concentration of the material rises. Furthermore, the results show that chemical treatment on the fiber surface can improve the adhesion of the fibers to the substrate. It is critical to maintaining the component's performance, durability, and mechanical structure properties for load-coupling assessment, especially for highly flexible composite materials, at the interface between the reinforcement and the surrounding matrix. Thus, a modified fiber pull-out device is used to investigate the interfacial adhesion performance of fibers and the surrounding matrix material. This Special Issue concerns all aspects of recent progress in using biomimicry in conjunction with advanced composite material classes that can lead to entirely new applications. Concerning adhesion, the use of an appropriate primer was confirmed by the fact that this treatment produced good results with a polyurethane matrix.

I kindly invite all researchers interested in fiber-based composites: from fiber modification and interfacial analysis to performances and applications properties and wide applications, as well as the design and synthesis of new multifunctional auxiliaries and additives for polymer and elastomer composites, to submit a manuscript(s) to this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Ibrahim M. Alarifi
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. Molecules 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 2700 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 composites
fiber-reinforced performance composites
interfacial bonding
fiber–matrix interface
cellulose fiber composites
fiber structures
structural properties
polymer composites

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 7327 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Cooling Rates on Thermal, Crystallization, Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Rotational Molding Polyamide 11 as the Liner Material for High-Capacity High-Pressure Vessels

by Muhuo Yu, Liangliang Qi, Lele Cheng, Wei Min, Zhonghao Mei, Ruize Gao and Zeyu Sun

Molecules 2023, 28(6), 2425; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062425 - 7 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1903

Abstract

The rapid development of hydrogen fuel cells has been paralleled by increased demand for lightweight type IV hydrogen storage vessels with high hydrogen storage density, which raises the performance requirements of internal plastic liners. An appropriate manufacturing process is important to improve the quality of polymer liners. In this paper, DSC, WAXD, a universal testing machine and a differential pressure gas permeameter were used to investigate the effect of the cooling rate of the rotational molding polyamide 11 on the thermal, crystallization, mechanical and barrier properties. The cooling rate is formulated according to the cooling rate that can be achieved in actual production. The results suggest that two PA11 liner materials initially exhibited two-dimensional (circular) growth under non-isothermal crystallization conditions and shifted to one-dimensional space growth due to spherulite collision and crowding during the secondary crystallization stage. The slower the cooling process, the greater the crystallinity of the specimen. The increase in crystallinity significantly improved the barrier properties of the two PA11 liner materials, and the gas permeability coefficient was 2-3-fold higher than at low crystallinity. Moreover, the tensile strength, the tensile modulus, the flexural strength, and the flexural modulus increased, and the elongation at break decreased as the crystallinity increased. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Based Composites: From Polymer Modification and Interfacial Analysis to Performances and Applications)

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18 pages, 4271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Curcuma longa L. Rhizome Extract as a Poly(vinyl chloride)/Graphene Nanocomposite Green Modifier

by Sławomir Wilczewski, Katarzyna Skórczewska, Jolanta Tomaszewska, Krzysztof Lewandowski, Waldemar Studziński, Magdalena Osial, Piotr Jenczyk, Hubert Grzywacz and Agata Domańska

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 8081; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27228081 - 21 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1480

Abstract

In this work, a method to increase the dispersion of graphene (GN) in the matrix of rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) by using a natural plant extract from Curcuma longa L. (CE) is proposed. Currently, despite the increasing number of reports on the improvement of GN dispersion in PVC blends, still there is a need to find environmentally friendly and economical dispersion stabilizers. We proposed a stabilizer that can be easily obtained from a plant offering thermal stability and high effectiveness. PVC/GN nanocomposites stabilized with the proposed extract were investigated by SEM, AFM (structure), TGA, and Congo red test (thermal properties). Additionally, static and dynamic mechanical properties and electrical resistivity were measured. The use of CE as a graphene dispersant improved its dispersion in the PVC matrix, influenced tensile properties, increased the storage modulus and glass transition temperature, and extended the thermal stability time of nanocomposites. In this work, a CE extract is proposed as an efficient eco-friendly additive for the production of nanocomposites with an improved homogeneity of a nanofiller in the matrix and promising characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Based Composites: From Polymer Modification and Interfacial Analysis to Performances and Applications)

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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 4864 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scalable Preparation of Complete Stereo-Complexation Polylactic Acid Fiber and Its Hydrolysis Resistance

by Mingtao Sun, Siyao Lu, Pengfei Zhao, Zhongyao Feng, Muhuo Yu and Keqing Han

Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7654; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27217654 - 7 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1342

Abstract

Due to their high sensitivity to temperature and humidity, the applications of polylactic acid (PLA) products are limited. The stereo-complexation (SC) formed by poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and its enantiomer poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) can effectively improve the heat resistance and hydrolysis resistance of PLA products. In this work, the blended melt-spinning process of PLLA/PDLA was carried out using a polyester fiber production line to obtain PLA fiber with a complete SC structure. The effects of high-temperature tension heat-setting on the crystalline structure, thermal properties, mechanical properties, and hydrolysis resistance were discussed. The results indicated that when the tension heat-setting temperature reached 190 °C, the fiber achieved an almost complete SC structure, and its melting point was 222.5 °C. An accelerated hydrolysis experiment in a 95 °C water bath proved that the SC crystallites had better hydrolysis resistance than homocrystallization (HC). The monofilament strength retention rate of SC−190 fiber reached as high as 78.5% after hydrolysis for 24 h, which was significantly improved compared with PLLA/PDLA drawn fiber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Based Composites: From Polymer Modification and Interfacial Analysis to Performances and Applications)

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14 pages, 3175 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of the Laminate Structure of a Composite Cylinder Based on the Combination of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

by Zhiqi Li, Yipeng Liu, Liangliang Qi, Zhonghao Mei, Ruize Gao, Muhuo Yu, Zeyu Sun and Ming Wang

Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7361; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27217361 - 29 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1842

Abstract

This study optimized the laminate structure of a composite cylinder under the constraint of minimum layup thickness. Based on the progressive damage theory, a finite element model of the cylinder was established, and the NOL ring tensile test was used to verify the accuracy of the damage theory. The winding angle, the number of layers, and the helical/hoop ratio (the stacking sequence) were selected as the optimization factors, and the burst pressure value was used to evaluate the quality of the laminate structure. Then the orthogonal experiments were designed by RSM. Combined with FEA, the function model of the burst pressure of the gas cylinder and each optimization factor was established to obtain the optimal layering scheme, satisfying the minimum burst pressure. In addition, finite element analysis was used to verify the optimal scheme, demonstrating that the error of the burst pressure predicted by the quadratic model established by the response surface design was not more than 5%. This study provides a faster and more efficient optimization method for the optimization design of composite gas cylinder layers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Based Composites: From Polymer Modification and Interfacial Analysis to Performances and Applications)

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25 pages, 6877 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Testing Conditions in Formation of Tribological Layers at Line Contacts of Antifriction CF-Reinforced PI- and PEI-Based Composites

by Sergey V. Panin, Jiangkun Luo, Dmitry G. Buslovich, Vladislav O. Alexenko, Lyudmila A. Kornienko, Anton V. Byakov, Vitaly N. Paimushin and Artur R. Shugurov

Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6376; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196376 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1531

Abstract

High-strength PI and PEI polymers differ by chemical structure and flexibility of the polymer chains that ensure lower cost and higher manufacturability of the latter. The choice of a particular polymer matrix is of actuality at design of antifriction composites on their basis. In this study, a comparative analysis of tribological behavior of PI and PEI- based composites was carried out with linear contact rubbing. The neat materials, as well as the two- and three-component composites reinforced with chopped carbon fibers, were investigated. The third components were typically used, but were different in nature (polymeric and crystalline) being solid lubricant fillers (PTFE, graphite and MoS₂) with characteristic dimensions of several microns. The variable parameters were both load and sliding speed, as well as the counterface material. It was shown that an improvement of the tribological properties could be achieved by the tribological layer formation, which protected their wear track surfaces from the cutting and plowing effects of asperities on the surfaces of the metal and ceramic counterparts. The tribological layers were not formed in both neat polymers, while disperse hardening by fractured CF was responsible for the tribological layer formation in both two- and three component PI- and PEI-based composites. The effect of polymer matrix in tribological behavior was mostly evident in two-component composites (PI/CF, PEI/CF) over the entire P⋅V product range, while extra loading with Gr and MoS₂ leveled the regularities of tribological layer formation, as well as the time variation in friction coefficients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Based Composites: From Polymer Modification and Interfacial Analysis to Performances and Applications)

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21 pages, 12926 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Effect of Steel Bars and PAN Textile Reinforcement on Ductility of One-Way Slab Subjected to Bending

by Omar H. Hussein, Amer M. Ibrahim, Suhad M. Abd, Hadee Mohammed Najm, Saba Shamim and Mohanad Muayad Sabri Sabri

Molecules 2022, 27(16), 5208; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27165208 - 15 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1657

Abstract

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) has gained attention from the construction industry due to several characteristics such as its lightweight, high tensile strength, design flexibility, corrosion resistance and remarkably long service life. Some structural applications that utilize TRC components include precast panels, structural repairs, waterproofing elements and façades. TRC is produced by incorporating textile fabrics into thin cementitious concrete panels. However, in order to use this strengthening method in construction practice, a design model is required. Investigating the combined effect of conventional steel and textile reinforcement on the ductility behavior of composite TRC/RC one-way slab is vitally important. Therefore, the current study describes the proper methods of calculating the ductility of the composite concrete reinforced by a direct combination of conventional steel and textile reinforcement. Four methods are presented to calculate the ductility of the three considered one-way slab specimens. The three slabs having dimensions 1500 mm × 500 mm × 50 mm were reinforced by steel bars (SRC), by steel with one layer of carbon fabric (SRC + 1T), and by steel with two layers of carbon fabric (SRC + 2T). The three slab specimens were cast by the hand lay-up method, removed from the molds, cured, and then tested in flexure after 28 days using the four-point bending method. The obtained results and calculations revealed the non-reasonability of using the conventional method based on yielding of steel reinforcement as the only criterion in the ductility determination. The results also confirmed the suitability of using the energy-based method over other discussed methods in the calculation of the ductility for the hybrid reinforced members. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Based Composites: From Polymer Modification and Interfacial Analysis to Performances and Applications)

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