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Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 14487

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Dr. Hui Zhao

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School of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
Interests: polyurethane; cellulose; composites
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Dr. Wei Wu

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Engineering Center for Superlubricity, Jihua Laboratory, Foshan 528200, China
Interests: polymer composite; dielectric properties; thermal stability; mechanical properties
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymeric materials and their composites have been widely utilized in previously unimagined areas due to their light weight, high flexibility, and excellent processing ability. Along with the fast-increasing consumption of polymeric materials in recent years, the demand for advanced polymer processing technology is ever-increasing. Advanced polymer processing, including 3D printing, electrospinning, extrusion, injection molding, compression molding, casting, injection molding, etc., can convert polymeric materials into various useful products. Obviously, the processing conditions, properties, and structures of polymeric materials and their composites have a close relationship with each other. The aim of this Special Issue is to present a collection of research or review papers to depict the recent progress in the processing and application of polymeric materials and their composites. We welcome contributions dealing with related research fields; we hope that this stimulating subject will inspire you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue.

Dr. Hui Zhao
Dr. Wei Wu
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 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. Polymers 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

polymer composites
biodegradable polymer
polymer processing
antibacterial
thermal stability
mechanical properties

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 5181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on the Structural Performance of Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Slabs Reinforced with Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Bars: A Sustainable Alternative to Steel in Challenging Environments

by Fang Xie, Wanming Tian, Shaofan Li, Pedro Diez, Sergio Zlotnik and Alberto Garcia Gonzalez

Polymers 2025, 17(8), 1068; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17081068 - 15 Apr 2025

Viewed by 374

Abstract

The inherent brittleness of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars limits their structural applicability despite their corrosion resistance and lightweight properties. This study addresses the critical challenge of enhancing the ductility and crack resistance of GFRP-reinforced systems while maintaining their environmental resilience. Through experimental evaluation, GFRC slabs reinforced with GFRP bars are systematically compared to steel-reinforced GFRC slabs and non-bar-reinforced SFRC slabs under bending loads. Eight slabs were subjected to four-edge-supported loading following standardized procedures based on prior strength assessments. The results demonstrate that GFRP-reinforced GFRC slabs achieve an ultimate load capacity of 83.7 kN, comparable to their steel-reinforced counterparts (96.3 kN), while exhibiting progressive crack propagation and 17% higher energy absorption than non-fiber-reinforced systems. The load capacity similarities between GFRP-bar-reinforced GFRC slabs and steel-reinforced slabs are 69% for crack loading and 86% for ultimate capacity. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the reduction factor in flexural strength design of the novel slab should be comprehensively considered, incorporating the recommended value of 0.5. The findings confirm that GFRP-bar-reinforced GFRC slabs meet key structural performance criteria, including enhanced bending capacity, energy absorption, crack resistance, and ductility. This study underscores the potential of GFRP as an effective alternative to steel reinforcement, contributing to the development of resilient and durable concrete structures in demanding environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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16 pages, 9183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Polyol Types on Underwater Curing Properties of Polyurethane

by Cheng Zhang, Yixuan Zhang, Yao Liu, Yiming Cui, Ming Zhao, Shuai Peng, Hecong Wang, Zuobao Song, Qunchao Zhang, Dean Shi and Yuxue Zhu

Polymers 2025, 17(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17010005 - 24 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 988

Abstract

This study aims to develop castable polyurethane suitable for applications on wet substrates or underwater construction. Polyurethanes were synthesized using various polyols with similar hydroxyl values, including poly(tetrahydrofuran) polyol, polyester polyol, castor oil-modified polyol, soybean oil-modified polyol, and cashew nut shell oil-modified polyol. The corresponding polyurethane curing products were evaluated for their underwater curing characteristics by volume expansion ratios and adhesion strength on dry and wet substrates, combined with analyses of reaction exothermic behavior, wetting properties on dry and wet substrates, interfacial tension, and microstructure characterization from the perspectives of reaction activity and water solubility. The results indicate that polyols with higher hydrophobicity and reactivity to isocyanates lead to reduced side reactions during underwater curing, making them more suitable for underwater applications. Soybean oil-based and cashew nut shell oil-based polyurethanes exhibited fast curing (gel times of 1.15 and 1.35 min, respectively), minimal volume change (within 2.5% after 7 days underwater), and strong wet adhesion (1.95 MPa and 2.38 MPa with minimal loss, respectively). The two polyols showed different mechanical properties, providing tailored options for specific underwater engineering applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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18 pages, 6908 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring α-Lipoic Acid Based Thermoplastic Silicone Adhesive: Towards Sustainable and Green Recycling

by Jiaqi Wang, Zhaoyutian Chu and Sijia Zheng

Polymers 2024, 16(23), 3254; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233254 - 22 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1468

Abstract

Considering the demand for the construction of a sustainable future, it is essential to endow the conventional thermoset silicone adhesive with reuse capability and recyclability. Although various research attempts have been made by incorporating reversible linkages, developing sustainable silicone adhesives by natural linkers is still challenging, as the interface between the natural linker and the silicone is historically difficult. We exploited the possibility of utilizing α-lipoic acid, a natural linker, to construct a sustainable silicone adhesive. Via the simultaneous ring-opening reaction between the COOH and epoxide-functionalized silicone and the polymerization of the α-lipoic acid, the resulting network exhibited dynamic properties. The shear strength of the LASA90 presented strong adhesion (up to 88 kPa) on various substrates including steel, aluminum, PET, and PTFE. Meanwhile, reversible adhesion was shown multiple times under mild heating conditions (80 °C). The rheology, TG-DTA, DSC, and ¹H NMR showed that the degradation of the LASA occurred at 150 °C via the retro-ROP of the five-membered disulfide ring, indicating their recyclability after usage. Conclusively, we envision that a silicone adhesive based on α-lipoic acid as a natural linker is more sustainable than conventional silicone thermosets because of its desired properties, strong adhesion, reversibility, and on-demand heat degradation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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12 pages, 3575 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Triaxiality and Plastic-Strain-Dependent Proposed PEAK Parameter for Predicting Crack Formation in Polypropylene Polymer Reservoir Subjected to Pressure Load

by Adam Kasprzak

Polymers 2024, 16(15), 2128; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16152128 - 26 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1118

Abstract

This article raises the topic of the critical examination of polypropylene, a key polymeric material, and its extensive application within the automotive industry, particularly focusing on the manufacturing of brake fluid reservoirs. This study aims to enhance the understanding of polypropylene’s behavior under mechanical stresses through a series of laboratory destruction tests and numerical simulations, emphasizing the finite element method (FEM). A novel aspect of this research is the introduction of the PEAK parameter, a groundbreaking approach designed to assess the material’s resilience against varying states of strain, known as triaxiality. This parameter facilitates the identification of critical areas prone to crack initiation, thereby enabling the optimization of component design with a minimized safety margin, which is crucial for cost-effective production. The methodology involves conducting burst tests to locate crack initiation sites, followed by FEM simulations to determine the PEAK threshold value for the Sabic 83MF10 polypropylene material. The study successfully validates the predictive capability of the PEAK parameter, demonstrating a high correlation between simulated results and actual laboratory tests. This validation underscores the potential of the PEAK parameter as a predictive tool for enhancing the reliability and safety of polypropylene automotive components. The research presented in this article contributes significantly to the field of material science and engineering by providing a deeper insight into the mechanical behavior of polypropylene and introducing an effective tool for predicting crack initiation in automotive components. The findings hold promise for advancing the design and manufacturing processes in the automotive industry, with potential applications extending to other sectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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15 pages, 2751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toward the Manufacturing of a Non-Toxic High-Performance Biobased Epoxy–Hemp Fibre Composite

by Gilles Boni, Vincent Placet, Marina Grimaldi, Patrick Balaguer and Sylvie Pourchet

Polymers 2024, 16(14), 2010; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16142010 - 13 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1592

Abstract

This study describes the production of a new biobased epoxy thermoset and its use with long hemp fibres to produce high-performance composites that are totally biobased. The synthesis of BioIgenox, an epoxy resin derived from a lignin biorefinery, and its curing process have been optimised to decrease their environmental impact. The main objective of this study is to characterise the rheology and kinetics of the epoxy system with a view to optimising the composite manufacturing process. Thus, the epoxy resin/hardener system was chosen considering the constraints imposed by the implementation of composites reinforced with plant fibres. The viscosity of the chosen mixture shows the compatibility of the formulation with the traditional implementation processes of the composites. In addition, unlike BPA—a precursor of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resin—BioIgenox and its precursor do not have endocrine disrupting activities. The neat polymer and its unidirectional hemp fibre composite are characterised using three-point bending tests. Results measured for the fully biobased epoxy polymer show a bending modulus, a bending strength, a maximum strain at failure and a T_g of, respectively, 3.1 GPa, 55 MPa, 1.82% and 120 °C. These values are slightly weaker than those of the DGEBA-based epoxy material. It was also observed that the incorporation of fibres into the fully biobased epoxy system induces a decrease in the damping peak and a shift towards higher temperatures. These results point out the effective stress transfers between the hemp fibres and the fully biobased epoxy system. The high mechanical properties and softening temperature measured in this work with a fully biobased epoxy system make this type of composite a very promising sustainable material for transport and lightweight engineering applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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16 pages, 14563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tribological Behavior of Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone with Three Different Chemical Structures under Water Lubrication

by Xiaozhi Chen, Tao Hu, Wei Wu, Xiaohong Yi, Fenghua Li and Chenhui Zhang

Polymers 2024, 16(7), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16070998 - 5 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1427

Abstract

With the development of the shipbuilding industry, it is necessary to improve tribological properties of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) as a water-lubricated bearing material. In this study, the sulfonated PEEK (SPEEK) with three distinct chemical structures was synthesized through direct sulfonated polymerization, and high fault tolerance and a controllable sulfonation degree ensured the batch stability. The tribological and mechanical properties of SPEEK with varying side groups (methyl and tert-butyl) and rigid segments (biphenyl) were compared after sintering in a vacuum furnace. Compared to the as-made PEEK, as the highly electronegative sulfonic acid group enhanced the hydration lubrication, the friction coefficient and wear rate of SPEEK were significantly reduced by 30% and 50% at least without affecting the mechanical properties. And lower steric hindrance and entanglement between molecular chains were proposed to be partially responsible for the lowest friction behavior of SPEEK with methyl side groups, making it a promising and competitive option for water-lubricated bearings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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21 pages, 7203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Physical Properties of Polymer Composites Filled with Sheep Wool

by Martin Vasina, Premysl Straznicky, Pavel Hrbacek, Sona Rusnakova, Ondrej Bosak and Marian Kubliha

Polymers 2024, 16(5), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16050690 - 2 Mar 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2604

Abstract

Sheep farmers are currently facing an oversupply of wool and a lack of willing buyers. Due to low prices, sheep wool is often either dumped, burned, or sent to landfills, which are unsustainable and environmentally unfriendly practices. One potential solution is the utilization of sheep wool fibers in polymer composites. This paper focuses on the study of mechanical vibration damping properties, sound absorption, light transmission, electrical conductivity of epoxy (EP), polyurethane (PU), and polyester (PES) resins, each filled with three different concentrations of sheep wool (i.e., 0%, 3%, and 5% by weight). It can be concluded that the sheep wool content in the polymer composites significantly influenced their physical properties. The impact of light transmission through the tested sheep wool fiber-filled polymer composites on the quality of daylight in a reference room was also mathematically simulated using Wdls 5.0 software. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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17 pages, 37425 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Melting Behaviors of Bio-Based Poly(propylene 2,5-furan dicarboxylate)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) Co Polymers Related to Their Crystal Morphology

by Ouyang Shi, Peng Li, Chao Yang, Haitian Jiang, Liyue Qin, Wentao Liu, Xiaolin Li and Zhenming Chen

Polymers 2024, 16(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16010097 - 28 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1578

Abstract

In this experiment, a series of poly(propylene 2,5-furan dicarboxylate)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PPFEG) copolymers with different ratios were synthesized using melt polycondensation of dimethylfuran-2,5-dicarboxylate (DMFD), 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The effect of PEG content on the crystallization behavior of the poly(propylene 2,5-furan dicarboxylate) (PPF) copolymers was investigated. For PPF, the nucleation density of the β-crystals was higher than that of α-crystals. As T_c increases, the β crystals are suppressed more, but at T_c = 140 °C, the bulk of PPF has already been converted to α crystals, which crystallize faster at higher nucleation densities, resulting in a difference in polymer properties. For this case, we chose to add a soft segment material, PEG, which led to an early multi–melt crystallization behavior of the PPF. The addition of PEG led to a decrease in the crystallization temperature of PPF, as well as a decrease in the cold crystallization peak of PPF. From the crystalline morphology, it can be seen that the addition of PEG caused the transformation of the PPF crystalline form to occur earlier. From the crystalline morphology of PPF at 155 °C, it can be observed that the ring-banded spherical crystals of the PPF appear slowly with increasing time. With the addition of PEG, spherical crystals of the ring band appeared earlier, and even appeared first, and then disappeared slowly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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19 pages, 8761 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simplified Characterization of Anisotropic Yield Criteria for an Injection-Molded Polymer Material

by Sharlin Shahid, Eskil Andreasson, Viktor Petersson, Widaad Gukhool, Yuchi Kang and Sharon Kao-Walter

Polymers 2023, 15(23), 4520; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15234520 - 24 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2290

Abstract

Injection-molded polyethylene plates exhibit highly anisotropic mechanical behavior due to, e.g., the uneven orientation of the polymer chains during the molding process and the differential cooling, especially in the thickness direction. Elastoplastic finite element modeling of these plates in particular is used with isotropic yield criteria like von Mises, trading off accuracy in favor of simpler constitutive characterization and faster solution. This article studies three different anisotropic yield criteria, namely, Hill 1948, Barlat Yld91, and Barlat Yld2004-18P, for the finite element modeling of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) at large uniaxial tensile deformation and compares the accuracy and computation time with von Mises. A simplified calibration technique is investigated to identify the constitutive parameters of the studied Barlat group yield criteria. The calibration process is simplified in the sense that only uniaxial tensile tests with digital image correlation measurements are used for the calibration of all the yield criteria studied in this article, although a standard calibration procedure for the Barlat group yield criteria requires additional material testing using more demanding test setups. It is concluded that both Barlat Yld91 and Barlat Yld2004-18P yield criteria can be calibrated with only a few tensile tests and still capture anisotropy in deformation–stress–strain at different levels of accuracy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Processing and Application of Polymers and Their Composites III)

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