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Additive Manufactuging of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites and Composites: Progress and Prospects

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 755

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, P.le Fermi, 1, 80055 Portici, NA, Italy
Interests: epoxy resin; mechanical properties; thermal properties; fiber reinforced polymers; cryogenic temperature; fracture toughness; hyperbranched polymers
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Guest Editor
Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: advanced composites; mechanical and thermo-mechanical performance; nanocomposites; manufacturing processes; residual stresses; cure kinetics; thermal stability; impact; fracture tooughness
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa, CE, Italy
Interests: composite materials; damage tolerance; delamination; fatigue; impact damage; crashworthiness; fuselages
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Traditional manufacturing techniques, such as Injection Molding, Resin Transfer Molding, Compression Molding, Pultrusion, etc., are commonly used to manufacture polymer-based composites and nanocomposites; however, these techniques require large apparatus and molds, thereby making them expensive. Moreover, the production of complex and customized parts is limited by these techniques. On the contrary, additive manufacturing (AM) techniques allow complex and custom parts to be produced with budget-friendly and small apparatus. AM, which is also referred to as 3D printing, can be described as a class of techniques based on blending materials (such as thermoplastic filaments, liquid resin, and powders) by either fusion, binding, or solidification in a layer-by-layer fashion using 3D CAD modeling. AM was first demonstrated in 1980 by Kodama, who published the paper “Three-Dimensional Data Display by Automatic Preparation of a Three-Dimensional Model”; since that year, the number of publications and patents related to 3D printing has grown exponentially. Different AM processes depend on the material preparation, layer generation technique, phase change phenomenon, material type, and application requirements. Over the last decade, the use of AM processes has grown remarkably in all industrial fields, from automotive and aerospace to the electronic, food, and medical industries.

Despite significant progress in AM, obtaining advanced polymer materials such as composites and nanocomposites, i.e., materials with improved mechanical and thermal properties or tailored functional properties (such as electrical conductivity and antimicrobial properties), remains challenging.

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish original articles, critical reviews, research notes, analyses, case studies, and short communications related to progress in the 3D printing of polymer-based composites and nanocomposites. Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Three-dimensional printing processes: progress in innovative techniques for the 3D printing of polymer-based composites and nanocomposites.
  2. Nanocomposite and composite preparation processes: novel techniques to realize nanocomposites and impregnate reinforcement fibers suitable for 3D printing processes.
  3. Printed materials: the outcomes of using thermoset and thermoplastic nanocomposites or continuous and discontinuous fiber composites.
  4. Forming mechanism: the modeling and simulation of 3DP technologies for polymer composites and nanocomposites.
  5. Characterization: the study of printed materials in terms of microstructure and the properties derived from various printing parameters and reinforcement additions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Aldobenedetto Zotti
Dr. Mauro Zarrelli
Prof. Dr. Aniello Riccio
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

  • additive manufacturing techniques
  • 3D-printed polymer-based fiber-reinforced composites
  • 3D-printed polymer-based nanocomposites
  • effect of printing manufacturing
  • nanocomposites and composites preparation processes

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 638 KiB  
Communication
Selected Properties of a TPS/PA12 Composite Material Produced in a Two-Stage Method
by Ewa Tomaszewska-Ciosk, Ewa Zdybel, Małgorzata Kapelko-Żeberska and Beata Anwajler
Polymers 2025, 17(11), 1517; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17111517 - 29 May 2025
Abstract
The world economy is struggling with the increasing pollution of the natural environment with non-biodegradable synthetic polymers produced from petroleum products. This fact has prompted research on the use of natural renewable polymers. Starch is one of the polymers that has already been [...] Read more.
The world economy is struggling with the increasing pollution of the natural environment with non-biodegradable synthetic polymers produced from petroleum products. This fact has prompted research on the use of natural renewable polymers. Starch is one of the polymers that has already been used as an additive to synthetic polymers; however, its use is associated with a problem arising from the incompatibility of hydrophilic starch with hydrophobic synthetic polymers. For these reasons, other authors have not used more than 20% of the starch component in synthetic materials. In this work, a research hypothesis was put forward that the starch content can be increased in the polymer material. Pre-extrusion was used before the final material molding process. Pre-extrusion improved the phase dispersion of the synthetic polymer blended with starch. To produce the molds, the polyamide and starch blends were subjected to the processes of extrusion, milling, and pressing. The molded samples containing polyamide and starch were obtained with a starch component content of 50, 70, and 90%. The obtained homogeneous material was determined in terms of its water resistance and mechanical properties. The test results showed that increasing the starch content in the produced material, increased its susceptibility to water, and worsened its strength properties. However, these negative effects were not as large as expected, and in some cases were even statistically insignificant. The addition of 70% of the starch component allowed for the production of a composite material with satisfactory mechanical properties. Full article
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Review

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34 pages, 11753 KiB  
Review
Fused Deposition Modeling of Polymer Composites: Development, Properties and Applications
by Aldobenedetto Zotti, Teresa Paduano, Francesco Napolitano, Simona Zuppolini, Mauro Zarrelli and Anna Borriello
Polymers 2025, 17(8), 1054; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17081054 - 14 Apr 2025
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Abstract
This review summarizes recent research advancements in thermoplastic composites used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) processes. Since its development in 1988, FDM has emerged as one of the primary emerging technologies of Industry 4.0, receiving attention in fields such as industrial manufacturing, automotive, [...] Read more.
This review summarizes recent research advancements in thermoplastic composites used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) processes. Since its development in 1988, FDM has emerged as one of the primary emerging technologies of Industry 4.0, receiving attention in fields such as industrial manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and others, particularly for rapid prototyping and customization. The intention is to make available a guideline for 3D printing researchers, analyzing the properties and performance characteristics of different polymers and polymeric composites. The review analysis covers various reinforcing agents, including particles/nanoparticles, short fibers, and long fibers, identifying critical parameters of the FDM process which affect printed part quality, integrity and final geometry. Major attention is devoted to the different techniques employed for composite filament fabrication, mostly for structural elements and parts. An extensive overview of various FDM composites and fiber-reinforced composites by polymer matrices such as PLA, ABS, and PEEK is presented, with their mechanical and thermal properties reported for specific applications. Current challenges and prospective future research directions are also outlined, mainly focusing on the enhancement of material performance and sustainability. Full article
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