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Processing of Polymer Composites—Preparation, Structure, Properties and Applications

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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: 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 4365

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Dr. Shengtai Zhou

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State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials, Polymer Research Institute, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: processing of polymer composites; foams
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Zhongguo Zhao

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Guest Editor

National and Local Engineering Laboratory for Slag Comprehensive Utilization and Environment Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, China
Interests: processing of polymer composites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer composites are critical for applications in the automotive, electronics, packaging, and aerospace sectors, among others, thanks to their flexible designability, lightweightness, low cost, and ease of processing when compared with metallic and ceramic counterparts. Processing methods of interest include melt compounding, injection molding, casting, calendaring, foaming, mixing, etc., which have been developed to prepare multifunctional composites to address the demanding needs for the above industrial sectors. Properties of polymer composites are determined by the matrix type, functional fillers, and the distribution of fillers, which can be affected by multiple factors such as the surface properties and geometry of fillers, processing parameters, the host matrix, and blending methods, among others. Relevant progress in modeling is also within the scope of the topic. This Special Issue is dedicated to providing a forum for the preparation of polymer composites with a particular focus on the state-of-the-art progress, structural design, development, and new trends. Perspectives, review papers, full papers, and technical papers are particularly welcome.

Dr. Shengtai Zhou
Dr. Zhongguo Zhao
Guest Editors

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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. 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

processing of polymer composites
thermal interface materials
electrical conductivity
thermal conductivity
functional fillers
modification of fillers
polymer blends
processing conditions
thermoplastic composites
thermoset composites
foams
characterization methods
modeling
process–structure–properties

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1827 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on Mechanical Performance and Flame-Retardancy of Polymer Cement-Based Coatings with Ettringite Modified by Amphiphilic Group

by Fangzhou Yin, Kai Ma, Xingyu Gan, Laibo Li, Haiming Zhang and Lingchao Lu

Polymers 2026, 18(7), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18070863 - 31 Mar 2026

Viewed by 377

Abstract

Polymer cement-based coatings (PCC) have great potential in protecting underground structures, while their flame -retardancy is limited by the flammability of the polymer components. Developing multifunctional inorganic fillers that can enhance both mechanical properties and flame retardancy is crucial for improving the safety and durability of the coatings. In this study, an ettringite (AFt) modified by amphiphilic group and aluminum hydroxide (AH) was subjected to surface functionalization treatment and then incorporated into the PCC to enhance the overall performance of the material. The tensile strength and bond strength of the coatings modified by amphiphilic group with AFt were increased by 27.7% and 22.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, the flame burn time, flameless burn time, and carbonization length were reduced by 89.1%, 80.6%, and 90.2%, respectively, and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) increased by 28.9%. The amphiphilic groups act as molecular bridges that couple the inorganic modified AFt with the organic VAE phase, thereby strengthening the organic–inorganic interface and promoting a more integrated polymer–cement network. Meanwhile, the well-dispersed inorganic phases provide endothermic dehydration and a protective residue during heating, jointly improving the mechanical reliability and fire safety of the PCC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing of Polymer Composites—Preparation, Structure, Properties and Applications)

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35 pages, 20337 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Recycled Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate)/Amorphous Polyester Blends/Composites in Materials Extrusion (MEX) Additive Manufacturing Techniques: The Influence of Talc and Carbon Fiber on the Mechanical Performance and Hear Resistance

by Jacek Andrzejewski, Natan Zelewski, Wiktoria Gosławska, Adam Piasecki, Patryk Mietliński, Frederik Desplentere and Aleksander Hejna

Polymers 2026, 18(6), 768; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18060768 - 22 Mar 2026

Viewed by 687

Abstract

The conducted study was focused on the development of a new type of polymer blends intended for additive manufacturing applications, in particular, the material extrusion method (MEX). The developed materials were prepared from recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) and amorphous copolymers poly(ethylene terephthalate-glycol) (PETG), and poly(cyclohexylenedimethyl terephthalate-glycol) (PCTG). The basic blend systems were additionally modified with POE-g-GMA impact modifier (IM) during the reactive extrusion process. The main aim of the work was to assess the effectiveness of using composite additives and their influence on the mechanical and thermomechanical parameters of the tested systems. To prepare the composites, selected polymer blends were modified with 10% of talc (T) and carbon fibers (CF). The properties evaluation includes the mechanical/thermomechanical testing, thermal analysis and structural observations. The accuracy of printing was measured using optical scanning methods. The test results indicate that even the relatively small amount of the CF filler could lead to a significant increase in tensile modulus from reference 1.6 GPa to 2.9 GPa; the same improvement applies to strength values, where the CF-modified materials reached 45 MPa, compared to the reference 31 MPa. The heat deflection tests (0.455 MPa) after annealing revealed the maximum HDT of around 170 °C for both types of CF-modified materials. The Vicat test results were also favorable for annealed materials. Considering that the Vicat/HDT results after the 3D-printing process usually reach around 70 °C, the performed heat treatment strongly enhanced the heat resistance for most of the prepared blends. The performed studies revealed that for most of the prepared materials, the brittleness was a common drawback for both MEX-printed and injection-molded materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing of Polymer Composites—Preparation, Structure, Properties and Applications)

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17 pages, 2168 KB

Open AccessArticle

Flocculation Performance and Interfacial Adsorption Mechanism of Aluminum Hydroxide–Polyacrylamide in Coal Slime Water Treatment

by Jing Chang, Jia Xue, Shizhen Liang, Wei Zhao and Zhen Li

Polymers 2026, 18(4), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18040458 - 11 Feb 2026

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 732

Abstract

Effective treatment of coal slime water is essential for sustainable coal preparation plant operation but hindered by the stable suspension of fine, negatively charged particles. To address this, a novel star-shaped inorganic–organic hybrid polymer (aluminum hydroxide-polyacrylamide, Al-PAM) was synthesized via in situ polymerization. Its performance was systematically compared with well-established coagulants/flocculants—polyaluminum chloride (PAC), non-ionic polyacrylamide (NPAM), and their binary combination through settling tests and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). The results showed a positive correlation between the molecular weight of Al-PAM and its flocculation efficiency. The optimal variant, Al-PAM-442, achieved an exceptionally high initial settling rate (50.4 m/h) and low supernatant turbidity (45.77 NTU) at an ultralow dosage of 6 mg/L. QCM-D analysis elucidated the mechanism: Al-PAM forms a thick, soft, and irreversibly adsorbed hydrated layer on silica, enabling strong electrostatic anchoring and effective polymer bridging. In contrast, PAC adsorption was reversible, while NPAM formed a thin, compact film with poor bridging capacity. Although the combined PAC/NPAM system showed synergistic performance, it required a significantly higher dosage (70 mg/L). This study demonstrates that the star-shaped Al-PAM architecture successfully integrates charge neutralization and bridging into a single molecule, offering a highly efficient and practical solution for industrial coal slurry dewatering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing of Polymer Composites—Preparation, Structure, Properties and Applications)

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15 pages, 23278 KB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Influence of Inorganic Nanoparticles on the Mechanical and Tribological Performance of PPS-Based Composites: A Comparative Study

by Jixiang Li, Mei Liang, Xiaowen Zhao, Shengtai Zhou and Huawei Zou

Polymers 2025, 17(19), 2573; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17192573 - 23 Sep 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 902

Abstract

In this work, γ-irradiated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (i-PTFE) and short carbon fibre (SCF) along with different types of ceramic inorganic nanoparticles (i.e., SiC, SiO₂, ZnO, TiO₂, and CaCO₃) were employed to improve the mechanical and tribological performance of polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) composites. The results showed that the flexural strength and modulus of PPS composites increased with the addition of inorganic nanoparticles. Moreover, the inorganic nanoparticles not only exhibited a ‘micro-bearing’ effect during friction tests, but also promoted the formation of high-quality transfer film on the surface of a friction pair, significantly improving the self-lubricating performance of PPS composites. XPS analysis confirmed the occurrence of friction-induced chemical reactions during the friction process in nanoparticle-containing PPS/i-PTFE/SCF composites, which was helpful in improving the tribological performance. PPS/i-PTFE/SCF/SiC composite demonstrated an average friction coefficient of 0.083 and specific wear rate of 9.04 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/Nm, which was the best among the studied systems. This work provided valuable insights for developing high-performance self-lubricating polymer composites that can be applied in high-end engineering sectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing of Polymer Composites—Preparation, Structure, Properties and Applications)

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14 pages, 10385 KB

Open AccessArticle

Circular Shear Printing of Spiral-Oriented CF-PP Components for Enhanced Mechanical Performance and Warp Mitigation

by Dashan Mi, Tao Yang, Jinghua Jiang, Haiqing Bai and Shikui Jia

Polymers 2025, 17(13), 1739; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17131739 - 22 Jun 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 901

Abstract

Extrusion-based printers have attracted much attention for their simplified printing process and broader material compatibility. Carbon fibers (CF), known for their excellent mechanical properties, are incorporated into polypropylene (PP) printing materials. This study presents a shear screw printer (SSP) with a modified screw design. The SSP generates torsional shear forces, enabling helical orientation of CFs within PP/CF composites. The study also compares the SSP’s performance with that of a conventional screw printer (CSP). PP/CF composite specimens containing 15% CF were printed at four different layup angles: 0°, 45°, 90°, and ±45° (net). The results show that combining CFs’ helical orientation with a net printing arrangement can effectively enhance tensile properties while reducing anisotropy. Furthermore, this approach can significantly mitigate warping in printed parts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing of Polymer Composites—Preparation, Structure, Properties and Applications)

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