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Polymers
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Polymeric Materials and Their Application in 3D Printing, 3rd Edition
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Polymeric Materials and Their Application in 3D Printing, 3rd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 655

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina-Elisabeta Pelin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute for Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli”—INCAS, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: polymeric composites; nanocomposites; aerospace materials; circular economy; sustainability; mechanical properties; chemical compatibility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Anton Ficai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1-7 Gh. Polizu St., 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: bio(nano)materials; synthesis methods; material processing and design; advanced coatings; tissue engineering; drug delivery; characterization methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last decade, additive manufacturing’s ability to produce customized parts with complex shapes has led to an increased global demand for this technology as a manufacturing solution in various fields of engineering, from consumer goods, medicine, electronics, and construction to automotives and aerospace. Three-dimensional-printing-based technologies using polymeric materials offer cost-effectiveness, customized geometries, complex design, high-precision manufacturing, and reduced processing time while using highly sustainable materials.

This Special Issue aims to collate the latest research in the field of 3D-printed polymers designed for application in fields in which this technology attracts the most attention and interest. We welcome the submission of papers that implement experimental or simulation approaches to overcome challenges in polymer and polymeric composite 3D printing techniques that are encountered in each engineering field. Overcoming 3D printing challenges will greatly contribute to advancing development in topics related to transport, engineering, medicine, and the environment. This Special Issue aims to focus on both fundamental and applied research that revolves around the development, characterization, and application of polymers for 3D printing technologies implemented in, but not limited to, the aerospace, automotive, construction, medicine, prototyping, and consumer goods industries (including electronics, sports, devices, spare parts, etc.).

Dr. Cristina-Elisabeta Pelin
Prof. Dr. Anton Ficai
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

  • 3D printing
  • thermoplastic polymers
  • thermoset polymers
  • polymeric (nano)composites
  • additive manufacturing methods and processing
  • mechanical properties
  • transport applications
  • medical applications
  • rapid prototyping
  • 3D printing design solutions

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 7131 KB  
Article
Design of Functional Fluorine-Containing Coatings for 3D-Printed Items
by Fedor Doronin, Georgy Rytikov, Andrey Evdokimov, Mikhail Savel’ev, Yuriy Rudyak and Victor Nazarov
Polymers 2025, 17(21), 2824; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212824 - 23 Oct 2025
Viewed by 166
Abstract
In this study, a surface texture design technique for 3D-extruded prototype products was developed. The study determines some target functional properties of polymer-made items. Four series of experimental samples (acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polylactide (PLA), and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG)) were 3D-printed [...] Read more.
In this study, a surface texture design technique for 3D-extruded prototype products was developed. The study determines some target functional properties of polymer-made items. Four series of experimental samples (acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polylactide (PLA), and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG)) were 3D-printed using the fused filament fabrication (FFF) approach. The morphology and hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of the surfaces of the experimental samples were regulated directly by the 3D design and by gas-phase fluorination techniques. The observed distilled water and ethylene glycol edge wetting angles of the surfaces of the experimental samples were determined by a 3D filament stroke arrangement. It was shown that varying the 3D design promoted hydrophobization and provided anisotropic wetting (the distilled water edge angle of the same sample varies from 76 to 116 degrees). The textured surfaces simultaneously demonstrated hydrophilicity in one direction and hydrophobicity in the other. The changing of the fluorine-containing gas mixture surface treatment duration allowed us to alter the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance of 3D-extruded prototypes. The fluorination kinetics of the experimental samples were studied empirically. The combination of macroscopic surface design (through FFF 3D printing) and microscopic surface modification (through gas-phase fluorination) permitted a significant reduction in the straining friction coefficient and increased the wettability of the complex-shaped 3D-printed products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials and Their Application in 3D Printing, 3rd Edition)
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18 pages, 1858 KB  
Article
The Role of Cross-Sectional Design and Orientation in Governing Energy Absorption of Additively Manufactured Polyamide 12 (PA12) Octet Lattices
by Muhammet Muaz Yalçın, Sedat İriç, Derya İriç and Mostafa S. A. Elsayed
Polymers 2025, 17(21), 2817; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212817 - 22 Oct 2025
Viewed by 322
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of strut cross-sectional geometry and orientation on the crashworthiness of octet truss lattice structures produced via Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) using Polyamide 12 (PA12) material. All lattice configurations were designed and printed at a constant relative density of [...] Read more.
This study investigates the influence of strut cross-sectional geometry and orientation on the crashworthiness of octet truss lattice structures produced via Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) using Polyamide 12 (PA12) material. All lattice configurations were designed and printed at a constant relative density of approximately 30%, ensuring equal mass and material usage across geometries. Quasi-static compression tests were conducted on lattices featuring circular, elliptical, rectangular, and square struts, with the latter two also evaluated at 0° and 90° orientations relative to the loading direction. Energy absorption (EA), specific energy absorption (SEA), crush force efficiency (CFE), and mean plateau stress metrics were employed to evaluate the structural energy absorption efficiency. The results highlight that strut geometry and orientation significantly alter mechanical behavior due to differences in moments of inertia. The circular strut lattice, used as the reference configuration, achieved an SEA of 0.79 J/g. Among the tested designs, the elliptical lattice exhibited the most pronounced variation: the non-rotated version showed the lowest SEA (0.63 J/g, ~20% lower than the reference), whereas the 90° rotated version yielded the highest SEA (0.92 J/g, ~16% higher). Rectangular struts displayed a similar trend, with rotated specimens outperforming their non-rotated counterparts. Square struts, however, showed negligible differences between orientations, as their rotational inertia remained constant. Overall, the findings demonstrate that optimizing strut cross-sections can enhance crashworthiness by improving energy dissipation and stabilizing deformation mechanisms under compressive loading. The rotated elliptical cross-section emerged as the most efficient configuration, offering superior SEA and crush stress efficiency. The findings highlight that cross-sectional design and orientation provide an effective mechanism for tuning mechanical performance in lightweight lattice materials without altering overall density or topology. These insights emphasize the potential of geometric tailoring in lattice design to meet safety and lightweight requirements in transportation, defense and biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials and Their Application in 3D Printing, 3rd Edition)
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