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Polymers
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Process–Structure–Properties Relationships in Polymers and Polymer Composites
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Process–Structure–Properties Relationships in Polymers and Polymer Composites

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 3887

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Muthu Elen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
Interests: composite materials; artificial intelligence; machine learning; structural health monitoring; polymers; damage and durability; prognostics; adhesive bonding; bond surface characterization; fatigue life; remaining strength; manufacturing; infusion and curing of polymer composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vishal Kumar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
Interests: sustainable composites and recycling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This MDPI Special Issue on "Process–Structure–Properties Relationships in Polymers and Polymer Composites" aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of the latest advancements in polymer materials and composites while charting a path for future innovations. Over the past few decades, polymer materials have become crucial in sectors like aerospace, automotive, electronics, and industrial manufacturing, offering lightweight, durable, and versatile solutions that have driven continual progress across industries. The development of these materials is marked by an intricate relationship between the manufacturing processes, the resulting material structures, and their ultimate properties, necessitating a deeper understanding of each stage. This Special Issue intends to present cutting-edge research on topics including the design, synthesis, functionalization, and performance optimization of polymer composites. Significant focus is placed on understanding how various processing techniques—such as additive manufacturing, extrusion, and injection molding—influence the molecular and structural composition of polymers, thereby impacting their mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. This Special Issue also explores emerging applications, like multifunctional composites for energy storage and biocompatible materials for medical applications, to inspire new avenues for innovation.

Researchers are encouraged to contribute original research and review articles on themes such as the following:

  • Advances in processing techniques and their impacts on polymer structure–property relationships;
  • Innovations in composite design and fabrication methods for improved functionality;
  • Characterization and modeling techniques to predict material behavior;
  • Functionalization strategies that enable specific properties, such as electrical conductivity or biocompatibility;
  • Environmental impacts and sustainable design in polymer and composite material development.

Ultimately, this Special Issue aims to bridge current knowledge with future research directions, promoting the development of polymer materials and composites that push beyond conventional limitations to meet the evolving needs of high-performance industries.

Dr. Muthu Elen
Dr. Vishal Kumar
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 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

  • polymer composites
  • composite structure
  • manufacturing process
  • structure property evaluation
  • performance
  • degradation

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 2945 KB  
Article
Experimental Comparison of Elastomeric Materials for Hydraulic Seal Durability Under Reciprocating Conditions
by Vishal Kumar and Muthu Elen
Polymers 2025, 17(23), 3198; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233198 - 30 Nov 2025
Viewed by 347
Abstract
Wave Energy Converters (WECs) depend on hydraulic Power Take-Off (PTO) systems in which elastomeric seals must withstand wear, fatigue, and corrosion under harsh marine loading. This study quantitatively compares two commercial polyurethane seals (E1-E2) with custom-compounded Ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) formulations [...] Read more.
Wave Energy Converters (WECs) depend on hydraulic Power Take-Off (PTO) systems in which elastomeric seals must withstand wear, fatigue, and corrosion under harsh marine loading. This study quantitatively compares two commercial polyurethane seals (E1-E2) with custom-compounded Ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) formulations (E3–E5) using reciprocating wear tests (ASTM G133) at 3–10 N and 10–30 mm/s. It is noted that all experiments were conducted under dry conditions at room temperature as a baseline assessment, and the findings provide foundational insight prior to considering lubrication, hydraulic fluid effects, and marine environmental conditions relevant to WEC operation. Coefficient of friction (COF), specific wear rate, and worn-surface morphology were assessed to determine material durability. The commercial thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) grades exhibited high hardness (93–94 Shore A), low wear rates (2.29–1.93 × 10−4 mm3/Nm), and shallow wear scars (≤380 µm). Carbon-black-reinforced EPDM (E3) produced the lowest wear rate among all samples (1.45 × 10−4 mm3 N−1 m−1) and the longest predicted service life (6.2 years), whereas silica-filled and plasticized EPDMs (E4, E5) showed higher wear (2.44–2.88 × 10−4 mm3/Nm) and broader deformation zones. Archard-based lifetime estimates at 10 N and 30 mm/s ranged from 3.1 to 6.2 years across materials. These results demonstrate that optimized EPDM formulations can serve as cost-effective alternatives to commercial TPUs for medium-load hydraulic sealing applications while providing a quantitative basis for material selection and life prediction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process–Structure–Properties Relationships in Polymers and Polymer Composites)
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23 pages, 14755 KB  
Article
Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymer as a Polyfunctional Modifier for Low-Viscosity Photosensitive Compositions
by Dmitriy A. Bazhanov, Uliana V. Nikulova, Ramil R. Khasbiullin, Nikita Yu. Budylin, Elizaveta V. Ermakova and Aleksey V. Shapagin
Polymers 2025, 17(20), 2787; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17202787 - 17 Oct 2025
Viewed by 666
Abstract
The article presents the results of a study of the possibility of using heat-treated ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) as a thermoplastic modifier in a photosensitive composition based on tert-butyl acrylate (tBA). The use of such a modifier in 3D printing compositions is important [...] Read more.
The article presents the results of a study of the possibility of using heat-treated ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) as a thermoplastic modifier in a photosensitive composition based on tert-butyl acrylate (tBA). The use of such a modifier in 3D printing compositions is important for improving their physical and mechanical properties at low temperatures. An attempt was also made to use EVA as a polymer chain brancher. The molecular structure of the components and their compositions, rheology, curing kinetics, and phase organization of photocured systems were studied using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, spectrophotometry, rheometry, Photo-DSC, and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that heat treatment of EVA allows the formation of single C=C bonds in macromolecules, which are necessary for a potential crosslinking agent with tBA. It was shown that EVA effectively functions as a thickener and modifier: with an increase in the modifier concentration, the nature of the composition flow changes from Newtonian to pseudoplastic, the rate of the photochemical polymerization reaction decreases, and the degree of conversion of the system decreases. However, the formation of a heterogeneous phase structure and the absence of a continuous spatial network of chemical bonds prevent the use of EVA simultaneously as a functional additive and crosslinking agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process–Structure–Properties Relationships in Polymers and Polymer Composites)
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17 pages, 2895 KB  
Article
Enhancing Mechanical Properties of Chitosan–Silica Aerogels with Tricalcium Phosphate Nanoparticles: A Molecular Dynamics Study for Bone Tissue Engineering
by Ali Attaeyan, Mohamad Shahgholi and Arash Karimipour
Polymers 2025, 17(6), 755; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17060755 - 13 Mar 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1204
Abstract
Chitosan–silica aerogel nanocomposites are lightweight materials with a highly porous structure that have a wide range of applications, including drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, and insulation. These materials may be strengthened using tricalcium phosphate in chitosan–silica aerogel nanocomposites. Thus, in the present research [...] Read more.
Chitosan–silica aerogel nanocomposites are lightweight materials with a highly porous structure that have a wide range of applications, including drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, and insulation. These materials may be strengthened using tricalcium phosphate in chitosan–silica aerogel nanocomposites. Thus, in the present research projects, the influence of different atomic percentages of TCP (2%, 3%, and 5%) on mechanical parameters such as stress-strain, ultimate strength, and Young’s modulus of chitosan–silica aerogel NCs was evaluated using molecular dynamics modeling and LAMMPS software. The findings demonstrate that the addition of tricalcium phosphate (1–3%) enhanced the ultimate strength and Young’s modulus of the simulated nanocomposite from 26.968 to 43.468 GPa and from 681.145 to 1053.183 MPa, respectively. The ultimate strength and Young’s modulus of the silica aerogel/chitosan nanocomposites, however, decreased to 1021.418 MPa and 42.008 GPa, respectively, with the addition more than 5% TCP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process–Structure–Properties Relationships in Polymers and Polymer Composites)
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16 pages, 4848 KB  
Article
Effects of Polymeric Crosslinker on Network Structure, Morphology, and Properties of Liquid Isoprene Rubber
by Jishnu Nirmala Suresh, Hans Liebscher, Hartmut Komber, Muhammad Tahir, Gerald Gerlach and Sven Wießner
Polymers 2025, 17(4), 551; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17040551 - 19 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 912
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the influence of an epoxy end-capped polypropylene oxide crosslinker (epoxy-PPO) on the formation of the crosslinked network structure, the stress–strain response, and the electro-mechanical actuation performance of a maleic anhydride functionalized liquid isoprene rubber (LIR). The crosslinker amount [...] Read more.
In this study, we investigated the influence of an epoxy end-capped polypropylene oxide crosslinker (epoxy-PPO) on the formation of the crosslinked network structure, the stress–strain response, and the electro-mechanical actuation performance of a maleic anhydride functionalized liquid isoprene rubber (LIR). The crosslinker amount varied from 10 (C-LIR-10) to 50 (C-LIR-50) weight parts per hundred parts (phr) of LIR. The swelling test of the cured rubbers revealed that C-LIR-20 formed the densest crosslinked network with the lowest chloroform uptake value within this series. The crosslinked rubber became stiffer in tensile response upon increasing the epoxy-PPO amount from C-LIR-10 to C-LIR-20 and then softened at higher amounts. The SEM measurements were used to relate this composition-induced softening of the rubbers to the phase morphology evolution from nanoscale homogeneity in C-LIR-10 to microscale segregations of excess crosslinkers in C-LIR-50. The use of epoxy-PPO improved the dielectric constant value of LIR; however, the leakage current through the films also increased from 25 µA DC to 320 µA DC for LIR-30 and LIR-50, respectively, during DEA operation. The electro-mechanical actuation tests with circular actuators showed that the C-LIR-10 elastomer film demonstrated a radial strain of 1.7% on activation at an electric field strength of 17.5 V/µm. At higher crosslinker amounts, the close proximity of excess epoxy-PPO molecules caused leakage current across elastomer films thus diminishing the actuation strain of otherwise relatively softer elastomers with higher dielectric constant values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process–Structure–Properties Relationships in Polymers and Polymer Composites)
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