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Polymers
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Polymers and Polymer Composite Structures for Energy Absorption
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Polymers and Polymer Composite Structures for Energy Absorption

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 383

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Dariusz Pyka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanics, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Smoluchowskiego 25, 50-372 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: composites; finite element method (FEM); smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH); armor; fracture mechanics; impact protection

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The design of polymeric and composite structures with high energy absorption efficiency is crucial in modern industry, particularly in the automotive, aerospace, construction, and safety sectors.

In response to increasing demands for protection against impacts, vibrations, and other dynamic loads, the development of energy-absorbing materials has become a priority. Optimizing these structures involves designing the geometry and material configurations to maximize energy absorption capacity. Both experimental methods and advanced simulation techniques, such as FEM/SPH, are used for this purpose. The selection of appropriate materials is essential; polymers and composites are particularly attractive due to their flexibility, low weight, and the ability to modify their mechanical properties. Additives such as carbon, glass, or aramid fibers, as well as ceramic and metallic reinforcements, enhance their energy-damping properties. Three-dimensional printing technologies enable the creation of complex geometries with controlled pore arrangements that effectively absorb energy while remaining lightweight. These innovative materials find applications in automotive components, aerospace structures, seismic dampers in buildings, and protective gear. These technologies contribute to improved safety, reduced weight, and increased durability of structures under dynamic loading conditions.

Dr. Dariusz Pyka
Guest Editor

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

  • energy absorption efficiency
  • composite structures
  • polymeric structures
  • impact protection
  • vibrations
  • energy-absorbing materials
  • material configurations
  • experimental methods
  • simulation techniques
  • protective gear

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 28205 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Mechanical Performance of Resin-Infused 3D-Printed Polymer Lattices
by Jakub J. Słowiński, Maciej Roszak, Mikołaj Kazimierczak, Grzegorz Skrzypczak and Maksymilian Stępczak
Polymers 2025, 17(8), 1028; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17081028 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 319
Abstract
Fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for the manufacture of polymer components, enabling the precise design of structures and the incorporation of a variety of composite materials. Its development is confirmed by numerous studies on fibre reinforcements (e.g., [...] Read more.
Fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for the manufacture of polymer components, enabling the precise design of structures and the incorporation of a variety of composite materials. Its development is confirmed by numerous studies on fibre reinforcements (e.g., GFRP and CF) and thermosetting resin modifications, resulting in improved impact strength and fracture toughness and increased thermal stability of products. The final mechanical properties are significantly influenced by processing parameters (e.g., fill density, layer height, and printing speed) and internal geometry (e.g., lattice structures), which can be further optimised by numerical analyses using constitutive models such as the Johnson–Cook model. The focus of the study presented here is on the fabrication of composites from FDM dies filled with F8 polyurethane resin. Filaments, including PETG carbon and PETG, were tested for potential applications with the resin. A static compression test, supported by numerical analysis using the Johnson–Cook model, was carried out to identify key mechanical characteristics and to predict the material’s behaviour under different loading conditions. The results indicate that these structures exhibit numerous potential delamination planes and voids between filament paths, leading to relatively low maximum stress values (σm ≈ 2.5–3 MPa). However, the impregnation with polyurethane resin significantly enhances these properties by bonding the layers and filling the pores, resulting in a more homogeneous and stronger composite. Additionally, numerical simulations effectively captured key aspects of structural behaviour, identifying critical stress concentration areas, particularly along the side walls and in regions forming triangular stress zones. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential of resin-filled FDM structures in engineering applications, demonstrating their improved performance over purely printed samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Polymer Composite Structures for Energy Absorption)
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