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Sustainable Polymeric Materials in Building and Construction, 2nd Edition
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Sustainable Polymeric Materials in Building and Construction, 2nd Edition

A Special Issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360) belonging to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 3498

Editors

Dr. Elnaz Esmizadeh

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Guest Editor
Durability and Service Life Prediction of Polymeric Materials, Construction Research Centre (CONST), National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
Interests: polymer durability; service life prediction of polymers; constructive polymers; eco-building; polymer composite; reinforcement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Michael A. Lacasse

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Guest Editor
Construction Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Building M-24, Ottawa, ON K1A0R6, Canada
Interests: environmental loads; climate change; material durability; service-life prediction; sustainable development; sustainability; materials technology; construction materials; polymers; building and civil engineering; simulation and numerical modelling; technological innovation; technology transfer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With a growing emphasis in the construction industry on eco-friendly and environmentally responsible practices, this Special Issue, titled “Sustainable Polymeric Materials in Building and Construction, 2nd Edition”, aims to collate cutting-edge scientific and industrial research on sustainable polymeric materials. Contributions may cover a broad spectrum of subjects that include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Resilience in building practice;
  • Green polymers in building and construction;
  • The real-world performance of polymeric building materials;
  • The life cycle assessment of polymeric building materials;
  • Durability and service life prediction of polymers in building construction;
  • The integration of polymers in sustainable building practices;
  • Recyclability and upcycling of polymeric building materials.

This Special Issue aims to significantly contribute to the ongoing global effort towards greener and more sustainable construction practices, serving as a platform for researchers, experts, and scholars whose research is focused on sustainable polymeric materials used in building and construction to share their recent findings. The editors of this Special Issue welcome contributions of original research articles, review papers, communications, and theoretical discussions pertaining to the subject matter. We extend this invitation to all those whose research may offer an advantageous contribution to the literature in this field. We look forward to receiving your valuable contribution.

Dr. Elnaz Esmizadeh
Dr. Michael A. Lacasse
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-anonymized 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

  • green polymers
  • resilient building
  • sustainable construction
  • durability prediction
  • life cycle assessment
  • recycling in building

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5754 KB  
Article
Characterization of Novel Partially Bio-Based, Waste-Derived Composites for Thermal and Acoustic Performance in Buildings
by Mohamed Ali, Redhwan Almuzaiqer, Hassan Alshehri, Mohammed A. Alanazi, Turki Almudhhi and Abdullah Nuhait
Polymers 2026, 18(11), 1401; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111401 - 4 Jun 2026
Viewed by 640
Abstract
New partially bio-based, waste-derived composites are manufactured from date palm surface fibers (DPSF), waste coffee filters (CFP), and disposable medical isolation gowns (MIG). These three disposable raw materials fill landfills and create an environmental problem. Therefore, the objective of this current study is [...] Read more.
New partially bio-based, waste-derived composites are manufactured from date palm surface fibers (DPSF), waste coffee filters (CFP), and disposable medical isolation gowns (MIG). These three disposable raw materials fill landfills and create an environmental problem. Therefore, the objective of this current study is to use such materials in creating promised thermal insulation and sound absorption boards. Six hybrid composites with different compositions were made using Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) wood adhesive as a binder. Three of them were made of DPSF and MIG, and the other three were composed of DPSF and the CFP. Different tests were performed on the developed composites, such as thermal conductivity measurements, sound absorption and noise reduction determination, surface morphology image analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and three-point bending tests. The results showed that the thermal conductivity coefficients for the hybrids DPSF + MIG and DPSF + CFP are in the ranges 0.0493–0.0613 W/(m·K) and 0.052–0.065 W/(m·K), respectively, over the temperature range 24–82 °C. The sound absorption coefficient (SAC) is greater than 0.4 for all composites at frequency bands greater than 500 Hz. The noise reduction coefficient (NRC) is ≥0.45 for all composites. Surface morphology images of the composites were also reported. The results also show that the composites are thermally stable at temperatures up to 258.3 °C. The flexural modulus ranges between 5.0 and 8.46 MPa for the medical isolation gown composites and 2.49 and 5.57 MPa for the coffee filter paper composites. The hybrid composites have a lower moisture content of 0.51% to 2.5%. These promising results support the use of these composites for thermal insulation and sound absorption in building construction as alternatives to conventional thermal insulations derived from crude fuels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Polymeric Materials in Building and Construction, 2nd Edition)
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25 pages, 12583 KB  
Article
Durability of Silicone-Based Waterproofing Membranes in Hempcrete Systems Under Environmental Exposure: Role of Leachate Chemistry and Fiber Treatment
by Elnaz Esmizadeh, Amir Sabziparvar, Marzieh Riahinezhad, Peter Collins, Esrat Jahan, Itzel Lopez-Carreon and Donato Tale Ponga
Polymers 2026, 18(11), 1311; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111311 - 26 May 2026
Viewed by 524
Abstract
This study investigates the durability of silicone-based membranes in contact with hempcrete under combined moisture and temperature exposure. Membrane specimens were aged in contact with non-treated and treated hempcrete under dry and wet conditions at temperatures up to 90 °C. The evolution of [...] Read more.
This study investigates the durability of silicone-based membranes in contact with hempcrete under combined moisture and temperature exposure. Membrane specimens were aged in contact with non-treated and treated hempcrete under dry and wet conditions at temperatures up to 90 °C. The evolution of chemical, thermal, and microstructural properties was characterized using FTIR, TGA, DSC, optical microscopy, and SEM–EDS analyses. Results show that dry exposure does not induce measurable changes in membrane structure or performance, confirming that temperature alone is not a critical degradation factor. In contrast, wet exposure leads to significant chemical, thermal, and microstructural changes in the membrane, including degradation of the siloxane network, reduced polymer chain mobility, and the formation of calcium-rich mineral deposits at the interface. These results indicate that membrane degradation is governed by a coupled moisture–ion mechanism involving ion transport, mineral deposition, and hydrolysis of the polymer network. Fiber treatment slightly reduces the aggressiveness of the leachate but does not prevent degradation under wet conditions. Overall, moisture availability and leachate chemistry are identified as key factors controlling the durability of silicone membranes in contact with bio-based materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Polymeric Materials in Building and Construction, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 4562 KB  
Article
Investigating the Role of Silica in Thermo-Oxidative Degradation of EPDM Recycled Composites for Applications in Building and Construction
by Xavier Colom, Leire Moral and Javier Cañavate
Polymers 2026, 18(2), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18020250 - 16 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 714
Abstract
This work investigates the structural, acoustic, and thermo-oxidative degradation behavior of elastomeric composites made from neat EPDM and recycled devulcanized EPDM (EPDMd) blends, both with and without silica (SiO2). SiO2 plays a complex role in degradation, possibly acting as a [...] Read more.
This work investigates the structural, acoustic, and thermo-oxidative degradation behavior of elastomeric composites made from neat EPDM and recycled devulcanized EPDM (EPDMd) blends, both with and without silica (SiO2). SiO2 plays a complex role in degradation, possibly acting as a catalyst and also affecting the properties of the materials. Samples were subjected to accelerated degradation at 80 °C for 30 days. The characterization included the mechanical, spectroscopical (FTIR-ATR), thermal (TGA), and morphological (SEM) studies of the samples. Given EPDM’s use in construction as a sound-absorber, its acoustic properties were also analyzed. The determination of the mechanical properties shows that the incorporation of SiO2 improves the Young’s modulus (YM), maintains the tensile strength (TS) at similar values, and causes a decrease in elongation at break (EB). The content of EPDMd slightly decreases both the TS and the EB and increases the YM. The thermo-oxidative degradation of the studied composites does not affect the TS values, but it increases the YM for the samples with and without SiO2 for EPDMd contents higher than 40 phr, and decreases the EB for samples with and without SiO2 for all EPDMd contents. The FTIR-ATR, TGA, and SEM results show that the addition of SiO2 catalyzes the thermo-oxidative degradation process, while the EPDMd inhibits structural degradation. Migration of the ZnSt2 included in the formulations to the surface is common in these elastomers. In this case, EPDMd forms microaggregates, which retain the exudation of ZnSt2 crystals, especially in the non-degraded samples. The degraded samples present irregular structures, with microcavities, cracks, and occlusions, which increase the acoustic absorption mainly at frequencies below 1500 Hz. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Polymeric Materials in Building and Construction, 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 2902 KB  
Article
Integrating Polypropylene Fibers and Cement in Clays for Sustainable Clay Bricks
by Muawia Dafalla and Awadh Abden
Polymers 2025, 17(24), 3244; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17243244 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1019
Abstract
This study investigates how adding polypropylene fibers and cement affects the strength of highly plastic clay used in clay bricks. The research looked at various curing times to improve the strength of clay bricks for effective use in the construction industry. A fiber [...] Read more.
This study investigates how adding polypropylene fibers and cement affects the strength of highly plastic clay used in clay bricks. The research looked at various curing times to improve the strength of clay bricks for effective use in the construction industry. A fiber content of 0.2% was added to the clay and compared to untreated control samples improved with varied amounts of cement (2%, 4%, and 6%). The influence of curing on strength increase was explored, as well as the profile of the stress–strain relationship. The compressive strength increased by 53% to 140% after 7 days of curing, which is almost a quarter of the strength attained after 28 days. The results showed a considerable increase in strength, illustrating the cumulative benefits of longer curing times and the suggested additions. Fiber addition was shown to be associated with a significant increase in compressive strength. This advantage is due to the particle connection established by incorporating the fibers and cement into the mixture. Improvement in tensile and shear strength was investigated. It was also found that fibers made the material more ductile. It was noted that using cement alone can increase the compressive strength but cracking and shrinkage control may not be achieved. When compared to the untreated sample, mixtures containing 0.2% fibers and treated with 2%, 4%, and 6% cement increased compressive strength by 225%, 390%, and 630%, respectively. This improvement is comparable to a 2-, 4-, or 6-fold improvement. This increase will enhance the supporting capacity of the non-load-bearing clay bricks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Polymeric Materials in Building and Construction, 2nd Edition)
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