Polymer Blends for 3D Printing

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 1673

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Roma 19, 81031 Aversa, Italy
Interests: viscoelasticity; polymer processing; fatigue; nanocomposites; structural modeling; residual stresses; damage mechanics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The multi-functionality of polymers and polymer matrix composites introduces exceptional superiority over metals, including higher stiffness and strength, lower weight, more corrosion resistivity, etc. Numerous ways can respond to these demands, and blending is one of the most significant. From the 3D printing approaches of polymers and polymer matrix composites, the application of polymer blend is needed more than ever in almost all of additive manufacturing categories. From the biomedical to the aerospace industry, a polymer blend represents a viable means of overcoming the production of filaments with higher mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties ready for use in fused filament fabrication.

Polymer blending is among the most relevant topics in polymer science. However, using polymer blends in 3D printing requires multi-disciplinary approaches involving chemistry, thermodynamics, rheology, mass, and heat transfer phenomena, at different lengths and time scales. Therefore, to harmonize the different research lines around the subject, the Special Issue collects manuscripts from different scientific areas from polymer chemistry to materials and machines engineering.

Prof. Dr. Alberto D’Amore
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • polymer blends
  • rheology
  • heat transfer
  • mass diffusion
  • nano-composites
  • processing
  • compatibilizers
  • amorphous polymers
  • crystalline polymers
  • fused filament fabrication

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 9454 KiB  
Article
Shape Memory Respirator Mask for Airborne Viruses
by Kosisochi Ibebunjo, Susanna Tella, Samantha Kiljunen and Eveliina Repo
Polymers 2023, 15(8), 1859; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15081859 - 13 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1362
Abstract
The emergence of COVID-19 has spurred demand for facemasks and prompted many studies aiming to develop masks that provide maximum protection. Filtration capacity and fit define the level of protection a mask can provide, and the fit is in large part determined by [...] Read more.
The emergence of COVID-19 has spurred demand for facemasks and prompted many studies aiming to develop masks that provide maximum protection. Filtration capacity and fit define the level of protection a mask can provide, and the fit is in large part determined by face shape and size. Due to differences in face dimensions and shapes, a mask of one size will not be likely to fit all faces. In this work, we examined shape memory polymers (SMPs) for producing facemasks that are able to alter their shape and size to fit every face. Polymer blends with and without additives or compatibilizers were melt-extruded, and their morphology, melting and crystallization behavior, mechanical properties, and shape memory (SM) behavior were characterized. All the blends had phase-separated morphology. The mechanical properties of the SMPs were modified by altering the content of polymers and compatibilizers or additives in the blends. The reversible and fixing phases are determined by the melting transitions. SM behavior is caused by physical interaction at the interface between the two phases in the blend and the crystallization of the reversible phase. The optimal SM blend and printing material for the mask was determined to be a polylactic acid (PLA)/polycaprolactone (PCL) blend with 30% PCL. A 3D-printed respirator mask was manufactured and fitted to several faces after being thermally activated at 65°C. The mask had excellent SM and could be molded and remolded to fit a variety of facial shapes and sizes. The mask also exhibited self-healing and healed from surface scratches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Blends for 3D Printing)
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