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Polymers
Special Issues
Functional Polymers and Polymer Based Composites: Synthesis, Properties and Applications
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Functional Polymers and Polymer Based Composites: Synthesis, Properties and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 9077

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Su-Wen Hsu

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
Interests: nanomaterials; material characterization; FTIR analysis; nanofabrication; polymers; thin films and nanotechnology; nanomaterials synthesis; SEM analysis; XRD analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Functional polymers and polymer-based composite research have attracted substantial attention in the past decade due to their remarkable properties and applications. Compared with conventional pristine polymer, polymer-based composites improve mechanical, barrier, thermal, optical, electrical, and biodegradable properties. This Special Issue will highlight the novel aspects of functional polymers and polymer-based composites: synthetic techniques, properties characterization, and potential applications. Polymer-based composites are hybrid organic–inorganic materials that can be fabricated with a wide range of techniques including melt intercalation, template synthesis, exfoliation adsorption, and in-situ polymerization intercalation. The properties of polymer-based composites strongly depend on the intrinsic properties inorganic filler, which is affected by synthetic techniques. This Special Issue will provide insights into recent advances in functional polymer and polymer-based composites with a special focus on synthesis techniques and applications.

Prof. Dr. Su-Wen Hsu
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

  • functional polymer
  • polymer-inorganic material composite
  • synthetic technique
  • characterizations
  • properties
  • computational model
  • applications

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 9843 KiB  
Article
Influence of Loading History and Soil Type on the Normal Contact Behavior of Natural Sand Grain-Elastomer Composite Interfaces
by Yu Tian, Sathwik S. Kasyap and Kostas Senetakis
Polymers 2021, 13(11), 1830; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13111830 - 1 Jun 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5381
Abstract
Recycled rubber in granulated form is a promising geosynthetic material to be used in geotechnical/geo-environmental engineering and infrastructure projects, and it is typically mixed with natural soils/aggregates. However, the complex interactions of grains between geological materials (considered as rigid bodies) and granulated rubber [...] Read more.
Recycled rubber in granulated form is a promising geosynthetic material to be used in geotechnical/geo-environmental engineering and infrastructure projects, and it is typically mixed with natural soils/aggregates. However, the complex interactions of grains between geological materials (considered as rigid bodies) and granulated rubber (considered as soft bodies) have not been investigated systematically. These interactions are expected to have a significant influence on the bulk strength, deformation characteristics, and stiffness of binary materials. In the present study, micromechanical-based experiments are performed applying cyclic loading tests investigating the normal contact behavior of rigid–soft interfaces. Three different geological materials were used as “rigid” grains, which have different origins and surface textures. Granulated rubber was used as a “soft” grain simulant; this material has viscoelastic behavior and consists of waste automobile tires. Ten cycles of loading–unloading were applied without and with preloading (i.e., applying a greater normal load in the first cycle compared with the consecutive cycles). The data analysis showed that the composite sand–rubber interfaces had significantly reduced plastic displacements, and their behavior was more homogenized compared with that of the pure sand grain contacts. For pure sand grain contacts, their behavior was heavily dependent on the surface roughness and the presence of natural coating, leading, especially for weathered grains, to very high plastic energy fractions and significant plastic displacements. The behavior of the rigid–soft interfaces was dominated by the rubber grain, and the results showed significant differences in terms of elastic and plastic fractions of displacement and dissipated energy compared with those of rigid interfaces. Additional analysis was performed quantifying the normal contact stiffness, and the Hertz model was implemented in some of the rigid and rigid–soft interfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers and Polymer Based Composites: Synthesis, Properties and Applications)
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24 pages, 4604 KiB  
Article
Optimization of the Electrochemical Performance of a Composite Polymer Electrolyte Based on PVA-K2CO3-SiO2 Composite
by Bashir Abubakar Abdulkadir, John Ojur Dennis, Yas Al-Hadeethi, Muhammad Fadhlullah Bin Abd. Shukur, E. M. Mkawi, Nuha Al-Harbi, K. H. Ibnaouf, O. Aldaghri, Fahad Usman and Abdullahi Abbas Adam
Polymers 2021, 13(1), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13010092 - 28 Dec 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3145
Abstract
Composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer, potassium carbonate (K2CO3) salt, and silica (SiO2) filler was investigated and optimized in this study for improved ionic conductivity and potential window for use in electrochemical devices. [...] Read more.
Composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer, potassium carbonate (K2CO3) salt, and silica (SiO2) filler was investigated and optimized in this study for improved ionic conductivity and potential window for use in electrochemical devices. Various quantities of SiO2 in wt.% were incorporated into PVA-K2CO3 complex to prepare the CPEs. To study the effect of SiO2 on PVA-K2CO3 composites, the developed electrolytes were characterized for their chemical structure (FTIR), morphology (FESEM), thermal stabilities (TGA), glass transition temperature (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)), ionic conductivity using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potential window using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). Physicochemical characterization results based on thermal and structural analysis indicated that the addition of SiO2 enhanced the amorphous region of the PVA-K2CO3 composites which enhanced the dissociation of the K2CO3 salt into K+ and CO32− and thus resulting in an increase of the ionic conduction of the electrolyte. An optimum ionic conductivity of 3.25 × 10−4 and 7.86 × 10−3 mScm−1 at ambient temperature and at 373.15 K, respectively, at a potential window of 3.35 V was observed at a composition of 15 wt.% SiO2. From FESEM micrographs, the white granules and aggregate seen on the surface of the samples confirm that SiO2 particles have been successfully dispersed into the PVA-K2CO3 matrix. The observed ionic conductivity increased linearly with increase in temperature confirming the electrolyte as temperature-dependent. Based on the observed performance, it can be concluded that the CPEs based on PVA-K2CO3-SiO2 composites could serve as promising candidate for portable and flexible next generation energy storage devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers and Polymer Based Composites: Synthesis, Properties and Applications)
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