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Polymers
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Polymer-Ceramic Composites for Structural Application
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Polymer-Ceramic Composites for Structural Application

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 388

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kang Guan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: polymer-ceramic composites; modeling and simulation; computational materials science; thermal conductivity; microstructure; sintering; ceramic materials; materials processing
Dr. Di Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: impact behavior of composite structures; failure analysis of composites; damage resistance and damage tolerance; multiscale design and modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer-ceramic composites represent a transformative class of materials, combining the processability and toughness of polymers with the unique structural and functional properties of ceramics. Their applications are rapidly expanding in critical sectors such as aerospace, electronics, energy storage, and biomedicine. This Special Issue aims to capture the full breadth of innovation in this dynamic field. We invite contributions exploring the entire material lifecycle, from fundamental design to advanced application. Key areas of interest include the development of novel structural and functional composites, including nanocomposites and bio-inspired materials. We are particularly interested in advances in manufacturing, such as additive manufacturing (3D printing), which enable complex geometries. Furthermore, we welcome research on advanced characterization and multiscale modeling that elucidates the crucial links between processing, structure, and performance. Submissions addressing sustainability, including recyclable and bio-based composites, are also highly encouraged. This collection seeks original research and comprehensive reviews that will help define the next generation of polymer-ceramic composites. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Kang Guan
Dr. Di Zhang
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-ceramic composites
  • functional materials
  • structural composites
  • additive manufacturing (3D printing)
  • energy storage
  • biomedical composites
  • interface science
  • multiscale modeling
  • advanced characterization
  • sustainable materials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 11416 KB  
Article
Structural Evolution and Mechanical Modulation of Cf/SiC Interfaces During PIP Ceramization: A ReaxFF Molecular Dynamics Study
by Yue Zhan, Xudong Wang, Kang Guan, Ming Lv, Cheng Peng, Xiaohui Yang and Longteng Bai
Polymers 2026, 18(6), 702; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18060702 - 13 Mar 2026
Viewed by 207
Abstract
The precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) route is widely adopted to fabricate carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (Cf/SiC) composites; however, the atomic-scale restructuring of the pyrolytic carbon/silicon carbide (PyC/SiC) interface during ceramization—and its impact on mechanical integrity—remains elusive. Here, reactive molecular dynamics [...] Read more.
The precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) route is widely adopted to fabricate carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (Cf/SiC) composites; however, the atomic-scale restructuring of the pyrolytic carbon/silicon carbide (PyC/SiC) interface during ceramization—and its impact on mechanical integrity—remains elusive. Here, reactive molecular dynamics (ReaxFF MD) simulations elucidate the coupled thermochemical–mechanical evolution of polycarbosilane (PCS) precursors on PyC substrates with orientation angles (OAs) of 0°, 25°, 55°, and 85°. Dynamic pyrolysis triggers a pivotal transition from sp2 to sp3 hybridization at the interface. High-OA substrates (55° and 85°) present a dense population of reactive edge sites, fostering extensive cross-interfacial covalent bonding. Subsequent shear loading reveals that these pyrolysis-induced chemical bridges govern failure modes, shifting from interlayer sliding dominated by weak non-bonded interactions (0°) to ductile fracture featuring uniform plasticity and crack deflection. The OA = 55° interface attains a theoretical peak shear strength of 15 GPa and exhibits the most favorable combination of high strength and ductile failure under tensile loading, owing to an optimal balance between reactive site availability and interlayer steric openness. In contrast, the OA = 85° interface, despite comparable peak stress, fails via brittle crack penetration into the SiC matrix. By correlating atomistic structure with macroscopic performance, this study provides a bottom-up framework for engineering Cf/SiC composites via interfacial texturing and optimized pyrolysis protocols. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Ceramic Composites for Structural Application)
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