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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 7856

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Dr. Aleš Mizera

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Applied Informatics, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Nad Stranemi 4511, 760 05 Zlin, Czech Republic
Interests: rapid prototyping; 3D digitalization; mechanical testing; injection molding of plastic parts; temperature stability of polymers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The "3D Printing and Molding Study in Polymeric Materials" Special Issue aims to cover a wide range of topics related to the utilization of 3D printing and molding techniques in polymeric materials. It intends to explore innovative approaches, applications, and advancements in the field of polymeric material manufacturing through 3D printing and molding processes. The submissions expected for this Special Issue include research articles, reviews, and studies focusing on the following aspects:

Novel 3D printing processes and molding techniques for polymer applications.
Comparative studies between traditional molding techniques and 3D printing methods.
Studies on the properties of 3D-printed and molded polymers. New techniques for measuring the static and dynamic behavior of 3D-printed structures and molded components.
Applications of 3D-printed molds in various industries.
Health and environmental considerations related to the 3D printing of polymeric materials.

By encompassing these diverse topics, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current trends, challenges, and advancements in the field of polymeric materials’ 3D printing and molding.

Dr. Aleš Mizera
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

3D printing
molding techniques
polymeric materials
material manufacturing

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3238 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Polymers Surface Roughness on Noise Emissions in 3D-Printed UAV Propellers

by Florin Popișter, Horea Ștefan Goia and Paul Ciudin

Polymers 2025, 17(8), 1015; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17081015 - 9 Apr 2025

Viewed by 278

Abstract

Following the rising popularity of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) among large-scale users, in the form of domestic as well as professional drones, with applications in domains such as safety (e.g., surveillance drones), terrain mapping (using geo-scanning UAVs), videography drones, and high performance drones used in FPV (First Person View) drone competitions—as well as the rising wide accessibility of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)—especially considering the recent apparition and popularization of 3D printers capable of displaying exponential increases in performance metrics, the present work takes into consideration the practice of fabricating UAV propellers by means of FFF, focusing on the theoretical, as well as on the practical aspects of the roughness and quality observed at the level of the resulting surfaces. The paper proposes a set of propeller configurations obtained by combining popular propeller geometries, such as the Gemfan 51466-3 three-bladed propeller and the novel Toroidal propeller model, with a range of different fabrication materials, such as the Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) filament and the Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament. The main aim of the study is to reveal observations on the influence that the surface quality has on the performance metrics of a propeller. Based on the practical work, which aims to develop a comparative study between two drone propeller geometries manufactured by a nonconventional process, 3D printing, the practical applications in the study were carried out using low-cost equipment in order to evaluate the results obtained in a domestic setting. The study involves the identification of the noise values produced by the two geometries due to the roughness of the propeller surfaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing and Molding Study in Polymeric Materials)

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18 pages, 2465 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An In-Vitro Evaluation of Strength, Hardness, and Color Stability of Heat-Polymerized and 3D-Printed Denture Base Polymers After Aging

by Abdulrahman Al-Ameri, Othman Y. Alothman, Omar Alsadon and Durgesh Bangalore

Polymers 2025, 17(3), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030288 - 23 Jan 2025

Viewed by 1062

Abstract

This study evaluated the strength, hardness, and color stability of 3D-printed denture base resins and compared the outcome with conventional heat-cured denture base resins after aging by thermocycling. A total of 72 specimens from conventional and 3D-printed materials were fabricated in different shapes and dimensions based on the mechanical and color tests performed. The specimens were divided into five groups: flexural, tensile, and compressive strengths (n = 20), hardness, and color stability (n = 6). In all these groups, half of the specimens were stored in a distilled water bath at 37 °C for 24 h, and the remaining half of the specimens were subjected to aging by thermocycling. The 3D-printed specimens demonstrated the highest means of tensile strength (32.20 ± 3.8 MPa), compressive strength (106.31 ± 4.07 MPa), and Vickers hardness number (24.51 ± 0.36), and the lowest means of flexural strength (54.29 ± 13.17 MPa) and color difference (ΔE = 2.18 ± 1.09). Conventional heat-cured specimens demonstrated the highest means of flexural strength (59.96 ± 8.39 MPa) and color difference (ΔE = 4.74 ± 2.37) and the lowest means of tensile strength (32.17 ± 9.06 MPa), compressive strength (46.05 ± 4.98 MPa), and Vickers hardness number (10.42 ± 1.05). Aging significantly reduced the flexural strength (−27%), tensile strength (−44%), and hardness (−7%) of 3D-printed resins in contrast to the conventional resin’s compressive strength (−15%) and color stability (p < 0.05). The 3D-printed resin had comparable flexural and tensile strength and significantly superior compressive strength, hardness, and color stability compared with conventional resins. Aging significantly and negatively affected the flexural strength, tensile strength, and hardness of 3D-printed resin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing and Molding Study in Polymeric Materials)

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21 pages, 5361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of 3D Printing Conditions on Physical–Mechanical Properties of Polymer Materials

by Lubomír Beníček, Martin Vašina and Pavel Hrbáček

Polymers 2025, 17(1), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17010043 - 28 Dec 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4694

Abstract

The popularity of 3D printing technology is rapidly increasing worldwide. It can be applied to metals, ceramics, composites, hybrids, and polymers. Three-dimensional printing has the potential to replace conventional manufacturing technologies because it is cost effective and environmentally friendly. This paper focuses on the influence of 3D printing conditions on the physical and mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and poly(ethylene terephthalate glycol-modified) (PETG) materials produced using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. The impact of nozzle diameter, layer height, and printing temperature on the mechanical (i.e., bending stiffness and vibration damping) and physical (i.e., sound absorption and light transmission) properties of the studied polymer materials was investigated. It can be concluded that 3D printing conditions significantly influenced the structure and surface shape of the 3D-printed polymer samples and, consequently, their physical and mechanical properties. Therefore, it is essential to consider the type of filament used and the 3D printing conditions for specific 3D-printed material applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing and Molding Study in Polymeric Materials)

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16 pages, 4734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Parametric Optimization of 3D-Printed Components

by Calin Vaida, Grigore Pop, Paul Tucan, Bogdan Gherman and Doina Pisla

Polymers 2025, 17(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17010027 - 26 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 802

Abstract

This study explores the experimental and theoretical optimization of process parameters to improve the quality of 3D-printed parts produced using the Fused Deposition Modeling technique. To ensure the cost-effective production of high-quality components, advancements in printing strategies are essential. This research identifies optimal 3D printing strategies to enhance the quality of finished products. Form and dimensional tolerances were assessed using a 3D Coordinate Measuring Machine, and the resulting data were analyzed via Design Expert software version 9.0.6.2. Design Expert for experimental design was utilized and an Analysis of Variance was conducted to validate the models’ accuracy. The results indicate that a 45° raster angle, combined with internal raster values between 0.5048 and 0.726, minimizes flatness, cylindricity, and dimensional deviations by optimizing deposition patterns and thermal dynamics. Internal raster values below 0.308 resulted in insufficient support and greater deviations, while higher values enhanced stability through improved interlayer adhesion. Experimental validation confirmed these parameter settings as optimal for producing precise and consistent 3D-printed parts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing and Molding Study in Polymeric Materials)

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19 pages, 11718 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermomechanical and Structural Analysis of Manufactured Composite Based on Polyamide and Aluminum Recycled Material

by Adam Gnatowski, Rafał Gołębski, Krystian Stachowiak, Jana Petrů and Jakub Měsíček

Polymers 2024, 16(19), 2742; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16192742 - 27 Sep 2024

Viewed by 782

Abstract

The paper presents an analysis of the filler’s effect on the machining process and on changes in the thermomechanical properties of polymer composites based on aluminum chips. Composite research samples with a polymer matrix in the form of polyamide 6 were made by the pressing method. Comparative studies were carried out on the changes in thermomechanical properties and structure of the obtained molders with different filler contents and different fractions after the machining process. In order to determine the changes in thermal and mechanical properties, analysis was carried out using the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method, thermal analysis of dynamic mechanical properties (DMTA) and a detailed stereometric analysis of the surface. After mechanical processing, roughness amplitude parameters and volumetric functional parameters were determined. In order to analyze the structure, tomographic examinations of the manufactured composite were conducted. In relation to the polymer matrix, a significant increase in the storage modulus of the composites was noted in the entire temperature range of the study. An increase in the enthalpy of melting of the matrix was noted in composites with a lower filler content and a shift in the melting range of the crystalline phase. Significant differences were noted in the study of the composite surfaces in the case of using fillers obtained after machining with different fractions. The dependencies of the functional and amplitude parameters of the surfaces after machining of composite samples prove the change in the functional properties of the surface. The use of aluminum chips in the composite significantly changed the surface geometry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing and Molding Study in Polymeric Materials)

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