Additive Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Polymers: Processing, Structure, and Engineering Performance
A Special Issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360) belonging to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 217
Editors
Interests: additive manufacturing of polymers; mechanical metamaterials; PEEK-based structures; smart and functional polymers; dynamic mechanical properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: mechanical metamaterials; smart materials; energy absorption; vibration isolation; noise control; polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: bone repair composite materials; hot press forming process; modulus matching; mechanical metamaterials; PEEK-based thermoplastic polymer and composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Thermoplastic polymers are among the most important high-performance materials for additive manufacturing, owing to their outstanding mechanical strength, thermal stability, chemical resistance, and long-term durability in demanding service environments. In recent years, significant progress has been made in extending thermoplastic polymers from conventional processing routes to advanced 3D printing technologies, enabling lightweight structural components, functional integration, and application-oriented design freedom. However, the additive manufacturing of thermoplastic polymers still faces critical challenges related to process stability, interlayer bonding, morphology control, anisotropic mechanical behavior, and performance reliability under complex loading and environmental conditions.
This Special Issue focuses specifically on the additive manufacturing of thermoplastic polymers and their composite systems, emphasizing the relationships among processing parameters, microstructure evolution, and mechanical or functional performance. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, high-temperature extrusion-based printing of high-performance thermoplastics, crystallization and phase morphology control, interfacial strength and anisotropy, fatigue and impact behavior, environmental durability, and structure–property optimization. Contributions addressing thermoplastic composites, functionally graded or lattice architectures, and application-driven studies for aerospace, biomedical, and energy systems are particularly encouraged. The aim of this Special Issue is to establish a focused platform for advancing the scientific understanding and engineering deployment of additively manufactured thermoplastic polymer materials.
Dr. Bo Cao
Dr. Xiaojun Tan
Dr. Shuai Li
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
- thermoplastic polymers
- polymer processing and engineering
- polymer analysis and characterization
- structure–property relationships
- polymer applications
- functional and smart polymers
- mechanical metamaterials
- multi-material and 4D printing
- bio-inspired polymer structures
- smart and functional polymers
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
