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Polymers
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Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers
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Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2024 | Viewed by 6923

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yuan Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: micro- and nano- scale heat transfer theory; thermal measurement; thermal management
Dr. Guimei Zhu

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: complex network; phonon engineering; thermal metamaterials; non-equilibrium thermal transport

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymers and their composites are widely used in all aspects of daily life and industry. Whether the polymers are in the form of solids, liquids, gases, or solutions, their thermal properties analysis is of fundamental importance. With new polymers and their composites invented every day, novel temperature or thermal measuring technologies, as well as their hyphenated uses, have advanced in recent years. In order to encourage the discussion in a wider scope and a more interdisciplinary prospect, this issue includes mechanical or rheological properties that are strongly temperature-dependent in the definition of thermal properties. The success of thermal analysis hinges not only on advanced techniques, but also on a large database scale and exquisite data analysis skills. Skills such as finding the modes or patterns in multidimensional mass data may be revolutionized by recent Artificial Intelligence advancements. This Special Issue will serve as a platform for global experts to gather thermal data of various polymers, as well as new thermal measuring technologies and according to data-mining algorithms. Perspectives regarding their application feasibility are also warmly welcome.

Dr. Yuan Zhu
Dr. Guimei Zhu
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 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

  • polymers/polymer composites
  • thermal transport properties
  • phase transitions
  • thermomechanical properties
  • mechanocaloric properties
  • rheological properties
  • DSC/TG/DMA analysis
  • IR/X-ray thermography
  • hyphenated measurements

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 15093 KiB  
Article
Applying pH Modulation to Improve the Thermal Stability of Melamine–Formaldehyde Microcapsules Containing Butyl Stearate as a Phase-Change Material
by Branko Alič, Urška Šebenik and Matjaž Krajnc
Polymers 2024, 16(17), 2463; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16172463 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 271
Abstract
This paper presents a two-stage microencapsulation process that uses pH modulation to enhance the thermal stability of microcapsules that consist of a melamine–formaldehyde (MF) shell and a butyl stearate core. In the first stage, the pH value was modulated between 6.0 and 8.0. [...] Read more.
This paper presents a two-stage microencapsulation process that uses pH modulation to enhance the thermal stability of microcapsules that consist of a melamine–formaldehyde (MF) shell and a butyl stearate core. In the first stage, the pH value was modulated between 6.0 and 8.0. Rising the pH value to 8.0 slowed the polycondensation rate, allowing the MF resin with a lower degree of polymerization to migrate to the capsule surface and form a smooth shell. Lowering the pH value to 6.0 accelerated polycondensation. In the second stage, a relatively fast, continuous reduction in the pH value to 5.0 led to further MF polycondensation, hardening the shell. Post-curing at 100 °C prevented shell damage caused by the liquid–gas phase transition of the core material during the process. The microcapsules produced by increasing the pH value to 8.0 twice demonstrated improved thermal stability, with only a minimal overall weight loss of 5% at 300 °C. Significant weight loss was observed between 350 and 400 °C, temperatures at which the methylene bridges in the MF shell undergo thermal degradation. The results from differential scanning calorimetry, electron microscopy, and thermogravimetry analyses confirmed a successful optimization of the microencapsulation, showing that these microcapsules are promising for thermal energy storage and other applications that require high thermal stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers)
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21 pages, 1768 KiB  
Article
Thermal Decomposition Mechanism of P(DAC-AM) with Serial Cationicity and Intrinsic Viscosity
by Tingting Chen, Yongji Wang and Yuejun Zhang
Polymers 2024, 16(11), 1522; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16111522 - 28 May 2024
Viewed by 566
Abstract
The thermal decomposition of the thermodynamic, kinetic and mechanisms of copolymer P(DAC-AM) samples with serial cationicity and intrinsic viscosity ([η]), and the control samples of homopolymer PAM and PDAC, were studied and analyzed using TG, DSC, FTIR. The results of the [...] Read more.
The thermal decomposition of the thermodynamic, kinetic and mechanisms of copolymer P(DAC-AM) samples with serial cationicity and intrinsic viscosity ([η]), and the control samples of homopolymer PAM and PDAC, were studied and analyzed using TG, DSC, FTIR. The results of the thermal decomposition thermodynamics confirmed that the thermal decomposition processes of the serial P(DAC-AM) samples and the two control samples could be divided into two stages. It was found that the processes of the copolymer P(DAC-AM) samples were not a simple superposition of those of homopolymers, whose monomers had composed the unit structures of the copolymer, but there were interactions between the two suspension groups. The results of thermal decomposition kinetics showed that the apparent activation energy (E) of the thermal decomposition process of all polymer samples had different varying trends in the terms of weight-loss rate (α). The reaction order (n) of the thermal decomposition of P(DAC-AM) in Stage I and II was close to 1, but in the former and the latter it tended to be 2 and 0.5, respectively. Finally, the thermal decomposition mechanism of copolymer P(DAC-AM) samples was discussed. The above research could not only fill in the knowledge vacancy of the thermal decomposition of the thermodynamic, kinetic and mechanisms of P(DAC-AM), but could also lay a foundation for the study of thermal decomposition mechanisms of the other types of polymers, including cationic polymers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers)
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11 pages, 3616 KiB  
Article
Highly Thermally Conductive Triple-Level Ordered CNT/PVA Nanofibrous Films
by Yanyan Wu, Anqi Chen, Wenlong Jiang, Zhiye Tan, Tingting Fu, Tingting Xie, Guimei Zhu and Yuan Zhu
Polymers 2024, 16(6), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16060734 - 7 Mar 2024
Viewed by 926
Abstract
The escalating thermal power density in electronic devices necessitates advanced thermal management technologies. Polymer-based materials, prized for their electrical insulation, flexibility, light weight, and strength, are extensively used in this field. However, the inherent low thermal conductivity of polymers requires enhancement for effective [...] Read more.
The escalating thermal power density in electronic devices necessitates advanced thermal management technologies. Polymer-based materials, prized for their electrical insulation, flexibility, light weight, and strength, are extensively used in this field. However, the inherent low thermal conductivity of polymers requires enhancement for effective heat dissipation. This work proposes a novel paradigm, emphasizing ordered structures with functional units, to create triple-level, ordered, low-filler loading of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) nanofibrous films. By addressing interfacial thermal resistance through –OH groups, the coupling between polymer and MWCNT is strengthened. The triple-level ordered structure comprises aligned PVA chains, aligned MWCNTs, and aligned MWCNT/PVA composite fibers. Focusing on the filler’s impact on thermal conductivity and chain orientation, the thermal transport mechanisms have been elucidated level by level. Our MWCNT/PVA composite, with lower filler loadings (10 wt.%), achieves a remarkable TC exceeding 35.4 W/(m·K), surpassing other PVA composites with filler loading below 50 wt.%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers)
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13 pages, 2540 KiB  
Article
Mechanical and Thermal Analysis of Duroplastic Matrix Composites over a Range of Temperatures
by Anna Krzak, Agnieszka J. Nowak, Marcin Heljak, Jerzy Antonowicz, Tushar Garg and Michael Sumption
Polymers 2024, 16(5), 606; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16050606 - 23 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1065
Abstract
It is commonly acknowledged that polymer composites in service are often subjected to not only intricate mechanical loads but also harsh environmental conditions. The mechanical and thermal properties of five particular composites are explored here. The composites are composed of laminates of glass [...] Read more.
It is commonly acknowledged that polymer composites in service are often subjected to not only intricate mechanical loads but also harsh environmental conditions. The mechanical and thermal properties of five particular composites are explored here. The composites are composed of laminates of glass cloth type “E” sheet infilled with a duroplastic matrix. This is a thermoset polymer—epoxy resin with different molecular weights. The composites were fabricated by IZOERG company, which is based in Poland. The final articles were 1.5 mm thick by 60 cm long and 30 cm wide, with the glass layers arranged parallel to the thickness. Young’s modulus and tensile strength were measured at room temperature. Using the thermal analysis of dynamic mechanical properties (DMTA), the values of the storage modulus and the loss modulus were determined, and the damping factor was used to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg). It was revealed that the nature of changes in the storage modulus, loss modulus, and damping factor of composite materials depends on the type of epoxy resin used. Thermal expansion is a crucial parameter when choosing a material for application in cryogenic conditions. Thanks to the TMA method, thermal expansion coefficients for composite materials were determined. The results show that the highest value of the coefficient of thermal expansion leads the laminate EP_4_2 based on brominated epoxy resin cured with novolac P. Duroplastic composites were characterized at cryogenic temperatures, and the results are interesting for developing cryogenic applications, including electric motors, generators, magnets, and other devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers)
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15 pages, 6848 KiB  
Article
Influence of Novel SrTiO3/MnO2 Hybrid Nanoparticles on Poly(methyl methacrylate) Thermal and Mechanical Behavior
by Houda Taher Elhmali, Ivana Stajcic, Aleksandar Stajcic, Ivan Pesic, Marija Jovanovic, Milos Petrovic and Vesna Radojevic
Polymers 2024, 16(2), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020278 - 19 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1058
Abstract
While dental poly methyl methacrylate(PMMA) possesses distinctive qualities such as ease of fabrication, cost-effectiveness, and favorable physical and mechanical properties, these attributes alone are inadequate to impart the necessary impact strength and hardness. Consequently, pure PMMA is less suitable for dental applications. This [...] Read more.
While dental poly methyl methacrylate(PMMA) possesses distinctive qualities such as ease of fabrication, cost-effectiveness, and favorable physical and mechanical properties, these attributes alone are inadequate to impart the necessary impact strength and hardness. Consequently, pure PMMA is less suitable for dental applications. This research focused on the incorporation of Strontium titanate (SrTiO3-STO) and hybrid filler STO/Manganese oxide (MnO2) to improve impact resistance and hardness. The potential of STO in reinforcing PMMA is poorly investigated, while hybrid filler STO/MnO2 has not been presented yet. Differential scanning calorimetry is conducted in order to investigate the agglomeration influence on the PMMA glass transition temperature (Tg), as well as the leaching of residual monomer and volatile additives that could pose a threat to human health. It has been determined that agglomeration with 1 wt% loading had no influence on Tg, while the first scan revealed differences in evaporation of small molecules, in favor of composite PMMA-STO/MnO2, which showed the trapping potential of volatiles. Investigations of mechanical properties have revealed the significant influence of hybrid STO/MnO2 filler on microhardness and total absorbed impact energy, which were increased by 89.9% and 145.4%, respectively. Results presented in this study revealed the reinforcing potential of hybrid nanoparticles that could find application in other polymers as well. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers)
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17 pages, 4120 KiB  
Article
Pyrolysis Kinetics Analysis and Prediction for Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites
by Pei Xiao, Jingyi Zhang, Han Li, Haolei Mou, Zhenyu Feng and Jiang Xie
Polymers 2023, 15(23), 4533; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15234533 - 25 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1052
Abstract
Carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composites have poor high temperature resistance and are prone to thermal damage during service in the aerospace field. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) characteristics of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites and reasonably predict [...] Read more.
Carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composites have poor high temperature resistance and are prone to thermal damage during service in the aerospace field. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) characteristics of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites and reasonably predict their thermal decomposition under arbitrary temperature conditions. The kinetic analysis was conducted on the thermal decomposition of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin composites (USN15000/9A16/RC33, supplied by Weihai GuangWei Composites Co., Ltd. Weihai City, Shandong Province, China) under a nitrogen environment, and an improved model of pyrolysis prediction suitable for the arbitrary temperature program was developed in this work. The results showed that the carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites begin to degrade at about 500 K, and the peak value of the weight loss rate at the respective heating rate appears in the range of 650 K to 750 K. A single-step reaction can characterize the thermal decomposition of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites in a nitrogen atmosphere, and a wide variety of isoconversional approaches can be used for the calculation of the kinetic parameters. The proposed model of pyrolysis prediction can avoid numerous limitations of temperature integration, and it shows good prediction accuracy by reducing the temperature rise between sampling points. This study provides a reference for the kinetic analysis and pyrolysis prediction of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers)
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14 pages, 7207 KiB  
Article
Oriented Three-Dimensional Skeletons Assembled by Si3N4 Nanowires/AlN Particles as Fillers for Improving Thermal Conductivity of Epoxy Composites
by Baokai Wang, Shiqin Wan, Mengyang Niu, Mengyi Li, Chang Yu, Zheng Zhao, Weiwei Xuan, Ming Yue, Wenbin Cao and Qi Wang
Polymers 2023, 15(22), 4429; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15224429 - 16 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 929
Abstract
With the miniaturization of current electronic products, ceramic/polymer composites with excellent thermal conductivity have become of increasing interest. Traditionally, higher filler fractions are required to obtain a high thermal conductivity, but this leads to a decrease in the mechanical properties of the composites [...] Read more.
With the miniaturization of current electronic products, ceramic/polymer composites with excellent thermal conductivity have become of increasing interest. Traditionally, higher filler fractions are required to obtain a high thermal conductivity, but this leads to a decrease in the mechanical properties of the composites and increases the cost. In this study, silicon nitride nanowires (Si3N4NWs) with high aspect ratios were successfully prepared by a modified carbothermal reduction method, which was further combined with AlN particles to prepare the epoxy-based composites. The results showed that the Si3N4NWs were beneficial for constructing a continuous thermal conductive pathway as a connecting bridge. On this basis, an aligned three-dimensional skeleton was constructed by the ice template method, which further favored improving the thermal conductivity of the composites. When the mass fraction of Si3N4NWs added was 1.5 wt% and the mass fraction of AlN was 65 wt%, the composites prepared by ice templates reached a thermal conductivity of 1.64 W·m−1·K−1, which was ~ 720% of the thermal conductivity of the pure EP (0.2 W·m−1·K−1). The enhancement effect of Si3N4NWs and directional filler skeletons on the composite thermal conductivity were further demonstrated through the actual heat transfer process and finite element simulations. Furthermore, the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the composites were also improved by the introduction of Si3N4NWs, suggesting that prepared composites exhibit broad prospects in the field of thermal management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal Properties Analysis of Polymers)
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