Advanced Additive Processes and 3D Printing for Polymer Composites, 2nd Edition
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1358
Special Issue Editors
Interests: 3D printing; fiber reinforced polymer composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: nanocomposites; material characterization; nanomaterials; mechanical properties; materials testing; polymer processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: lasers (high power); laser-materials interactions; laser based advanced manufacturing; powder bed fusion; additive manufacturing; 3D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2.Department of Textile and Paper Engineering, Higher Polytechnic School of Alcoy, Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), 03801 Alcoy Alicante, Spain
Interests: carbon nanofibers; needle-free electrospinning; mycelium Pleurotus ostreatus /polymer nano-composites; 3D printing; 2D/ 3D design process; pattern design; fashion design; smart textiles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Additive manufacturing (AM) technology significantly impacts the modern world due to its ability to manufacture highly complex geometries. Three-/four-dimensional printing has innovative advantages, including low cost, minimal waste, custom geometry, and ease of material changeover with applications in the aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and electronic fields. AM techniques are mainly fused deposition modeling (FDM), liquid powder 3D printing (PLP), selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and robocasting. The range of polymers used in AM covers thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, hydrogels, functional polymers, recycled polymers, and green composites. Combining cutting-edge 3D/4D printing technologies with innovative materials is driving disruptive research advances, impacting the development of custom multifunctional capabilities demanded in domains ranging from aerospace to biomedical fields. However, significant challenges still lie ahead, and material selection, multi-material printing, print scalability, material processability, structure integrity, and stability still need to be resolved before we can adopt 3D/4D printing technologies on a much larger scale.
Four-dimensional technology is considered an upgrade of 3D printing technology as it introduces time as the fourth dimension. Materials which are 4D printed can adapt to different stimuli such as temperature, water, and light that stimulate multiple functionalities, creating enormous potential for critical applications. Contemporary research indicates that 4D printing is a promising technology that will bring immense benefits to society.
This Special Issue aims to collect cutting-edge original research articles and reviews on the latest advances in additive processes, technical challenges, and prospects in developing 3D/4D printing techniques for polymer composites with improved properties and applications.
Dr. Lin Sang
Dr. Edgar Franco-Urquiza
Dr. Swee Leong Sing
Prof. Dr. Lilia Sabantina
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
- 3D/4D printing
- polymer composites
- functional materials
- smart composites
- industrial applications
- responsive polymers
- adaptive materials
- filament extrusion
- processing technologies
- process–property relationship
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.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
