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High-Performance Thermoplastic Polymer Composites: From Fabrication to Application

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 3358

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shakila Parveen Asrafali

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Guest Editor

School of Fiber System and Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
Interests: polymers; polybenzoxazines; bio-polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Jaewoong Lee

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Guest Editor

Department of Fiber System Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Dehak-Ro, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
Interests: polymer chemistry; polymers for energy applications
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer composites, particularly thermoplastic polymer composites, have seen substantial advancements in recent years. These materials are widely used in aerospace, automotive, construction, and biomedical applications due to their lightweight properties, high strength, durability, and environmental benefits. Research has focused on improving mechanical properties, sustainability, and processing techniques to enhance their performance and commercial viability. Special emphasis will be placed on, but not limited to, the following:

Nanomaterial reinforcements for enhanced performance;
Sustainable and recyclable polymer composites;
Three-dimensional printing and advanced manufacturing techniques;
High-performance aerospace and automotive applications;
Self-healing and smart composites;
Hybrid composites for improved performance.

Dr. Shakila Parveen Asrafali
Prof. Dr. Jaewoong Lee
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

nanomaterials
eco-friendly alternatives
bio-based resins and natural fiber
3D printing
high-performance applications
self-healing polymer composites
shape memory polymers
hybrid composites

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 602 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Thermal Processing on Surface Roughness of Injection-Molded Denture Base Polymers

by Bozhana Chuchulska, Mariya Dimitrova, Boyan Dochev and Kliment Georgiev

Polymers 2026, 18(9), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18091010 - 22 Apr 2026

Viewed by 424

Abstract

Surface roughness and mechanical performance are critical determinants of the clinical behavior, hygiene, and longevity of denture base materials. This study investigated the influence of two extrusion temperatures—280 °C and 300 °C—on both the surface roughness and compressive strength of ThermoSens thermoplastic polymer specimens over a 7-day immersion period. Surface roughness was evaluated at baseline, 24 h, and 7 days using a contact profilometer, while compressive strength was measured after 7 days following ISO 604 guidelines. Samples processed at 300 °C exhibited a significantly greater reduction in surface roughness over time (28.3%) compared with those processed at 280 °C (18.3%). However, although specimens processed at 300 °C showed a greater percentage reduction, their absolute roughness values remained higher than those processed at 280 °C. Compression testing demonstrated higher strength and modulus values in the 300 °C group (91.6 ± 1.8 MPa; 1887.9 ± 42.3 MPa) compared to the 280 °C group (82.3 ± 2.1 MPa; 1755.4 ± 38.7 MPa). These findings indicate a trade-off between improved mechanical performance at higher processing temperatures and lower surface roughness at lower temperatures, highlighting the need for the careful optimization of processing conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Performance Thermoplastic Polymer Composites: From Fabrication to Application)

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19 pages, 3453 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mimicking Tissues in 3D-Printed Radiology Phantoms: Brand, Product, and Color of Printing Filaments Matter!

by Thomas Hofmann, Martin Buschmann, Adrian Belarra, Maria Castillo-Garcia, Margarita Chevalier, Irene Hernandez-Giron and Peter Homolka

Polymers 2026, 18(7), 851; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18070851 - 31 Mar 2026

Viewed by 752

Abstract

Additive manufacturing enables the rapid fabrication of radiographic phantoms for X-ray and CT imaging, supporting applications such as patient simulation, dosimetry, imaging protocol optimization, and quality assurance. Polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) are among the most widely used printing polymers in phantoms; however, their X-ray attenuation properties can vary substantially among manufacturers, product lines within manufacturers, and even between colors of the same product. Cylindrical samples of 34 PLA filaments from 11 manufacturers and 13 ABS filaments from 9 manufacturers were evaluated for X-ray attenuation and energy dependence between 70 and 140 kV using a clinical CT scanner. Measured mass densities ranged from 1.17 to 1.34 g/cm³ for PLA and 1.03–1.11 g/cm³ for ABS. At 120 kV, Hounsfield unit (HU) values spanned 109 to 424 HU for PLA and −34 to 40 HU for ABS. Energy dependence, quantified as the HU at 70 kV minus HU at 140 kV, ranged from −29 to +172 HU for PLA filaments and −52 to −4 HU for ABS filaments. Identical products differing only in color showed HU variations from <2 HU to >90 HU at 120 kV, with no consistent pattern linking specific colors to highest or lowest attenuation. These findings demonstrate that 3D printing materials require individual characterization, as base polymer designation alone does not predict X-ray behavior accurately. The observed variability, however, enables the design of phantoms with tailored attenuation and energy-dependent contrast. Referring only to base polymers when specifying 3D printing materials for radiographic phantoms or suggesting printing materials as radiographic substitutes to mimic a specified tissue or reference material without naming the actual product, including color, is, thus, insufficient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Performance Thermoplastic Polymer Composites: From Fabrication to Application)

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15 pages, 5010 KB

Open AccessArticle

Aluminum-Foil/Polyester Core-Spun Yarns Conductive Fabric Enabling High Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

by Yanyan Sun, Xiaoyu Han, Kun Zhao, Weili Zhao, Zhitong He, Zhengyang He, Yingtie Mo, Changliu Chu, Toshiaki Natsuki and Jun Natsuki

Polymers 2026, 18(1), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010145 - 5 Jan 2026

Viewed by 865

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of modern electronic devices and wireless communication systems, electromagnetic pollution has become a prominent issue, prompting the development of high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. Although traditional metal shielding materials exhibit excellent conductivity, there are many limitations such as high weight, poor flexibility, susceptibility to corrosion, and high cost. To overcome these challenges, in this study, we design and fabricate core-spun yarns using polyester filaments as the core and an aluminum-foil-wrapped layer as the conductive outer component, and further weave them into three conductive fabrics with different structural parameters. Through systematic investigation of their surface morphology, air permeability, electrical properties, and EMI shielding performance, DT5W27 demonstrates optimal overall performance: electrical conductivity of 2722.64 S·m⁻¹, shielding effectiveness of 37.29 dB, and electromagnetic wave attenuation rate of 99.99%. Specifically, even after 100 bending, twisting cycles, and exposure to solutions with pH values ranging from 3 to 9, the fabric maintains high shielding performance. The fabrication process is facile and low cost, and these composites have good flexibility, outstanding EMI shielding performance, exceptional mechanical durability, and chemical stability. These advantages make them have broad application potential in protective clothing and lightweight shielding materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Performance Thermoplastic Polymer Composites: From Fabrication to Application)

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15 pages, 2119 KB

Open AccessArticle

Lightweight Modification of Polypropylene Cable Insulation Materials Doped with Hollow Glass Microspheres

by Xindong Zhao, Dongxu Luo, Kai Wang, Jiaming Yang, Ling Weng, Xiongjun Liu, Xiao Han and Xin Yao

Polymers 2025, 17(24), 3321; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17243321 - 16 Dec 2025

Viewed by 861

Abstract

Overhead transmission lines have long relied on cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation. The production of XLPE insulation requires silane cross-linking, which generates by-products, consumes high energy, and results in poor recyclability-retired XLPE insulation can only be disposed of through incineration or landfilling. Additionally, its high density leads to increased cable weight and sag, reducing the service life of the cables. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop recyclable and lightweight insulation materials. In this study, recyclable polypropylene (PP) was used as a substitute for XLPE. Hollow glass microspheres (HGM) were incorporated to reduce weight, and hydrogenated styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) was added for toughening, thereby constructing a PP/HGM/SEBS ternary composite system. The results show that the introduction of HGM into the PP matrix effectively reduces the material density, decreasing from 0.890 g/cm³ (pure PP) to 0.757 g/cm³—a reduction of 15%. With the addition of SEBS, the mechanical properties of the composite are significantly improved: the tensile strength increases from 14.94 MPa (PP/HGM) to 32.40 MPa, and the elongation at break jumps sharply from 72.02% to 671.22%, achieving the synergistic optimization of “weight reduction” and “strengthening-toughening”. Electrical performance tests indicate that the PP/HGM/SEBS composite exhibits a volume resistivity of 1.66 × 10¹² Ω·m, a characteristic breakdown strength of 108.6 kV/mm, a low dielectric loss tangent of 2.76 × 10⁻⁴, and a dielectric constant of 2.24. It achieves density reduction while maintaining low dielectric loss and high insulation strength, verifying its feasibility for application in lightweight insulation scenarios of overhead transmission lines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High-Performance Thermoplastic Polymer Composites: From Fabrication to Application)

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