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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2023) | Viewed by 17566

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Dr. Artur Camposo Pereira

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Military Institute of Engineering—IME, Materials Science Program, Praça General Tibúrcio 80, Urca, Rio de Janeiro 22290-270, Brazil
Interests: composites; fique fabric; polyester matrix; thermal dynamic mechanical behavior; ballistic performance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Michel Picanço Oliveira

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Guest Editor

Forest and Wood Sciences Department, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Jeronimo Monteiro 29550-000, Brazil
Interests: biocomposites; biopolymers; cellulose; nanocellulose, solid waste disposal; natural fibers; additive manufacturing
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Faced with the development of new materials, composite materials are managing to encompass what was never thought possible for them to achieve. Polymer is no longer a disposable material and is now being used in high value-added components such as carbon–fiber composites. In addition to the use of synthetic fiber, natural fibers that manage to maintain the environmental and sustainable principle are used. Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are being studied using the most advanced computational technology available today, which has helped to provide simulation levels with high precision. Composite materials are here to stay, and we are already exploring new horizons based on their use.

This Special Issue focuses on fiber-reinforced polymer composites for applications in various engineering fields and aims to demonstrate the ability of researchers to design, simulate, and manufacture synthetic or natural materials that address the challenges posed by classical and emerging applications.

Dr. Artur Camposo Pereira
Prof. Dr. Michel Picanço Oliveira
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

composite polymer materials
natural fiber
synthetic fiber
mechanical properties
fabric
epoxy

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 6286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flexure Performance of Ferrocement Panels Using SBR Latex and Polypropylene Fibers with PVC and Iron Welded Meshes

by Hisham Jahangir Qureshi, Nauman Khurram, Usman Akmal, Md Arifuzzaman, Muhammad Qamar Habib and Abdulrahman Fahad Al Fuhaid

Polymers 2023, 15(10), 2304; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102304 - 14 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3166

Abstract

Ferrocement panels are thin-section panels that are widely used in lightweight construction. Due to lesser flexural stiffness, they are susceptible to surface cracking. Water may penetrate through these cracks and may cause corrosion of conventional thin steel wire mesh. This corrosion is one of the major factors which affect the load-carrying and durability of ferrocement panels. There is a need to improve the mechanical performance of ferrocement panels either through using some non-corrodible reinforcing mesh or through improving the cracking behavior of the mortar mix. In the present experimental work, PVC plastic wire mesh is employed to address this problem. SBR latex and polypropylene (PP) fibers are also utilized as admixtures to control the micro-cracking and improve the energy absorption capacity. The main idea is to improve the structural performance of ferrocement panels that may be utilized in lightweight, low-cost house construction and sustainable construction. The ultimate flexure strength of ferrocement panels employing PVC plastic wire mesh, welded iron mesh, SBR latex, and PP fibers is the subject of the research. Test variables are the type of mesh layer, the dosage of PP fiber, and SBR latex. Experimental tests are conducted on 16 simply supported panels of size 1000 × 450 mm and subjected to four-point bending test. Results indicate that the addition of latex and PP fibers only controls the initial stiffness and does not have any significant effect on ultimate load. Due to the increased bonding between cement paste and fine aggregates, the addition of SBR latex improves the flexural strength by 12.59% and 11.01% for iron mesh (SI) and PVC plastic mesh (SP), respectively. The results also indicate an improvement in the flexure toughness of specimens with PVC mesh as compared to specimens with iron welded mesh; however, a smaller peak load is observed (i.e., 12.21% for control specimens) compared with the specimen with welded iron mesh. The failure patterns of the specimens with PVC plastic mesh exhibit a smeared cracking pattern that shows that they are more ductile compared to samples with iron mesh. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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14 pages, 3747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of CFRP-Countersunk Bolted Assembly Fatigue Damage under Three-Point Bending via Experimental and Numerical Analysis

by Zhengqi Qin, Ying He, Shengwu Wang and Cunying Meng

Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1648; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071648 - 26 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2043

Abstract

In this research, the fatigue damage behavior under three-point bending of a composite joint incorporating a single countersunk fastener is investigated. Firstly, a self-developed fatigue test system was set up to test the fatigue characteristics of CFRP-countersunk bolted assembly under the displacement amplitude cycles of 10³ to 10⁶ to study the formation and expansion rule of damage and cracks. It found two typical damage processes, both of which involve some formal interface damage between fiber and matrix. Based on the experiment, a finite element fatigue damage analysis on this assembly was carried out according to the Hashin failure criterion. The simulation result shows an identical fatigue damage location and fatigue life with the experimental phenomenon. Moreover, it predicted the final fatigue life of the specimen under 10 hz cyclic loading with 1 mm displacement and 10 Nm bolt preloading. This research provides guidance for the engineering fatigue issues of single-bolted joint composite connection structures and provides a reference for the corresponding technical specifications formulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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18 pages, 4941 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polyhydroxybutyrate Rice Hull and Torrefied Rice Hull Biocomposites

by Zach McCaffrey, Andrew Cal, Lennard Torres, Bor-Sen Chiou, Delilah Wood, Tina Williams and William Orts

Polymers 2022, 14(18), 3882; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183882 - 17 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2406

Abstract

Raw and torrefied rice hulls (RRH and TRH) were incorporated into polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as fillers using extrusion and injection molding to produce biomass-polymer composites. Filler and composite materials were characterized by particle size analysis, thermomechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, FTIR analysis, CHNSO analysis, and mechanical testing. Heat distortion temperature of the RRH composites were 16–22 °C higher than TRH composites. The RRH composite samples showed a 50–60% increase in flexural modulus and 5% increase in stress at yield compared to PHB, while TRH composite samples showed nearly equal flexural modulus and a 24% decrease in stress at yield. The improved mechanical properties of the RRH composites in comparison to TRH composites were due to better particle-matrix adhesion. FTIR analysis showed RRH particles contained more surface functional groups containing oxygen than TRH particles, indicating that RRHs should be more compatible with the polar PHB plastic. SEM images showed space between filler and plastic in TRH composites and better wetted filler particles in the RRH composites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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14 pages, 3646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Silanization Treatment of Sponge Gourd (Luffa cylindrica) Fibers on the Reinforcement of Polyester Composites: A Brief Report

by Eduarda Chiabai Rodrigues de Melo, Mayara de Oliveira Camillo, Paulo Roberto Correia Marcelino, Roseméri Barbosa dos Santos da Silva, Thierry Colares Firmino, Bárbara Ferreira de Oliveira, Demetrius Profeti, Artur Camposo Pereira, Sergio Neves Monteiro and Michel Picanço Oliveira

Polymers 2022, 14(16), 3311; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14163311 - 15 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3056

Abstract

Natural lignocellulosic fibers (NLFs) have been extensively investigated and applied as reinforcements for polymers composites owing to improved properties associated with their cost-effectiveness and their sustainable characteristics as compared to synthetic fibers. However, an intrinsic difficulty of the hydrophilic NFL adhesion to a hydrophobic polymer matrix is still a major limitation, which might be overcome via fiber surface treatments. Among the less-known NLFs, sponge gourd (Lufta cylindrica) is a promising reinforcement for polymer composites owing to its natural network of intertwined fibers. The present work investigated for the first time the influence of a chemical treatment using silane as a coupling agent for 30 wt.% sponge gourd incorporated into a polyester matrix composite. The novel composite performance was compared with that of an untreated fiber composite via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Charpy impact tests, and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The XRD results revealed that the silanization increased the crystallinity index by 37%, which attests to the effective fiber–matrix interaction stretching of the C-H bond, as observed in its FTIR band. The silanization also increased the mean impact resistance by 10%. Although the temperatures associated with the beginning of the thermal degradation by the TGA were not affected, both the silane-treated fibers and composite displayed less thermal degradation compared with the untreated fibers. The scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) results disclosed an improved sponge gourd fiber morphology after the silanization, which caused greater adherence to the polyester matrix. These results revealed a promising novel composite compared with other NLF polymer composites in engineering applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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13 pages, 6494 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of MWCNTs on Char Layer Structure and Physicochemical Reaction in Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Insulators

by Zhiheng Chen, Shida Han, Yuan Ji, Hong Wu, Shaoyun Guo, Ning Yan and Hongyan Li

Polymers 2022, 14(15), 3016; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14153016 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1881

Abstract

As one of the most promising ablative fillers, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been used to improve the ablative resistance of Ethylene–Propylene–Diene Monomer (EPDM) insulators by facilitating the carbothermal reduction reaction of silica. However, the contribution of MWCNTs to char layer structure of the insulators was unclear. In this work, the effects of MWCNTs on char layer structure and ablative resistance were investigated in different EPDM-based insulators with and without silica. The results showed that adding only 3 phr MWCNTs can reduce the linear ablation rate of EPDM-based insulators without silica by 31.7%, while 6 phr MWCNTs are required to obtain similar results in EPDM-based insulators with silica. The char layer morphology of the two insulators gradually evolved into a dense porous structure as MWCNTs content increased, but their formation mechanisms were different. The XRD and Raman spectrum showed that different physicochemical reactions occurred around MWCNTs under different charring components. The proposed ablation mechanism was further verified by designing alternating multilayer distribution of MWCNTs and silica. This work can guide the construction of desirable char layer structure for increasing the ablative resistance of EPDM-based insulators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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17 pages, 3673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tensile Properties of Curaua–Aramid Hybrid Laminated Composites for Ballistic Helmet

by Natalin Michele Meliande, Pedro Henrique Poubel Mendonça da Silveira, Sergio Neves Monteiro and Lucio Fabio Cassiano Nascimento

Polymers 2022, 14(13), 2588; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14132588 - 26 Jun 2022

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3731

Abstract

A typical ballistic protection helmet for ground military troops has an inside laminate polymer composite reinforced with 19 layers of the aramid, which are neither recyclable or biodegradable and are relatively expensive. The hybridization of synthetic aramid with a natural lignocellulosic fiber (NLF) can provide a lower cost and desirable sustainability to the helmet. In the present work, the curaua fiber, one of the strongest NLFs, is, for the first time, considered in non-woven mat layers to partially replace the aramid woven fabric layers. To investigate the possible advantage of this replacement, the tensile and impact properties of aramid/curaua hybrid laminated composites intended for ballistic helmets, in which up to four layers of curaua were substituted for the aramid, were evaluated. Tensile strength, toughness, and elastic modulus decreased with the replacement of the aramid while the deformation of rupture was improved for the replacement of nine aramid layers by two layers of curaua. Preliminary impact tests corroborate the decreasing tendency found in the tensile properties with the replacement of the aramid by curaua. Novel proposed Reduction Maps showed that, except for the replacement of four aramid layers by one layer of curaua, the decrease percentage of any tensile property value was lower than the corresponding volume percentage of replaced aramid, which revealed advantageous hybridization for the replacement of nine or more aramid layers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites)

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