Processing and Applications of Polymer Composite Materials

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 616

Special Issue Editor


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Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Interests: recycled polymers; biodegradable polymers; polymer engineering; polymer processing; nanotechnology; materials engineering; flame retardants; biodiesel
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer composites are materials comprising polymer matrices (natural and synthetic polymers) and additives (i.e., fillers, plasticizers, lubricants, stabilizers, modifiers) that improve their properties. Individual components in the composite persist together through physical or chemical interactions but keep their physical or chemical characteristics and display superiority over the original materials. Polymer composites are fabricated in diverse shapes and sizes based on their application using several techniques such as melt-extrusion, injection molding, electrospinning, and solution mixing. From these techniques, polymer composites can be fabricated in diverse structures, such as strands, flat sheets, thin films, microspheres/microparticles, and fibers. To date, polymer composites have been used in various fields such as construction, aerospace, electronics, medical devices, and biomedical applications.

This Special Issue entitled “Processing and Applications of Polymer Composite Materials” seeks high-quality work to develop new materials based on polymer composites for multifunctional applications (i.e., drug delivery, water and wastewater purification). Topics include, but are not limited to, the following progresses in the manufacture and compounding of polymer composite materials:

  • Improvement in the thermal, mechanical, morphological, thermal, and flammability properties of polymer composites by adding fillers, plasticizers, lubricants, stabilizers, modifiers, and flame retardants and their combinations.
  • Innovative methods to estimate and measure the physical, mechanical, and chemical performances of polymer composites.
  • Enhancement in the barrier properties of polymer composites by incorporating nanoparticles in the polymer matrix.
  • Polymer composites in 3D printing.
  • Polymer composite materials based on repellents, insecticides, and fertilizers.

Dr. Antônio Benjamim Mapossa
Guest Editor

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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

  • polymer composites
  • processing techniques
  • additives
  • fibers
  • membranes
  • hybrid matrix
  • performance

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 7233 KiB  
Article
Dimer Fatty Acid-Based Polyamide/Organoclays: Structural, Thermal Properties, and Statistical Analysis of Factors Affecting Polymer Chain Intercalation in Bentonite Layers
by Afonso D. Macheca, Diocrecio N. Microsse, Theophile M. Mujuri, Robert Kimutai Tewo, António Benjamim Mapossa and Shepherd M. Tichapondwa
Processes 2025, 13(7), 2168; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13072168 - 7 Jul 2025
Viewed by 330
Abstract
This work investigates the potential industrial applications of two sodium bentonite samples (white and yellow), obtained from raw Ca-rich bentonite from Maputo Province in Southern Mozambique. Bentonite bio-organoclays were successfully developed from two Mozambican montmorillonite clays through the intercalation of protonated dimer fatty [...] Read more.
This work investigates the potential industrial applications of two sodium bentonite samples (white and yellow), obtained from raw Ca-rich bentonite from Maputo Province in Southern Mozambique. Bentonite bio-organoclays were successfully developed from two Mozambican montmorillonite clays through the intercalation of protonated dimer fatty acid-based polyamide chains using a solution casting method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed polymer intercalation, with the basal spacing (d001) increasing from approximately 1.5 nm to 1.7 nm as the polymer concentration varied between 2.5 and 7.5 wt.%. However, the extent of intercalation was limited at this stage, suggesting that polymer concentration alone had a minimal effect, likely due to the formation of agglomerates. In a subsequent optimization phase, the influence of temperature (30–90 °C), stirring speed (1000–2000 rpm), and contact time (30–90 min) was evaluated while maintaining a constant polymer concentration. These parameters significantly enhanced intercalation, achieving d001 values up to 4 nm. Statistical Design of Experiments and Response Surface Methodology revealed that temperature and stirring speed exerted a stronger influence on d001 expansion than contact time. Optimal intercalation occurred at 90 °C, 1500 rpm, and 60 min. The predictive models demonstrated high accuracy, with R2 values of 0.9861 for white bentonite (WB) and 0.9823 for yellow bentonite (YB). From statistical modeling, several key observations emerged. Higher stirring speeds promoted intercalation by enhancing mass transfer and dispersion; increased agitation disrupted stagnant layers surrounding the clay particles, facilitating deeper penetration of the polymer chains into the interlayer galleries and preventing particle settling. Furthermore, the ANOVA results showed that all individual and interaction effects of the factors investigated had a significant influence on the d001 spacing for both WB and YB clays. Each factor exhibited a positive effect on the degree of intercalation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing and Applications of Polymer Composite Materials)
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