Advanced Polymer Composite: Preparation, Properties and Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2024 | Viewed by 1093

Special Issue Editors

Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
Interests: polymer science; nanomaterials; compositions

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916, USA
Interests: polymer electrolyte and high performance elastomer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer composites typically consist of a continuous polymer matrix and one or more types of constituent component. The combination of these materials both addresses the limitations of each component and enhances the overall mechanical, electrical, and/or optical properties of products through synergistic interactions.

Although polymer composites have been extensively studied, modern applications pose additional challenges. These include the need to develop easier preparation techniques to fulfill cost efficiency, greener process to promote sustainability, higher strength-to-weight ratio, customizable conductivity or dielectric properties, tunable environmental durability and degradability, novel functions in biomedicines, energy storage, optical polarization, photocatalysis, sensing, etc. Hence, progress in research is expected to contribute to the advancement of polymer composites.

This Special Issue is dedicated to publishing original and high-quality research papers and reviews on advanced polymer composites. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the design and green synthesis of new composites, novel characterizations of synergistic interactions, insightful interpretations of the structure–property relationship, and leading-edge applications of advanced polymer composites. We welcome submissions from researchers working on any aspect of advanced polymer composites, and we hope that this Special Issue will provide a platform for sharing and disseminating the latest advances in this field.

Dr. Dong Guo
Dr. Sheng Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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 matrix
  • composite processing
  • synergistic interaction
  • material selection
  • reinforced polymer
  • applications of polymer composites

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5281 KiB  
Article
Features of the Formation of a Reinforcing Coating on Hydrogel Membranes Based on Polyvinylpyrrolidone Copolymers
by Nataliia Baran, Oleksandr Grytsenko, Ludmila Dulebova and Emil Spiśak
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 3234; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14083234 - 11 Apr 2024
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Abstract
This paper presents the study results of formation features of composite hydrogel/polyamide membranes obtained by modification of hydrogel films based on 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) copolymers. The formation process of composite two-layer membranes was carried out in two stages: obtaining hydrogel membrane [...] Read more.
This paper presents the study results of formation features of composite hydrogel/polyamide membranes obtained by modification of hydrogel films based on 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) copolymers. The formation process of composite two-layer membranes was carried out in two stages: obtaining hydrogel membrane substrates followed by their modification with an ultra-thin layer based on a mixture of polyamide (PA) with PVP. The main task of the work was to investigate the possibility of forming a modifying PA/PVP coating on the surface of hydrogel films and to obtain composite hydrogel membranes with the required strength and osmotic permeability based on them. For the formation of composite two-layer membranes, PVP with MM = 12 × 103 g/mol and MM = 360 × 103 g/mol were used. Additional use of PVP in the modifying solution contributes to the process of its penetration into the hydrogel substrate. Together with the formation of a reinforcing layer, this ensures the obtainment of hydrogel films of increased strength, with the possibility of directional regulation of their diffusion permeability. It was found that the main factors affecting the nature of the interaction between the layers of the obtained composite films, as well as their physico-mechanical and sorption–diffusion properties, are the HEMA:PVP ratio in the original polymer–monomer composition (PMC), the formulation of the reinforcing layer, the duration of the modification process and the molecular weight of PVP in PMC and in the modifying solution. The strength and water content of two-layer composite hydrogel/polyamide membranes, as well as their salt and water permeability coefficients, are the highest in the case of using high-molecular weight PVP (MMPVP = 360 × 103 g/mol) and low-molecular weight (MMPVP = 12 × 103 g/mol) during the synthesis of the hydrogel substrate to obtain a PA-6/PVP solution for forming a reinforcing layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Composite: Preparation, Properties and Applications)
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21 pages, 8167 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Copper Oxide Particle Size on the Properties of Epoxy Resin
by Patrycja Bazan, Michał Gajda, Przemysław Nosal, Agnieszka Bąk, Kinga Setlak and Michał Łach
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 2534; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14062534 - 17 Mar 2024
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Abstract
This study examines the relationship between the size of copper particles and the properties of epoxy resin. Epoxy resin is a type of thermosetting resin commonly used as a matrix in polymer matrix composite materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers. As part [...] Read more.
This study examines the relationship between the size of copper particles and the properties of epoxy resin. Epoxy resin is a type of thermosetting resin commonly used as a matrix in polymer matrix composite materials reinforced with glass or carbon fibers. As part of this study, three microscale and two nanoscale composite samples modified with copper oxide particles of varying sizes were produced. This study included mechanical property tests such as static tensile tests, static bending tests, and impact tests. The results of the strength tests were compared to modeling results. Additionally, an accelerated thermal aging process was conducted to determine the impact of external conditions on the behavior of the produced composites. This study concluded with an analysis of thermal conductivity. The test results revealed that the size of the copper particles significantly impacted the tested properties. The composites with copper oxide particles on the nanoscale demonstrated the best results. These composites have promising applications in the automotive and aviation industries due to their strength, resistance to external factors, and increased thermal conductivity, suggesting their potential for producing materials that effectively dissipate heat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Composite: Preparation, Properties and Applications)
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