Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.2
3.4
Journals
Materials
Special Issues
Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing
materials-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Materials Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024 | Viewed by 3141

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Joanna Izdebska-Podsiadły

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Printing Technology, Institute of Mechanics and Printing, Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Konwiktorska 2, 00-217 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: biodegradable films; packaging; flexographic printing; 3D printing; printing inks; plasma modification; wettability and adhesion

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the increasing demand for plastics in various industries, it has become crucial to find innovative techniques to process them. Hence, recent research in polymer and plastic processing have focused on improving the efficiency and sustainability of these materials.

A key focus in this field is to develop bio-based materials, derived from renewable sources such as plants, to replace traditional polymers. These bio-based polymers not only reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, but also offer better biodegradability and reduced environmental impact. However, there are challenges in marking, decorating or printing on them. For instance, to print on the plastics developed for packaging, the problem of proper wettability and adhesion of the ink to the non-absorbent substrate must be solved; the solution is to modify the polymeric materials using physical or chemical methods to achieve high-quality printing or to allow for further processing.

Another important research endeavor is the development of new methods to enhance the recycling capabilities of plastics or to devise ways to effectively recycle the ones that are highly non-degradable. Researchers are investigating the potential of new technologies such as chemical recycling, which breaks down plastics at a molecular level, enabling them to be reused more efficiently.

Additionally, researchers are aiming to optimize the processing techniques of polymers and plastics using novel methods, such as 3D printing and injection molding, to achieve higher precision, faster production, better design flexibility, reduce manufacturing costs, and improve the overall quality and performance of the final products.

This Special Issue aims to collate papers addressing any and all aspects of developing sustainable and efficient ways of polymer and plastic processing. Some potential topics include polymer processing, plastic recycling, bio-based polymers, sustainable materials, plasma modification of polymeric materials, films printing, 3D printing, injection molding, efficiency, and sustainability.

Dr. Joanna Izdebska-Podsiadły
Guest Editor

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. Materials 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 2600 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 processing
  • plastic recycling
  • bio-based polymers
  • sustainable materials
  • plasma modification of polymeric materials
  • films printing
  • 3D printing
  • injection molding, efficiency
  • sustainability

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 3856 KiB  
Article
A New Double-Step Process of Shortening Fibers without Change in Molding Equipment Followed by Electron Beam to Strengthen Short Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyester BMC
by Michael C. Faudree and Yoshitake Nishi
Materials 2024, 17(9), 2036; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17092036 - 26 Apr 2024
Viewed by 202
Abstract
It is vital to maximize the safety of outdoor constructions, airplanes, and space vehicles by protecting against the impact of airborne debris from increasing winds due to climate change, or from bird strikes or micrometeoroids. In a widely-used compression-molded short glass fiber polyester [...] Read more.
It is vital to maximize the safety of outdoor constructions, airplanes, and space vehicles by protecting against the impact of airborne debris from increasing winds due to climate change, or from bird strikes or micrometeoroids. In a widely-used compression-molded short glass fiber polyester bulk-molded compound (SGFRP-BMC) with 55% wt. CaCO3 filler, the center of the mother panel has lower impact strength than the outer sections with solidification texture angles and short glass fiber (SGF) orientations being random from 0 to 90 degrees. Therefore, a new double-step process of: (1) reducing commercial fiber length without change in molding equipment; followed by a (2) 0.86 MGy dose of homogeneous low-voltage electron beam irradiation (HLEBI) to both sides of the finished samples requiring no chemicals or additives, which is shown to increase the Charpy impact value (auc) about 50% from 6.26 to 9.59 kJm−2 at median-accumulative probability of fracture, Pf = 0.500. Shortening the SGFs results in higher fiber spacing density, Sf, as the thermal compressive stress site proliferation by action of the CTE difference between the matrix and SGF while the composite cools and shrinks. To boost impact strength further, HLEBI provides additional nano-compressive stresses by generating dangling bonds (DBs) creating repulsive forces while increasing SGF/matrix adhesion. Increased internal cracking apparently occurs, raising the auc. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 11887 KiB  
Article
Degradation of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Catalyzed by Nonmetallic Dibasic Ionic Liquids under UV Radiation
by Ruiqi Zhang, Xu Zheng, Xiujie Cheng, Junli Xu, Yi Li, Qing Zhou, Jiayu Xin, Dongxia Yan and Xingmei Lu
Materials 2024, 17(7), 1583; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071583 - 29 Mar 2024
Viewed by 501
Abstract
Nonmetallic ionic liquids (ILs) exhibit unique advantages in catalyzing poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) glycolysis, but usually require longer reaction times. We found that exposure to UV radiation can accelerate the glycolysis reaction and significantly reduce the reaction time. In this work, we synthesized [...] Read more.
Nonmetallic ionic liquids (ILs) exhibit unique advantages in catalyzing poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) glycolysis, but usually require longer reaction times. We found that exposure to UV radiation can accelerate the glycolysis reaction and significantly reduce the reaction time. In this work, we synthesized five nonmetallic dibasic ILs, and their glycolysis catalytic activity was investigated. 1,8-diazabicyclo [5,4,0] undec-7-ene imidazole ([HDBU]Im) exhibited better catalytic performance. Meanwhile, UV radiation is used as a reinforcement method to improve the PET glycolysis efficiency. Under optimal conditions (5 g PET, 20 g ethylene glycol (EG), 0.25 g [HDBU]Im, 10,000 µW·cm−2 UV radiation reacted for 90 min at 185 °C), the PET conversion and BHET yield were 100% and 88.9%, respectively. Based on the UV-visible spectrum, it was found that UV radiation can activate the C=O in PET. Hence, the incorporation of UV radiation can considerably diminish the activation energy of the reaction, shortening the reaction time of PET degradation. Finally, a possible reaction mechanism of [HDBU]Im-catalyzed PET glycolysis under UV radiation was proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3273 KiB  
Article
Development of a Recycling Process and Characterization of EVA, PVDF, and PET Polymers from End-of-Life PV Modules
by Marek Królikowski, Michał Fotek, Piotr Żach and Marcin Michałowski
Materials 2024, 17(4), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17040821 - 08 Feb 2024
Viewed by 892
Abstract
Photovoltaic (PV) modules are highly efficient power generators associated with solar energy. The rapid growth of the PV industry will lead to a sharp increase in the waste generated from PV panels. However, electro-waste can be successfully used as a source of secondary [...] Read more.
Photovoltaic (PV) modules are highly efficient power generators associated with solar energy. The rapid growth of the PV industry will lead to a sharp increase in the waste generated from PV panels. However, electro-waste can be successfully used as a source of secondary materials. In this study, a unique procedure for recycling PV modules was developed. In the first stage, the aluminum frame and junction box, 18wt%. and 1wt%. of the module, respectively, were removed. The following stage was crucial, involving a mechanical–thermal method to remove the glass, which accounts for 70wt%. As a result, only 11wt%. of the initial mass of the PV was subjected to the next stage of chemical delamination, which reduced the amount of solvent used. Toluene was used to swell the ethylene vinyl acetate, EVA, and allow for the separation of the PV module. The effects of temperature and ultrasound on separation time were investigated. After the separation of silicon cells, metal ribbons, EVA, and the backsheet were obtained. The purity of the polymers was determined by FTIR and elemental analysis. Thermal properties were measured using DSC calorimetry to determine the basic parameters of the material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 4642 KiB  
Article
Study on the Printability of Starch-Based Films Using Ink-Jet Printing
by Zuzanna Żołek-Tryznowska, Katarzyna Piłczyńska, Tomasz Murawski, Arkadiusz Jeznach and Krzysztof Niczyporuk
Materials 2024, 17(2), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17020455 - 18 Jan 2024
Viewed by 644
Abstract
Starch-based films are a valuable alternative to plastic materials that are based on fossil and petrochemical raw resources. In this study, corn and potato starch films with 50% glycerol as a plasticizer were developed, and the properties of films were confirmed by mechanical [...] Read more.
Starch-based films are a valuable alternative to plastic materials that are based on fossil and petrochemical raw resources. In this study, corn and potato starch films with 50% glycerol as a plasticizer were developed, and the properties of films were confirmed by mechanical properties, surface free energy, surface roughness, and, finally, color and gloss analyses. Next, the films were overprinted using ink-jet printing with quick response (QR) codes, text, and pictograms. Finally, the print quality of the obtained prints was determined by optical density, color parameters, and the visual evaluation of prints. In general, corn films exhibit lower values of mechanical parameters (tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young Modulus) and water transition rate (11.1 mg·cm−2·h−1) than potato starch film (12.2 mg·cm−2·h−1), and water solubility is 18.7 ± 1.4 and 20.3 ± 1.2% for corn and potato film, respectively. The results obtained for print quality on starch-based films were very promising. The overprinted QR codes were quickly readable by a smartphone. The sharpness and the quality of the lettering are worse on potato film. At the same time, higher optical densities were measured on potato starch films. The results of this study show the strong potential of using starch films as a modern printing substrate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 3623 KiB  
Review
Surface Modification of Polymers by Plasma Treatment for Appropriate Adhesion of Coatings
by Gregor Primc and Miran Mozetič
Materials 2024, 17(7), 1494; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071494 - 26 Mar 2024
Viewed by 524
Abstract
In this study, recent advances in tailoring the surface properties of polymers for the optimization of the adhesion of various coatings by non-equilibrium gaseous plasma are reviewed, and important findings are stressed. Different authors have used various experimental setups and reported results that [...] Read more.
In this study, recent advances in tailoring the surface properties of polymers for the optimization of the adhesion of various coatings by non-equilibrium gaseous plasma are reviewed, and important findings are stressed. Different authors have used various experimental setups and reported results that scatter significantly and are sometimes contradictory. The correlations between the processing parameters and the adhesion are drawn, and discrepancies are explained. Many authors have explained improved adhesion with the adjustment of the surface free energy or wettability of the polymer substrate and the surface tension of liquids used for the deposition of thin films. The adhesion force between the polymer substrate and the coating does not always follow the evolution of the surface wettability, which is explained by several effects, including the aging effects due to the hydrophobic recovery and the formation of an interlayer rich in loosely bonded low molecular weight fragments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop