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Polymers
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Multifunctional Polymers and Their Composites and Structures: Design, Preparation and...
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Multifunctional Polymers and Their Composites and Structures: Design, Preparation and Properties

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 2316

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yong Tao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: mechanical properties of cellular materials; multifunctional composites and structures; design and characterization of mechanical metamaterials; bioinspired materials; impact dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over recent decades, multifunctional polymer materials and their composites and structures have attracted considerable attention in academic and industrial communities. This Special Issue aims to present recent advances in various polymer materials, as well as their composites and structures, while also discussing potential research directions to promote their further development. The topic of this Special Issue is quite extensive, including the design, preparation, properties, characterization, functionalization, and so on of polymer materials and their composites and structures. Original research articles and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Yong Tao
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. 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

  • multifunctional polymer materials
  • polymer composite materials
  • polymer structures
  • design methods
  • preparation methods
  • multifunctional properties
  • theoretical modeling
  • experimental investigation
  • finite element analysis

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 6642 KiB  
Article
In-Plane Elastic Properties of 3D-Printed Graded Hierarchical Hexagonal Honeycombs
by Yong Tao, Ruochao Zhao, Jun Shi, De Zhou and Yanqun Han
Polymers 2024, 16(6), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16060859 - 21 Mar 2024
Viewed by 540
Abstract
In this study, the graded hierarchical hexagonal honeycomb (GHHH) integrating gradient design and hierarchical design was fabricated using the 3D-printing technique, and its in-plane elastic properties were investigated theoretically, experimentally, and numerically. Theoretical solutions were developed based on the Euler beam theory to [...] Read more.
In this study, the graded hierarchical hexagonal honeycomb (GHHH) integrating gradient design and hierarchical design was fabricated using the 3D-printing technique, and its in-plane elastic properties were investigated theoretically, experimentally, and numerically. Theoretical solutions were developed based on the Euler beam theory to predict the effective elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio of GHHH, and theoretical values were in good agreement with the experimental and numerical results. The effect of gradient design and hierarchical design on the in-plane elastic properties of GHHH was also analyzed and compared. Results showed that the hierarchical design has a more significant effect on Poisson’s ratio and adjusting the internal forces of GHHH compared with the gradient design. In addition, it was found that GHHH exhibited higher stiffness compared with regular hexagonal honeycomb (RHH), graded hexagonal honeycomb (GHH), and vertex-based hierarchical hexagonal honeycomb (VHHH) under the constraint of the same relative density, respectively. Specifically, the effective elastic modulus of GHHH can be enhanced by 119.82% compared to that of RHH. This research will help to reveal the effect of integrating hierarchical design and gradient design on the in-plane elastic properties of honeycombs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Their Composites and Structures: Design, Preparation and Properties)
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19 pages, 10584 KiB  
Article
Numerical Study of Thin-Walled Polymer Composite Part Quality When Manufactured Using Vacuum Infusion with Various External Pressure Controls
by Sergey Shevtsov, Shun Hsyung Chang, Igor Zhilyaev, Boon Xian Chai and Natalia Snezhina
Polymers 2024, 16(5), 654; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16050654 - 28 Feb 2024
Viewed by 701
Abstract
The article presents the results of modeling various modes of vacuum infusion molding of thin-walled polymer-composite structures of arbitrary geometry. The small thickness of the manufactured structures and the fixation of their back surface on the rigid surface of the mold made it [...] Read more.
The article presents the results of modeling various modes of vacuum infusion molding of thin-walled polymer-composite structures of arbitrary geometry. The small thickness of the manufactured structures and the fixation of their back surface on the rigid surface of the mold made it possible to significantly simplify the process model, which takes into account the propagation of a thermosetting resin with changing rheology in a compressible porous preform of complex 3D geometry, as well as changes in boundary conditions at the injection and vacuum ports during the post-infusion molding stage. In the four modes of vacuum-infusion molding studied at the post-infusion stage, the start time, duration and magnitude of additional pressure on the open surface of the preform and in its vacuum port, as well as the state of the injection gates, were controlled (open–closed). The target parameters of the processes were the magnitude and uniformity of the distribution of the fiber volume fraction, wall thickness, filling of the preform with resin and the duration of the process. A comparative analysis of the results obtained made it possible to identify the most promising process modes and determine ways to eliminate undesirable situations that worsen the quality of manufactured composite structures. The abilities of the developed simulation tool, demonstrated by its application to the molding process of a thin-walled aircraft structure, allow one to reasonably select a process control strategy to obtain the best achievable quality objectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Their Composites and Structures: Design, Preparation and Properties)
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13 pages, 2558 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Microalgae Content in Biocomposites through a Mechanical Grinding Method
by Minju Kim, Gyu Min Kim, Won-Seok Chang and Young-Kee Kim
Polymers 2023, 15(23), 4557; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15234557 - 28 Nov 2023
Viewed by 783
Abstract
Microalgae-based biocomposites are gaining traction as ecofriendly and cost-effective alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics. However, achieving a homogeneous dispersion of microalgae within a biocomposite matrix remains a challenge. In this study, we investigated the effect of the size of dried microalgae (Chlorella [...] Read more.
Microalgae-based biocomposites are gaining traction as ecofriendly and cost-effective alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics. However, achieving a homogeneous dispersion of microalgae within a biocomposite matrix remains a challenge. In this study, we investigated the effect of the size of dried microalgae (Chlorella sp.) on the quality of biocomposites. Ball milling, a mechanical grinding process, was used to control the size of the pretreated dried microalgae. Our results demonstrate that the microalgae size strongly depends on the total weight of the stainless-steel balls, rather than the number of balls used in the milling process. Poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) (EVA), with functional groups resembling those of Chlorella sp., was incorporated into the ball-milled microalgae to produce homogeneous biocomposites. Smaller Chlorella sp. particles improved the ratio of microalgae and the mechanical properties of the biocomposites. Dried Chlorella sp. particles up to 161.43 μm, which were 72.84% smaller than the untreated microalgae, were obtained after 6 h of ball milling using 3/8-inch balls. This enabled the production of biocomposites with 60 wt.% microalgae and 61.02% of the tensile strength of pure EVA, comparable to traditional polymers. Our findings suggest that controlling the microalgae size through ball milling can improve the quality of microalgae-based biocomposites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Their Composites and Structures: Design, Preparation and Properties)
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