Synthesis and Processing of Functional Polymer Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2024 | Viewed by 960

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Center of Molecular and Macromolecular Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodz, Poland
Interests: polymers; nanocomposites; polymer blends; plastics engineering; materials science; polymer structure analysis; physics of solid state; shape memory effect; severe plastic deformation; lattice structure; injection molding; extrusion; additive manufacturing; finite element analysis

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Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy
Interests: functional polymers; shape memory polymer composites; innovative materials and processes; industrial sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Until the 1980s, polymers were mainly considered the basis for the production of structural materials with unique physical and mechanical properties that could not be achieved with low molecular weight chemical compounds. In the last two decades of the XX century, polymers began to be used as functional materials in medicine, lighting, electrical engineering, electronics, energy, etc. At the turn of the century XX–XXI. the concept of “smart materials” was formulated, which can reversibly change their behavior when external conditions such as temperature and humidity change or when exposed to mechanical, electrical, magnetic and other fields. Nowadays, functional and "smart" polymeric materials are used in almost all areas of technology. In addition, many new polymeric substances with excellent thermal, mechanical, chemical and electrical properties have been synthesized. Functional polymers include electrically conductive polymer materials, liquid crystal polymers, polymer gels, shape memory polymers and so on. The strategy for the development of functional polymers includes: the design of organic molecules, the development of formulae to control complex reactions that allow the molecular structures of organic compounds to be freely modified; the development of directed synthesis methods; the modification of polymers and materials based on them with a specific structure (including nanostructure) and morphology. The aim of this special issue is to present in a comprehensive and updated fashion new advances in the synthesis and processing of functional polymer materials.

Prof. Dr. Iurii Vozniak
Prof. Dr. Loredana Santo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • electrically conductive polymer materials
  • liquid crystal polymers
  • polymer gels
  • shape memory polymers
  • directed synthesis
  • process for preparing functional polymers

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 9940 KiB  
Article
Phosphorus-Based Flame-Retardant Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Copolymer with Enhanced Mechanical Properties by Combining Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Silicone Rubber and Ethylene Methyl Acrylate Copolymer
by Farnaz Ghonjizade-Samani, Laia Haurie, Ramón Malet, Marc Pérez and Vera Realinho
Polymers 2024, 16(7), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16070923 - 27 Mar 2024
Viewed by 635
Abstract
The present work proposes to investigate the effect of an ultrahigh molecular weight silicone rubber (UHMW-SR) and two ethylene methyl acrylate copolymers (EMA) with different methyl acrylate (MA) content on the mechanical and fire performance of a fireproof acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS) [...] Read more.
The present work proposes to investigate the effect of an ultrahigh molecular weight silicone rubber (UHMW-SR) and two ethylene methyl acrylate copolymers (EMA) with different methyl acrylate (MA) content on the mechanical and fire performance of a fireproof acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS) composite, with an optimum amount of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and aluminum diethyl phosphinate (AlPi). ABS formulations with a global flame retardant weight content of 20 wt.% (ABS P) were melt-compounded, with and without EMA and UHMW-SR, in a Brabender mixer. During this batch process, ABS P formulations with UHMW-SR and/or EMA registered lower torque values than those of ABS P. By means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), it was possible to observe that all ABS composites exhibited a homogenous structure without phase separation or particle agglomeration. Slightly improved interfacial interaction between the well-dispersed flame-retardant particles in the presence of EMA and/or UHMW-SR was also noticed. Furthermore, synergies in mechanical properties by adding both EMA and UHMW-SR into ABS P were ascertained. An enhancement of molecular mobility that contributed to the softening of ABS P was observed under dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). An improvement of its flexibility, ductility and toughness were also registered under three-point-bending trials, and even more remarkable synergies were noticed in Charpy notched impact strength. Particularly, a 212% increase was achieved when 5 wt.% of EMA with 29 wt.% of MA and 2 wt.% of UHMW-SR in ABS P (ABS E29 S P) were added. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the presence of EMA copolymers in ABS P formulations did not interfere with its thermal decomposition, whereas UHMW-SR presence decreased its thermal stability at the beginning of the decomposition. Although the addition of EMA or UHMW-SR, as well as the combination of both in ABS P increased the pHRR in cone calorimetry, UL 94 V-0 classification was maintained for all flame-retarded ABS composites. In addition, through SEM analysis of cone calorimetry sample residue, a more cohesive surface char layer, with Si-O-C network formation confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), was shown in ABS P formulations with UHMW-SR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Processing of Functional Polymer Materials)
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