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Applied Sciences
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Phase Transitions in Polymer and Polymer-Based (Nano)Composites
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Phase Transitions in Polymer and Polymer-Based (Nano)Composites

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 12404

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mircea Chipara

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Guest Editor
Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78549, USA
Interests: carbon nanomaterials; polymer based (nano)composites; XRD; Raman; FTIR; EPR; TGA; DSC
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Daniel Lepadatu

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Guest Editor
Associate Professor, Technical University Gh. Asachi Iasi, Iasi, Romania
Dr. Robert Vajtai

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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
Interests: synthesis processing, characterization of new, advanced material forms and structures, more specifically of nanometals and nanosized oxides, and different forms of nanocarbon: carbon nanotubes, graphene and macroscopic systems designed and built from these building blocks. Application of nanomaterials for building energy storage devices, multifunctional parts of vehicles, sensors and thermal management systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Phase Transitions in Polymers and Polymer-Based (Nano)Composites” focuses on complex phenomena, such as phase transitions (glass, melting, crystallization) in polymers and composites/nanocomposites based on polymeric matrices. Cooperative transitions and order–disorder transitions related to the self-assembly of copolymers and block copolymers are also considered, including phase transition in magnetically and/or electrically ordered systems, together with investigations on phase transitions in liquid crystals and polymer liquid crystals. Contributions focused on transition processes in confined materials or at the interface between nanofillers and polymeric matrices are also welcomed. Manuscripts focused on the transition from the volume (bulk) behavior to the surface behavior in (nano)materials as well as on percolation-related phenomena in polymer (nano)composites are also invited.

The issue aims to collect outstanding manuscripts focused on the original design of experiments, experimental data, new materials and processes, and combined physical and chemical properties, including applications and interdisciplinary contributions.

Both experimental and theoretical contributions will be considered. Manuscripts focused on potential applications of phase transitions are encouraged.

The publication of manuscripts will be subjected to the peer-review model supported by the journal.

Prof. Mircea Chipara
Dr. Daniel Lepadatu
Dr. Robert Vajtai
Guest Editors

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. Applied Sciences 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 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

  • glass transition
  • WLF equation
  • free volume theory
  • melting
  • crystallization
  • Avrami equation
  • cooperative phase transitions
  • self-assembly in polymer blends
  • copolymers and block copolymers
  • magnetic transitions
  • electric transitions (such as ferroelectric)
  • liquid crystals
  • polymer liquid crystals
  • phase transitions in confined materials
  • interphase properties in polymer-based nanocomposites and the transition from volume to surface dominated behavior
  • percolation and transformation theory
  • experimental techniques in the investigation of phase and cooperative transitions
  • potential applications

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 6086 KiB  
Article
Development and Characterization of a DC-Driven Thermal Oscillator Using Acrylate-Based Composites
by Mingxin Xu, Chao-Chi Yeh, Syuan-Wen Chen and Yao-Joe Yang
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(11), 3825; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10113825 - 31 May 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2816
Abstract
This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a thermal oscillator driven by fixed DC voltages. The proposed device consists of a miniaturized ultra-sensitive temperature sensor and a microheater. The temperature sensor was fabricated by depositing acrylate-based temperature sensing material with a [...] Read more.
This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a thermal oscillator driven by fixed DC voltages. The proposed device consists of a miniaturized ultra-sensitive temperature sensor and a microheater. The temperature sensor was fabricated by depositing acrylate-based temperature sensing material with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) effect on an interdigital electrode pair, and this was the key component that enabled oscillations by periodically switching the microheater on and off. The acrylate-based material, which was prepared by dispersing an acrylate copolymer with graphite particles, exhibits an order-of-magnitude variation in resistivity over a temperature change of a few degrees. The transient behavior of the fabricated device was measured, and the effects on different driving conditions with active cooling were measured and discussed. In addition, the measurement results also show that the temperature drift is not obvious in long-term testing, which indicates that the acrylate composite is quite reliable during repeated phase transition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transitions in Polymer and Polymer-Based (Nano)Composites)
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18 pages, 9478 KiB  
Article
Polyisobutylene-Based Thermoplastic Elastomers for Manufacturing Polymeric Heart Valve Leaflets: In Vitro and In Vivo Results
by Evgeny Ovcharenko, Maria Rezvova, Pavel Nikishau, Sergei Kostjuk, Tatiana Glushkova, Larisa Antonova, Dmitry Trebushat, Tatiana Akentieva, Daria Shishkova, Evgeniya Krivikina, Kirill Klyshnikov, Yulia Kudryavtseva and Leonid Barbarash
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(22), 4773; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9224773 - 8 Nov 2019
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5489
Abstract
Superior polymers represent a promising alternative to mechanical and biological materials commonly used for manufacturing artificial heart valves. The study is aimed at assessing poly(styrene-block-isobutylene-block-styrene) (SIBS) properties and comparing them with polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-texTM, a reference sample). Surface [...] Read more.
Superior polymers represent a promising alternative to mechanical and biological materials commonly used for manufacturing artificial heart valves. The study is aimed at assessing poly(styrene-block-isobutylene-block-styrene) (SIBS) properties and comparing them with polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-texTM, a reference sample). Surface topography of both materials was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The mechanical properties were measured under uniaxial tension. The water contact angle was estimated to evaluate hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the study samples. Materials’ hemocompatibility was evaluated using cell lines (Ea.hy 926), donor blood, and in vivo. SIBS possess a regular surface relief. It is hydrophobic and has lower strength as compared to Gore-texTM (3.51 MPa vs. 13.2/23.8 MPa). SIBS and Gore-texTM have similar hemocompatibility (hemolysis, adhesion, and platelet aggregation). The subcutaneous rat implantation reports that SIBS has a lower tendency towards calcification (0.39 mg/g) compared with Gore-texTM (1.29 mg/g). SIBS is a highly hemocompatible material with a promising potential for manufacturing heart valve leaflets, but its mechanical properties require further improvements. The possible options include the reinforcement with nanofillers and introductions of new chains in its structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transitions in Polymer and Polymer-Based (Nano)Composites)
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15 pages, 6388 KiB  
Article
Reconstruction of the Microstructure of Cyanate Ester Resin by Using Prepared Cyanate Ester Resin Nanoparticles and Analysis of the Curing Kinetics Using the Avrami Equation of Phase Change
by Hongtao Cao, Beijun Liu, Yiwen Ye, Yunfang Liu and Peng Li
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(11), 2365; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9112365 - 10 Jun 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3598
Abstract
Bisphenol A dicyanate (BADCy) resin nanoparticles were synthesized by precipitation polymerization and used to modulate the microstructure of the BADCy resin matrix. A microscopic mechanism model was used to characterize the curing process of BADCy resin systems with different contents of the prepared [...] Read more.
Bisphenol A dicyanate (BADCy) resin nanoparticles were synthesized by precipitation polymerization and used to modulate the microstructure of the BADCy resin matrix. A microscopic mechanism model was used to characterize the curing process of BADCy resin systems with different contents of the prepared nanoparticles. Due to the curing process of the thermosetting resin being analogous to the crystallization process of the polymer, the Avrami equation was used to analyze the microscopic mechanism of the curing process. The reactive functional groups, structure, and size of the prepared BADCy resin nanoparticles were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, and TEM, respectively. The kinetic parameters of different systems were then obtained using the Avrami equation, and they adequately explained the microscopic mechanism of the curing process. The results showed that the Avrami equation effectively described the formation and growth of gel particles during the curing process of the BADCy resins. The addition of nanoparticles can affect the curing behavior and curing rate. Since the reaction between the BADCy resin nanoparticles and the matrix is dominant, the formation process of the gel particles was neglected. This phenomenon can be understood as the added BADCy resin nanoparticles replacing the formation of gel particles. The reasons for accelerated curing were analyzed from the perspective of thermodynamics and kinetics. Besides this, the Arrhenius equation for non-isothermal conditions correctly accounted for the change in the cross-linked mechanism in the late-stage curing process. A comparison of the theoretical prediction with the experimental data shows that the Avrami theory of phase change can simulate the curing kinetics of different BADCy resin systems well and explain the effects of BADCy resin nanoparticles on the formation of the microstructure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transitions in Polymer and Polymer-Based (Nano)Composites)
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