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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 23915

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Dr. Tomáš Sedláček

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Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, 76001 Zlin, Czech Republic
Interests: polymer processing; light-weight structure production; characterisation of visco-elastic and mechanical properties; thermal analysis

Dr. Miroslav Mrlík

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Centre of Polymer Systems, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, tř. Tomáše Bati 5678, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Interests: stimuli-responsive; thermoplastic elastomers; hydrogels; viscoelastic investigations; rheology; magnetic particles; conducting particles; graphene hybrids; polymer blends; additive manufacturing; 3D printing
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Dr. Ivo Kuřitka

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Centre of Polymer Systems, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, tr. Tomase Bati 5678, 760 01 Zlin, Czech Republic
Interests: nanocomposite; nanoparticles; spectroscopy; electronic; semiconductor; conductivity; photocatalysis; nanotechnology; LED device; sensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to announce a call for submissions to a Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences on the topic of “Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Applications”.

Presently, processing of sustainable polymeric systems based on up-to-date polymeric materials (renewable, smart materials, functional biomaterials) covered or filled with organic and inorganic fillers, modified with environmentally friendly additives providing progressive material features have gained significant attention. Recent technological progress in utilisation and application of composite systems guaranteeing adventitious properties as bacterial resistance, cell adhesion/proliferation, controlled time life, biodegradability is often inquired for advanced products in the form of foams, fibres, 3D printed micro-structures and products having hierarchically structured surface.

We encourage submission of both original research articles and topical reviews on all aspects of polymer composite preparation, characterisation, as well as their applications.

Dr. Tomáš Sedláček
Dr. Miroslav Mrlík
Dr. Ivo Kuřitka
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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 composites
polymeric compounds
highly filled polymeric systems
smart materials
compatibilization
surface texture
rheology
phase separation
antibacterial
cell adhesion/proliferation
biodegradation
additive technology
lightweight structures
fibres

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 42499 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Interaction Effect of the Design Parameters on the Water Absorption of the Hemp-Reinforced Biocarbon-Filled Bio-Epoxy Composites

by Raj Kumar Dahal, Bishnu Acharya and Animesh Dutta

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6093; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076093 - 23 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1695

Abstract

Natural fiber-reinforced composites perform poorly when exposed to moisture. Biocarbon has been proven to improve the water-absorbing behavior of natural fiber composites. However, the interaction effect of the design parameters on the biocarbon-filled hemp fiber-reinforced bio-epoxy composites has not been studied. In this study, the effects of the design parameters (pyrolysis temperature, biocarbon particle size, and filler loading) on the water absorptivity and water diffusivity of hemp-reinforced biopolymer composites have been investigated. Biocarbon from the pyrolysis of hemp and switchgrass was produced at 450, 550, and 650 °C. Composite samples with 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, and 20 wt.% of biocarbon fillers of sizes below 50, 75, and 100 microns were used. The hemp fiber in polymer composites showed a significant influence in its water uptake behavior with the value of water absorptivity 2.41 × 10⁻⁶ g/m².s^1/2. The incorporation of biocarbon fillers in the hemp biopolymer composites reduces the average water absorptivity by 44.17% and diffusivity by 42.02%. At the optimized conditions, the value of water absorptivity with hemp biocarbon and switchgrass biocarbon fillers was found to be 0.72 × 10⁻⁶ g/m².s^1/2 and 0.73 × 10⁻⁶ g/m².s^1/2, respectively. The biocarbon at 650 °C showed the least composite thickness swelling due to its higher porosity and lower surface area. Biocarbon-filled hemp composites showed higher flexural strength and energy at the break due to the enhanced mechanical interlocking between the filler particles and the matrix materials. Smaller filler particle size lowered the composite’s water diffusivity, whereas the larger particle size of the biocarbon fillers in composites minimizes the water absorption. Additionally, higher filler loading results in weaker composite tensile energy at the break due to the filler agglomeration, reduced polymer-filler interactions, reduced polymer chain mobility, and inadequate dispersion of the filler. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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20 pages, 6967 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molten-State Dielectrophoretic Alignment of EVA/BaTiO₃ Thermoplastic Composites: Enhancement of Piezo-Smart Sensor for Medical Application

by Omar Zahhaf, Giulia D’Ambrogio, Angela Giunta, Minh-Quyen Le, Guilhem Rival, Pierre-Jean Cottinet and Jean-Fabien Capsal

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(24), 15745; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232415745 - 12 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2654

Abstract

Dielectrophoresis has recently been used for developing high performance elastomer-based structured piezoelectric composites. However, no study has yet focused on the development of aligned thermoplastic-based piezocomposites. In this work, highly anisotropic thermoplastic composites, with high piezoelectric sensitivity, are created. Molten-state dielectrophoresis is introduced as an effective manufacturing pathway for the obtaining of an aligned filler structure within a thermoplastic matrix. For this study, Poly(Ethylene-co Vinyl Acetate) (EVA), revealed as a biocompatible polymeric matrix, was combined with barium titanate (BaTiO₃) filler, well-known as a lead-free piezoelectric material. The phase inversion method was used to obtain an optimal dispersion of the BaTiO₃ within the EVA thermoplastic matrix. The effect of the processing parameters, such as the poling electric field and the filler content, were analyzed via dielectric spectroscopy, piezoelectric characterization, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal behavior of the matrix was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC). Thermoplastic-based structured composites have numerous appealing advantages, such as recyclability, enhanced piezoelectric activity, encapsulation properties, low manufacturing time, and being light weight, which make the developed composites of great novelty, paving the way for new applications in the medical field, such as integrated sensors adaptable to 3D printing technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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13 pages, 1199 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Properties of PHB Composite Filled with Kaolin Particles for 3D Printing Applications Using the Design of Experiment

by Přemysl Menčík, Radek Přikryl, Štěpán Krobot, Veronika Melčová, Soňa Kontárová, Roderik Plavec, Jan Bočkaj, Vojtech Horváth and Pavol Alexy

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14409; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214409 - 19 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2208

Abstract

In the presented work, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-PHB-based composites for 3D printing as bio-sourced and biodegradable alternatives to synthetic plastics are characterized. The PHB matrix was modified by polylactide (PLA) and plasticized by tributyl citrate. Kaolin particles were used as a filler. The mathematical method “Design of Experiment” (DoE) was used to create a matrix of samples for further evaluation. Firstly, the optimal printing temperature of the first and upper layers was determined. Secondly, the 3D printed samples were tested with regards to the warping during the 3D printing. Testing specimens were prepared using the determined optimal printing conditions to measure the tensile properties, impact strength, and heat deflection temperature (HDT) of the samples. The results describe the effect of adding individual components (PHB, PLA, plasticizer, and filler) in the prepared composite sample on the resulting material properties. Two composite samples were prepared based on the theoretical results of DoE (one with the maximum printability and one with the maximum HDT) to compare them with the real data measured. The tests of these two composite samples showed 25% lower warping and 8.9% higher HDT than was expected by the theory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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13 pages, 2837 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling of Creep Behavior of Particulate Composites with Focus on Interfacial Adhesion Effect

by Julian Rech, Esther Ramakers-van Dorp, Bernhard Möginger and Berenika Hausnerova

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14120; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214120 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1570

Abstract

Evaluation of creep compliance of particulate composites using empirical models always provides parameters depending on initial stress and material composition. The effort spent to connect model parameters with physical properties has not resulted in success yet. Further, during the creep, delamination between matrix and filler may occur depending on time and initial stress, reducing an interface adhesion and load transfer to filler particles. In this paper, the creep compliance curves of glass beads reinforced poly(butylene terephthalate) composites were fitted with Burgers and Findley models providing different sets of time-dependent model parameters for each initial stress. Despite the finding that the Findley model performs well in a primary creep, the Burgers model is more suitable if secondary creep comes into play; they allow only for a qualitative prediction of creep behavior because the interface adhesion and its time dependency is an implicit, hidden parameter. As Young’s modulus is a parameter of these models (and the majority of other creep models), it was selected to be introduced as a filler content-dependent parameter with the help of the cube in cube elementary volume approach of Paul. The analysis led to the time-dependent creep compliance that depends only on the time-dependent creep of the matrix and the normalized particle distance (or the filler volume content), and it allowed accounting for the adhesion effect. Comparison with the experimental data confirmed that the elementary volume-based creep compliance function can be used to predict the realistic creep behavior of particulate composites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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12 pages, 3084 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Iron-Sepiolite High-Performance Magnetorheological Polishing Fluid with Reduced Sedimentation

by Radoslav Milde, Robert Moucka, Michal Sedlacik and Vladimir Pata

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(20), 12187; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232012187 - 13 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1851

Abstract

A sedimentation-stable magnetorheological (MR) polishing slurry on the basis of ferrofluid, iron particles, Al₂O_3, and clay nanofiller in the form of sepiolite intended for MR polishing has been designed, prepared, and its polishing efficiency verified. Added clay substantially improved sedimentation stability of the slurry, decreasing its sedimentation rate to a quarter of its original value (1.8 to 0.45 mg s⁻¹) while otherwise maintaining its good abrasive properties. The magnetisation curve measurement proved that designed slurry is soft magnetic material with no hysteresis, and its further suitability for MR polishing was confirmed by its magnetorheology namely in the quadratically increased yield stress due to the effect of applied magnetic field (0 to 600 kA m⁻¹). The efficiency of the MR polishing process was tested on the flat samples of injection-moulded polyamide and verified by surface roughness/3D texture measurement. The resulting new composition of the MR polishing slurry exhibits a long-term stable system with a wide application window in the MR polishing process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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17 pages, 33466 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stable Magnetorheological Fluids Containing Bidisperse Fillers with Compact/Mesoporous Silica Coatings

by Martin Cvek, Thaiskang Jamatia, Pavol Suly, Michal Urbanek and Rafael Torres-Mendieta

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11044; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911044 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2407

Abstract

A drawback of magnetorheological fluids is low kinetic stability, which severely limits their practical utilization. This paper describes the suppression of sedimentation through a combination of bidispersal and coating techniques. A magnetic, sub-micro additive was fabricated and sequentially coated with organosilanes. The first layer was represented by compact silica, while the outer layer consisted of mesoporous silica, obtained with the oil–water biphase stratification method. The success of the modification technique was evidenced with transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The coating exceptionally increased the specific surface area, from 47 m²/g (neat particles) up to 312 m²/g, which when combined with lower density, resulted in remarkable improvement in the sedimentation profile. At this expense, the compact/mesoporous silica slightly diminished the magnetization of the particles, while the magnetorheological performance remained at an acceptable level, as evaluated with a modified version of the Cross model. Sedimentation curves were, for the first time in magnetorheology, modelled via a novel five-parameter equation (S-model) that showed a robust fitting capability. The sub-micro additive prevented the primary carbonyl iron particles from aggregation, which was projected into the improved sedimentation behavior (up to a six-fold reduction in the sedimentation rate). Detailed focus was also given to analyze the implications of the sub-micro additives and their surface texture on the overall behavior of the bidisperse magnetorheological fluids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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12 pages, 3350 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Natural Weathering Effects on the Mechanical, Rheological, and Morphological Properties of Magnetorheological Elastomer (MRE) in Tropical Climate

by Mohd Aidy Faizal Johari, Saiful Amri Mazlan, Ubaidillah Ubaidillah, Nur Azmah Nordin, Muntaz Hana Ahmad Khairi, Siti Aishah Abdul Aziz, Michal Sedlacik and Siti Asma’ Nikmat Leong

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 9929; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23179929 - 1 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1865

Abstract

Magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) materials have the potential to be used in a wide range of applications that require long-term service in hostile environments. These widespread applications will result in the emergence of MRE-specific durability issues, where durability refers to performance under in-service environmental conditions. In response, the outdoor tropical climatic environment, combined with the effects of weathering, will be the primary focus of this paper, specifically the photodegradation of the MRE. In this study, MRE made of silicone rubber (SR) and 70 wt% micron-sized carbonyl iron particles (CIP) were prepared and subjected to mechanical and rheological testing to evaluate the effects under natural weathering. Magnetorheological elastomer samples were exposed to the natural weathering conditions of a tropical climate in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for 30 days. To obtain a comprehensive view of MRE degradation during natural weathering, mechanical testing, rheology, and morphological evaluation were all performed. The mechanical and rheological properties test results revealed that after 30 days of exposure and known meteorological parameters, Young’s modulus and storage modulus increased, while elongation at break decreased. The degradation processes of MRE during weathering, which are responsible for their undesirable change, were given special attention. With the help of morphological evidence, the relationship between these phenomena and the viscoelastic properties of MRE was comprehensively defined and discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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15 pages, 3161 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Pyrrole-Bearing Methacrylate for Production of Carbonyl Iron Particles with Conducting Shell for Enhanced Electromagnetic Shielding

by Miroslav Mrlík, Jozef Kollár, Katarína Borská, Markéta Ilčíková, Danila Gorgol, Josef Osicka, Michal Sedlačík, Alena Ronzová, Peter Kasák and Jaroslav Mosnáček

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8540; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158540 - 1 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2197

Abstract

The conducting polymer poly(2-(1H-pyrrole-1-yl)ethyl methacrylate (PPEMA) was synthesized by conventional atom transfer radical polymerization for the first time from free as well as surface-bonded alkyl bromide initiator. When grafted from the surface of carbonyl iron (CI) a substantial conducting shell on the magnetic core was obtained. Synthesis of the monomer as well as its polymer was confirmed using proton spectrum nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR). Polymers with various molar masses and low dispersity showed the variability of this approach, providing a system with a tailorable structure and brush-like morphology. Successful grafting from the CI surface was elucidate by transmission electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Very importantly, thanks to the targeted nanometer-scale shell thickness of the PPEMA coating, the magnetization properties of the particles were negligibly affected, as confirmed using vibration sample magnetometry. Smart elastomers (SE) consisting of bare CI or CI grafted with PPEMA chains (CI-PPEMA) and silicone elastomer were prepared and dynamic mechanical properties as well as interference shielding ones were investigated. It was found that short polymer chains grafted to the CI particles exhibited the plasticizing effect, which might be interesting from the magnetorheological point of view, and more interestingly, in comparison to the neat CI-based sample, it provided enhanced electromagnetic shielding of nearly 30 dB in thickness of 500 μm. Thus, SE containing the newly synthesized CI-PPEMA hybrid particles also exhibited considerably enhanced damping factor and proper mechanical performance, which make the material highly promising from various practical application points of view. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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18 pages, 4969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Nano-Sized Poly(Butyl Acrylate) Layer Grafted from Graphene Oxide Sheets on the Compatibility and Beta-Phase Development of Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride) and Their Vibration Sensing Performance

by Miroslav Mrlik, Markéta Ilčíková, Josef Osička and Erika Kutálková

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(10), 5777; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23105777 - 21 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2178

Abstract

In this work, graphene oxide (GO) particles were modified with a nano-sized poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) layer to improve the hydrophobicity of the GO and improve compatibility with PVDF. The improved hydrophobicity was elucidated using contact angle investigations, and exhibit nearly 0° for neat GO and 102° for GO-PBA. Then, the neat GO and GO-PBA particles were mixed with PVDF using a twin screw laboratory extruder. It was clearly shown that nano-sized PBA layer acts as plasticizer and shifts glass transition temperature from −38.7 °C for neat PVDF to 45.2 °C for PVDF/GO-PBA. Finally, the sensitivity to the vibrations of various frequencies was performed and the piezoelectric constant in the thickness mode, d₃₃, was calculated and its electrical load independency were confirmed. Received values of the d₃₃ were for neat PVDF 14.7 pC/N, for PVDF/GO 20.6 pC/N and for PVDF/GO-PBA 26.2 pC/N showing significant improvement of the vibration sensing and thus providing very promising systems for structural health monitoring and data harvesting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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24 pages, 8328 KiB

Open AccessReview

Polymer Electrolyte Membranes Containing Functionalized Organic/Inorganic Composite for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Applications

by Seansoo Hwang, HyeonGyeong Lee, Yu-Gyeong Jeong, Chanhee Choi, Inhyeok Hwang, SeungHyeon Song, Sang Yong Nam, Jin Hong Lee and Kihyun Kim

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14252; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214252 - 17 Nov 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3993

Abstract

To mitigate the dependence on fossil fuels and the associated global warming issues, numerous studies have focused on the development of eco-friendly energy conversion devices such as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) that directly convert chemical energy into electrical energy. As one of the key components in PEMFCs, polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) should have high proton conductivity and outstanding physicochemical stability during operation. Although the perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA)-based PEMs and some of the hydrocarbon-based PEMs composed of rationally designed polymer structures are found to meet these criteria, there is an ongoing and pressing need to improve and fine-tune these further, to be useful in practical PEMFC operation. Incorporation of organic/inorganic fillers into the polymer matrix is one of the methods shown to be effective for controlling target PEM properties including thermal stability, mechanical properties, and physical stability, as well as proton conductivity. Functionalization of organic/inorganic fillers is critical to optimize the filler efficiency and dispersion, thus resulting in significant improvements to PEM properties. This review focused on the structural engineering of functionalized carbon and silica-based fillers and comparisons of the resulting PEM properties. Newly constructed composite membranes were compared to composite membrane containing non-functionalized fillers or pure polymer matrix membrane without fillers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites: Preparation, Properties, and Application)

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