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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 October 2023) | Viewed by 10955

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hui Chen

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore
Interests: laser additive manufacturing; powder processing; computational simulation; modeling; multiphase flow

Dr. Haibin Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Intelligent Manufacturing, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
Interests: additive manufacturing; mechanics; fatigue; carbon fiber composites; metallic materials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as three-dimensional printing, possesses great capabilities of fabricating precise and complex components, and has been gaining increasing attention in recent years. Polymeric composites with fibers are the first and still the most widely employed materials for the AM technique. Polymeric composites with fibers fabricated by AM have gained the attention of researchers as well as industrialists. These composite materials have high strength-to-weight ratio, and therefore are used in a wide range of applications. In spite of the exciting results achieved so far, many challenges remain open to identify the microstructural specificities of fiber-reinforced polymer composites processed by AM, and to tackle the technological issues. Numerical modelling and simulation is an effective way to assess the impact of processing parameters and predict optimized conditions in the AM of fiber/polymer composites, though it has so far been mainly focused on metal AM process.

The scope of this Special Issue is to present the latest developments in the AM of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Topics addressed include new computational models and approaches predicting the fabrication process and mechanical properties of fabricated components, and new additive-manufacturing technologies covering various families of material extrusion, material lamination, binder jetting, selective laser sintering, etc.—especially designed for the processing of fiber/polymer composites. New composite systems based on polymeric (both thermoplastic and thermoset), ceramic (oxide and non-oxide) or metallic matrices, containing either short or continuous fiber reinforcement, are covered. Applications of AM of fiber/polymer composites in other fields (e.g., robot design and bio-inspired structure design) are also welcome.

Dr. Hui Chen
Dr. Haibin Tang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

additive manufacturing
fiber-reinforced polymer composites
computational modeling
simulation
manufacturing process
mechanical property and fatigue performance

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Research

23 pages, 18932 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Fatigue Resistance in Asphalt Mixtures with a Novel Additive Derived from Recycled Polymeric Fibers from End-of-Life Tyres (ELTs)

by Gonzalo Valdes-Vidal, Alejandra Calabi-Floody, Cristian Mignolet-Garrido and Cristobal Bravo-Espinoza

Polymers 2024, 16(3), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030385 - 30 Jan 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1383

Abstract

Waste-tire textile fibers (WTTF) represent a challenge for the recycling industry since there are currently very few alternatives for their use. In this study, an evaluation of the effect of a new additive developed in two granular formats from WTTF on the fatigue behavior of asphalt mixtures was performed. For the first format of the WTTF-based additive, its effect was evaluated on hot-mix asphalt (HMA), while for the second format of the additive, the effects were evaluated on stone mastic asphalt (SMA). This second format represents an alternative that allows for the total replacement of the cellulose stabilizing additive used in the reference mix. The evaluation of fatigue damage in the mixes was performed using the four-point bending beam (4PB) test specified in European standard EN 12697-24. The test results show that the asphalt mixtures manufactured with WTTF-based additives exhibited a higher capacity to resist load cycles before failure compared to the reference mixtures. Likewise, once the asphalt mixtures were evaluated in a pavement structure by means of an empirical mechanistic analysis, the pavement structures composed of asphalt mixtures with WTTF-based additives showed significant improvements in their durability for the different load axes evaluated. For an average thickness of 15 cm of asphalt mix of a pavement-type structure, the use of the WTTF additive increases the durability of the structures by up to 129% and 112% compared to the HMA and SMA reference mixtures, respectively. These results show that both formats of the WTTF-based admixture improve the fatigue damage resistance of the HMA and SMA asphalt mixtures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Fiber/Polymer Composites)

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19 pages, 7804 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Particle Size on the Mechanical Performance and Sintering Quality of Peanut Husk Powder/PES Composites Fabricated through Selective Laser Sintering

by Aboubaker I. B. Idriss, Chun-Mei Yang, Jian Li, Yanling Guo, Jiuqing Liu, Alaaeldin A. A. Abdelmagid, Gafer A. Ahmed and Hao Zhang

Polymers 2023, 15(19), 3913; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15193913 - 28 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1207

Abstract

This study intends to enhance the mechanical strength of wood–plastic composite selective laser sintering (SLS) parts by using a sustainable composite, peanut husk powder (PHP)/poly ether sulfone (PES) (PHPC). The study aims to address agricultural waste pollution by encouraging the eco-friendly utilization of such waste in SLS technology. To ensure the sintering quality and mechanical properties and prevent deformation and warping during sintering, the thermo-physical properties of PHP and PES powders were analyzed to determine a suitable preheating temperature for PHPC. Single-layer sintering tests were conducted to assess the formability of PHPC specimens with varying PHP particle sizes. The study showed the effects of different PHP particle sizes on the mechanical performance of PHPC parts. The evaluation covered various aspects of PHPC SLS parts, including mechanical strength, density, residual ash content, dimensional accuracy (DA), and surface roughness, with different PHP particle sizes. The mechanical analysis showed that PHPC parts made from PHP particles of ≤0.125 mm were the strongest. Specifically, the density bending strength, residual ash content, tensile, and impact strength were measured as 1.1825 g/cm³, 14.1 MPa, 1.2%, 6.076 MPa, and 2.12 kJ/cm², respectively. Notably, these parameters showed significant improvement after the wax infiltration treatment. SEM was used to examine the PHP and PES powder particles, PHPC specimen microstructure, and PHPC SLS parts before and after the mechanical tests and waxing. Consequently, SEM analysis wholly confirmed the mechanical test results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Fiber/Polymer Composites)

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13 pages, 4474 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Fabrication Technique on Adhesion and Biofilm Formation of Candida albicans to Conventional, Milled, and 3D-Printed Denture Base Resin Materials: A Comparative In Vitro Study

by Reham B. Osman, Ghalia Khoder, Bahgat Fayed, Reena Arora Kedia, Yaser Elkareimi and Nawal Alharbi

Polymers 2023, 15(8), 1836; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15081836 - 10 Apr 2023

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2601

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the adhesion and biofilm formation of Candida albicans (C. albicans) on conventionally fabricated, milled, and 3D-printed denture base resin materials in order to determine the susceptibility of denture contamination during clinical use. Specimens were incubated with C. albicans (ATCC 10231) for 1 and 24 h. Adhesion and biofilm formation of C. albicans were assessed using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The XTT (2,3-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulphophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino) carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide) assay was used for the quantification of fungal adhesion and biofilm formation. The data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism 8.02 for windows. One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc testing were performed with a statistical significance level set at α = 0.05. The quantitative XTT biofilm assay revealed significant differences in the biofilm formation of C. albicans between the three groups in the 24 h incubation period. The highest proportion of biofilm formation was observed in the 3D-printed group, followed by the conventional group, while the lowest candida biofilm formation was observed in the milled group. The difference in biofilm formation among the three tested dentures was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The manufacturing technique has an influence on the surface topography and microbiological properties of the fabricated denture base resin material. Additive 3D-printing technology results in increased candida adhesion and the roughest surface topography of maxillary resin denture base as compared to conventional flask compression and CAD/CAM milling techniques. In a clinical setting, patients wearing additively manufactured maxillary complete dentures are thus more susceptible to the development of candida-associated denture stomatitis and accordingly, strict oral hygiene measures and maintenance programs should be emphasized to patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Fiber/Polymer Composites)

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19 pages, 6190 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Low-Cost Process for Fabricating Reinforced 3D Printing Thermoplastic Filaments

by Mohamed Hassanien, Maen Alkhader, Bassam A. Abu-Nabah and Wael Abuzaid

Polymers 2023, 15(2), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15020315 - 7 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2301

Abstract

Low-cost desktop-sized fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers have been widely embraced by small to large-scale institutions and individuals. To further enhance their utility and increase the range of materials that they can process, this work proposes a low-cost solution that adapts to low-cost desktop-sized extruders and enables them to fabricate filaments comprising a wide range of nonorganic reinforcing particles. This solution will fill a gap in the field, as low-cost fabrication techniques for reinforced filaments have been lacking. In the proposed solution, particles are heated and deposited on thermoplastic pellets to form a coating. Coated pellets are subsequently extruded using a low-cost desktop single-screw extruder. The effectiveness of the process is demonstrated by fabricating polylactic acid (PLA) filaments reinforced with two types of reinforcements, namely, dune sand and silicon carbide. Filaments’ stiffness and strength were measured, and their microstructure along their lateral and longitudinal directions were investigated. Improvements in tensile strength (up to 8%) and stiffness (up to 4.5%) were observed, but at low reinforcement levels (less than 2 wt%). Results showed that the proposed process could be used to fabricate filaments with multiple types of particles. The produced filaments were successfully used to fabricate 3D parts using a commercial desktop FDM printer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Fiber/Polymer Composites)

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13 pages, 6248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Roller Rotation Pattern in the Spreading Process of Polymer/Short-Fiber Composite Powder in Selective Laser Sintering

by Tan Cheng, Hui Chen and Qingsong Wei

Polymers 2022, 14(12), 2345; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14122345 - 9 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2532

Abstract

In this study, for the first time, a forward-rotating roller is proposed for the spreading of CF/PA12 composite powder in the selective laser sintering (SLS) process. The mesoscopic kinetic mechanism of composite particle spreading is investigated by utilizing the “multi-spherical” element within the discrete element method (DEM). The commercial software EDEM and the open-source DEM particle simulation code LIGGGHTS-PUBLIC are used for the simulations in this work. It is found that the forward-rotating roller produces a strong compaction on the powder pile than does the conventional counter-rotating roller, thus increasing the coordination number and mass flow rate of the particle flow, which significantly improves the powder bed quality. In addition, the forward-rotating pattern generates a braking friction force on the particles in the opposite direction to their spread, which affects the particle dynamics and deposition process. Therefore, appropriately increasing the roller rotation speed to make this force comparable to the roller dragging force could result in faster deposition of the composite particles to form a stable powder bed. This mechanism allows the forward-rotating roller to maintain a good powder bed quality, even at a high spreading speed, thus providing greater potential for the industry to improve the spreading efficiency of the SLS process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing of Fiber/Polymer Composites)

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