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Polymers
Special Issues
Modeling of Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites
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Modeling of Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 2312

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rafał Grzejda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, 70-310 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: mechanics of materials; finite element method; joints in mechanical engineering; stiffness of mechanical systems; composite joints
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In addition to experimental research, materials engineering is now focusing on evaluating the behavior of various composite structures through the use of computational methods and the adoption of FE tools.

This Special Issue of Polymers targets critical findings, advances, and applications of the finite element method in all areas of materials engineering concerning polymer composites and nanocomposites. Papers related to the new developments in finite element analysis with respect to theoretical, computational, and modeling techniques and their applications in science and technology will be included.

Papers that cover a wide range of issues are expected, including (but not limited to) the following:

  1. Finite element analysis;
  2. Structural health monitoring;
  3. Composite connections;
  4. Deformation analysis;
  5. Geometric modeling.

Dr. Rafał Grzejda
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

  • polymer composites
  • polymer nanocomposites
  • material properties
  • structural morphology
  • finite element analysis
  • optimization of composites

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 7471 KiB  
Article
Multiscale Numerical Study of Enhanced Ductility Ratios and Capacity in Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Concrete Beams for Safety Design
by Moab Maidi, Gili Lifshitz Sherzer and Erez Gal
Polymers 2025, 17(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17020234 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 453
Abstract
Rigid reinforced concrete (RC) frames are generally adopted as stiff elements to make the building structures resistant to seismic forces. However, a method has yet to be fully sought to provide earthquake resistance through optimizing beam and column performance in a rigid frame. [...] Read more.
Rigid reinforced concrete (RC) frames are generally adopted as stiff elements to make the building structures resistant to seismic forces. However, a method has yet to be fully sought to provide earthquake resistance through optimizing beam and column performance in a rigid frame. Due to its high corrosion resistance, the integration of CFRP offers an opportunity to reduce frequent repairs and increase durability. This paper presents the structural response of CFRP beams integrated into rigid frames when subjected to seismic events. Without any design provision for CFRP systems in extreme events, multiscale simulations and parametric analyses were performed to optimize the residual state and global performance. Macroparameters, represented by the ductility ratio and microfactors, have been analyzed using a customized version of the modified compression field theory (MCFT). The main parameters considered were reinforcement under tension and compression, strength of concrete, height-to-width ratio, section cover, and confinement level, all of which are important to understand their influence on seismic performance. The parametric analysis results highlight the increased ductility and higher load-carrying capacity of the CFRP-reinforced tested component compared to the RC component. These results shed light on the possibility of designing CFRP-reinforced concrete components that could improve ductile frames with increased energy dissipation and be suitable for applications in non-corrosive seismic-resistant buildings. This also shows reduced brittleness and enhancement in the failure mode. Numerical simulations and experimental results showed a strong correlation with a deviation of about 8.3%, underlining the reliability of the proposed approach for designing seismic-resistant CFRP-reinforced structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites)
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17 pages, 3242 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Phase Analytical Model for Effective Electrical Conductivity of Polymer Matrix Composites Containing Micro-SiC Whiskers and Nano-Carbon Black Hybrids
by Usama Umer, Mustufa Haider Abidi, Zeyad Almutairi and Mohamed K. Aboudaif
Polymers 2025, 17(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17020128 - 7 Jan 2025
Viewed by 506
Abstract
Multifunctional polymer composites containing micro/nano hybrid reinforcements have attracted intensive attention in the field of materials science and engineering. This paper develops a multi-phase analytical model for investigating the effective electrical conductivity of micro-silicon carbide (SiC) whisker/nano-carbon black (CB) polymer composites. First, CB [...] Read more.
Multifunctional polymer composites containing micro/nano hybrid reinforcements have attracted intensive attention in the field of materials science and engineering. This paper develops a multi-phase analytical model for investigating the effective electrical conductivity of micro-silicon carbide (SiC) whisker/nano-carbon black (CB) polymer composites. First, CB nanoparticles are dispersed within the non-conducting epoxy to achieve a conductive CB-filled nanocomposite and its electrical conductivity is predicted. Some critical microstructures such as volume percentage and size of nanoparticles, and interphase characteristics surrounding the CB are micromechanically captured. Next, the electrical conductivity of randomly oriented SiC-containing composites in which the nanocomposite and whisker are considered as the matrix and reinforcement phases, respectively, is estimated. Influences of whisker aspect ratio and volume fraction on the effective electrical conductivity of the SiC/CB-containing polymer composites are explored. Some comparison studies are performed to validate the accuracy of the model. It is observed before the percolation threshold that the addition of nanoparticles with a uniform dispersion can improve the electrical conductivity of the polymer composites containing SiC/CB hybrids. Moreover, the results show that the electrical conductivity is more enhanced by the decrease in nanoparticle size. Interestingly, the composite percolation threshold is significantly reduced when SiC whiskers with a higher aspect ratio are added. This work will be favorable for the design of electro-conductive polymer composites with high performances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites)
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19 pages, 3611 KiB  
Article
Effects of Silica Nanoparticles on the Piezoelectro-Elastic Response of PZT-7A–Polyimide Nanocomposites: Micromechanics Modeling Technique
by Usama Umer, Mustufa Haider Abidi, Syed Hammad Mian, Fahad Alasim and Mohammed K. Aboudaif
Polymers 2024, 16(20), 2860; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16202860 - 10 Oct 2024
Viewed by 872
Abstract
By using piezoelectric materials, it is possible to convert clean and renewable energy sources into electrical energy. In this paper, the effect on the piezoelectro-elastic response of piezoelectric-fiber-reinforced nanocomposites by adding silica nanoparticles into the polyimide matrix is investigated by a micromechanical method. [...] Read more.
By using piezoelectric materials, it is possible to convert clean and renewable energy sources into electrical energy. In this paper, the effect on the piezoelectro-elastic response of piezoelectric-fiber-reinforced nanocomposites by adding silica nanoparticles into the polyimide matrix is investigated by a micromechanical method. First, the Ji and Mori–Tanaka models are used to calculate the properties of the nanoscale silica-filled polymer. The nanoparticle agglomeration and silica–polymer interphase are considered in the micromechanical modeling. Then, considering the filled polymer as the matrix and the piezoelectric fiber as the reinforcement, the Mori–Tanaka model is used to estimate the elastic and piezoelectric constants of the piezoelectric fibrous nanocomposites. It was found that adding silica nanoparticles into the polymer improves the elastic and piezoelectric properties of the piezoelectric fibrous nanocomposites. When the fiber volume fraction is 60%, the nanocomposite with the 3% silica-filled polyimide exhibits 39%, 31.8%, and 37% improvements in the transverse Young’s modulus ET, transverse shear modulus GTL, and piezoelectric coefficient e31 in comparison with the composite without nanoparticles. Furthermore, the piezoelectro-elastic properties such as ET, GTL, and e31 can be improved as the nanoparticle diameter decreases. However, the elastic and piezoelectric constants of the piezoelectric fibrous nanocomposites decrease once the nanoparticles are agglomerated in the polymer matrix. A thick interphase with a high stiffness enhances the nanocomposite’s piezoelectro-elastic performance. Also, the influence of volume fractions of the silica nanoparticles and piezoelectric fibers on the nanocomposite properties is studied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites)
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