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Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2024) | Viewed by 36820

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Libo Yan

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Guest Editor

1. Division of Organic and Wooden Based Materials, Institute of Building Materials, Concrete Construction and Fire Safety, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38102 Braunschweig, Germany
2. Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany
Interests: FRP; fibre reinforced concrete; wood science; bio-composites; hybrid structures; durability of materials; dynamics of structures; recycling and reuse of construction and demolition; agricultural and forestry, and plastic wastes; thermal and fire performance of materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Qiuni Fu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Division of Organic and Wooden Based Materials, Institute of Building Materials, Concrete Construction and Fire Safety, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38102 Braunschweig, Germany
Interests: FRP; durability of materials; composite structures; safety of structures, and fire performance of adhesivly-bonded structures

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer adhesives are widely used in various industrial sectors, such as marine engineering, wind engineering, automotive engineering, aerospace engineering, light-weight materials, transportation and civil engineering. Polymer adhesive materials have the advantage of combining desired functions with tailored physical and chemical stability. Polymer adhesives can also be used as matrices for different reinforcing materials to form composite materials (i.e. fiber reinforced polymer (FRP)). FRP composites with light weight and design flexibility have been used with other conventional materials (such as concrete, wood, steel and masonry) for achieving high structural performance and/or structural repairing/strengthening. In addition, polymer adhesives can bind dissimilar materials (e.g. FRP, steel, concrete, wood) to be innovative composite elements showing excellent mechanical performance. Furthermore, polymer adhesives can also be used to bind fresh concrete and old concrete in repairing work to enhance the interface, and used as grouting materials in post-installation of rebars in concrete and masonry structures for strengthening. Polymers can also include other functions such as bonding on demand (to enable recycling, for example), flame retardancy, antimicrobial properties or even sensor technology to monitor element properties in use. Functional polymers can thus enable the use of hybrid materials as well as FRP for previously unfeasible applications. In the context of circular economy and bio-economy, nowadays, attentions are also extended to the recycling and reuse of polymers and FRP composite materials, as well as the development of bio-based polymers and adhesives used for new applications.

Therefore, this Special Issue is devoted to (1) the synthesis, development and characterization of synthetic and bio-based polymers, (2) performance and application of polymers and adhesives for FRP composites (i.e., synthetic and bio-composites) and structural joints (e.g., steel-FRP, FRP-timber, FRP-wood, timber-concrete, FRP-masonry, concrete-concrete, rebar-concrete, rebar-masonry), and (3) application and recycling of FRP for construction application. Remarkable contributions including research articles, communications, and reviews from experts all over the world are all welcome. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

Bio-based adhesives and polymers
Bio-composites
Functional adhesives and polymers
FRP materials
Adhesive joints
Fatigue and creep
Fracture mechanics
Polymer concrete
FRP-wood
FRP-concrete
FRP-masonry
FRP-steel
Micro-structure and performance
Long-term performance
Light-weight composite structures
Recycling of plastics
Recycling of FRP composites
Repairing and strengthening

Prof. Dr. Libo Yan
Dr. Qiuni Fu
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. 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

bio-based adhesives and polymers
bio-composites
functional adhesives and polymers
FRP materials
adhesive joints
fatigue and creep
fracture mechanics
polymer concrete
FRP-wood
FRP-concrete
FRP-masonry
FRP-steel
micro-structure and performance
long-term performance
light-weight composite structures
recycling of plastics
recycling of FRP composites
repairing and strengthening

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2741 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Elastic Constants of Polymeric Fiber Composite Estimation Using Finite Element Method

by Calin Itu, Maria Luminita Scutaru and Sorin Vlase

Polymers 2024, 16(3), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030354 - 28 Jan 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1259

Abstract

Determining the properties of composite materials (knowing the properties of the component phases) is a primary objective in the design phase. Numerous methods have been developed to determine the elastic constants of a composite material. All these methods are laborious and require significant computing time. It is possible to make experimental measurements, but these too are expensive and time-consuming. In order to have a quick estimate of the value of the engineering constants of a new composite material (in our study a polymeric matrix reinforced with carbon fibers), this paper proposes a quick method for determining the homogenized material constants, using the finite element method (FEM). For this, the eigenfrequencies of a beam specimen manufactured by the studied composite material will be computed using FEM. The model will consider both phases of the composite, with the geometry and real size. The mechanical properties of the constituent’s material phases are known. With the help of this model, the torsional, longitudinal and transverse vibrations of the beam are studied. Based on the eigenvalues obtained by this calculation, it now is possible to quickly estimate the values of homogenized material constants required in the design. An example for a fiber-reinforced polymer composite material is provided in the paper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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13 pages, 3995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Independent Heating Performances in the Sub-Zero Environment of MWCNT/PDMS Composite with Low Electron-Tunneling Energy

by Yun Kyung Min, Taesik Eom, Heonyoung Kim, Donghoon Kang and Sang-Eui Lee

Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1171; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15051171 - 25 Feb 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1904

Abstract

The structural stability of various structures (railroads, bridges, buildings, etc.) is lowered due to freezing because of the decreasing outside temperature in winter. To prevent damage from freezing, a technology for de-icing has been developed using an electric-heating composite. For this purpose, a highly electrically conductive composite film with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) uniformly dispersed in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix through a three-roll process was fabricated by shearing the MWCNT/PDMS paste, through a two-roll process. The electrical conductivity and the activation energy of the composite were 326.5 S/m and 8.0 meV at 5.82 Vol% of MWCNTs, respectively. The dependence of the electric-heating performance (heating rate and temperature change) on the applied voltage and environmental temperature (from −20 °C to 20 °C) was evaluated. The heating rate and effective-heat-transfer characteristics were observed to decrease as the applied voltage increased, while they showed the opposite tendency when the environmental temperature was at sub-zero temperatures. Nevertheless, the overall heating performance (heating rate and temperature change) was maintained with little significant difference in the considered external-temperature range. The unique heating behaviors can result from the low activation energy and the negative-temperature (T) coefficient of resistance (R) (NTCR, dR/dT < 0) of the MWCNT/PDMS composite. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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19 pages, 5305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Bond-Slip Behavior between Seawater Sea-Sand Concrete and Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Bars with Different Surface Shapes

by Jing Gao, Penghai Xu, Lingyun Fan and Giovanni Pietro Terrasi

Polymers 2022, 14(13), 2689; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14132689 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2376

Abstract

The application of CFRP bar and seawater sea-sand concrete (SSSC) in construction can overcome the shortcomings in conventional reinforced concrete, such as corrosion induced by carbonation and chloride ingress. In this study, the bond-slip behavior between an SSSC cube and CFRP bar has been investigated, and different CFRP bar surface shapes have been considered. A total of 27 specimens (9 groups) were fabricated for a pull-out test, where three types of CFRP bar with different surface shapes were used: smooth regular bars, double-wrapped bars and ribbed bars. Bond strength, bond-slip curve, and failure mode have been presented and discussed. FE models have been constructed and validated by experimental results. The effect of concrete compressive strength and relative area of ribs on bond strength has been studied through numerical simulations. It is found that the bond strength increased with concrete compressive strength, and the ribbed bar had significantly higher bond strength than the smooth regular bar. Pull-out failure was observed when the cover-depth-to-bar-diameter ratio was no less than 4 and, otherwise, splitting failure occurred. In addition, a simple formula has been proposed to approximately evaluate the bond strength between an SSSC cube and CFRP bar and validated by experimental results, and analytical expressions for different bond-slip curves have also been developed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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29 pages, 12316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Split-Wedge Anchorage for CFRP Cables: Numerical Model vs. Experimental Results

by Marco Damiani and Nicola Nisticò

Polymers 2022, 14(13), 2675; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14132675 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2515

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are widely used within civil structural applications either for structural retrofitting or new constructions. This is due to their appreciable mechanical properties such as high stiffness and strength, resistance to environmental effects, as well low density. Through the years, such peculiarities have encouraged researchers to apply FRP cables within the design of prestressing systems, where steel cables are systematically adopted. However, the brittleness intrinsic to FRP materials necessitates additional efforts to design the anchorage devices. In fact, tendons are here subjected to stress peaks, which need to be controlled in order to prevent the premature failure of the cable. Following this goal, authors recently studied an optimized split-wedge anchorage, for 12 mm-diameter pultruded-carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (PCFRP) tendons, adopting double-angle (DA) wedges, and compared its performance with a single-angle (SA) wedge configuration. Tensile tests were performed on 3 SA and 2 DA prototypes, respectively, through a universal testing machine: the DA configuration exploited the average cable capacity (257 kN) once, denoting a maximum efficiency. The obtained experimental results are utilized, in the framework of the present work, to calibrate contact parameters of nonlinear finite element models. The presented numerical results helped to assess benefits of the proposed configurations and the behavior of the anchorage components: the DA configuration turned out to satisfactorily avoid stress peak superpositions on the cable, with a reduction in pressure in the loading end of the cable with respect to the SA model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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17 pages, 4683 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study of Fatigue and Fracture Behavior of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Straps

by Jing Gao, Penghai Xu, Lingyun Fan, Jinfeng Li, Giovanni Pietro Terrasi and Urs Meier

Polymers 2022, 14(10), 2129; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14102129 - 23 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2455

Abstract

The hanger is one of the important components for through and half-through arch bridges. Conventional steel hangers are vulnerable to corrosion due to corrosive environments. Therefore, a new type of bridge hangers consisting of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) straps was developed recently. The CFRP straps are self-anchored, which is formed by layers-winding, and they have great advantages in corrosive environments such as high resistance to corrosion. In this study, the fatigue and fracture behavior of CFRP straps has been experimentally investigated. Firstly, the tensile testing of four CFRP strap specimens was conducted to investigate the static fracture behavior of CFRP straps, and three stages were observed, including delamination, cracking, and brittle rupture. Then, a fatigue test of thirty-nine specimens (four groups) was carried out to study the fatigue behavior of CFRP straps, where two types of pins, titanium alloy pin and CFRP pin, and two loading frequencies, 10 Hz and 15 Hz, were used. The number of cycles to failure, displacement, fatigue failure strain, outside surface temperature at the vertex of specimen, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs were recorded and analyzed to investigate the fatigue behavior of CFRP straps. The experiment results show that the temperature development at the vertex of the CFRP strap varies obviously if different pins are used due to the different friction coefficients. In addition, the fatigue life of CFRP straps decreases significantly with the increase in loading rate for the titanium pin, while it only reduces slightly with the increase in loading rate for the CFRP pin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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24 pages, 6800 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Test Methods for Characterizing the Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites at Elevated Temperatures

by Venkatesh Kodur, Svetha Venkatachari, Vasant A. Matsagar and Shamsher Bahadur Singh

Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1734; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091734 - 24 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5489

Abstract

Recent research trends focus on developing bio-based (derived from agricultural byproducts) fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites for structural applications. Fire resistance is one of the key issues that need to be addressed for the use of these FRP materials in buildings. The thermal and mechanical properties of the constituent materials essentially determine the fire performance (and the fire resistance rating) of a structural member, and these properties vary with temperature. Further, the properties of composite materials such as the FRP are highly influenced by the composition and type of fibers and matrix, and these thermo-mechanical properties also vary significantly with temperature. Due to this variation, the fire resistance of FRP materials (both conventional and bio-based) poses a major concern for use in buildings. Currently, very few standardized test procedures are available for evaluating the high-temperature material properties of FRP composites. In this paper, a review of testing protocols and procedures for undertaking tests on FRP materials at various elevated temperatures for evaluating their properties is carried out. Recommendations are provided on the most suitable test methods, specimen conditions, testing regime, and other issues associated with testing at elevated temperatures. In addition, the applicability of the proposed test methods is illustrated through a case study on conventional FRP specimens. Further, the applicability of the recommended test procedures for measuring high-temperature properties of bio-based FRP composites is highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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20 pages, 9661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interfacial Shear Performance of Epoxy Adhesive Joints of Prefabricated Elements Made of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete

by Kun Yu, Zhongya Zhang, Yang Zou, Jinlong Jiang, Xingqi Zeng and Liang Tang

Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071364 - 28 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2518

Abstract

Application of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) in joints can improve the impact resistance, crack resistance, and durability of structures. In this paper, the direct shear performance of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) adhesive joints was experimentally studied. Twenty-four direct shear loading tests of UHPC adhesive joints were carried out considering different interface types and constraint states. The failure modes and load-slip curves of different interfaces were studied. Results indicated that passive confinement could enhance the strength and ductility of the interface; the average ultimate bearing capacity of the smooth, rough, grooved, and keyway specimens with passive restraint were, respectively, increased by 11.92%, 8.91%, 11.93%, and 17.766% compared with the unrestrained ones. The passive constraint force changes with the loading and finally tends to be stable. The epoxy adhesive has high reliability as a coating for the UHPC interface. The adhesive layer is not cracked before the failure of the specimen, which is also different from the common failure mode of adhesive joints. Failure of all specimens occurred in the UHPC layer, and the convex part of the groove interface shows the UHPC matrix peeling failure; the keyway interface is the shear damage of the key-tooth root, and the rest of the keyway showed UHPC surface peeling failure. According to the failure mode, the shear capacity of UHPC keyway adhesive joints under passive restraint is mainly provided by the shear resistance of key teeth, the friction force of the joint surface, and the bonding force of the UHPC surface. The friction coefficient was determined based on the test results, and the high-precision fitting formula between the shear strength of the UHPC surface and the passive constraint force was established. According to the Mohr stress circle theory, the proposed formula for direct shear strength of UHPC bonded joints under passive constraint was established. The average ratio of the proposed UHPC adhesive joint calculation formula to the test results was 0.99, and the standard deviation was 0.027. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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19 pages, 4159 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Jute Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Tube-Confined Sisal Fiber-Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete Waste

by Chang Gao, Qiuni Fu, Liang Huang, Libo Yan and Guangming Gu

Polymers 2022, 14(6), 1260; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14061260 - 21 Mar 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3309

Abstract

In this study, the compressive performance of sisal fiber-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (SFRAC) composite, confined with jute fiber-reinforced polymer (JFRP) tube (the structure was termed as JFRP–SFRAC) was assessed. A total of 36 cylindrical specimens were tested under uniaxial compression. Three major experimental variables were investigated: (1) the compressive strength of concrete core (i.e., 25.0 MPa and 32.5 MPa), (2) jute fiber orientation angle with respect to the hoop direction of a JFRP tube (i.e., β = 0°, 30° and 45°), and (3) the reinforcement of sisal fiber (i.e., 0% and 0.3% by mass of cement). This study revealed that the prefabricated JFRP tube resulted in a significant enhancement of the compressive strength and deformation ability of RAC and SFRAC. The enhancements in strength and ultimate strain of the composite columns were more pronounced for concrete with a higher strength. The strength and ultimate strain of JFRP-confined specimens decreased with an increase in fiber orientation angle β from 0° to 45°. The sisal fiber reinforcement effectively improved the integrity of the RAC and reduced the propagation of cracks in RAC. The stress–strain behaviors of JFRP–RAC and JFRP–SFRAC were predicted by the Lam and Teng’s model with the revised ultimate condition equations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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Review

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30 pages, 7907 KiB

Open AccessReview

Mechanical Properties and Durability of Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC)—A Review

by Chao Wu, Yang Pan and Libo Yan

Polymers 2023, 15(18), 3826; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15183826 - 19 Sep 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5501

Abstract

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) is an innovative structure type of reinforced concrete in which the conventional steel reinforcement is replaced with fibre textile materials. The thin, cost-effective and lightweight nature enable TRC to be used to create different types of structural components for architectural and civil engineering applications. This paper presents a review of recent developments of TRC. In this review, firstly, the concept and the composition of TRC are discussed. Next, interfacial bond behaviour between fibre textile (dry and/saturated with polymer) and concrete was analysed considering the effects of polymer saturation, geometry and additives in polymer of the textile. Then, the mechanical properties (including static and dynamic properties) of TRC were reviewed. For static properties, the mechanical properties including compression, tension, flexural, shear and bond properties are discussed. For dynamic properties, the impact, seismic and cyclic properties were investigated. Furthermore, the durability of TRC under different environmental conditions, i.e., temperature/fire, humidity and wet–dry cycles, freeze–thaw, chemical and fatigue were discussed. Finally, typical engineering applications of TRC were presented. The research gaps which need to be addressed in the future for TRC research were identified as well. This review aims to present the recent advancement of TRC and inspire future research of this advanced material. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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34 pages, 74852 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Brief Review on Advanced Sandwich Structures with Customized Design Core and Composite Face Sheet

by Santosh Kumar Sahu, P. S. Rama Sreekanth and S. V. Kota Reddy

Polymers 2022, 14(20), 4267; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14204267 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 7099

Abstract

Sandwich structures are a class of multifunctional high-performance structural composites that have the advantages of being lightweight, of a high strength-to-weight ratio, and of high specific energy absorption capabilities. The creative design of the core along with the apposite material selection for the fabrication of the face sheet and core are the two prerequisites with encouraging areas for further expedition towards the fabrication of advanced composite sandwich structures. The current review work focused on different types of core designs, such as truss, foam, corrugated, honeycomb, derivative, hybrid, hollow, hierarchical, gradient, folded, and smart core along with different composite materials accessible for face sheet fabrication, including fiber-reinforced composite, metal matrix composite, and polymer matrix composite are considered. The joining method plays a major role for the performance evolution of sandwich structures, which were also investigated. Further discussions are aligned to address major challenges in the fabrication of sandwich structures and further enlighten the future direction of the advanced composite sandwich structure. Finally, the work is summarized with a brief conclusion. This review article provides wider guidelines for researchers in designing and manufacturing next-generation lightweight multilayer core sandwich structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers (or Adhesives) and Polymer Composites for Construction Application)

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