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Applied Sciences
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Multifunctional Polymers and Composites
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Multifunctional Polymers and 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 (10 June 2022) | Viewed by 15212

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Silvia González Prolongo

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Guest Editor
Materials Science and Engineering Area, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Madrid, Spain
Interests: polymers; composites; recyclable; sustainable; smart polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Alberto Jiménez Suárez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Materials Science and Engineering Area, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, Spain
Interests: multifunctional composite materials; self-healing materials; 3D printed nanocomposites; structural health monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The issue aims at a broad coverage of all related aspects of multifunctional polymers and composites, from their manufacturing, characterization, modelling, applications, etc. Multifunctional materials (MFM) are based on advanced materials with structural and functional capabilities. Some of the most important MFM are smart materials, which are able to reply appropriately to external stimuli, such as self-healing or shape memory materials. On the other hand, the addition of nanofillers into a polymer matrix has broadened the range of possibilities to develop new functionalities: barrier properties, wear resistance, and electrical and/or thermal properties, among others. These new materials are being developed for many different applications to address the most critical needs in areas such as energy, transport, building, health, and sustainability.

TOPICS

  • Multifunctional polymer based materials: coatings, composites, adhesives
  • Smart materials
  • Stimuli-responsive materials: sensing, self-diagnosis, self-healing, and adaptive structures
  • New developments and designs of polymers, composites and their structures
  • Polymer nanocomposites
Dr. Silvia González Prolongo
Dr. Alberto Jiménez Suárez
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.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 199 KiB  
Editorial
Multifunctional Polymers and Composites
by Alberto Jiménez-Suárez and Silvia G. Prolongo
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 1880; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app13031880 - 01 Feb 2023
Viewed by 842
Abstract
The use of polymer and polymer-based composites has increased over the last decades [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)

Research

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10 pages, 2644 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Properties of Epoxy Composites with Multi-Scale BN Sheets
by Sijiao Wang, Kaiming Cao, Guanwei Wang, Mengmeng Chen and Hongxi Wang
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(12), 6171; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12126171 - 17 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1301
Abstract
Epoxy resin is one of the most widely used thermosetting polymers and commonly applied in power electronics field. The intrinsic properties of epoxy can be improved by the introduction of inorganic filler, thus fabricating a composite material. In this paper, different scales of [...] Read more.
Epoxy resin is one of the most widely used thermosetting polymers and commonly applied in power electronics field. The intrinsic properties of epoxy can be improved by the introduction of inorganic filler, thus fabricating a composite material. In this paper, different scales of modified boron nitride (BN, 1 μm, 10 μm) were used to improve the thermal conductivity of epoxy resin. The surfaces BN were modification by a silane coupling agent to improve the compatibility between BN and epoxy resin. The effects of micro-and nano-BN sheets on the microstructure, breakdown strength, thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy resin composite were studied. The characterization of its morphology by scanning electron microscopy shows that nano-BN distribution is in the middle of micro-BN, forming a better bridging effect. The data of the breakdown strength and thermal conductivity indicated that when the content of micro-BN is 30 wt% and nano-BN is 20 wt%, the thermal conductivity of BN/epoxy composite was 1.52 W/m·K. In addition, the breakdown strength is 77.1 kV/mm. Thus, this type of BN-filled BN/EP composites with remarkable insulation and thermal conductivity properties would have potential for power engineering materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
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14 pages, 21482 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Thermal Conductivity of Silicon-Base Composites: The Effect of Filler Materials and Characteristic on Thermo-Mechanical Response of Silicon Composite
by Giacomo Riccucci, Lorenzo Pezzana, Simone Lantean, Alice Tori, Silvia Spriano and Marco Sangermano
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(12), 5663; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11125663 - 18 Jun 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2426
Abstract
Thermal conductivity is a key property in many applications from electronic to informatics. The interaction of fillers with Sylgard 184 was studied; this study explores new composites and the influence of metal particles (copper and nickel), carbon-based materials (carbon nanotubes and carbon black), [...] Read more.
Thermal conductivity is a key property in many applications from electronic to informatics. The interaction of fillers with Sylgard 184 was studied; this study explores new composites and the influence of metal particles (copper and nickel), carbon-based materials (carbon nanotubes and carbon black), and ceramic nanoparticles (boron nitride) as fillers to enhance thermal properties of silicon-based composites. The effect of the fillers on the final performances of the composite materials was evaluated. The influence of filler volume, dimension, morphology, and chemical nature is studied. Specifically, FT-IR analysis was used to evaluate curing of the polymer matrix. DSC was used to confirm the data and to further characterize the composites. Thermo-mechanical properties were studied by DMTA. The filler morphology was analyzed by SEM. Finally, thermal conductivity was studied and compared, enlightening the correlation with the features of the fillers. The results demonstrate a remarkable dependence among the type, size, and shape of the filler, and thermal properties of the composite materials. Underlining a that the volume filler influenced the thermal conductivity obtaining the best results with the highest added volume filler and higher positive impact on the k of the composites is reached with large particles and with irregular shapes. In contrast, the increase of filler amount affects the rigidity of the silicon-matrix, increasing the rigidity of the silicon-based composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
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8 pages, 7416 KiB  
Article
Evolution of Polymer Tantalum Capacitors
by Yuri Freeman and Philip Lessner
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(12), 5514; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11125514 - 15 Jun 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2727
Abstract
The major advantage of Polymer Tantalum capacitors over other types of tantalum capacitors is their low equivalent series resistance (ESR), providing a higher capacitance stability with frequency and ripple current capability. When Polymer Tantalum capacitors were introduced to the market in mid 1990s, [...] Read more.
The major advantage of Polymer Tantalum capacitors over other types of tantalum capacitors is their low equivalent series resistance (ESR), providing a higher capacitance stability with frequency and ripple current capability. When Polymer Tantalum capacitors were introduced to the market in mid 1990s, they were low voltage, leaky, and unreliable, which limited their applications to commercial electronics. Today, some types of polymer tantalum capacitors demonstrate the highest working voltage, lowest DC leakage, and highest reliability ever achieved in tantalum capacitors. These Polymer Tantalum capacitors combine outstanding performance and reliability with superior volumetric charge efficiency, which makes them cost effective and attractive for numerous applications, including mission critical ones. This paper is dedicated to the major technological breakthroughs and scientific discoveries that enabled the radical evolution of Polymer Tantalum capacitors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
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13 pages, 13888 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Properties of Biobased, Cationic, Waterborne Polyurethanes Dispersions from Castor Oil and Poly (Caprolactone) Diol
by Ying Li, Sichong Chen, Jun Shen, Siqi Zhang, Ming Liu, Ruixue Lv and Wang Xu
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 4784; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11114784 - 23 May 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2316
Abstract
Biobased cationic waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) were prepared using isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), N-methyl diethanolamine (N-MDEA), polycaprolactone (PCL) diol, hydrochlotic acid (HCl), and 1,4-butanediol (BDO). To improve the mechanical performance and adhesive strength of the waterborne polyurethane films, different amounts of castor oil (CO) acting [...] Read more.
Biobased cationic waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) were prepared using isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), N-methyl diethanolamine (N-MDEA), polycaprolactone (PCL) diol, hydrochlotic acid (HCl), and 1,4-butanediol (BDO). To improve the mechanical performance and adhesive strength of the waterborne polyurethane films, different amounts of castor oil (CO) acting as a cross-linking agent were incorporated in the polyurethane structure. The structures of the waterborne polyurethanes were assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The combination of CO had a positive effect on the dispersion and stability properties of WPUs. WPUs containing higher content of CO demonstrated a remarkable enhancement in homogeneity among particles. The stable aqueous dispersion was obtained even when N-MDEA loading was as low as 3.2 wt%; a bonus of this low hydrophilic moiety was the excellent adhesive strength, whose T-peel strength could reach up to 36.8 N/25 mm, about 114% higher than that of WPU (17.2 N/25 mm) without any CO content. The elongation at break of CO7.40%-WPU was 391%. In addition, the fracture mechanism of the waterborne polyurethane films transformed from the brittle failure to the ductile fracture. The experiment results showed the CO-modified WPUs displayed excellent film-forming property, flexibility, and adhesion, which can be employed for constructing the eco-friendly, biodegradable, cationic, waterborne polyurethanes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
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18 pages, 4044 KiB  
Article
Experimental Research of Rubber Composites Subjected to Impact Loading
by Ľubomír Ambriško and Daniela Marasová
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(23), 8384; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10238384 - 25 Nov 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1984
Abstract
This paper investigates rubber composites subjected to impact loading. One of the objectives was to determine the effect of the support system on the impact force value. Another objective was to identify the correlations between the force characteristics of the impact process, i.e., [...] Read more.
This paper investigates rubber composites subjected to impact loading. One of the objectives was to determine the effect of the support system on the impact force value. Another objective was to identify the correlations between the force characteristics of the impact process, i.e., between the impact force and the tensile force. The identified correlations between the impact process characteristics have been subjected to regression analyses, and their outputs were regression models describing the dynamic stress of rubber composites during the testing of their impact resistance. At dynamic loading, the key factor was the support system, which eliminates the force effects of the falling material that damages the rubber composite, in particular a conveyor belt, and may even lead to the loss if its functionality. In real operations, conveyor belts are stressed by the impact of the transported material onto the belt surface at sites where the conveyor is filled or at chutes, and this often results in belt damage. In many cases, such a belt is no longer usable, and significant financial loss is therefore incurred due to the need for replacement of the damaged belt and due to consequent downtimes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
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14 pages, 1724 KiB  
Article
Hydrogels Obtained via γ-Irradiation Based on Poly(Acrylic Acid) and Its Copolymers with 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate
by Marin Micutz, Rodica Mihaela Lungu, Viorel Circu, Monica Ilis and Teodora Staicu
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(14), 4960; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10144960 - 19 Jul 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2409
Abstract
Hydrogels containing both carboxyl and hydroxyl functional groups have been prepared by γ-irradiation of either aqueous solutions of acrylic acid (AA) and mixtures of AA and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in different ratios, or aqueous solutions of poly(AA), PAA, and poly(AA-co-HEMA) obtained via [...] Read more.
Hydrogels containing both carboxyl and hydroxyl functional groups have been prepared by γ-irradiation of either aqueous solutions of acrylic acid (AA) and mixtures of AA and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in different ratios, or aqueous solutions of poly(AA), PAA, and poly(AA-co-HEMA) obtained via solution polymerization. A higher absorbed dose is required in order to prepare hydrogels from monomer solutions, compared with those from polymer solutions. The range for the absorbed doses was chosen so that the probability of crosslinking reactions is higher than that of degradation ones. As the radiation energy deposited in a sample increases, the equilibrium swelling degree and the average molar mass between crosslinks diminishes. Chemical transformations induced by radiation were investigated by means of FTIR spectroscopy and thermal analysis of polymers before and after irradiation. For all these systems, the formation of a three-dimensional network enhances the glass transition temperature and thermal stability, but a further increase in the crosslinking degree may have the reverse effect on the glass transition temperature. Depending on the preparation protocol and/or hydrogel composition, superabsorbent materials that can bind different compounds throughout side functional groups may be obtained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
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