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J. Compos. Sci.
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From Waste to Advance Composite Materials
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From Waste to Advance Composite Materials

A special issue of Journal of Composites Science (ISSN 2504-477X). This special issue belongs to the section "Composites Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 48225

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Farshid Pahlevani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
Interests: sustainable technologies; metals and alloys; green manufacturing; wastes and by-products valorization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Waste is a biggest issue in today’s society and there is a huge need for changing the concept of waste and transforming the waste as resources. This can not be happen without using innovative solutions and advance processes which can transform waste to high quality products.  

This Special Issue aims to present the latest research related to using waste materials as input to produce high quality composite materials. Advanced techniques for controlling the properties of these composite materials, innovative solutions for tarsforming waste to resources and great improvement of current practices to incporate more waste into the process will change the concept of waste and resources.

Our aim is to have collection of papers that talk about:

How we can use separate and sort waste more efficiently to be able to use them in production

How we can incoporate more perentage of the waste in production process

How we can enhance the properties of the produced product despite using waste materials

How we can control the process and simulate the parameters to have more control over output

And Characterisation of produce product using simple techniques which is easy to achieve by industry

Please note that these are just some guideline and the topics are not limited to these.

Dr. Farshid Pahlevani
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. Journal of Composites Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1800 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

  • Cleaner production
  • Sustainable materials
  • Advance composite
  • Waste to value
  • Circular economy
  • Recycling
  • Waste as resources

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 11738 KiB  
Article
Gypsum Composites with Modified Waste Expanded Polystyrene
by Pauls P. Argalis, Girts Bumanis and Diana Bajare
J. Compos. Sci. 2023, 7(5), 203; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs7050203 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1206
Abstract
The construction and demolition waste recycling into secondary raw materials is vital to achieving a sustainable and circular building life cycle. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is one of the materials whose recycling rate should be increased. EPS boards can be shredded and used as [...] Read more.
The construction and demolition waste recycling into secondary raw materials is vital to achieving a sustainable and circular building life cycle. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is one of the materials whose recycling rate should be increased. EPS boards can be shredded and used as aggregate of lightweight cement composites resulting in a material with combined properties subjected from EPS and mineral binder. To reduce the open structure of shredded EPS particles, proper treatment could improve EPS performance. The heat treatment of the aggregates can reduce the volume and increase their density. In this paper, EPS aggregates were heat-treated at 120 and 130 °C, and heat-modified EPS aggregates with a bulk density of 40 and 100 kg/m3 were incorporated as filler material in gypsum composites. The composites’ density, compressive strength, thermal conductivity, and sound absorption were characterized. Results indicate that a composite with a compressive strength from 15 to 136 kPa and a material density ranging from 48 to 194 kg/m3 can be obtained. Thermal conductivity was achieved from 0.0390 to 0.0604 W/(mK). Following the ISO 10534-2 standard, the noise reduction coefficient was determined and showed promising results at 600 to 800 Hz, reaching a sound absorption coefficient of 0.88. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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10 pages, 3175 KiB  
Article
Study on the Direct Transformation of Milk Bottle and Wood into Wood–Plastic Composite through Injection Molding
by Md. Shahruk Nur-A-Tomal, Farshid Pahlevani and Veena Sahajwalla
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(8), 230; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs6080230 - 05 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1606
Abstract
Plastic has transformed the world; however, it generates a huge amount of waste plastics. It is well evident that, if urgent action is not undertaken on plastic pollution, it will pose threats to not only the environment, but also human life. Just simply [...] Read more.
Plastic has transformed the world; however, it generates a huge amount of waste plastics. It is well evident that, if urgent action is not undertaken on plastic pollution, it will pose threats to not only the environment, but also human life. Just simply discarding waste plastics will result in wasting a lot of valuable materials that could be recycled. Recently, the use of waste plastics has been considered for producing wood plastic composites (WPCs), which are superior to normal wood. Waste plastics are pelletized using an extruder and are then subjected to injection molding. In this study, investigations were carried out to determine the possibility of producing WPCs without the palletization of waste plastic to turn WPC production into a shorter, simple, and easy-to-achieve process. Here, a waste milk bottle, a familiar single-use plastic, was picked as a case study. Waste plastic granules and wood particles were mixed and directly injection molded to produce valuable WPCs. The water absorption of WPCs with 20% wood is 0.35%, and this increased to 0.37% when wood content was increased to 40%. The tensile strength at yield, elongation at break, and impact strength of WPCs with 20% wood content are 19.54 MPa, 5.21%, and 33.92 KJ/m2, respectively, whereas it was 17.23 MPa, 4.05%, and 26.61 KJ/m2 for the WPCs with 40% wood content. This process can be a potential solution for two problematic wastes at the same time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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14 pages, 1750 KiB  
Article
Utilization of Wood Flour from White Oak Branches as Reinforcement in a Polypropylene Matrix: Physical and Mechanical Characterization
by José Angel Hernández-Jiménez, Rosa María Jiménez-Amezcua, María Guadalupe Lomelí-Ramírez, José Antonio Silva-Guzmán, José Guillermo Torres-Rendón and Salvador García-Enriquez
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(7), 184; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs6070184 - 22 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1622
Abstract
Compared to other fibrous materials, plant fibers can act as a reinforcement in plastics due to their relatively high strength and rigidity, low cost, low density, biodegradability, and renewability. In this context, this study examines the effect of the particle size and content [...] Read more.
Compared to other fibrous materials, plant fibers can act as a reinforcement in plastics due to their relatively high strength and rigidity, low cost, low density, biodegradability, and renewability. In this context, this study examines the effect of the particle size and content of white oak wood flour (Quercus laeta Liemb), obtained from its branches, on the properties of commercial polypropylene. In Mexico, wood from the branches of Quercus laeta Liemb is barely utilized despite its abundance and viability. The main objective of this study is to demonstrate that this waste material can be exploited to prepare useful materials, in this case composites with competitive properties. Tensile and flexural tests, as well as impact strength and melt flow index were evaluated. In addition, density and water absorption capacity were also tested. Results showed that the water absorption increased with the incorporation of wood particles. Mechanical properties were strongly influenced by particle content. A reduction in elongation and strength was observed, while Young’s modulus and flexural modulus increased with the incorporation of wood particles. Impact strength increased with particle size and particle content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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19 pages, 4883 KiB  
Article
Structural Changes and Their Implications in Foamed Flexible Polyurethane Composites Filled with Rapeseed Oil-Treated Ground Tire Rubber
by Paulina Kosmela, Adam Olszewski, Łukasz Zedler, Paulina Burger, Krzysztof Formela and Aleksander Hejna
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(3), 90; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5030090 - 23 Mar 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2411
Abstract
The utilization of post-consumer car tires is an essential issue from an ecological and economic point of view. One of the simplest and the least harmful methods is their material recycling resulting in ground tire rubber (GTR), which can be further applied as [...] Read more.
The utilization of post-consumer car tires is an essential issue from an ecological and economic point of view. One of the simplest and the least harmful methods is their material recycling resulting in ground tire rubber (GTR), which can be further applied as fillers for polymer-based composites. Nevertheless, insufficient interfacial interactions implicate the necessity of GTR modification before introduction into polymer matrices. In this study, we investigated the influence of rapeseed oil-assisted thermo-mechanical treatment of GTR using a reactive extrusion process on the processing, structure, and performance of flexible polyurethane/GTR composite foams. Applied modifications affected the processing of polyurethane systems. They caused a noticeable reduction in the average cell size of foams, which was attributed to the potential nucleating activity of solid particles and changes in surface tension caused by the presence of oil. Such an effect was especially pronounced for the waste rapeseed oil, which resulted in the highest content of closed cells. Structural changes caused by GTR modification implicated the enhancement of foams’ strength. Mechanical performance was significantly affected by the applied modifications due to the changes in glass transition temperature. Moreover, the incorporation of waste GTR particles into the polyurethane matrix noticeably improved its thermal stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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Review

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23 pages, 6490 KiB  
Review
Modern Trends in Recycling Waste Thermoplastics and Their Prospective Applications: A Review
by Isiaka Oluwole Oladele, Christian Junior Okoro, Anuoluwapo Samuel Taiwo, Linus N. Onuh, Newton Itua Agbeboh, Oluwayomi Peter Balogun, Peter Apata Olubambi and Senzeni Sipho Lephuthing
J. Compos. Sci. 2023, 7(5), 198; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs7050198 - 13 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4086
Abstract
Thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics are two major classes of polymers in that have recently become materials that are indispensable for humankind. Regarding the three basic needs of human beings—food, shelter, and clothing—polymers and polymer-based materials have gained pre-eminence. Polymers are used in food [...] Read more.
Thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics are two major classes of polymers in that have recently become materials that are indispensable for humankind. Regarding the three basic needs of human beings—food, shelter, and clothing—polymers and polymer-based materials have gained pre-eminence. Polymers are used in food production, beginning with farming applications, and in the health sector for the development of various biomaterials, as well as in shelter and clothing for a variety of applications. Polymers are the material of choice for all modern-day applications (transportation, sporting, military/defence, electronics, packaging, and many more). Their widespread applications have created many negative challenges, mainly in the area of environmental pollution. While thermoplastics can be easily reprocessed to obtain new products, thermosetting plastics cannot; thus, this review focuses more on the use of waste from thermoplastics with less emphasis on thermosetting plastics. Hence, the review presents a concise summary of the availability of waste thermoplastics as raw materials for product development and the anticipated benefits. The prospects for waste thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics, the possibility of cleaning the environment, and the uncovering of opportunities for further research and development are presented. The limitations of the current methods of waste polymer recycling are highlighted with possible future prospects from newly introduced methods. With zero tolerance for polymer waste in our environments, potential uses for recycled thermosetting plastics are described. Waste polymers should be seen as potential raw materials for research and development as well as major materials for new products. Recycled polymers are expected to be processed for use in advanced materials applications in the future due to their availability. This review shows that the major source of environmental pollution from polymers is the packaging, hence the need to modify products for these applications by ensuring that most of them are biodegradable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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20 pages, 34692 KiB  
Review
Thermal Transformation of Secondary Resources of Carbon-Rich Wastes into Valuable Industrial Applications
by Sepideh Hemati, Sanjith Udayakumar, Charlotte Wesley, Smitirupa Biswal, Md. Shahruk Nur-A-Tomal, Negin Sarmadi, Farshid Pahlevani and Veena Sahajwalla
J. Compos. Sci. 2023, 7(1), 8; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs7010008 - 03 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1824
Abstract
Carbon-based materials have become an indispensable component in a myriad of domestic and industrial applications. Most of the carbon-based end-of-life products discussed in this review end up in landfills. Where recycling is available, it usually involves the production of lower-value products. The allotropic [...] Read more.
Carbon-based materials have become an indispensable component in a myriad of domestic and industrial applications. Most of the carbon-based end-of-life products discussed in this review end up in landfills. Where recycling is available, it usually involves the production of lower-value products. The allotropic nature of carbon has been analysed to identify novel materials that could be obtained from used products, which also transform into a secondary carbon resource. Thermal transformation of carbon-rich wastes is a promising and viable pathway for adding value to waste that would otherwise go to landfills. The valorisation routes of four different carbon-rich wastes by thermal transformation are reviewed in the study—automotive shredder residue (ASR), textile wastes, leather wastes, and spent coffee grounds (SCGs). Textile wastes were thermally transformed into carbon fibres and activated carbon, while ASRs were used as a reductant to produce silicon carbide (SiC) from waste glass. The leather wastes and spent coffee grounds (SCGs) were employed as reductants in the reduction of hematite. This paper examines the possible routes of thermally transforming carbon-rich wastes into different industrial processes and applications. The transformation products were characterised using several techniques to assess their suitability for their respective applications. The strategy of valorising the wastes by thermal transformation has successfully prevented those wastes from ending up in landfills. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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30 pages, 3272 KiB  
Review
Challenges and Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Waste Management Systems: A Review
by Ismail Luhar, Salmabanu Luhar and Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah
J. Compos. Sci. 2022, 6(9), 271; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs6090271 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5808 | Correction
Abstract
Unfortunately, nearly the whole world came to a standstill due to the coronavirus disease 2019, i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively and severely impacted almost all facets of society, systems, and lives on the planet during the last few years. During this time, [...] Read more.
Unfortunately, nearly the whole world came to a standstill due to the coronavirus disease 2019, i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively and severely impacted almost all facets of society, systems, and lives on the planet during the last few years. During this time, a surge in the generation of a huge volume of diverse wastes at an unprecedented rate occurred due to the extensive use of disposables and personal shielding safety gear such as personal protective equipment (PPE) for both infected and uninfected people as well as frontline staff, etc., as corona protocols, especially in the form of “plastic wastes”. Consequently, all these factors induced a novel route for the pollution of air, soil, and water, inviting a great number of health hazards in addition to the pandemic. Beyond a doubt, the susceptibility of the spread of the coronavirus through polluted waste is high, an issue for which the waste management measures are comparatively not up to the mark. The spread of COVID-19 forced the world into lockdown, which had both constructive and unconstructive effects on not only the environment but also systems such as the waste management sector, etc. The unforeseen increase in the quantity of waste created a challenge concerning normal waste disposal facilities, negatively impacting the global waste management industry, and hence, leading to an urgent situation internationally. Still, in developing nations, the sector of waste management is at its nascent stage, and therefore, the sector of waste management during the pandemic period has been influenced severely in many parts of the world. The current comprehensive review provides not only an overview of the impacts and challenges of COVID-19 on the waste management sector but also extends the systematic data of waste generation that has been made accessible so far along with a discussion on the safety of the related workers and staff as well as suggestions for the possible approaches towards better waste management services, which are essential to manage the waste increase resultant of the COVID-19 pandemic in a majority of nations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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30 pages, 5261 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Geopolymer Technology. A Potential Eco-Friendly Solution in the Construction Materials Industry: A Review
by Matteo Sambucci, Abbas Sibai and Marco Valente
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(4), 109; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5040109 - 17 Apr 2021
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 6008
Abstract
In the last ten years, the Portland cement industry has received wide criticism due to its related high embodied energy and carbon dioxide footprint. Recently, numerous “clean” strategies and solutions were developed. Among these, geopolymer technology is gaining growing interest as a functional [...] Read more.
In the last ten years, the Portland cement industry has received wide criticism due to its related high embodied energy and carbon dioxide footprint. Recently, numerous “clean” strategies and solutions were developed. Among these, geopolymer technology is gaining growing interest as a functional way to design more eco-friendly construction materials and for waste management issues suffered by various industries. Previous research has highlighted the attractive engineering properties of geopolymeric materials, especially in terms of mechanical properties and durability, resulting in even higher performance than ordinary concrete. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of current state-of-the-art and implementations on geopolymer concrete materials, investigating how the key process factors (such as raw materials, synthesis regime, alkali concentration, water dosage, and reinforcement fillers) affect the rheological, microstructural, durability, and mechanical properties. Finally, the paper elucidates some noteworthy aspects for future research development: innovative geopolymer-based formulations (including alkali-activated blends for additive manufacturing and thermo-acoustic insulating cellular compounds), concrete applications successfully scaled in the civil-architectural fields, and the perspective directions of geopolymer technology in terms of commercialization and large-scale diffusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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33 pages, 3337 KiB  
Review
Composite Material Recycling Technology—State-of-the-Art and Sustainable Development for the 2020s
by Andrey E. Krauklis, Christian W. Karl, Abedin I. Gagani and Jens K. Jørgensen
J. Compos. Sci. 2021, 5(1), 28; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jcs5010028 - 15 Jan 2021
Cited by 162 | Viewed by 22489
Abstract
Recently, significant events took place that added immensely to the sociotechnical pressure for developing sustainable composite recycling solutions, namely (1) a ban on composite landfilling in Germany in 2009, (2) the first major wave of composite wind turbines reaching their End-of-Life (EoL) and [...] Read more.
Recently, significant events took place that added immensely to the sociotechnical pressure for developing sustainable composite recycling solutions, namely (1) a ban on composite landfilling in Germany in 2009, (2) the first major wave of composite wind turbines reaching their End-of-Life (EoL) and being decommissioned in 2019–2020, (3) the acceleration of aircraft decommissioning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (4) the increase of composites in mass production cars, thanks to the development of high volume technologies based on thermoplastic composites. Such sociotechnical pressure will only grow in the upcoming decade of 2020s as other countries are to follow Germany by limiting and banning landfill options, and by the ever-growing number of expired composites EoL waste. The recycling of fiber reinforced composite materials will therefore play an important role in the future, in particular for the wind energy, but also for aerospace, automotive, construction and marine sectors to reduce environmental impacts and to meet the demand. The scope of this manuscript is a clear and condensed yet full state-of-the-art overview of the available recycling technologies for fiber reinforced composites of both low and high Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). TRL is a framework that has been used in many variations across industries to provide a measurement of technology maturity from idea generation (basic principles) to commercialization. In other words, this work should be treated as a technology review providing guidelines for the sustainable development of the industry that will benefit the society. The authors propose that one of the key aspects for the development of sustainable recycling technology is to identify the optimal recycling methods for different types of fiber reinforced composites. Why is that the case can be answered with a simple price comparison of E-glass fibers (~2 $/kg) versus a typical carbon fiber on the market (~20 $/kg)—which of the two is more valuable to recover? However, the answer is more complicated than that—the glass fiber constitutes about 90% of the modern reinforcement market, and it is clear that different technologies are needed. Therefore, this work aims to provide clear guidelines for economically and environmentally sustainable End-of-Life (EoL) solutions and development of the fiber reinforced composite material recycling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Waste to Advance Composite Materials)
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