Functional Metal-Polymer Composites: Formation, Properties and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2022) | Viewed by 19745

Special Issue Editors

Laboratory of Electrochemical Processes, Institute of Chemistry, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Av. 100-letiya Vladivostoka 159, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
Interests: electrochemistry; electropolymerization; polymer films and coatings; nanocomposites polymer/MeNPs; electro- and photocatalysis; baromembrane filtration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
1. Laboratory of electrochemical processes, Institute of Chemistry, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Av. 100-letiya Vladivostoka 159, Vladivostok 690022, Russia
2. Department of Chemistry and Materials, Institute of High Technologies and Advanced Materials, Far Eastern Federal University, FEFU Campus, 10 Ajax Bay, Russky Island, Vladivostok 690922, Russia
Interests: electropolymerization; polymer films and coatings; nanocomposites polymer/MeNPs; electro- and photocatalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multifunctional composites based on polymers and metals are widely demanded materials, the use of which gives a significant economic effect in such priority areas as the environment, human health, energy, chemistry, biology, medicine, auto and aircraft construction, computer technology and others. Various combinations of metal and polymer make it possible to obtain composite materials with new functional properties. Composites based on polymer-modified metal have increased corrosion resistance, good protective and antifriction properties, lightweight of products, and other useful properties. Another type includes composites in which the matrix is a polymer material with a metal filler. Of particular interest are nanocomposites with nano and micro particles of metals or metal oxides distributed over the volume of the polymer. The polymer matrix mechanically stabilizes these particles, reduces surface passivation, and maintains the high activity of nanoparticles. Such nanocomposites are promising as photo- and electrocatalysts, capacitors and super capacitors, sensors, selective electrodes, materials with biocidal and antiseptic properties.

This special issue of the open-access journal Polymers aims at collecting cutting-edge original research papers and reviews on the topic “Functional Metal-Polymer Composites: Formation, Properties and Applications”. The main purpose of this special issue is to show new research advances in the forming technology of  composites and nanocomposites based on polymers and metals; creation of composite materials with new functional properties; expansion the range of their practical use (but not limited to).

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Lidiia G. Kolzunova
Prof. Dr. Elena V. Shchitovskaya
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • metal-polymer composites
  • nanocomposites
  • functional properties
  • structure
  • methods of formation
  • application

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 6260 KiB  
Article
New Polycaprolactone-Containing Self-Healing Coating Design for Enhance Corrosion Resistance of the Magnesium and Its Alloys
by Andrey S. Gnedenkov, Sergey L. Sinebryukhov, Valeriia S. Filonina, Alexander Yu. Ustinov, Sviatoslav V. Sukhoverkhov and Sergey V. Gnedenkov
Polymers 2023, 15(1), 202; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15010202 - 31 Dec 2022
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 2323
Abstract
The method of hybrid coating formation on the surface of a bioresorbable wrought magnesium alloy and magnesium obtained by additive technology was proposed. Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with subsequent treatment of the material using an organic biocompatible corrosion inhibitor and a bioresorbable polymer [...] Read more.
The method of hybrid coating formation on the surface of a bioresorbable wrought magnesium alloy and magnesium obtained by additive technology was proposed. Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with subsequent treatment of the material using an organic biocompatible corrosion inhibitor and a bioresorbable polymer material was used to obtain the protective layers. The optimal method of surface treatment was suggested. Using SEM/EDX analysis, XRD, XPS, and confocal Raman microspectroscopy, the composition of the formed surface layers was determined. The corrosion protection performance of the formed coatings was studied by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques in 0.9 wt.% NaCl and HBSS. Hydrogen evolution and mass loss tests were performed to study the corrosion rate of samples with different types of protective coatings. Sealing the pores of PEO coating with a polymeric material contributes to a significant reduction in the amount of the inhibitor diffusing into a corrosive medium. The best barrier properties were established for the hybrid coating formed with a one-stage application of benzotriazole and polycaprolactone. Such layers reduce the rate of alloy degradation due to active protection. Full article
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13 pages, 2972 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Cross-Linked PMMA/SnO2 Nanocomposites for Highly Efficient Removal of Chromium (III) from Wastewater
by Nazeeha S. Alkayal
Polymers 2022, 14(10), 2101; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14102101 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1650
Abstract
In recent times, developments in polymer application properties have required the design of different polymer structures more than ever. Cross-linked polymers (CPs) could be considered a good candidate material for potential applications when used in conjunction with nanoparticles. Cross-linked polymethyl methacrylate nanocomposites are [...] Read more.
In recent times, developments in polymer application properties have required the design of different polymer structures more than ever. Cross-linked polymers (CPs) could be considered a good candidate material for potential applications when used in conjunction with nanoparticles. Cross-linked polymethyl methacrylate nanocomposites are considered to be one of the most commonly polymeric adsorbents due to their varied and simple modification methods. A new class of C-PMMA/SnO2(a–d) nanocomposites have been fabricated as surface-selective adsorbents of Cr (III) with a good yield and different loading of SnO2 nanoparticles. The morphology, molecular structures, and thermal stability of the new cross-linked polymers were examined using a Scanning electron microscope (SEM), the Fourier Transform Infrared method (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The adsorption study of C-PMMA/SnO2 was investigated, and an efficient level of adsorption for Cr (III) cations was detected. To evaluate the potential for the new polymers to be used as adsorbents against Cr (III) ions, the contact time, the initial concentration of Cr (III), and the effects of pH were studied. The introduction of SnO2 into the polymer network enhanced the efficiency of the adsorption of heavy metals. The C-PMMA/SnO2 is highly efficient at removing Cr (III) ions in wastewater samples at pH 6 for one hour. The adsorption study demonstrated that the adsorption capacity of C-PMMA/SnO2c for Cr (III) was 1.76 mg /g, and its adsorption isotherm agreed with the Langmuir adsorption model. Full article
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18 pages, 7027 KiB  
Communication
Justification of the Use of Composite Metal-Metal-Polymer Parts for Functional Structures
by Nickolay S. Lubimyi, Andrey A. Polshin, Michael D. Gerasimov, Alexander A. Tikhonov, Sergey I. Antsiferov, Boris S. Chetverikov, Vladislav G. Ryazantsev, Julia Brazhnik and İsmail Ridvanov
Polymers 2022, 14(2), 352; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14020352 - 17 Jan 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1998
Abstract
The additive manufacturing of metal parts takes up an increasing number of areas of mechanical engineering, but it still remains too expensive for mass use. Based on the experience in the production of combined metal-metal-polymer forming parts of molds, a new method for [...] Read more.
The additive manufacturing of metal parts takes up an increasing number of areas of mechanical engineering, but it still remains too expensive for mass use. Based on the experience in the production of combined metal-metal-polymer forming parts of molds, a new method for the production of composite parts from a metal shell filled with metal-polymer is proposed. As a basis for the study, strength calculations are given by the finite element method for the details of the exoskeleton and a sample of simplified geometry. Comparison of the strength characteristics of parts made of various materials and their combinations showed high strength characteristics of a composite part made of a metal shell and a metal-polymer filler. The metal-metal polymer composite part is distinguished not only by its high strength but also by a significantly lower cost, due to the reduction in the volume of 3D printing with metal. The problems of obtaining composite structures are also discussed. The main problem is the development of a metal-polymer casting technology. The process of filling a thin-walled shell with a metal-polymer causes difficulty. Full article
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18 pages, 27391 KiB  
Article
Obtainment and Characterization of Metal-Coated Polyethylene Granules as a Basis for the Development of Heat Storage Systems
by Volodymyr Moravskyi, Anastasiia Kucherenko, Marta Kuznetsova, Ludmila Dulebova and Emil Spišák
Polymers 2022, 14(1), 218; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14010218 - 05 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1854
Abstract
The research studied the feasibility of using copper-coated polyethylene granules as a basis for creating efficient heat storage systems. A technology for imparting catalytic properties to a polymer surface by the joint processing of polymer granules and an activator metal in a ball [...] Read more.
The research studied the feasibility of using copper-coated polyethylene granules as a basis for creating efficient heat storage systems. A technology for imparting catalytic properties to a polymer surface by the joint processing of polymer granules and an activator metal in a ball mill with their subsequent metallization in a chemical reducing solution is proposed. The efficiency of copper-coating a polyethylene surface is shown to be largely determined by the activation stage and the assumption regarding the mechanism of interaction of the activator metal with the polymer surface is made. To obtain different amounts of metal on the polyethylene granules, it is proposed that the method of remetallization is used. It was established that the rate of copper ion reduction depends on the number of previous coatings and is determined by the area of interaction of the metal-coated granules with the chemical reducing solution. The obtained metal-coated polyethylene granules were characterized in terms of the viability of using it as a phase transition material for a heat storage system. Using the developed installation that simulates the heat accumulator operation, it was shown that the efficiency of using metal-coated polyethylene granules to create heat storage systems is higher. The copper coating deposited on the polyethylene granules was studied using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Full article
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12 pages, 33451 KiB  
Article
Icephobic Performance of Combined Fluorine-Containing Composite Layers on Al-Mg-Mn–Si Alloy Surface
by Vladimir S. Egorkin, Dmitry V. Mashtalyar, Andrey S. Gnedenkov, Valeriia S. Filonina, Igor E. Vyaliy, Konstantine V. Nadaraia, Igor M. Imshinetskiy, Evgeny A. Belov, Nikolaj V. Izotov, Sergey L. Sinebryukhov and Sergey V. Gnedenkov
Polymers 2021, 13(21), 3827; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13213827 - 05 Nov 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 1593
Abstract
This paper presents the results of an evaluation of anti-icing properties of samples obtained by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with a subsequent application of superdispersed polytetrafluoroethylene (SPTFE) and polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF). A combined treatment of the samples with SPTFE and PVDF is also presented. [...] Read more.
This paper presents the results of an evaluation of anti-icing properties of samples obtained by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with a subsequent application of superdispersed polytetrafluoroethylene (SPTFE) and polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF). A combined treatment of the samples with SPTFE and PVDF is also presented. It is revealed that impregnation of a PEO layer with fluoropolymer materials leads to a significant increase in surface relief uniformity. Combined PVDF–SPFTE layers with a ratio of PVDF to SPTFE of 1:4 reveal the best electrochemical characteristics, hydrophobicity and icephobic properties among all of the studied samples. It is shown that the decrease in corrosion current density Ic for PVDF–SPFTE coatings is higher by more than five orders of magnitude in comparison with uncoated aluminum alloy. The contact angle for PVDF–SPFTE coatings attain 160.5°, which allows us to classify the coating as superhydrophobic with promising anti-icing performance. A treatment of a PEO layer with PVDF–SPFTE leads to a decrease in ice adhesion strength by 22.1 times compared to an untreated PEO coating. Full article
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15 pages, 11652 KiB  
Article
Green Synthesis of Stable Nanocomposites Containing Copper Nanoparticles Incorporated in Poly-N-vinylimidazole
by Alexander S. Pozdnyakov, Artem I. Emel’yanov, Svetlana A. Korzhova, Nadezhda P. Kuznetsova, Yuliya I. Bolgova, Olga M. Trofimova, Tatyana A. Semenova and Galina F. Prozorova
Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3212; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13193212 - 22 Sep 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2571
Abstract
New stable nanocomposites with copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in a polymer matrix have been synthesized by green chemistry. Non-toxic poly-N-vinylimidazole was used as a stabilizing polymer matrix and ascorbic acid was used as a reducing agent. The polymer CuNPs nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier [...] Read more.
New stable nanocomposites with copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in a polymer matrix have been synthesized by green chemistry. Non-toxic poly-N-vinylimidazole was used as a stabilizing polymer matrix and ascorbic acid was used as a reducing agent. The polymer CuNPs nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was shown, using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) method, that the hydrodynamic diameters of nanocomposites depend on the CuNPs content and are in an associated state in an aqueous medium. The copper content in nanocomposites ranges from 1.8 to 12.3% wt. The obtained polymer nanocomposites consist of isolated copper nanoparticles with a diameter of 2 to 20 nm with a spherical shape. Full article
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12 pages, 2962 KiB  
Article
Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Throat Sensor Using Ionic Polymer–Metal Composite (IPMC) Material
by Jai-Hua Lee, Pei-Song Chee, Eng-Hock Lim and Chun-Hui Tan
Polymers 2021, 13(18), 3041; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13183041 - 09 Sep 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2799
Abstract
Throat sensing has received increasing demands in recent years, especially for oropharyngeal treatment applications. The conventional videofluoroscopy (VFS) approach is limited by either exposing the patient to radiation or incurring expensive costs on sophisticated equipment as well as well-trained speech-language pathologists. Here, we [...] Read more.
Throat sensing has received increasing demands in recent years, especially for oropharyngeal treatment applications. The conventional videofluoroscopy (VFS) approach is limited by either exposing the patient to radiation or incurring expensive costs on sophisticated equipment as well as well-trained speech-language pathologists. Here, we propose a smart and non-invasive throat sensor that can be fabricated using an ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) material. Through the cation’s movement inside the IPMC material, the sensor can detect muscle movement at the throat using a self-generated signal. We have further improved the output responses of the sensor by coating it with a corrosive-resistant gold material. A support vector machine algorithm is used to train the sensor in recognizing the pattern of the throat movements, with a high accuracy of 95%. Our proposed throat sensor has revealed its potential to be used as a promising solution for smart healthcare devices, which can benefit many practical applications such as human–machine interactions, sports training, and rehabilitation. Full article
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18 pages, 5148 KiB  
Article
Polymethylolacrylamide/AuNPs Nanocomposites: Electrochemical Synthesis and Functional Characteristics
by Lidiia Kolzunova, Elena Shchitovskaya and Maxim Karpenko
Polymers 2021, 13(14), 2382; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13142382 - 20 Jul 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2018
Abstract
In this study the advantages of the electrochemical approach to the formation of polymer/metal nanoparticle composites are demonstrated. The method enables one to simplify the multistage processes of traditional technologies for the production of such materials through combining all intermediate processes in one [...] Read more.
In this study the advantages of the electrochemical approach to the formation of polymer/metal nanoparticle composites are demonstrated. The method enables one to simplify the multistage processes of traditional technologies for the production of such materials through combining all intermediate processes in one stage and reducing the total formation time to 3–10 min. The possibility of a single-stage formation of a polymethylolacrylamide/AuNPs composite through including AuNPs into an electrically non-conducting polymethylolacrylamide film (carrier) formed by electropolymerization through potentiostatic electrolysis is also demonstrated for the first time. It is established that the addition of tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl4·4H2O) into a monomeric composition containing acrylamide, formaldehyde, N,N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide, zinc chloride, and H2O results in simultaneous electrochemical initiation of polymerization with the formation of a polymer film on the cathode, electrolytic reduction of gold ions to Au0, and immobilization of AuNPs particles into the growing polymer matrix. It was found that the formation of the PMAA / AuNPs composite is energetically more favorable than the synthesis of the main PMAA film, since it proceeds at a lower cathodic potential. The inclusion of AuNPs into the polymethylolacrylamide film was confirmed visually, as well as by X-ray phase analysis, small-angle X-ray scattering, microscopy, and element analysis. The gold content in the composite increases along with the increase of the concentration of HAuCl4 in the electrolyte. The radius of the AuNPs particles was found to range between 3 and 7 nm. The AuNPs particles are spherical in shape and can combine into larger clusters containing up to 10 or more particles. The dynamics of formation, structure, and morphology of the polymethylolacrylamide/AuNPs composite were investigated. It was revealed that gold nanoparticles are mainly concentrated in the near-electrode and near-solution layers of the composite. We found that the composite has electrocatalytic activity. The possibility of its use as a sensor for hydrogen peroxide is demonstrated. Full article
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