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Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications

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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 (30 December 2022) | Viewed by 40560

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Muhammad Tayyab Noman

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Guest Editor

Department of Machinery Construction, Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation (CXI), Technical University of Liberec (TUL), Studentska 1402/2, 46117 Liberec 1, Czech Republic
Interests: photocatalysis; nanocoating; textile-based composites; polymer composites; materials characterization; surface science; nanofabrication; wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Michal Petrů

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Machinery Construction, Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation (CXI), Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 1402/2, 46117 Liberec 1, Czech Republic
Interests: materials characterization; modeling; optimization; composites; machine design; machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At present, the textile sector is involved in many diversified fields for the development and sustainability of novel products and polymer-based composites, with several challenges present when it comes to producing innovative, novel, and durable materials. The demand for textiles as a reinforcement material for composites has grown exceptionally to promote green chemistry and cost-effectiveness. The fabrication of textiles and polymer-based composites as advanced and multifunctional materials in applied industries is a core fundamental concept of this Special Issue, including textile materials, their structures, surface-treated textiles, nanocoated textiles, mathematical modeling, and the use of artificial intelligence (machine learning) for the prediction of their important parameters, textile materials reinforcement in composites and polymer composites, synthesis, characterization, and applications of textile-based polymer composites for economic and environmental sustainability.

The Special Issue contains the following research topics:

Synthesis and characterization of functional textiles: Natural, synthetic, blended, etc.;
Synthesis and characterization of Polymer composites: Natural, synthetic, hybrid, inorganic, etc.;
Analysis of developed composites: Interfacial, mechanical, thermal, physical, etc.;
Surface treatment of textile-based polymer composites: Coating, sorption processes. etc.;

Modelling and simulation of textile-based polymer composites: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, process optimization, statistical analysis, etc.

We invite the authors to submit their research results in the form of full-length articles/review articles on the above-mentioned topics.

Dr. Muhammad Tayyab Noman
Dr. Michal Petrů
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

Cotton
Polyester
Geopolymer
Nanocoating
Polymers
Jute
Basalt
Machine learning
Modeling
Composites

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4633 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geometric Analysis of Three-Dimensional Woven Fabric with in-Plane Auxetic Behavior

by Muhammad Zeeshan, Hong Hu and Ehsan Etemadi

Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1326; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15051326 - 06 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1939

Abstract

Auxetic textiles are emerging as an enticing option for many advanced applications due to their unique deformation behavior under tensile loading. This study reports the geometrical analysis of three-dimensional (3D) auxetic woven structures based on semi-empirical equations. The 3D woven fabric was developed with a special geometrical arrangement of warp (multi-filament polyester), binding (polyester-wrapped polyurethane), and weft yarns (polyester-wrapped polyurethane) to achieve an auxetic effect. The auxetic geometry, the unit cell resembling a re-entrant hexagon, was modeled at the micro-level in terms of the yarn’s parameters. The geometrical model was used to establish a relationship between the Poisson’s ratio (PR) and the tensile strain when it was stretched along the warp direction. For validation of the model, the experimental results of the developed woven fabrics were correlated with the calculated results from the geometrical analysis. It was found that the calculated results were in good agreement with the experimental results. After experimental validation, the model was used to calculate and discuss critical parameters that affect the auxetic behavior of the structure. Thus, geometrical analysis is believed to be helpful in predicting the auxetic behavior of 3D woven fabrics with different structural parameters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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16 pages, 11381 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical and Thermal Behaviours of Weft-Knitted Spacer Fabric Structure with Inlays for Insole Applications

by Nga-Wun Li, Kit-Lun Yick, Annie Yu and Sen Ning

Polymers 2022, 14(3), 619; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14030619 - 05 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2374

Abstract

Insoles provide resistance to ground reaction forces and comfort during walking. In this study, a novel weft-knitted spacer fabric structure with inlays for insoles is proposed which not only absorbs shock and resists pressure, but also allows heat dissipation for enhanced thermal comfort. The results show that the inlay density and spacer yarn increase compression resistance and reduce impact forces. The increased spacer yarn density provides better air permeability but reduces thermal resistance, while a lower inlay density with a random orientation reduces the evaporative resistance. The proposed structure has significantly positive implications for insole applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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15 pages, 4611 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ultrathin Multilayer Textile Structure with Enhanced EMI Shielding and Air-Permeable Properties

by Shi Hu, Dan Wang, Aravin Prince Periyasamy, Dana Kremenakova, Jiri Militky and Maros Tunak

Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4176; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13234176 - 29 Nov 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2582

Abstract

A textile material’s electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness mainly depends on the material’s electrical conductivity and porosity. Enhancing the conductivity of the material surface can effectively improve the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. However, the use of highly conductive materials increases production cost, and limits the enhancement of electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. This work aims to improve the EMI shielding effectiveness (EMSE) by using an ultrathin multilayer structure and the air-permeable textile MEFTEX. MEFTEX is a copper-coated non-woven ultrathin fabric. The single-layer MEFTEX SE test results show that the higher its mass per unit area (MEFTEX 30), the better its SE property between 56.14 dB and 62.53 dB in the frequency band 30 MHz–1.5 GHz. Through comparative testing of three groups samples, a higher electromagnetic shielding effect is obtained via multilayer structures due to the increase in thickness and decrease of volume electrical resistivity. Compared to a single layer, the EMI shielding effectiveness of five layers of MEFTEX increases by 44.27–83.8%. Due to its ultrathin and porous structure, and considering the balance from porosity and SE, MEFTEX 10 with three to four layers can still maintain air permeability from 2942 L/m²/s–3658 L/m²/s. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 5545 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shaping in the Third Direction; Synthesis of Patterned Colloidal Crystals by Polyester Fabric-Guided Self-Assembly

by Ion Sandu, Claudiu Teodor Fleaca, Florian Dumitrache, Bogdan Alexandru Sava, Iuliana Urzica, Iulia Antohe, Simona Brajnicov and Marius Dumitru

Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4081; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13234081 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2308

Abstract

A polyester fabric with rectangular openings was used as a sacrificial template for the guiding of a sub-micron sphere (polystyrene (PS) and silica) aqueous colloid self-assembly process during evaporation as a patterned colloidal crystal (PCC). This simple process is also a robust one, being less sensitive to external parameters (ambient pressure, temperature, humidity, vibrations). The most interesting feature of the concave-shape-pattern unit cell (350 μm × 400 μm × 3 μm) of this crystal is the presence of triangular prisms at its border, each prism having a one-dimensional sphere array at its top edge. The high-quality ordered single layer found inside of each unit cell presents the super-prism effect and left-handed behavior. Wider yet elongated deposits with ordered walls and disordered top surfaces were formed under the fabric knots. Rectangular patterning was obtained even for 20 μm PS spheres. Polyester fabrics with other opening geometries and sizes (~300–1000 μm) or with higher fiber elasticity also allowed the formation of similar PCCs, some having curved prismatic walls. A higher colloid concentration (10–20%) induces the formation of thicker walls with fiber-negative replica morphology. Additionally, thick-wall PCCs (~100 μm) with semi-cylindrical morphology were obtained using SiO₂ sub-microspheres and a wavy fabric. The colloidal pattern was used as a lithographic mask for natural lithography and as a template for the synthesis of triangular-prism-shaped inverted opals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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12 pages, 7927 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Silicone Inlaid Materials on Reinforcing Compressive Strength of Weft-Knitted Spacer Fabric for Cushioning Applications

by Annie Yu, Sachiko Sukigara and Miwa Shirakihara

Polymers 2021, 13(21), 3645; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13213645 - 22 Oct 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2410

Abstract

Spacer fabrics are commonly used as cushioning materials. They can be reinforced by using a knitting method to inlay materials into the connective layer which reinforces the structure of the fabric. The compression properties of three samples that were fabricated by inlaying three different types of silicone-based elastic tubes and one sample without inlaid material have been investigated. The mechanical properties of the elastic tubes were evaluated and their relationship to the compression properties of the inlaid spacer fabrics was analysed. The compression behaviour of the spacer fabrics at an initial compressive strain of 10% is not affected by the presence of the inlaid tubes. The Young’s modulus of the inlaid tubes shows a correlation with fabric compression. Amongst the inlaid fabric samples, the spacer fabric inlaid with highly elastic silicone foam tubes can absorb more compression energy, while that inlaid with silicone tubes of higher tensile strength has higher compressive stiffness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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13 pages, 1111 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prediction of Methylene Blue Removal by Nano TiO₂ Using Deep Neural Network

by Nesrine Amor, Muhammad Tayyab Noman and Michal Petru

Polymers 2021, 13(18), 3104; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13183104 - 15 Sep 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2376

Abstract

This paper deals with the prediction of methylene blue (MB) dye removal under the influence of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO

_{2}

NPs) through deep neural network (DNN). In the first step, TiO

_{2}

NPs were prepared and their morphological properties were analysed by [...] Read more.

This paper deals with the prediction of methylene blue (MB) dye removal under the influence of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO

_{2}

NPs) through deep neural network (DNN). In the first step, TiO

_{2}

NPs were prepared and their morphological properties were analysed by scanning electron microscopy. Later, the influence of as synthesized TiO

_{2}

NPs was tested against MB dye removal and in the final step, DNN was used for the prediction. DNN is an efficient machine learning tools and widely used model for the prediction of highly complex problems. However, it has never been used for the prediction of MB dye removal. Therefore, this paper investigates the prediction accuracy of MB dye removal under the influence of TiO

_{2}

NPs using DNN. Furthermore, the proposed DNN model was used to map out the complex input-output conditions for the prediction of optimal results. The amount of chemicals, i.e., amount of TiO

_{2}

NPs, amount of ehylene glycol and reaction time were chosen as input variables and MB dye removal percentage was evaluated as a response. DNN model provides significantly high performance accuracy for the prediction of MB dye removal and can be used as a powerful tool for the prediction of other functional properties of nanocomposites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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12 pages, 2436 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Ballistic Performance of a Multi-Layer Armor System Composed of Kevlar/Polyurea Composites and Shear Thickening Fluid (STF)-Filled Paper Honeycomb Panels

by Chang-Pin Chang, Cheng-Hung Shih, Jhu-Lin You, Meng-Jey Youh, Yih-Ming Liu and Ming-Der Ger

Polymers 2021, 13(18), 3080; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13183080 - 13 Sep 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3338

Abstract

In this study, the ballistic performance of armors composed of a polyurea elastomer/Kevlar fabric composite and a shear thickening fluid (STF) structure was investigated. The polyurea used was a reaction product of aromatic diphenylmethane isocyanate (A agent) and amine-terminated polyether resin (B agent). The A and B agents were diluted, mixed and brushed onto Kevlar fabric. After the reaction of A and B agents was complete, the polyurea/Kevlar composite was formed. STF structure was prepared through pouring the STF into a honeycomb paper panel. The ballistic tests were conducted with reference to NIJ 0101.06 Ballistic Test Specification Class II and Class IIIA, using 9 mm FMJ and 44 magnum bullets. The ballistic test results reveal that polyurea/Kevlar fabric composites offer better impact resistance than conventional Kevlar fabrics and a 2 mm STF structure could replace approximately 10 layers of Kevlar in a ballistic resistant layer. Our results also showed that a high-strength composite laminate using the best polyurea/Kevlar plates combined with the STF structure was more than 17% lighter and thinner than the conventional Kevlar laminate, indicating that the high-strength protective material developed in this study is superior to the traditional protective materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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Review

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32 pages, 1367 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Trends in Protective Textiles against Biological Threats: A Focus on Biological Warfare Agents

by Joana C. Antunes, Inês P. Moreira, Fernanda Gomes, Fernando Cunha, Mariana Henriques and Raúl Fangueiro

Polymers 2022, 14(8), 1599; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14081599 - 14 Apr 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3632

Abstract

The rising threats to worldwide security (affecting the military, first responders, and civilians) urge us to develop efficient and versatile technological solutions to protect human beings. Soldiers, medical personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement officers should be adequately protected, so that their exposure to biological warfare agents (BWAs) is minimized, and infectious microorganisms cannot be spread so easily. Current bioprotective military garments include multilayered fabrics integrating activated carbon as a sorptive agent and a separate filtrating layer for passive protection. However, secondary contaminants emerge following their accumulation within the carbon filler. The clothing becomes too heavy and warm to wear, not breathable even, preventing the wearer from working for extended hours. Hence, a strong need exists to select and/or create selectively permeable layered fibrous structures with bioactive agents that offer an efficient filtering capability and biocidal skills, ensuring lightweightness, comfort, and multifunctionality. This review aims to showcase the main possibilities and trends of bioprotective textiles, focusing on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), inorganic nanoparticles (e.g., ZnO-based), and organic players such as chitosan (CS)-based small-scale particles and plant-derived compounds as bioactive agents. The textile itself should be further evaluated as the foundation for the barrier effect and in terms of comfort. The outputs of a thorough, standardized characterization should dictate the best elements for each approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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27 pages, 893 KiB

Open AccessReview

Classification of Textile Polymer Composites: Recent Trends and Challenges

by Nesrine Amor, Muhammad Tayyab Noman and Michal Petru

Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2592; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13162592 - 04 Aug 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 7573

Abstract

Polymer based textile composites have gained much attention in recent years and gradually transformed the growth of industries especially automobiles, construction, aerospace and composites. The inclusion of natural polymeric fibres as reinforcement in carbon fibre reinforced composites manufacturing delineates an economic way, enhances their surface, structural and mechanical properties by providing better bonding conditions. Almost all textile-based products are associated with quality, price and consumer’s satisfaction. Therefore, classification of textiles products and fibre reinforced polymer composites is a challenging task. This paper focuses on the classification of various problems in textile processes and fibre reinforced polymer composites by artificial neural networks, genetic algorithm and fuzzy logic. Moreover, their limitations associated with state-of-the-art processes and some relatively new and sequential classification methods are also proposed and discussed in detail in this paper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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34 pages, 102983 KiB

Open AccessReview

Geopolymers and Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Composites in Civil Engineering

by Aamir Mahmood, Muhammad Tayyab Noman, Miroslava Pechočiaková, Nesrine Amor, Michal Petrů, Mohamed Abdelkader, Jiří Militký, Sebnem Sozcu and Syed Zameer Ul Hassan

Polymers 2021, 13(13), 2099; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13132099 - 25 Jun 2021

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 6082

Abstract

This paper discusses the influence of fiber reinforcement on the properties of geopolymer concrete composites, based on fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag and metakaolin. Traditional concrete composites are brittle in nature due to low tensile strength. The inclusion of fibrous material alters brittle behavior of concrete along with a significant improvement in mechanical properties i.e., toughness, strain and flexural strength. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is mainly used as a binding agent in concrete composites. However, current environmental awareness promotes the use of alternative binders i.e., geopolymers, to replace OPC because in OPC production, significant quantity of CO₂ is released that creates environmental pollution. Geopolymer concrete composites have been characterized using a wide range of analytical tools including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental detection X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Insight into the physicochemical behavior of geopolymers, their constituents and reinforcement with natural polymeric fibers for the making of concrete composites has been gained. Focus has been given to the use of sisal, jute, basalt and glass fibers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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18 pages, 5220 KiB

Open AccessReview

Photocatalytic Behaviour of Zinc Oxide Nanostructures on Surface Activation of Polymeric Fibres

by Muhammad Tayyab Noman, Nesrine Amor, Michal Petru, Aamir Mahmood and Pavel Kejzlar

Polymers 2021, 13(8), 1227; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13081227 - 10 Apr 2021

Cited by 43 | Viewed by 4265

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) in various nano forms (nanoparticles, nanorods, nanosheets, nanowires and nanoflowers) has received remarkable attention worldwide for its functional diversity in different fields i.e., paints, cosmetics, coatings, rubber and composites. The purpose of this article is to investigate the role of photocatalytic activity (role of photogenerated radical scavengers) of nano ZnO (nZnO) for the surface activation of polymeric natural fibres especially cotton and their combined effect in photocatalytic applications. Photocatalytic behaviour is a crucial property that enables nZnO as a potential and competitive candidate for commercial applications. The confirmed features of nZnO were characterised by different analytical tools, i.e., scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission SEM (FESEM) and elemental detection spectroscopy (EDX). These techniques confirm the size, morphology, structure, crystallinity, shape and dimensions of nZnO. The morphology and size play a crucial role in surface activation of polymeric fibres. In addition, synthesis methods, variables and some of the critical aspects of nZnO that significantly affect the photocatalytic activity are also discussed in detail. This paper delineates a vivid picture to new comers about the significance of nZnO in photocatalytic applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Textile Based Polymer Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)

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