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Polymers
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Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications
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Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 15657

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jesús Alba Fernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Physics Technologies (CTFAMA), Escola Politècnica Superior de Gandia, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46730 Gandia, Spain
Interests: sound absorption; porous material; flow resistivity; acoustic impedance; airflow resistivity; acoustic insulation; transmission loss
Prof. Dr. Francisco Javier Espinach Orús

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Development and Product Innovation, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
Interests: micromechanics; natural fiber composites; innovation; product design; nanofibers; green composites; nanocomposites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New regulations and acoustic and thermal insulation standards have been the result of awareness of the effects of such parameters on the health of human beings.  The literature shows advances in the field of sound-absorbent and thermal-insulating materials. These advances present real opportunities for the design of building solutions that increase the comfort of the buildings.
The focus of the Special Issue is on the application of polymer and polymer composites for acoustic or thermal performance. We aim to publish research concerning all stages of the process, from initial characterization of the properties of the materials to the final stages in which new uses and designs are proposed. This Special Issue is will also highlight the development of analytical or theoretical methodologies that can be used to characterize the materials.
This Special Issue aims to present recent innovations in polymers and polymer composites used in sound and thermal applications to increase the value of the materials. Parallel studies that document environmental or mechanical properties of these materials to prove their usefulness as an alternative to less efficient but more common materials are also in the scope of the issue.
The intended applications include product design, building materials, musical instrument innovations and automotive industry uses.

Prof. Dr. Jesús Alba Fernández
Prof. Francisco Javier Espinach Orús
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

  • composites
  • acoustic
  • soundproofing
  • thermal insulation
  • sound absorption
  • acoustic insulation
  • transmission loss

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 11814 KiB  
Article
A New Look at the Structure and Thermal Behavior of Polyvinylidene Fluoride–Camphor Mixtures
by Konstantin V. Pochivalov, Andrey V. Basko, Tatyana N. Lebedeva, Anna N. Ilyasova, Georgiy A. Shandryuk, Vyacheslav V. Snegirev, Vladimir V. Artemov, Alexander A. Ezhov and Yaroslav V. Kudryavtsev
Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5214; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14235214 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1390
Abstract
An experimental quasi-equilibrium phase diagram of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)–camphor mixture is constructed using an original optical method. For the first time, it contains a boundary curve that describes the dependence of camphor solubility in the amorphous regions of PVDF on temperature. It [...] Read more.
An experimental quasi-equilibrium phase diagram of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)–camphor mixture is constructed using an original optical method. For the first time, it contains a boundary curve that describes the dependence of camphor solubility in the amorphous regions of PVDF on temperature. It is argued that this diagram cannot be considered a full analogue of the eutectic phase diagrams of two low-molar-mass crystalline substances. The phase diagram is used to interpret the polarized light hot-stage microscopy data on cooling the above mixtures from a homogeneous state to room temperature and scanning electron microscopy data on the morphology of capillary-porous bodies formed upon camphor removal. Based on our calorimetry and X-ray studies, we put in doubt the possibility of incongruent crystalline complex formation between PVDF and camphor previously suggested by Dasgupta et al. (Macromolecules 2005, 38, 5602–5608). We also describe and discuss the high-temperature crystalline structure of racemic camphor, which is not available in the modern literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications)
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20 pages, 7971 KiB  
Article
Thermotropic Optical Response of Silicone–Paraffin Flexible Blends
by Giulia Fredi, Matteo Favaro, Damiano Da Ros, Alessandro Pegoretti and Andrea Dorigato
Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5117; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14235117 - 24 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1344
Abstract
Organic phase change materials, e.g., paraffins, are attracting increasing attention in thermal energy storage (TES) and thermal management applications. However, they also manifest interesting optical properties such as thermotropism, as they can switch from optically opaque to transparent reversibly and promptly at the [...] Read more.
Organic phase change materials, e.g., paraffins, are attracting increasing attention in thermal energy storage (TES) and thermal management applications. However, they also manifest interesting optical properties such as thermotropism, as they can switch from optically opaque to transparent reversibly and promptly at the melting temperature. This work aims at exploiting this feature to produce flexible silicone-based blends with thermotropic properties for applications in glazed windows or thermal sensors. Blends are produced by adding paraffin (Tm = 44 °C, up to 10 phr) to a silicone bicomponent mixture, and, for the first time, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is also added to promote paraffin dispersion and avoid its exudation. CTAB is proven effective in preventing paraffin exudation both in the solid and in the liquid state when added in a fraction above 3 phr with respect to paraffin. Rheological results show that paraffin decreases the complex viscosity, but neither paraffin nor CTAB modifies the curing behavior of silicone, which indicates uniform processability across the investigated compositions. On the other hand, paraffin causes a decrease in the stress and strain at break at 60 °C, and this effect is amplified by CTAB, which acts as a defect and stress concentrator. Conversely, at room temperature, solid paraffin only slightly impairs the mechanical properties, while CTAB increases both the elastic modulus and tensile strength, as also highlighted with ANOVA. Finally, optical transmittance results suggest that the maximum transmittance difference below and above the melting temperature (65–70 percentage points) is reached for paraffin amounts of 3 to 5 phr and a CTAB amount of max. 0.15 phr. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications)
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23 pages, 5585 KiB  
Article
Characterization of CaCO3 Filled Poly(lactic) Acid and Bio Polyethylene Materials for Building Applications
by Ferran Serra-Parareda, Jesús Alba, Quim Tarrés, Francesc X. Espinach, Pere Mutjé and Marc Delgado-Aguilar
Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3323; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13193323 - 28 Sep 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2858
Abstract
Noise pollution has been identified as a cause of a broad spectrum of diseases, motivating researchers to identify building materials capable of attenuating this pollution. The most common solution is the use of gypsum boards, which show a good response for low frequencies [...] Read more.
Noise pollution has been identified as a cause of a broad spectrum of diseases, motivating researchers to identify building materials capable of attenuating this pollution. The most common solution is the use of gypsum boards, which show a good response for low frequencies but have a poorer response for high frequencies. In addition, due to environmental concerns associated with buildings, the use of materials that minimize environmental impacts must be favored. In this research, two biopolymers, a poly(lactic) acid and a bio-polyethylene, were filled with two typologies of calcium carbonate, and their soundproofing properties were tested using impedance tubes. In addition, the morphology of the fillers was characterized, and here we discuss its impact on the mechanical properties of the composites. The results showed that the incorporation of calcium carbonate into bio-based thermoplastic materials can represent a strong alternative to gypsum, because their mechanical properties and sound barrier performance are superior. In addition, the inclusion of mineral fillers in thermoplastic materials has a positive impact on production costs, in addition to preserving the advantages of thermoplastics in terms of processing and recycling. Although the use of carbonate calcium decreases the mechanical properties of the materials, it enables the production of materials with insulation that is four-fold higher than that of gypsum. This demonstrates the potential of these materials as building lightweight solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications)
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17 pages, 54784 KiB  
Article
Spider Web-Inspired Lightweight Membrane-Type Acoustic Metamaterials for Broadband Low-Frequency Sound Isolation
by Heyuan Huang, Ertai Cao, Meiying Zhao, Sagr Alamri and Bing Li
Polymers 2021, 13(7), 1146; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13071146 - 02 Apr 2021
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4053
Abstract
Membrane-type acoustic metamaterial (MAM) has exhibited superior sound isolation properties, as well as thin and light characteristics. However, the anti-resonance modes of traditional MAMs are generated intermittently in a wide frequency range causing discontinuities in the anti-resonance modes. Achieving broadband low-frequency sound attenuation [...] Read more.
Membrane-type acoustic metamaterial (MAM) has exhibited superior sound isolation properties, as well as thin and light characteristics. However, the anti-resonance modes of traditional MAMs are generated intermittently in a wide frequency range causing discontinuities in the anti-resonance modes. Achieving broadband low-frequency sound attenuation with lightweight MAM design is still a pivotal research aspect. Here, we present a strategy to realize wide sound-attenuation bands in low frequency range by introducing the design concept of bionic configuration philosophy into the MAM structures. Built by a polymeric membrane and a set of resonators, two kinds of MAM models are proposed based on the insight of a spider web topology. The sound attenuation performance and physical mechanisms are numerically and experimentally investigated. Multi-state anti-resonance modes, induced by the coupling of the bio-inspired arrangement and the host polymer film, are systematically explored. Significant sound attenuation is numerically and experimentally observed in both the lightweight bio-inspired designs. Remarkably, compared with a traditional MAM configuration, a prominent enhancement in both attenuation bandwidth and weight-reduction performance is verified. In particular, the bio-inspired MAM Model I exhibits a similar isolation performance as the reference model, but the weight is reduced by nearly half. The bio-inspired Model II broadens the sound attenuation bandwidth greatly; meanwhile, it retains a lighter weight design. The proposed bio-inspired strategies provide potential ways for designing sound isolation devices with both high functional and lightweight performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications)
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18 pages, 8067 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Colombian Crops Fibrous Byproducts for Potential Applications in Sustainable Building Acoustics
by Tomas Simon Gomez, Santiago Zuluaga, Maritza Jimenez, María de los Ángeles Navacerrada, María del Mar Barbero-Barrera, Daniel de la Prida, Adriana Restrepo-Osorio and Patricia Fernández-Morales
Polymers 2021, 13(1), 101; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13010101 - 29 Dec 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2502
Abstract
Local production of construction materials is a valuable tool for improving the building sector sustainability. In this sense, the use of lignocellulosic fibers from local species becomes an interesting alternative to the development of such materials. As it is thought that the properties [...] Read more.
Local production of construction materials is a valuable tool for improving the building sector sustainability. In this sense, the use of lignocellulosic fibers from local species becomes an interesting alternative to the development of such materials. As it is thought that the properties of fiber-based materials are dependent on the fibers properties, the knowledge of such properties is fundamental to promote materials development. This study compares the physical, morphological, acoustic, and mechanical characteristics of coir (Cocos nucifera) and fique (Furcraea Agavaceae) fibers and panels. The chemical composition appears to be associated with the general behavior of the fibers and panels, regarding higher tensile strength, thermal degradation behavior, and water absorption. In most tests, fique had the upper hand, showing superior performance; however, on thermal degradation and water absorption, both materials had similar behavior. The sound absorption measurement showed that the fiber diameter affects the sound absorption at high frequencies, where fique panels showed better performance than coir panels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications)
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13 pages, 2758 KiB  
Article
An Assessment of the Thermal Behavior of Envelope Surface Coatings with Different Colors
by Iwona Pokorska-Silva, Marta Kadela, Marcin Małek and Lidia Fedorowicz
Polymers 2021, 13(1), 82; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13010082 - 28 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1747
Abstract
Contemporary solar power engineering enables the conceptual interlocking of the shape of a building object with its location, structural design, and external envelope, as well as applied materials. Suitably selected solutions involving the structure, shape, construction, and location of a building can significantly [...] Read more.
Contemporary solar power engineering enables the conceptual interlocking of the shape of a building object with its location, structural design, and external envelope, as well as applied materials. Suitably selected solutions involving the structure, shape, construction, and location of a building can significantly improve the thermal balance of rooms in a building. Particularly valuable and warranted are studies involving various solutions for building partitions contributing to a considerable improvement in the thermal balance of a building. This article presents the results of research on temperature changes on the surface of the external part of a partition coated with layers of different colors. For the lightest coating (white), both the average temperature obtained on the and the maximum temperature obtained on the surface were the lowest. With the darker coatings, these temperatures were both higher. The back analyses that were performed indicated lower and higher absorption coefficients, respectively, for the coating compared with the base value for the red coating. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the average surface roughness (Ra) after tests in a natural environment decreased by 12.1% for the base (red) coating. For the grey and white samples, a more than two-fold increase in roughness was reported, of 198.6% and 202.0%, respectively. The SEM analysis indicated material loss and discoloration on the sample surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications)
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16 pages, 2656 KiB  
Article
Life-Cycle Assessment and Acoustic Simulation of Drywall Building Partitions with Bio-Based Materials
by Alberto Quintana-Gallardo, Jesús Alba, Romina del Rey, José E. Crespo-Amorós and Ignacio Guillén-Guillamón
Polymers 2020, 12(9), 1965; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12091965 - 30 Aug 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4061
Abstract
The ecological transition is a process the building industry is bound to undertake. This study aimed to develop new bio-based building partition typologies and to determine if they are suitable ecological alternatives to the conventional non-renewable ones used today. This work started with [...] Read more.
The ecological transition is a process the building industry is bound to undertake. This study aimed to develop new bio-based building partition typologies and to determine if they are suitable ecological alternatives to the conventional non-renewable ones used today. This work started with the development of a bio-based epoxy composite board and a waste-based sheep wool acoustic absorbent. Six different partition typologies combining conventional and bio-based materials were analyzed. A drywall partition composed of gypsum plasterboard and mineral wool was used as the baseline. First, a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment was performed to compare their environmental impacts. Secondly, a mathematical simulation was performed to evaluate their airborne acoustic insulation. The LCA results show a 50% decrease in the amount of CO2 equivalent emitted when replacing plasterboard with bio-composite boards. The bio-composites lower the overall environmental impact by 40%. In the case of the acoustic absorbents, replacing the mineral wool with cellulose or sheep wool decreases the carbon emissions and the overall environmental impact of the partition from 4% and 6%, respectively. However, while the bio-based acoustic absorbents used offer good acoustic results, the bio-composites have a lower airborne acoustic insulation than conventional gypsum plasterboard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Polymer Composites, Thermal and Acoustic Applications)
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