Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.6
5.0
Journals
Polymers
Special Issues
Polymer Materials with Advanced Functionalities for Additive Manufacturing
share announcement

Polymer Materials with Advanced Functionalities for Additive Manufacturing

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 21114

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. José António Covas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: polymer processing and micro-processing (monitoring, optimization, technology, biodegradable materials); compounding (preparation of composites and nanocomposites, polymer blending and modification); additive manufacturing; polymer characterization (rheology and morphology)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria da Conceição Paiva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Polymers Engineering, University of Minho, Campus of Azurém, 4804-533 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: carbon nanomaterials—surfaces and interfaces; polymer nanocomposites—preparation and characterization; nanostructured composites; few-layer graphene production; plastics waste—recycling and microplastics analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) comprises a variety of techniques, such as fused deposition modelling (FDM) and selective laser sintering (SLS), that can build geometrically complex 3D objects from model data by adding layers of material, without the need for molds or additional tools. Although AM is still an emergent technology, it is considered to be potentially disruptive as it may change the nature of the business value-chain activities. However, is also well recognized that evolving from the current rapid prototyping and limited practical use into an effective implementation of these techniques in real advanced engineering applications requires widening the available palette of materials. The latter should generate improvements in processability (dimensional accuracy, deposition speed, strength of bonding between contiguous filaments), mechanical performance and/or generate specific functionalities. Contributions to this Special Issue should preferably report developments on materials for space and high performance applications, biomedical applications, and general custom and sustainable applications. Research articles, reviews, as well as communications are welcome.

Prof. José António Covas
Prof. Maria da Conceição Paiva
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

  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Polymers and Composites
  • High temperature applications
  • Electrical conductivity
  • Thermal management
  • Mechanical performance
  • Biomedical constructs
  • Enhanced processability
  • Melt rheology

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 3079 KiB  
Article
Study on the Synthesis of Castor Oil-Based Plasticizer and the Properties of Plasticized Nitrile Rubber
by Qinghe Fu, Jihuai Tan, Fang Wang and Xinbao Zhu
Polymers 2020, 12(11), 2584; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12112584 - 03 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4046
Abstract
A series of new environment-friendly plasticizers was synthesized from castor oil and used to plasticize nitrile rubber (NBR). The test results showed that tensile strength, elongation at break, and tear strength of NBR vulcanizates plasticized by castor oil-based plasticizers were found to be [...] Read more.
A series of new environment-friendly plasticizers was synthesized from castor oil and used to plasticize nitrile rubber (NBR). The test results showed that tensile strength, elongation at break, and tear strength of NBR vulcanizates plasticized by castor oil-based plasticizers were found to be better than that of dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The aging test taken demonstrated that the castor oil-based plasticizers could improve the hot air and oil aging resistance of NBR vulcanizates. The thermal stability test illustrated that castor oil-based plasticizers enhanced the thermal stability of NBR vulcanizates, and the initial decomposition temperatures (T10%) were about 100 °C higher than that of DOP. In general, the studies manifested that EACO and EBCO can replace DOP to plasticize NBR and are used in fields that require high mechanical properties, aging resistance, and thermal stability. This study emphasizes the effects of sustainable, cost-effective, and high-efficiency plasticizers on NBR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Materials with Advanced Functionalities for Additive Manufacturing)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 5031 KiB  
Article
Micro Magnetic Field Produced by Fe3O4 Nanoparticles in Bone Scaffold for Enhancing Cellular Activity
by Shizhen Bin, Ailun Wang, Wang Guo, Li Yu and Pei Feng
Polymers 2020, 12(9), 2045; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12092045 - 08 Sep 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2794
Abstract
The low cellular activity of poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) limits its application in bone scaffold, although PLLA has advantages in terms of good biocompatibility and easy processing. In this study, superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were incorporated into the PLLA bone scaffold prepared [...] Read more.
The low cellular activity of poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) limits its application in bone scaffold, although PLLA has advantages in terms of good biocompatibility and easy processing. In this study, superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were incorporated into the PLLA bone scaffold prepared by selective laser sintering (SLS) for continuously and steadily enhancing cellular activity. In the scaffold, each Fe3O4 nanoparticle was a single magnetic domain without a domain wall, providing a micro-magnetic source to generate a tiny magnetic field, thereby continuously and steadily generating magnetic stimulation to cells. The results showed that the magnetic scaffold exhibited superparamagnetism and its saturation magnetization reached a maximum value of 6.1 emu/g. It promoted the attachment, diffusion, and interaction of MG63 cells, and increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase, thus promoting the cell proliferation and differentiation. Meanwhile, the scaffold with 7% Fe3O4 presented increased compressive strength, modulus, and Vickers hardness by 63.4%, 78.9%, and 19.1% compared with the PLLA scaffold, respectively, due to the addition of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, which act as a nanoscale reinforcement in the polymer matrix. All these positive results suggested that the PLLA/Fe3O4 scaffold with good magnetic properties is of great potential for bone tissue engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Materials with Advanced Functionalities for Additive Manufacturing)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 11731 KiB  
Article
Analysis of PLA Geometric Properties Processed by FFF Additive Manufacturing: Effects of Process Parameters and Plate-Extruder Precision Motion
by Eustaquio García Plaza, Pedro José Núñez López, Miguel Ángel Caminero Torija and Jesús Miguel Chacón Muñoz
Polymers 2019, 11(10), 1581; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11101581 - 27 Sep 2019
Cited by 79 | Viewed by 5392
Abstract
The evolution of fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology, initially restricted to the manufacturing of prototypes, has led to its application in the manufacture of finished functional products with excellent mechanical properties. However, FFF technology entails drawbacks in aspects, such as dimensional and geometric [...] Read more.
The evolution of fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology, initially restricted to the manufacturing of prototypes, has led to its application in the manufacture of finished functional products with excellent mechanical properties. However, FFF technology entails drawbacks in aspects, such as dimensional and geometric precision, and surface finish. These aspects are crucial for the assembly and service life of functional parts, with geometric qualities lagging far behind the optimum levels obtained by conventional manufacturing processes. A further shortcoming is the proliferation of low cost FFF 3D printers with low quality mechanical components, and malfunctions that have a critical impact on the quality of finished products. FFF product quality is directly influenced by printer settings, material properties in terms of cured layers, and the functional mechanical efficiency of the 3D printer. This paper analyzes the effect of the build orientation (Bo), layer thickness (Lt), feed rate (Fr) parameters, and plate-extruder movements on the dimensional accuracy, flatness error, and surface texture of polylactic acid (PLA) using a low cost open-source FFF 3D printer. The mathematical modelling of geometric properties was performed using artificial neural networks (ANN). The results showed that thinner layer thickness generated lower dimensional deviations, and feed rate had a minor influence on dimensional accuracy. The flatness error and surface texture showed a quasi-linear behavior correlated to layer thickness and feed rate, with alterations produced by 3D printer malfunctions. The mathematical models provide a comprehensive analysis of the geometric behavior of PLA processing by FFF, in order to identify optimum print settings for the processing of functional components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Materials with Advanced Functionalities for Additive Manufacturing)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

33 pages, 2229 KiB  
Review
A Review of Polymer-Based Materials for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF): Focus on Sustainability and Recycled Materials
by Daniela Fico, Daniela Rizzo, Raffaele Casciaro and Carola Esposito Corcione
Polymers 2022, 14(3), 465; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14030465 - 24 Jan 2022
Cited by 104 | Viewed by 7979
Abstract
Recently, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), one of the most encouraging additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, has fascinated great attention. Although FFF is growing into a manufacturing device with considerable technological and material innovations, there still is a challenge to convert FFF-printed prototypes into functional [...] Read more.
Recently, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), one of the most encouraging additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, has fascinated great attention. Although FFF is growing into a manufacturing device with considerable technological and material innovations, there still is a challenge to convert FFF-printed prototypes into functional objects for industrial applications. Polymer components manufactured by FFF process possess, in fact, low and anisotropic mechanical properties, compared to the same parts, obtained by using traditional building methods. The poor mechanical properties of the FFF-printed objects could be attributed to the weak interlayer bond interface that develops during the layer deposition process and to the commercial thermoplastic materials used. In order to increase the final properties of the 3D printed models, several polymer-based composites and nanocomposites have been proposed for FFF process. However, even if the mechanical properties greatly increase, these materials are not all biodegradable. Consequently, their waste disposal represents an important issue that needs an urgent solution. Several scientific researchers have therefore moved towards the development of natural or recyclable materials for FFF techniques. This review details current progress on innovative green materials for FFF, referring to all kinds of possible industrial applications, and in particular to the field of Cultural Heritage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Materials with Advanced Functionalities for Additive Manufacturing)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop