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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2022) | Viewed by 17990

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mainul Islam

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Engineering and Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Interests: sustainable green composites; particulate composites; syntactic foams; shape-memory polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jayantha Epaarachchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
Interests: smart materials and structures; shape memory polymers; static and dynamic analysis of structures; structural health monitoring

Dr. Tawhidul Islam Khan

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
Interests: non-destructive testing; acoustic emission diagnostics; biomedical motion sensing; noise reduction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The interest in polymer composite research is due to their wide range of applications. Filling with particles gives polymers a number of desirable properties, including increased hardness, decreased thermal expansion coefficient, improved resistance to creep, and fracture toughness. Difficulties in research on the structure–properties relationships of polymer composites, on the other hand, are due to their structural complexity.

The main aim of this Special Issue is to provide a platform for the dissemination and discussion of recent research and achievements on particulate-filled advanced composites which address various issues from theoretical and practical viewpoints. Articles on theoretical as well as experimental investigations are welcome.

Topics include but are not limited to:

Development of novel polymeric particulate composites and syntactic foams;
Manufacturing and properties of advanced particulate composites;
Static and dynamic behaviours of polymeric particulate composites;
Particulate-filled shape memory polymer composites;
Acoustic emission diagnostics of polymeric particulate composites;
Recycling of polymeric particulate composites.

Dr. Mainul Islam
Dr. Jayantha Epaarachchi
Dr. Tawhidul Islam Khan
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. Processes 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 2400 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

manufacturing
mechanical properties
thermal properties
micromechanics
fracture analysis
recycling

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 5279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quasi-Static Flexural Behavior of Epoxy-Matrix-Reinforced Crump Rubber Composites

by Kiran Shahapurkar, Khalid Alblalaihid, Venkatesh Chenrayan, Abdulaziz H. Alghtani, Vineet Tirth, Ali Algahtani, Ibrahim M. Alarifi and M. C. Kiran

Processes 2022, 10(5), 956; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10050956 - 11 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1362

Abstract

Waste tires have emerged as a severe environmental threat worldwide as they create a number of disposal and landfill burden issues. In the present study, environmental pollutant crump rubber derived from waste discarded tires was reinforced with epoxy resin and prepared by means of an open-mold casting method to assess its mechanical properties. The impact of crump rubber content (0, 10, 20 and 30 vol.%) on the mechanical behavior of the composites was assessed using three-point bending tests at a constant strain rate of 0.1 and 0.01 mm/s. The stress–strain profiles of the 0.01 mm/s specimens revealed higher strains to failure compared with the 0.1 mm/s tested specimens and all the specimens showed brittle failure. Irrespective of the strain rates, tests revealed a marginal increase in the strength values of the composites and a significant increase in the modulus of all the composites compared with neat epoxy specimens. The results suggest that crump rubber can be effectively used in utilitarian composites requiring good flexural modulus and strength properties. Crump rubber epoxy composites with 30 vol.% of crump rubber showed higher modulus and strength compared with neat epoxy and other composites owing to the toughening phase induced by the crump rubber particles. The failure and fracture features of the specimens were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particulate-Filled Advanced Polymer Composites)

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10 pages, 2131 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication and Thermal Performance of 3D Copper-Mesh-Sintered Foam/Paraffin Phase Change Materials for Solar Thermal Energy Storage

by Chao Chang, Guowei Chen, Fengyongkang Wu, Zhaoyang Han and Lilin Pei

Processes 2022, 10(5), 897; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10050897 - 02 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2127

Abstract

Due to its large latent heat and high energy storage capacity, paraffin as one of the phase change materials (PCMs) has been widely applied in many energy-related applications in recent years. The current applications of paraffin, however, are limited by the low thermal conductivity and the leakage problem. To address these issues, we designed and fabricated form-stable composite PCMs by impregnating organic paraffin within graphite-coated copper foams. The graphite-coated copper foam was prepared by sintering multilayer copper meshes, and graphite nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of the porous copper foam. Graphite nanoparticles could directly absorb and convert solar energy into thermal energy, and the converted thermal energy was stored in the paraffin PCMs through phase change heat transfer. The graphite-coated copper foam not only effectively enhanced the thermal conductivity of paraffin PCMs, but also its porous structure and superhydrophobic surface prevented the paraffin leakage during the charging process. The experimental results showed that the composite PCMs had a thermal conductivity of 2.97 W/(m·K), and no leakage occurred during the charging and discharging process. Finally, we demonstrated the composite PCMs can be readily integrated with solar thermoelectric systems to serve as the energy sources for generating electricity by using abundant clean solar-thermal energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particulate-Filled Advanced Polymer Composites)

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15 pages, 4009 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Glutathione Immobilized Polycaprolactone Nanofiber Mesh as a Dermal Drug Delivery Mechanism for Wound Healing in a Diabetic Patient

by Morshed Khandaker, Niyaf Alkadhem, Helga Progri, Sadegh Nikfarjam, Jiyoon Jeon, Hari Kotturi and Melville B. Vaughan

Processes 2022, 10(3), 512; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10030512 - 04 Mar 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2499

Abstract

Glutathione (GSH) is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant biomolecule. Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber mesh (NFM) is capable of the attachment and release of biomolecules for prolonged periods and has the potential as a transdermal drug delivery system during wound healing for a diabetic patient. Our earlier study found that high levels of sugar in diabetic male mice were significantly decreased by daily doses of glutathione administered on the mice. Furthermore, oxidative stress found in diabetic male mice led to the total depletion of glutathione levels in the body’s organs (pancreas, spleen, epididymis, and testis). The objective of this study was to attach GSH with PCL NFM for the controlled release of GSH biomolecules for long periods of time from the fiber mesh into a diabetic body. This study produced PCL NFM using an electrospun technique and tested it on mice to evaluate its efficiency as a dermal drug delivery mechanism. This study dissolved GSH (2.5 mg/mL) with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and glutaraldehyde (GLU) solution to create GSH-PBS and GSH-GLU complexes. Each complex was used to soak PCL NFM for 24 h and dried to create PCL-GSH-PBS and PCL-GSH-GLU meshes. Fiber morphology, degradation, fibroblast cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, and GSH release activities from each mesh were compared. Fibroblast cell adhesion and cytotoxicity tests found excellent biocompatibility of both GSH-immobilized PCL meshes and no degradation until 20 days of the study period. The disk diffusion method was conducted to test the antibacterial properties of the sample groups. Release tests confirmed that the attachment of GSH with PCL by GSH-GLU complex resulted in a steady release of GSH compared to the fast release of GSH from PCL-GSH-PBS mesh. The disk diffusion test confirmed that PCL-GSH-GLU has antibacterial properties. The above results conclude that GSH-GLU immobilized PCL NFM can be a suitable candidate for a transdermal anti-oxidative and anti-bacterial drug delivery system such as bandage, skin graft for wound healing application in a diabetic patient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particulate-Filled Advanced Polymer Composites)

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14 pages, 4425 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Graphene Nano Fillers and Carbon Nano Tubes on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Hollow Glass Microsphere Epoxy Composites

by Kumar D, Kiran Shahapurkar, C. Venkatesh, Muruganandhan R, Vineet Tirth, Chandru Manivannan, Ibrahim M. Alarifi, Manzoore Elahi M. Soudagar and Ahmed S. El-Shafay

Processes 2022, 10(1), 40; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10010040 - 27 Dec 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2860

Abstract

The present work aimed to analyze the roll of carbon nano tubes and graphene nano fillers on the mechanical and thermal characteristics of hollow glass microsphere reinforced epoxy composites. Composites with varying content of hollow glass microballoons (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 wt %) reinforced in epoxy matrix were fabricated. Additionally, two more types of composites, one with graphene nano fillers and the other with carbon nano tube at a constant 0.5 wt %, were fabricated with varying weight percentages of hollow glass microballoons (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10%). The composites were fabricated using an open mold casting process. Composites were tested for thermal and mechanical properties. The tensile and flexural moduli were found to rise as the HGM concentration increased. Graphene-filled HGM/epoxy composites revealed the highest modulus compared with HGM/epoxy and HGM/CNT/epoxy composites. The impact strength of all composite types decreased as the HGM content increased. Neat epoxy specimens revealed low response as compared with all the composites tested. Further, the thermal conductivity of HGM/epoxy composites was lower as compared with other compositions and neat epoxy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the surface morphological behavior of the composites subjected to flexural test. It was found that HGM/G/E composites with 10% of HGM and 0.5% of graphene by weight in epoxy matrix were the optimum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particulate-Filled Advanced Polymer Composites)

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12 pages, 1863 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Viscoelastic Behavior of an Epoxy Resin Modified with Recycled Waste Particles Analyzed through a Fractional Model

by Dionisio Badagliacco and Antonino Valenza

Processes 2021, 9(10), 1826; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9101826 - 14 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1276

Abstract

It is well-known that the addition of randomly dispersed particles in polymers influences their linear viscoelastic behavior and dynamic mechanical properties. The aim of this study was to describe the viscoelastic behavior of an epoxy resin modified by waste glass and rubber particles using the linear fractional spring-pot model. Unlike complex classical exponential models, fractional models, being only two-parameter dependent, make it easier to characterize the viscoelastic behavior of materials. Isothermal relaxation and single frequency sweep temperature dynamic tests were carried out in a dynamic mechanical analyzer DMA

150

by varying the content of the particles from 0 to 20% by weight. Overall, the results of this study evidence that using waste materials as additives for polymer compounds is a practical and sustainable possibility when it comes to modifying their viscoelastic properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particulate-Filled Advanced Polymer Composites)

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15 pages, 5224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Performances of SiBCN Powders Modified Phenolic Resins-Carbon Fiber Composites

by Wenjie Yuan, Yang Wang, Zhenhua Luo, Fenghua Chen, Hao Li and Tong Zhao

Processes 2021, 9(6), 955; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9060955 - 28 May 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2895

Abstract

The effect of SiBCN powder on properties of phenolic resins and composites was analyzed. Compared with phenolic resins, the thermal stability of SiBCN powder modified phenolic resins (the SiBCN phenolic resins) by characterization of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) improved clearly. It was found by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that reactions between SiBCN powder and the pyrolysis product of phenolic resins were the main factor of the increased residual weight. TGA and static ablation of a muffle furnace were used to illustrate the roles of SiBCN powder on increasing oxidation resistance of SiBCN powder-modified phenolic resin–carbon fiber composites (SiBCN–phenolic/C composites), and the oxidative product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). For SiBCN–phenolic/C composites, the occurrence of oxidation reaction and the formation of protective crust contributed to improving oxidative resistance. The result of the oxygen-acetylene test showed that the linear ablation rate (LAR) and mass ablation rate (MAR) of phenolic resin–carbon fiber composites reduced from 0.052 ± 0.005 mm/s to 0.038 ± 0.004 mm/s and from 0.050 ± 0.004 g/s to 0.043 ± 0.001 g/s by introducing SiBCN powder, respectively. The mechanism of ablation resistance after the introduction of SiBCN powder was investigated. The high melt-viscosity of SiBCN powder caused SiBCN powder to remain on the surface of composites and protect the internal resins and carbon fibers. The oxidation of SiBCN powder and volatilization of oxide can consume energy and oxygen, thus the ablation resistance of SiBCN–Ph composite was improved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particulate-Filled Advanced Polymer Composites)

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23 pages, 12042 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Calcium Carbonate as Functional Filler in Polyamide 12-Manipulation of the Thermal and Mechanical Properties

by Fabio Ippolito, Gunter Hübner, Tim Claypole and Patrick Gane

Processes 2021, 9(6), 937; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9060937 - 26 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3667

Abstract

Adjusting the thermal response properties of a polymeric compound can significantly improve the usability in a selective laser-sintering process. As previously shown, combining a precise amount of coarse and narrow size distribution fine calcium carbonate fillers results in a potential optimization of the thermal properties of a polyamide 12 matrix. Additionally, up to 60% of the normally associated lost ductility can be re-gained by surface modification, thus functionalizing the filler. To optimize the functionality further this study combines a precisely defined particle size ratio of fillers adopting a specially selected surface modification using amino hexanoic acid. Morphology of the carbonate filler was also investigated. The range of effect of each parameter on the thermal response and mechanical properties was studied. The results show that the thermal properties have large potential to be optimized, without reducing the ductility significantly, by adjusting the morphology and size ratio of coarse and fine filler particles. The compound properties were demonstrated using a twin-screw extruder, indicating the potential for producing a preparate composite for additive manufacturing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Particulate-Filled Advanced Polymer Composites)

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