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
Mechanical Behaviors and Properties of Polymer Materials
share announcement

Mechanical Behaviors and Properties of Polymer Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2024 | Viewed by 3794

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yunfa Zhang

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Aerospace Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Interests: polymers and composites; nanocomposites; finite element analysis; failure analysis; viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity; mechanical testing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The response of polymers to external or internal forces can vary considerably depending on the magnitude of these forces and the material characteristics. While the stress–strain behaviors of some polymers might look similar to those of metals, polymers are mechanically different to metals. Fully understanding the unique mechanical behaviors and properties of polymers is vital not only to their industrial and engineering applications, but also to the development of novel materials such as polymeric composites, nanocomposites, and additively manufactured polymer products. In particular, improved/appropriate mechanical behaviors and properties are crucial to the successful development of novel materials in which polymer is the major constituent, and this makes the study of the mechanical behaviors and properties of polymers an increasingly active area.  

This Special Issue aims to promptly publish recent studies focused on the mechanical behaviors and properties of polymer materials. Proposed topics of interest for this Special Issue include (but are not limited to):

  • Fiber-reinforced polymeric composites and nanocomposites;
  • Mechanical behaviors under adverse environmental conditions;
  • Multiaxial loading response of polymers;
  • Viscoelastic and viscoplastic characterization and modeling;
  • Impact, fatigue, and damage/failure mechanisms;
  • Influences of processing on mechanical properties;
  •  Mechanical behaviors of additively manufactured polymer products.

Dr. Yunfa Zhang
Guest Editor

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

  • mechanical properties
  • fiber composites and nanocomposites
  • damage and failure
  • viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity
  • impact
  • fatigue
  • additive manufacturing

Published Papers (3 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

23 pages, 14635 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Low- and High-Velocity Responses of Basalt–Epoxy and Basalt–Elium Composites
by Jesse Joseph Llanos, Ke Wang and Farid Taheri
Polymers 2024, 16(7), 926; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16070926 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1566
Abstract
Currently, fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) used for demanding structural applications predominantly utilize carbon, glass, and aramid fibers embedded in epoxy resin, albeit occasionally polyester and vinyl ester resins are also used. This study investigates the feasibility of employing recyclable and sustainable materials to [...] Read more.
Currently, fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) used for demanding structural applications predominantly utilize carbon, glass, and aramid fibers embedded in epoxy resin, albeit occasionally polyester and vinyl ester resins are also used. This study investigates the feasibility of employing recyclable and sustainable materials to formulate a composite suitable for load-bearing structural applications, particularly in scenarios involving low-velocity and high-velocity impacts (LVIs and HVIs, respectively). The paper presents a comparative analysis of the performance of basalt–Elium, a fully recyclable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly composite, with an epoxy-based counterpart. Moreover, an accurate and reliable numerical model has been developed and introduced through which the response of these composites can be examined efficiently and accurately under various loading states. The results of this investigation demonstrate the viability of the basalt–elium composite as a fully recyclable and sustainable material for crafting efficient and lightweight composites. Additionally, the accurately developed finite element model presented here can be used to assess the influence of several parameters on the composite, thereby optimizing it for a given situation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Behaviors and Properties of Polymer Materials)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 5453 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Coupling Agents and Graphene on the Mechanical Properties of Film-Based Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic
by Sungwoong Choi, Jianxiang Zhao, Patrick C. Lee and Duyoung Choi
Polymers 2024, 16(3), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030380 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 850
Abstract
This study aims to improve the mechanical properties of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic composed primarily of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), which generally exhibit poor miscibility, by applying coupling agents and graphene. Here, we compare a commercially available coupling agent with a directly [...] Read more.
This study aims to improve the mechanical properties of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic composed primarily of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), which generally exhibit poor miscibility, by applying coupling agents and graphene. Here, we compare a commercially available coupling agent with a directly synthesized maleic anhydride (MA) coupling agent. When applied to a 5:5 blend of recycled PP and PE, an optimum tensile strength was achieved at a 3 wt% coupling agent concentration, with the MA coupling agent outperforming the commercial one. Characterization through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) revealed a PP:PE ratio of approximately 3:7 in the PCR plastics, with 4.86% heterogeneous materials present. Applying 3 wt% of the commercial and MA coupling agents to the PCR plastics resulted in a significant 53.9% increase in the tensile strength, reaching 11.25 MPa, and a remarkable 421.54% increase in the melt flow index (MFI), reaching 25.66 g/10 min. Furthermore, incorporating 5 wt% graphene led to a notable 64.84% increase in the tensile strength. In addition, the application of MA coupling agents and graphene improved the thermal stability of the PCR plastics. These findings show significant promise for addressing environmental concerns associated with plastic waste by facilitating the recycling of PCR plastics into new products. The utilization of coupling agents and graphene offers a viable approach to enhance the mechanical properties of PCR plastics, paving the way for sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Behaviors and Properties of Polymer Materials)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 4495 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Shape Memory Polyurethane Properties in Cold Programming Process Towards Its Applications
by Maria Staszczak, Leszek Urbański, Mariana Cristea, Daniela Ionita and Elżbieta Alicja Pieczyska
Polymers 2024, 16(2), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020219 - 12 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1040
Abstract
Thermoresponsive shape memory polymers (SMPs) with the remarkable ability to remember a temporary shape and recover their original one using temperature have been gaining more and more attention in a wide range of applications. Traditionally, SMPs are investigated using a method named often [...] Read more.
Thermoresponsive shape memory polymers (SMPs) with the remarkable ability to remember a temporary shape and recover their original one using temperature have been gaining more and more attention in a wide range of applications. Traditionally, SMPs are investigated using a method named often “hot-programming”, since they are heated above their glass transition temperature (Tg) and after that, reshaped and cooled below Tg to achieve and fix the desired configuration. Upon reheating, these materials return to their original shape. However, the heating of SMPs above their Tg during a thermomechanical cycle to trigger a change in their shape creates a temperature gradient within the material structure and causes significant thermal expansion of the polymer sample resulting in a reduction in its shape recovery property. These phenomena, in turn, limit the application fields of SMPs, in which fast actuation, dimensional stability and low thermal expansion coefficient are crucial. This paper aims at a comprehensive experimental investigation of thermoplastic polyurethane shape memory polymer (PU-SMP) using the cold programming approach, in which the deformation of the SMP into the programmed shape is conducted at temperatures below Tg. The PU-SMP glass transition temperature equals approximately 65 °C. Structural, mechanical and thermomechanical characterization was performed, and the results on the identification of functional properties of PU-SMPs in quite a large strain range beyond yield limit were obtained. The average shape fixity ratio of the PU-SMP at room temperature programming was found to be approximately 90%, while the average shape fixity ratio at 45 °C (Tg − 20 °C) was approximately 97%. Whereas, the average shape recovery ratio was 93% at room temperature programming and it was equal to approximately 90% at 45 °C. However, the results obtained using the traditional method, the so-called hot programming at 65 °C, indicate a higher shape fixity value of 98%, but a lower shape recovery of 90%. Thus, the obtained results confirmed good shape memory properties of the PU-SMPs at a large strain range at various temperatures. Furthermore, the experiments conducted at both temperatures below Tg demonstrated that cold programming can be successfully applied to PU-SMPs with a relatively high Tg. Knowledge of the PU-SMP shape memory and shape fixity properties, estimated without risk of material degradation, caused by heating above Tg, makes them attractive for various applications, e.g., in electronic components, aircraft or aerospace structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical Behaviors and Properties of Polymer Materials)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop