Advances in Mechanical Testing of Polymer Composites

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer composites have become an indispensable class of materials in modern engineering, offering a unique combination of low weight and high strength, among other exclusive properties. This makes composites highly desirable for various applications across industries, from aerospace and automotive industries to sports equipment and consumer goods. As the demand for polymer composites continues to grow, there is an evolving need to develop more effective testing methodologies to ensure their reliability and performance under diverse and often extreme conditions, as well as to advance our understanding of the mechanisms governing their behavior. The growing use of composites in critical applications necessitates a deeper exploration of the persisting challenges associated with their mechanical testing.

This Special Issue is dedicated to addressing the current challenges and recent developments in mechanical testing methods for polymer composites, with a particular focus on non-destructive testing (NDT), multifunctional composites, composite joints, testing in extreme environments, fatigue testing, microscopic interfaces, impact testing, the experimental validation of computational methods, additive manufactured composites, and in situ testing techniques. These emerging areas of research are critical for enhancing the safety, durability, and overall efficiency of polymer composites and will help to unlock the full potential of these materials in a wide range of applications.

Dr. Daniel R. Merkel
Dr. Yao Qiao
Dr. Shiyao Lin
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.

• non-destructive mechanical evaluation and quality assessment (metrology, DIC, thermography, dynamic mechanical methods, damage repair assessment, etc.)
• multifunctional composites (in situ sensing, electromechanical, morphing, self-healing, etc.)
• joints (surfaces, interfaces, adhesion, rivets, hybrid/multi-materials, etc.)
• extreme environments (high temperature, high pressure, cryogenic, high humidity, corrosive gas environments, liquid environments, etc.)
• fatigue (multiaxial, random load spectrum, etc.)
• methods used for specific structures (pressure vessels, sandwich structures, woven fiber-reinforced composites, space structures, wind structures, hybrid fiber composites, etc.)
• Reinforcement-matrix interfaces (fiber, particle, nanoreinforcement, alternative fiber interfaces, picoindenttion, etc.)
• impact testing (drop tower testing, pendulum impact testing, high-speed imaging, high strain rate, split-Hopkinson, etc.)
• experimentally validated computational methods
• wear, tribology, scratch testing (fiber, polymer, composites, etc.)
• additive manufactured materials (3D printed polymers and composites, etc.)
• micro and nanomechanical methods (indentation, wear, fiber-matrix interfaces, etc.)
• testing for specific properties (inter-/intra-laminar, biaxial, triaxial, etc.)
• in situ test methods (SEM, tomography, etc.)