Recent Progress and Future of Composite Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Composites materials have gained importance in various engineering and biomedical applications in recent years. Composite materials are a combination of two or more dissimilar material that are insoluble and, when combined, alter the properties of those individual materials. Composites contain three distinct phases: a filler phase which can be nano- to macro-compounds, the continuous phase that includes a polymer or any material in which the filler is embedded, and the interphase. Fillers can be used to enhance modulus, alter thermal expansion behavior, introduce specialty property to the embedded phase, and so on. The continuous phase, which is the bulk of the material, can be of polymerizable monomers that need alteration to their properties. The interface region represents the bridge between two phases. Composite materials are used widely in the civil, engineering, biomedical, and application industries, as well as in the transportation, concrete, steel, and glass industries. From aerospace to sustainable batteries, composite materials play a significant role in enhancing properties.  

The ability to achieve versatile properties arising from filler as well as from continuous material makes composites a suitable type of materials for a sustainable future. However, the reliability and performance of such composites can depend on several factors, including the interface, bulk, and the surface characteristics. Thus, a fundamental understanding of these characteristics is essential to achieve an optimal performance of these composite materials.

The goal of this Special Issue is to publish original full-length papers and review articles that advance the development of composite materials. This will be a scholarly forum where researchers can publish their findings on different composite materials ranging from nano- to micro-scale fillers that are used in different areas of science, from engineering to biomedical applications. This Special Issue will also cover composite modeling computer simulation studies that can benefit other researchers.

Dr. Francesco Tornabene
Dr. Vivek Vasagar
Dr. Beibei Chen
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. Journal of Composites Science 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 1800 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.

• composite
• intercalation
• exfoliation
• polymer–matrix composites
• interphase
• multiscale modeling
• carbon nanotubes