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Polymers
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New Progress of Polymeric Materials in Advanced Manufacturing, 2nd Edition
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New Progress of Polymeric Materials in Advanced Manufacturing, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 2843

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Richard (Chunhui) Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
Interests: additive manufacturing; advanced manufacturing; multiscale modeling and simulations of advanced engineering materials and structures; engineering numerical methods and their applications; digital material representation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced manufacturing under the 4th industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) has an important component of advanced materials, in particular on polymers, polymeric composites, and nanocomposites. This Special Issue is aiming to be an influential collection of high-quality articles contributed to by both practitioners and researchers in relevant fields of research on advanced manufacturing and polymer science and engineering, from fundamentals to applications via analytical modeling, numerical modeling and simulations and experimental study. Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • New polymers, polymeric composites, and nanocomposites;
  • Preparation, fabrication, and characterization of new polymers, polymeric composites, and canocomposites;
  • New manufacturing technologies of polymers, polymeric composites, and nanocomposites, e.g., additive manufacturing (3D printing);

New applications of polymers, polymeric composites, and nanocomposites in advanced manufacturing, e.g., for sensors, robots, automation components, etc.

Prof. Dr. Richard (Chunhui) Yang
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

  • polymers
  • polymeric composites
  • polymeric nanocomposites
  • advanced manufacturing
  • material fabrication and characterization
  • numerical modeling and simulations
  • analytical modeling
  • experimental study

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4711 KB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Study of Laser Beam Welding of PBT-G30 for Electronic Housings in Automotive Applications
by Luiz R. R. Silva, Paulo D. P. Nunes, Eduardo A. S. Marques, Ricardo J. C. Carbas and Lucas F. M. da Silva
Polymers 2025, 17(19), 2662; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17192662 - 1 Oct 2025
Viewed by 296
Abstract
This study investigates the application of laser spot welding to join protective housing components in the automotive electronics industry. The PBT GF 30 components were joined using two primary configurations: a purely overlapping joint and a top-overlap joint, both autogenous (i.e., without filler [...] Read more.
This study investigates the application of laser spot welding to join protective housing components in the automotive electronics industry. The PBT GF 30 components were joined using two primary configurations: a purely overlapping joint and a top-overlap joint, both autogenous (i.e., without filler material). To complement the experimental analysis, a numerical model, previously validated for a simpler joint configuration, was adapted and applied to configurations beyond the overlapping and top-overlap joint, more representative of practical automotive industry components. The results demonstrated that butt-overlap joints exhibited significantly higher strength (85% increase) than purely overlapping joints. This enhancement is attributed to the combined effect of normal and shear stresses in the top-overlap configuration, whereas purely overlapping joints rely solely on shear stress. The validated numerical model accurately predicted the experimental results, including displacement and force values. While minor deviations were observed, the numerical model’s predictions converged within the average experimental values and standard deviation, demonstrating that such a model can be used to precisely design laser-welded joints for similar applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Progress of Polymeric Materials in Advanced Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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27 pages, 11310 KB  
Article
Functionalisation Effects on Mechanical, Electrical and Thermal Properties of 3D-Printed MWCNT/ABS Nanocomposites
by Nima Zohdi, Phan Quoc Khang Nguyen, Yixia (Sarah) Zhang and Richard (Chunhui) Yang
Polymers 2025, 17(17), 2428; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17172428 - 8 Sep 2025
Viewed by 572
Abstract
While fused filament fabrication (FFF) has gained widespread popularity in additive manufacturing, its prevalent limitation in mechanical properties has prompted researchers to explore innovative solutions, with the creation of nanocomposites emerging as a promising solution. In this study, the effect of multi-walled carbon [...] Read more.
While fused filament fabrication (FFF) has gained widespread popularity in additive manufacturing, its prevalent limitation in mechanical properties has prompted researchers to explore innovative solutions, with the creation of nanocomposites emerging as a promising solution. In this study, the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the material properties and morphology of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)-based nanocomposites at various MWCNT concentrations of 0.1–1.5% is investigated. A 0.5% MWCNT addition was found to be the optimal content for mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties for FFF-printed specimens printed at longitudinal and transverse build orientations with profound improvement compared to pure ABS. Morphological analysis confirms the significant influence of air voids, low interlayer bonding and the agglomeration of additives on the properties of FFF-printed parts. Then, functionalisation methods are developed in this study for the effective modification of nanoadditives, and their influences on mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of FFF-printed nanocomposite parts are investigated. Both the covalent and non-covalent methods of functionalisation result in a uniform dispersion of nanoadditives with a positive impact on the material properties of those parts, especially for those printed at transverse build orientations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Progress of Polymeric Materials in Advanced Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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23 pages, 3962 KB  
Article
PLA/PBS Biocomposites for 3D FDM Manufacturing: Effect of Hemp Shive Content and Process Parameters on Printing Quality and Performances
by Emilia Garofalo, Luciano Di Maio and Loredana Incarnato
Polymers 2025, 17(17), 2280; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17172280 - 23 Aug 2025
Viewed by 984
Abstract
This study investigates the processability—via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing—and mechanical performance of biocomposites based on polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and their 50/50 wt% blend, each reinforced with hemp shive at 3 and 5 wt%. Blending PLA with PBS represents [...] Read more.
This study investigates the processability—via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing—and mechanical performance of biocomposites based on polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and their 50/50 wt% blend, each reinforced with hemp shive at 3 and 5 wt%. Blending PLA with PBS represents a straightforward and encouraging strategy to enhance both the printability and mechanical properties of the individual resins, expanding the range of their potential applications. The addition of hemp shive—a by-product of hemp processing—not only enhances the biodegradability of the composites but also improves their thermo-mechanical performance, as well as aligning with circular economy principles. The rheological characterization, performed on all the systems, evidenced that the PLA/PBS blend possesses viscoelastic properties well suited for FDM, enabling smooth extrusion through the nozzle, good shape stability after deposition, and effective interlayer adhesion. Moreover, the constrain effect of hemp shives within the polymer matrix reduced the extrudate swell, a key factor affecting the dimensional accuracy of the printed parts. Optimal processing conditions were identified at a nozzle temperature of 190 °C and a printing speed of 70 mm/s, providing a favorable compromise between print quality, final performances and production efficiency. From a mechanical perspective, the PLA/PBS blend exhibited an 8.6-fold increase in elongation at break compared to neat PLA, and its corresponding composite showed a ductility nearly three times higher than the PLA-based counterpart’s. In conclusion, the findings of this study provide new insights into the interplay between material formulation, rheological behavior and printing conditions, supporting the development of sustainable, hemp-reinforced biocomposites for additive manufacturing applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Progress of Polymeric Materials in Advanced Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 4635 KB  
Article
Assessing Flight Angle and Rotor Speed Effects on Drying Efficiency and Power Consumption of the Centrifugal Dryer of Pelletizing Systems
by Mohammadreza Aali, Bernhard Löw-Baselli, Jovan Zecevic and Gerald Berger-Weber
Polymers 2025, 17(13), 1829; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17131829 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 471
Abstract
This study used the Discrete Element Method (DEM) coupled with the Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method to investigate the process of drying in the centrifugal unit of a pelletizing system in polymer processing. The effects of various flight angles (10°, 45°, and 70°) [...] Read more.
This study used the Discrete Element Method (DEM) coupled with the Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method to investigate the process of drying in the centrifugal unit of a pelletizing system in polymer processing. The effects of various flight angles (10°, 45°, and 70°) and rotor speeds (1280, 1600, and 1920 rpm) on drying efficiency, polymer pellet transport, polymer pellet accumulation, and power consumption were examined. The results showed that the flight angle significantly influenced drying performance. At 1600 rpm, the 10° flight angle configuration required the least power (10.94 kW) but resulted in inefficient water separation, which led to an increase in water droplets (i.e., higher moisture content) in the upper part of the centrifugal unit and near the outlet. With a 70° flight angle, water removal was most effective, but polymer pellet transport efficiency was lower due to centrifugal forces becoming dominant. A 45° flight angle provided the best balance between drying efficiency and power consumption, requiring 16.42 kW while achieving the most efficient polymer pellet transport. Rotor speed also played a crucial role: lower speeds enhanced water removal and reduced power demand but limited throughput, whereas higher speeds facilitated centrifugal separation at the cost of increased power consumption. The optimal combination of the rotor speed and flight angle was found to be 45° at 1280 rpm, which offered an effective trade-off between drying performance and power efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Progress of Polymeric Materials in Advanced Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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