Application and Characterization of Multifunctional and Sustainable Polymers and Composites

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2025 | Viewed by 744

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Materials Science and Engineering Area, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, Spain
Interests: multifunctional composite materials; self-healing materials; 3D printed nanocomposites; structural health monitoring
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Guest Editor
Applied Mathematics, Science and Engineering of Materials and Electronic Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, Spain
Interests: 3D printing; smart materials; multifunctional materials; nanocomposites; polymers; carbon nanotubes; graphene nanoplatelets; anti-icing; shape memory; structural health monitoring

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Guest Editor
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bikini Atoll Rd, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
Interests: acoustics; ultrasonics; NDE; NDT; resins; epoxy; applied polymers; cure kinetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on “Innovation in Polymers and Composites: Design and Characterization and Multifunctional and Sustainable Applications” in the journal Polymers aims to gather together cutting-edge research and advancements in the field of polymer and composite materials. The primary objective is to highlight innovations that enhance the design, characterization, and application of these materials, focusing on multifunctional properties and sustainability.

This Special Issue encompasses a broad range of topics related to polymers and composites including, but not limited to:

  1. The design and development of polymers composites;
  2. Innovative techniques for designing new high-performance polymers and composites, including nanocomposites;
  3. Advances in material synthesis and processing methods, including strategies for recovery and recycling;
  4. The development of novel smart polymers and composites, including polymer blends and nanocomposites.

This Special Issue invites contributions from researchers and practitioners in academia and industry, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and challenges in the field. Through this collection of articles, the Special Issue seeks to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration, ultimately driving forward the development of advanced, sustainable polymeric materials.

Prof. Dr. Alberto Jiménez Suárez
Dr. Alejandro Cortés Fernández
Dr. Gonzalo Seisdedos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • smart polymers
  • self-healing
  • shape memory
  • vitrimers
  • covalent adaptable networks (CANs)
  • recycling
  • non-destructive testing (NDT)
  • nanocomposites
  • structural health monitoring (SHM)
  • bio-based polymers
  • thermoset
  • cure kinetics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 4675 KiB  
Article
Novel Recycling of Epoxy Thermosets by Blending with Reversible Diels–Alder Epoxy Resin
by Isaac Lorero, Blanca Rico, Mónica Campo and Silvia G. Prolongo
Polymers 2024, 16(22), 3205; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16223205 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 537
Abstract
The introduction of Diels–Alder (D-A) bonds into epoxy resins is a promising pathway to convert these unrecyclable materials into sustainable materials. However, D-A bonds make epoxy resins extremely brittle materials and hinder their practical usability. Nonetheless, the reversibility of D-A bonds allows the [...] Read more.
The introduction of Diels–Alder (D-A) bonds into epoxy resins is a promising pathway to convert these unrecyclable materials into sustainable materials. However, D-A bonds make epoxy resins extremely brittle materials and hinder their practical usability. Nonetheless, the reversibility of D-A bonds allows the transition of the material to a de-crosslinked network formed by separated oligomers that can melt above 90–100 °C. This means that D-A epoxy resins can be reprocessed after being cured like thermoplastics. In the present work, a thermoset blend is made by adding spent epoxy particles to a D-A epoxy resin to increase its thermal and mechanical properties and to evaluate a possible reuse of conventional thermoset wastes. The application of hot-pressing to a mixture of epoxy particles and powder of cured D-A epoxy creates a material in which the interaction of the particles with the D-A resin increases the thermal resistance of the material and prevents the D-A epoxy from melting at high temperatures. In addition, the flexural strength is increased by 80% and the chemical resistance against organic solvents is also improved. Full article
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