Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.0
4.7
Journals
Polymers
Special Issues
Modeling of Multifunctional Polymers and Composites
share announcement

Modeling of Multifunctional Polymers and Composites

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2023) | Viewed by 8587

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Kamran Ahmed Khan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
2. Advanced Digital and Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) Center, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Interests: computational solid mechanics; viscoelasticity of materials and structures; multiscale and multi-physics modeling of multifunctional and smart materials; architected cellular materials and composites; additive manufacturing and 3D printing of advanced materials; architected materials and composites; composite manufacturing simulations related to liquid composite molding; thermo-chemical-mechanical spring in deformation of advanced composite structures; multi-scale and multiphysics modeling of textile composites materials and lightweight sandwich structures containing 2D and 3D textile reinforcements

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New types of multifunctional polymer and their composites have been developed in recent decades and are now employed in various applications of automotive, soft robotics, biomedical, and aerospace engineering. Such multifunctional polymers are used as a monolithic material and sometimes reinforced with nanoparticles, filler, and fibers to improve their mechanical performance. Such multifunctional polymers and their composites are fabricated in basic structural members such as beam, rods, plates, shells, free-form, other specific geometric structures, etc. to better understand their multifunctional behavior under various external stimuli and boundary constraints. Modeling of these materials and structure requires either solving the boundary value problem for a particular simplified case or developing constitutive models to model the more complex response of these materials and structure under various loading histories.

This Special Issue aims at collecting the most recent advances in the modeling of multifunctional polymers and composites. Contributors are encouraged to describe the fundamentals of physics, chemistry, etc. related to the modeling of multifunctional polymers and composites to aid the understanding of graduate students and researchers working in this area. Specifically, the issue is open to contributions on recent analytical solutions of the specific boundary value problem of structures having a simple shape geometry, boundary constraint, and made with innovative functional materials. Additionally, the issue encompasses advancements in constitutive modeling of these multifunctional polymers and micromechanics of such composites. However, original theoretical and numerical models aiming to improve the design practices and simulation capabilities of current multifunctional polymers and composites are also welcome.

Dr. Kamran Ahmed Khan
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
  • elastomers
  • cellular polymers
  • multifunctional polymers
  • polymer composites
  • multifunctional composites
  • finite element analysis
  • constitutive modeling
  • shape memory polymers
  • gels
  • multifunctional polymer–nanocomposites
  • smart composite
  • dielectric elastomers
  • piezoresistive materials, foams, and composites

Published Papers (4 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

20 pages, 10282 KiB  
Article
A Study of the Friction Stir Lap Welding of AA5052 and Polypropylene
by Ahmed I. Alhatti, Jamal Sheikh-Ahmad, Fahad Almaskari, Kamran A. Khan, Suleyman Deveci and Abdelrahman I. Hosny
Polymers 2023, 15(23), 4481; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15234481 - 21 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1041
Abstract
Friction stir lap welding (FSLW) remains a pioneering technique for creating hybrid joints between AA5052 aluminium alloy and polypropylene (PP), particularly with the metal-on-top configuration. Building upon previous research, this study introduces a tapered fluted pin tool design and investigates its effectiveness in [...] Read more.
Friction stir lap welding (FSLW) remains a pioneering technique for creating hybrid joints between AA5052 aluminium alloy and polypropylene (PP), particularly with the metal-on-top configuration. Building upon previous research, this study introduces a tapered fluted pin tool design and investigates its effectiveness in the welding process. Our results, supported by ANOVA, chemical, and microstructural analyses, reiterate that the optimal welding parameters stand at a rotational speed of 1400 RPM and a traverse speed of 20 mm/min. This combination produces a joint tensile strength of 3.8 MPa, signifying 16.54% of the weaker material’s inherent strength. Microstructural evaluations revealed a unique composite of aluminium chips intermeshed with PP, strengthened further by aluminium hooks. Crucially, mechanical interlocking plays a predominant role over chemical bonding in achieving this joint strength. The study underscores the absence of significant C-O-Al bonds, hinting at the PP degradation without the thermo-oxidation process. Additionally, joint strength was found to inversely correlate with the interaction layer’s thickness. The findings fortify the promise of FSLW with the novel fluted pin design for enhancing joints between AA5052 and PP, emphasising the potential of mechanical interlocking as a principal factor in achieving high-quality welds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

21 pages, 10642 KiB  
Article
Research on the Mechanical Behavior of Buried Double-Wall Corrugated Pipes
by Dongyang Gao, Huiwei Yang, Wenwen Yu, Xiaogang Wu, Angxuan Wu, Guoyun Lu and Qiang Zheng
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4000; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194000 - 24 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1821
Abstract
The mechanical behavior of buried HDPE double-wall corrugated pipes is mainly affected by the material and the structure of the pipe wall. Here we studied a peculiar material that added fly ash (FA) in high density polyethylene (HDPE) to develop composites. We have [...] Read more.
The mechanical behavior of buried HDPE double-wall corrugated pipes is mainly affected by the material and the structure of the pipe wall. Here we studied a peculiar material that added fly ash (FA) in high density polyethylene (HDPE) to develop composites. We have conducted research on FA/HDPE composites with different mix proportions. When 5% compatibilizer was added to the 10% FA masterbatch/HDPE composite, the Young’s Modulus of FA/HDPE composite was higher. This paper mainly studies the mechanical behavior of the structure of pipe walls for materials with this proportion of the ingredients. The mechanical behavior of double-wall corrugated pipes with different ratios of interior and exterior wall thicknesses is studied by keeping the sum of the interior and exterior wall thicknesses unchanged. Pipes with six different ratios of interior and exterior wall thicknesses are simulated; the results show that the strain of crest and liner gradually decreased and the valley strain gradually increased with the increase of the exterior wall thickness. By comparing inner and outer wall thickness ratios from 0.67 to 2.33, it is found that the structural performance and economic advantage for the double-wall corrugated pipes is best when the thickness ratio of the interior wall and the exterior wall is controlled to be from 1.3 to 1.8. This paper expounds the deformation mechanism of double-wall corrugated pipes from the perspective of mechanical behavior and structural characteristics, and provides a reference for material selection and structural design of double-wall corrugated pipes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

17 pages, 3763 KiB  
Article
Self-Jumping of a Liquid Crystal Elastomer Balloon under Steady Illumination
by Dali Ge, Jielin Jin, Yuntong Dai, Peibao Xu and Kai Li
Polymers 2022, 14(14), 2770; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14142770 - 6 Jul 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1804
Abstract
Self-oscillation capable of maintaining periodic motion upon constant stimulus has potential applications in the fields of autonomous robotics, energy-generation devices, mechano-logistic devices, sensors, and so on. Inspired by the active jumping of kangaroos and frogs in nature, we proposed a self-jumping liquid crystal [...] Read more.
Self-oscillation capable of maintaining periodic motion upon constant stimulus has potential applications in the fields of autonomous robotics, energy-generation devices, mechano-logistic devices, sensors, and so on. Inspired by the active jumping of kangaroos and frogs in nature, we proposed a self-jumping liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) balloon under steady illumination. Based on the balloon contact model and dynamic LCE model, a nonlinear dynamic model of a self-jumping LCE balloon under steady illumination was formulated and numerically calculated by the Runge–Kutta method. The results indicated that there exist two typical motion regimes for LCE balloon under steady illumination: the static regime and the self-jumping regime. The self-jumping of LCE balloon originates from its expansion during contact with a rigid surface, and the self-jumping can be maintained by absorbing light energy to compensate for the damping dissipation. In addition, the critical conditions for triggering self-jumping and the effects of several key system parameters on its frequency and amplitude were investigated in detail. The self-jumping LCE hollow balloon with larger internal space has greater potential to carry goods or equipment, and may open a new insight into the development of mobile robotics, soft robotics, sensors, controlled drug delivery, and other miniature device applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 1577 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Mechanical Properties of Graphite/Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanocomposites
by Basheer A. Alshammari, Mokarram Hossain, Asma M. Alenad, Abdullah G. Alharbi and Bandar M. AlOtaibi
Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1718; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091718 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3334
Abstract
In this work, graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) were incorporated into poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) matrix to prepare PET-GNP nanocomposites using a melt compounding followed by compression moulding and then quenching process. Both static and dynamic mechanical properties of these quenched materials were characterized as [...] Read more.
In this work, graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) were incorporated into poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) matrix to prepare PET-GNP nanocomposites using a melt compounding followed by compression moulding and then quenching process. Both static and dynamic mechanical properties of these quenched materials were characterized as a function of GNP contents using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and tensile machine, respectively. The results demonstrated that the addition of GNP improved the stiffness of PET significantly. Additionally, the maximum increase in the storage modulus of 72% at 6 wt.% GNP. The incorporation of GNP beyond 6 wt.% into PET decreases the storage moduli, but they remain higher than pure PET. The observed reduction could be due to agglomeration, resulting in poorer dispersion and distribution of higher levels of GNP into the PET matrix. In contrast to the results for moduli, tensile strength and elongations at break reduce with increasing the GNP content. For example, tensile strength reduced from ∼46 MPa (neat PET) to ∼39 MPa (−15%) for the nanocomposites containing 2 wt.% GNP. This reduction is accompanied by a decline in elongation at break from ∼6.3 (neat PET) to ∼3.4 (−46%) for the same nanocomposites. Such reductions are followed by a gradual decrease in upon further addition of GNP. These reductions indicate that increasing GNP loadings, results in brittleness in nanocomposites. In addition, it was found that quenched PET and composite samples were not fully crystallized after processing and therefore (cold) crystallized during the first heating cycle DMTA, as indicated by a rise in storage moduli above the glass transition temperature during the DMTA first heat. Furthermore, mathematical models based on non-linear theories are developed to capture the experimental data. For this, a set of mechanical stress-strain data is used for model parameters’ identification. Another set of data is used for the model validation that demonstrates good agreements with the experimental study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Multifunctional Polymers and Composites)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop