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Polymers
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Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Degradation and Applications
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Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Degradation and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 21573

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Adriaan S. Luyt

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, 2713 Doha, Qatar
Interests: polymer blends; polymer (nano)composites; structure-property relationships; degradation; crystallization
Dr. Ana Antunes

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
Interests: polymer blends; polymer (nano)composites; adhesives; polymer coatings; structure-property relationships; degradation; crystallization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer nanocomposites have already been widely investigated for a range of potential applications, such as the improvement of mechanical and electrical properties, or influencing the degradation and crystallization behavior of non-biodegradable or biodegradable polymers and polymer blends. However, the introduction of nanoparticles into polymers or polymer blends remains a challenge because of agglomeration and dispersion problems. However, in some cases polymer nanocomposites with improved properties have been successfully prepared and potential applications identified for these nanocomposites, especially through pre-treatment of the polymers and/or nanoparticles in order to facilitate stronger interaction between the matrix and filler particles.

In this Special Issue of Polymers we invite researchers to submit high-quality papers within the general field of the processing, degradation, and applications of polymer nanocomposites. It will be especially interesting to see whether certain types of nanoparticles enhance the degradation of polymers or polymer blends, or protect these materials against UV and/or heat degradation.

Prof. Adriaan S. Luyt
Dr. Ana Antunes
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.

Keywords

  • polymers
  • blends
  • nanoparticle fillers
  • processing
  • degradation
  • applications
  • polymer–filler interactions
  • dispersion and properties

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 9799 KiB  
Article
Effect of Nanoclay Particles on the Performance of High-Density Polyethylene-Modified Asphalt Concrete Mixture
by Ghada S. Moussa, Ashraf Abdel-Raheem and Talaat Abdel-Wahed
Polymers 2021, 13(3), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13030434 - 29 Jan 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3216
Abstract
Utilizing polymers for asphalt concrete (AC) mixture modification has many drawbacks that hinder its wide implementations for roadway construction. Recently, research on employing complementary materials, such as nanomaterials, to balance negative impacts of polymers while enhancing the AC mixture’s performance has received great [...] Read more.
Utilizing polymers for asphalt concrete (AC) mixture modification has many drawbacks that hinder its wide implementations for roadway construction. Recently, research on employing complementary materials, such as nanomaterials, to balance negative impacts of polymers while enhancing the AC mixture’s performance has received great attention. This study aimed to investigate the effect of incorporating nanoclay (NC) particles on the performance of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-modified AC mixture. A 60/70 asphalt binder was first modified with HDPE, and then NC particles were gradually added at a concentration of 1–4% by weight of the asphalt binder. The binders’ physical characteristics, storage stability, and chemical change were scrutinized. AC mixture performance, including pseudo-stiffness, moisture damage resistance, stripping susceptibility, and rutting tendency, was investigated. A statistical analysis on the experimental results was conducted using Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests. Test results showed that employing NC/HDPE significantly increased penetration index and thereby enhanced binder temperature sensitivity. Moreover, it prevented oxidation action and separation and, therefore, enhanced binder storage stability. Furthermore, incorporating NC amplified pseudo-stiffness and significantly improved resistance against moisture damage and stripping of HDPE-modified mixtures. Moreover, it improved both elastic (recoverable) and plastic (unrecoverable) deformations of mixtures. The most satisfactory results were attained when incorporating 3% of NC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Degradation and Applications)
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28 pages, 6643 KiB  
Article
Accelerated Weathering Effects on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and PHBV/TiO2 Nanocomposites
by Ana Antunes, Anton Popelka, Omar Aljarod, Mohammad K. Hassan, Peter Kasak and Adriaan S. Luyt
Polymers 2020, 12(8), 1743; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12081743 - 5 Aug 2020
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 4341
Abstract
The effect of accelerated weathering on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and PHBV-based nanocomposites with rutile titanium (IV) dioxide (PHBV/TiO2) was investigated. The accelerated weathering test applied consecutive steps of UV irradiation (at 340 nm and 0.76 W m−2 irradiance) and moisture at [...] Read more.
The effect of accelerated weathering on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and PHBV-based nanocomposites with rutile titanium (IV) dioxide (PHBV/TiO2) was investigated. The accelerated weathering test applied consecutive steps of UV irradiation (at 340 nm and 0.76 W m−2 irradiance) and moisture at 50 °C following the ASTM D4329 standard for up to 2000 h of exposure time. The morphology, chemical structure, crystallization, as well as the mechanical and thermal properties were studied. Samples were characterized after 500, 1000, and 2000 h of exposure time. Different degradation mechanisms were proposed to occur during the weathering exposure and were confirmed based on the experimental data. The PHBV surface revealed cracks and increasing roughness with the increasing exposure time, whereas the PHBV/TiO2 nanocomposites showed surface changes only after 2000 h of accelerated weathering. The degradation of neat PHBV under moisture and UV exposure occurred preferentially in the amorphous phase. In contrast, the presence of TiO2 in the nanocomposites retarded this process, but the degradation would occur simultaneously in both the amorphous and crystalline segments of the polymer after long exposure times. The thermal stability, as well as the temperature and rate of crystallization, decreased in the absence of TiO2. TiO2 not only provided UV protection, but also restricted the physical mobility of the polymer chains, acting as a nucleating agent during the crystallization process. It also slowed down the decrease in mechanical properties. The mechanical properties were shown to gradually decrease for the PHBV/TiO2 nanocomposites, whereas a sharp drop was observed for the neat PHBV after an accelerated weathering exposure. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), using the amplitude modulation–frequency modulation (AM–FM) tool, also confirmed the mechanical changes in the surface area of the PHBV and PHBV/TiO2 samples after accelerated weathering exposure. The changes in the physical and chemical properties of PHBV/TiO2 confirm the barrier activity of TiO2 for weathering attack and its retardation of the degradation process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Degradation and Applications)
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Graphical abstract

15 pages, 5118 KiB  
Article
Effect of Different Phosphate Glass Compositions on the Process-Induced Macromolecular Dynamics of Polyamide 66
by Imane Belyamani and Mohammad K. Hassan
Polymers 2020, 12(5), 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12051179 - 21 May 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3238
Abstract
The present study provides a fundamental understanding of the mechanism of action of special new phosphate glass (P-glass) systems, having different glass transition temperatures (Tg), in polyamide 66 (PA66). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that the Tg of PA66/low [...] Read more.
The present study provides a fundamental understanding of the mechanism of action of special new phosphate glass (P-glass) systems, having different glass transition temperatures (Tg), in polyamide 66 (PA66). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that the Tg of PA66/low Tg P-glass (ILT-1) was significantly shifted to a lower Tg (65 °C), and another transition appeared at high temperature (166 °C). This was supported by a drop in the melting point and the crystallinity of the PA66/ILT-1 hybrid material as detected by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The dielectric spectroscopic investigation on the networks’ molecular level structural variations (Tg and sub-Tg relaxations) agreed very well with the DMA and DSC findings. Contrary to intermediate Tg(IIT-3) and high Tg P-glass (IHT-1) based materials, the PA66/ILT-1 hybrid material showed an evidence of splitting the PA66 Tg relaxations into two peaks, thus confirming a strong interaction between PA66 and ILT-1 (low Tg P-glass). Nevertheless, the three different P-glass compositions did not show any effect on the PA66 sub-Tg relaxations (related to the –NH2 and –OH chain end groups’ motion). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Degradation and Applications)
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25 pages, 6321 KiB  
Article
Effects of Rutile–TiO2 Nanoparticles on Accelerated Weathering Degradation of Poly(Lactic Acid)
by Ana Antunes, Anton Popelka, Omar Aljarod, Mohammad K. Hassan and Adriaan S. Luyt
Polymers 2020, 12(5), 1096; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12051096 - 11 May 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4178
Abstract
The effect of accelerated weathering on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a PLA nanocomposite with rutile titanium (IV) dioxide (rutile–TiO2) was investigated. The accelerated weathering test applied consecutive steps of ultraviolet (UV) (at 340 nm and 0.76 W m−2 irradiance) and [...] Read more.
The effect of accelerated weathering on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a PLA nanocomposite with rutile titanium (IV) dioxide (rutile–TiO2) was investigated. The accelerated weathering test applied consecutive steps of ultraviolet (UV) (at 340 nm and 0.76 W m−2 irradiance) and moisture at 50 °C for 2000 h, following the ASTM D4329 standard. The morphology, chemical structure, molecular weight, crystallization, as well as mechanical and thermal properties were thoroughly studied. Samples were characterized after 500 h, 1000 h and 2000 h exposure. Different degradation mechanisms were proposed to happen during the weathering exposure and confirmed based on the experimental data. The PLA and PLA/TiO2 surfaces presented holes and increasing roughness over the exposure time. The molecular weight of the weathered samples decreased due to chain scission during the degradation processes. Thermal stability decreased in the presence of TiO2 and a double melting peak was observed for the PLA/TiO2 nanocomposite. A general improvement in the mechanical properties of the PLA/TiO2 nanocomposite was observed over time during the accelerated weathering analysis up to 1000 h of exposure time. After 2000 h of weathering exposure, the PLA and PLA/TiO2 became extremely brittle and lost their ductile properties. This was ascribed to a significant increase in the degree of crystallinity upon weathering, which was accelerated in the presence of TiO2. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) using amplitude modulation–frequency modulation (AM–FM) tool confirmed the mechanical changes in the surface area of the PLA samples after accelerated weathering exposure. The stiffness and Young’s modulus achieved higher values than the unweathered ones up to 1000 h of exposure time. The changes in the physical and chemical properties of PLA/TiO2 over the ageing time confirm the photocatalytic activity of rutile–TiO2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Degradation and Applications)
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21 pages, 3900 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Serial Modular Continuous Mixing Process Parameters for Natural Rubber Composites Reinforced by Silica/Carbon Black
by Lin Zhu, Xiaolong Tian, Yiren Pan, Tianhao Chang, Kongshuo Wang, Guangzhi Niu, Luqi Zhang, Chuansheng Wang and Wenwen Han
Polymers 2020, 12(2), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12020416 - 11 Feb 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5958
Abstract
In the tire industry, the combination of carbon black and silica is commonly utilized to improve the comprehensive performance of natural rubber so as to realize the best performance and cost-effectiveness. The corresponding mixing is divided into three processes (initial mixing, delivery, reactive [...] Read more.
In the tire industry, the combination of carbon black and silica is commonly utilized to improve the comprehensive performance of natural rubber so as to realize the best performance and cost-effectiveness. The corresponding mixing is divided into three processes (initial mixing, delivery, reactive mixing) by the serial modular continuous mixing method, thus achieving more accurate control of the mixing process, higher production efficiency and better performance. Moreover, the optimization of serial modular continuous mixing process parameters can not only improve the performance of composite materials, but help people understand the physical and chemical changes and the reinforcing mechanism of fillers in the mixing process. In this paper, the relationship among the parameters of eight processes and filler network structure, tensile strength, chemical reinforcing effect and tear resistance was explored through experiments. The deep causes of performance changes caused by parameters were analyzed. Consequently, the best process condition and the ranking of the influencing factors for a certain performance was obtained. Furthermore, the best preparation process of natural rubber (NR)/carbon black/silica composite was achieved through comprehensive analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Degradation and Applications)
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