Conductive Polymer Composites and Lattice Structures via Fused Deposition Modeling

Submission Deadline: 31 December 2026 View: 53 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editor(s)

Dr. Nabilah Afiqah Mohd Radzuan

Email: afiqah@ukm.edu.my

Affiliation: Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Malaysia

Homepage:

Research Interests: polymer, conductive polymer composites, fused deposited modeling, lattice structure

Summary

Additive manufacturing has emerged as a transformative fabrication paradigm, enabling the precise design and production of complex geometries that are unattainable through conventional processing routes. Among these, fused deposition modeling (FDM) stands out as a cost-effective, scalable, and highly versatile technique for engineering advanced polymer and composite structures. However, realizing the full potential of FDM-fabricated components demands a deeper understanding of material–process–structure–property relationships, particularly when functional requirements such as electrical conductivity, mechanical resilience, and geometric complexity are simultaneously pursued. Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) have attracted considerable attention as promising feedstock materials for FDM, offering tunable electrical and thermal properties alongside inherent processability. When combined with architected lattice structures — which afford exceptional specific stiffness, energy absorption, and multifunctional performance — CPCs open new frontiers in the fabrication of lightweight, smart, and structurally efficient components for applications spanning flexible electronics, electromagnetic shielding, sensors, and structural health monitoring. This special issue highlights the latest advances at the intersection of polymer science, composite engineering, and additive manufacturing, with a particular focus on FDM-processed conductive composites and lattice-based architectures.

The topics of this Special Issue include the development of conductive polymer composites and lattice structures for FDM-based additive manufacturing:
· Conductive polymer composite filaments for FDM;
· Filler selection, dispersion, and percolation networks in polymer matrices;
· Electrical, thermal, and mechanical characterization of FDM-printed composites;
· Lattice structure design, topology optimization, and infill strategies;
· Process parameter optimization for FDM of functional composites;
· Multifunctional applications: electromagnetic shielding, sensing, and actuation;
· Flexible and stretchable conductive structures;
· Multiscale modeling and simulation of composite lattice behaviors;
· Sustainability and recyclability of polymer composite feedstocks;
· Hybrid and multi-material FDM approaches;

Aim & Scope of our Journal:
JPM covers broadly most of the important and fundamental areas of Polymer Science and Technology. It reports reviews on current topics and original research results on synthesis of monomers and polymers, polymer analysis, characterization and testing, properties of polymers, structure-property relation, polymer processing and fabrication, and polymer applications. Research and development activities on functional polymers, polymer blends and alloys, composites and nanocomposites, paints and surface coatings, rubbers and elastomeric materials, and adhesives are also published.

Keywords