MANIKANDAN.N^1,*, RAJESH.P.K¹

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.38, No.3-4, pp. 327-336, 2021, DOI:10.32381/JPM.2021.38.3-4.12

Abstract In this research, a new method to fabricate multi-material, multi-shape changing polymer composites is proposed. The method aims to reduce the number of thermomechanical programming steps involved in achieving shape change in a shape memory polymer (SMP) composite structure by including the programming steps directly into the printing process. After a single step of mechanical deformation and thermal loading, the SMP fibers can be activated sequentially to control the shape change. Composite strip samples were fabricated using a Stratasys Objet 260 multimaterial printer. Two polymer inks VeroPureWhite and Agilus30 were used as primary materials. The composite strip consists of fiber… More >

GAURAV AGARWAL

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.39, No.3-4, pp. 255-267, 2022, DOI:10.32381/JPM.2022.39.3-4.6

Abstract Studies were conducted to observe the effect of fracture toughness and damping response on fabric reinforced epoxy polymer composites. The samples of glass fabric, kevlar fabric and carbon fabric having 15wt%, 25wt%, 35wt%, 45wt% and 55wt % fabric content were prepared and tested following ASTM standards. Fracture toughness, peak load and increase in energy absorption are determined for the fabric-epoxy composites. Effect of temperature on storage modulus, loss modulus and tan delta values for various percentages of fabric epoxy composites are noticed and corresponding damping response behaviour is determined. The results revealed that reduction in strength at higher percentage of… More >

B. BRAILSON MANSINGH¹, K. L. NARASIMHAMU², K. C. VARAPRASAD³, J. S. BINOJ^4,*, A. RADHAKRISHNAN⁵, ALAMRY ALI⁶

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.40, No.1-2, pp. 71-82, 2023, DOI:10.32381/JPM.2023.40.1-2.6

Abstract Several agro-wastes are rich in natural fibers and finds scope to be used as reinforcement in composite industry. These natural fibers have some advantages over man-made fibers, including low cost, light weight, renewable nature, high specific strength and modulus, and availability in various forms worldwide. In this paper, the effect of surface modification of leaf sheath coconut fiber (LSF) (an agro-waste) reinforced in phenol formaldehyde matrix composites with silicon carbide (SiC) nano particles as filler material were investigated for its mechanical characteristics. The investigation portrays that coconut LSF (CLSF) modified with potassium permanganate reinforced polymer composite with SiC nano particles… More >

Eglė Malachovskienė^1,*, Danguolė Bridžiuvienė¹, Jolita Ostrauskaitė², Justina Vaičekauskaitė², Gailė Žalūdienė³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1255-1269, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.023574

Abstract The biodegradation of polymeric biocomposites formed from epoxidized linseed oil and various types of fillers (pine needles, pine bark, grain mill waste, rapeseed cake) and a control sample without filler was studied during 180 days of exposure to two types of forest soil: deciduous and coniferous. The weight loss, morphological, and structural changes of polymer composites were noticed after 180 days of the soil burial test. The greatest weight loss of all tested samples was observed in coniferous forest soil (41.8%–63.2%), while in deciduous forest soil, it ranged between 37.7% and 42.3%. The most significant changes in the intensities of… More >

Xinli Zhang¹, Jiayu Zhang¹, Zuhua Zhang^2,*, Yiqiang Wu^1,*, Yingfeng Zuo¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 27-40, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.023400

Abstract Geopolymer is a new alternative cement binder to produce concrete. In the present study, a novel geopolymer composites containing bamboo shaving (0–2 wt.%) were fabricated and exposed to the temperatures of 200°C, 400°C, 600°C and 800°C. Physical properties, micro-structure, and mechanical strengths of the geopolymer composites were evaluated before and after heating in order to understand their thermal properties, which are essential for the use as building materials. As the temperature rises, the drying shrinkage and apparent porosity of the composites increase, while the compressive and bending strengths decrease. At the temperature range of 200°C–800°C, the residual compressive strength rates of… More >

Jorge Neto, Henrique Queiroz, Ricardo Aguiar, Rosemere Lima, Daniel Cavalcanti, Mariana Doina Banea^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.3, pp. 561-589, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.017434

Abstract Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites (NFRCs) have demonstrated great potential for many different applications in various industries due to their advantages compared to synthetic fiber-reinforced composites, such as low environmental impact and low cost. However, one of the drawbacks is that the NFRCs present relatively low mechanical properties and the absorption of humidity due to the hydrophilic characteristic of the natural fibre. One method to increase their performance is hybridization. Therefore, understanding the properties and potential of using multiple reinforcement’s materials to develop hybrid composites is of great interest. This paper provides an overview of the recent advances in hybrid… More > Graphic Abstract

Meng Xiang¹, Zhou Yang¹, Jingjing Yang¹, Tong Lu¹, Danqi Wu¹, Zhijun Liu¹, Rongjie Xue¹, Shuang Dong^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.3, pp. 821-831, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.017347

Abstract Influenced by recent COVID-19, wearing face masks to block the spread of the epidemic has become the simplest and most effective way. However, after the people wear masks, thousands of tons of medical waste by used disposable masks will be generated every day in the world, causing great pressure on the environment. Herein, conductive polymer composites are fabricated by simple melt blending of mask fragments (mask polypropylene, short for mPP) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). MWNTs were used as modifiers for composites because of their high strength and high conductivity. The crystalline structure, mechanical, electrical and thermal enhancement effect of… More >

Haina¹, Sagheer Gul^1,*, Muhammad Awais¹, Saira Jabeen², Muhammad Farooq³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.10, pp. 1305-1326, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.010037

Abstract This review efficiently covers the research progress in the area of polymer bio composites in perspective of the modern-day renewable materials. In the last decade, attraction towards the bio-composite based systems has been the topic of interest due to their potential as a substitute of conventional materials produced in important manufacturing industries. Recently, preparation of biocompatible and biodegradable polymer composites is an important achievement as an alternative of petrochemical based renewable products. Successful production of eco-friendly bio-composite materials have been achieved with natural fibers viz jute, bamboo, hair, flex, wool, silk and many others instead of synthesized fibers like carbon,… More >

Isamar Rosa¹, Henning Roedel¹, Maria I. Allende¹, Michael D. Lepech^1,*, David J. Loftus²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.8, pp. 845-861, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09844

Abstract Biopolymer-bound Soil Composites (BSC), are a novel bio-based construction material class, produced through the mixture and desiccation of biopolymers with inorganic aggregates with applications in soil stabilization, brick creation and in situ construction on Earth and space. This paper introduces a mixture design methodology to produce maximum strength for a given soil-biopolymer combination. Twenty protein and sand mix designs were investigated, with varying amounts of biopolymer solution and compaction regimes during manufacture. The ultimate compressive strength, density, and shrinkage of BSC samples are reported. It is observed that the compressive strength of BSC materials increases proportional to tighter particle packing… More >

Mariia Stepanova¹, Ilia Averianov¹, Olga Solomakha¹, Natalia Zabolotnykh², Iosif Gofman¹, Mikhail Serdobintsev², Tatiana Vinogradova², Viktor Korzhikov-Vlakh^1,3, Evgenia Korzhikova-Vlakh^1,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 383-395, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09206

Abstract The biocomposite films were prepared from poly(L-lactic acid) and cellulose nanocrystals. To improve interfacial compatibility of hydrophilic cellulose nanocrystals with hydrophobic matrix polymer as well as to provide the osteoconductive properties, cellulose was functionalized with poly(glutamic acid). The modified cellulose nanocrystals were better distributed and less aggregated within the matrix, which was testified by scanning electron, optical and polarized light microscopy. According to mechanical tests, composites filled with nanocrystals modified with PGlu demonstrated higher values of Young’s modulus, elongation at break and tensile strength. Incubation of composite materials in model buffer solutions for 30 weeks followed with staining of Ca²⁺… More >