Polystyrene and silica gel polymer hybrids derived from polystyrene and phenyltrimethoxysilane via π–π interactions were synthesized by a slight modification of the previous method. Spectroscopic evidence of the π–π interaction is provided. The obtained polymer hybrids were optically transparent, and no phase separation was observed by scanning electron microscopy measurements. In the FT-IR spectrum of the resulting polymer hybrids, the absorption peaks corresponding to C–H wagging vibration shifted to a lower wavenumber range as the content of silica in the hybrids increased. A UV–vis spectrum of the polystyrene and silica gel polymer hybrids showed a shoulder peak at around 260 nm that shifted toward longer wavenumbers side as the content of silica increased. These results clearly indicate that π–π interactions contribute to the formation of these transparent hybrids.

Takeru Iwamura

Saki Okuzumi

Kaoru Adachi

Masashi Takahashi

Masashi Shiotsuki

Direct Evidence of π–π Interactions in Transparent Organic–Inorganic Polymer Hybrids of Polystyrene and Silica Gel

The widespread discourse on the circular economy has fueled a growing demand for polymeric materials characterized by mechanical robustness, sustainability, renewability, and the ability to mend defects. Such materials can be crafted using dynamic covalent bonds, albeit rarely or more efficiently through noncovalent interactions. Metal–ligand interactions, commonly employed by living organisms to adapt to environmental changes, play a pivotal role in this endeavor. Metallosupramolecular polymers (MSPs), formed through the incorporation of metal–ligand interactions, present a versatile platform for tailoring physicochemical properties. This review explores recent advancements in MSPs achieved through the assembly of (macro)monomers via reversible metal–ligand interactions. Various strategies and pathways for synthesizing these materials are discussed, along with their resulting properties. The review delves into the stimuli-responsive behavior of coordination metal–ligand polymers, shedding light on the impact of the core employed in MSPs. Additionally, it examines the influence of parameters such as solvent choice and counter-ions on the supramolecular assemblies. The ability of these materials to adapt their properties in response to changing environmental conditions challenges the traditional goal of creating stable materials, marking a paradigm shift in material design.

Souleymane Coulibaly

Camara Tchambaga Etienne

Aboudramane Koné

Adingra Francesco Kouassi

Coulibali Siomenan

Structure–Activity Relationship and Stimuli-Responsiveness Behavior of Metallosupramolecular Polymers

Wheat stalk (W), Fosro (F), Nigalo with waxy layer (NW), and Nigalo without waxy layer (NWo) were used to extract microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), the xMCC (where x represents origin such as W, F, NW, and NWo) by thermochemical and mechanical treatments. About 10 wt% of xMCC and commercial MCC (C-MCC) were solution casted with ethylene oxide-epichlorohydrin (EO-EPI) to prepare microcomposites. The xMCC and cryo-fractured composites were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and the mechanical properties of the composites were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis to observe the effect of fillers on viscoelastic properties. The results concluded that the xMCCs are homogeneously dispersed in the EO-EPI polymer matrix, which reinforced the viscoelastic and mechanical properties in EO-EPI composites, and reinforcement is dramatically high with NWoMCC compared to NWMCC, WMCC, FMCC, and C-MCC.

Jyoti Giri

Rameshwar Adhikari

Janak Sapkota

Comparative Study of Polymer Composites with Cellulose Microfibers from Different Plant Resources

Currently, petrochemical plastics dominate the food service industry due to their good mechanical properties and barrier against heat, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. This widespread use is not only harmful to humans but also to the ecosystem as synthetic plastics disrupt ecological balance and deplete petroleum-based oil resources. Researchers and manufacturers are continuously addressing this problem by developing bio-based alternatives that provide numerous advantages including structural flexibility, biodegradability, and effective barrier properties. However, the high cost of production and unavailability of equipment for batch processing impede the potential for widespread manufacturing. Natural fibers mixed with bio-based adhesives derived from plants provide one of the biggest potential sources of bio-based materials for the food container industry. Not only does this address the issue of high raw material cost but it also has the potential to become sustainable once processing steps have been optimized. In this review, the current findings of several research related to the production of bio-based disposable food containers, packaging, and composites made from bio-based materials and bio-based adhesives are critically discussed. Several properties and characteristics important to the production of food service containers and primary packaging, as well as the existing challenges and future perspectives, are also highlighted.

Roselle Barretto

Guangyan Qi

Christopher Jones

Yonghui Li

Xiuzhi Susan Sun

Donghai Wang

Bio-Based Disposable Containers for Food Services

Automatic detection of fabric defects is important in textile quality control, particularly in detecting fabrics with multifarious patterns and colors. This study proposes a fabric defect detection system for fabrics with complex patterns and colors. The proposed system comprises five convolutional layers designed to extract features from the original images effectively. In addition, three fully connected layers are designed to classify the fabric defects into four categories. Using this system, the detection accuracy is improved, and the depth of the model is shortened simultaneously. Optimal detection rates for testing dirty marks, clip marks, broken yams, and defect-free were 88.01%, 90.15%, 98.01%, and 97.73%, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed method is effective, feasible, and has significant potential for fabric defect detection.

Rongfei Xia

Yifei Chen

Yangfeng Ji

Detection of Microdefects in Fabric with Multifarious Patterns and Colors Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network

In the field of lighter substitute materials, sandwich plate models of composite and hybrid foam cores are used in this study. Three core structures: composite core structure and then the core is replaced by a structure of a closed and open repeating cellular pattern manufactured with 3D printing technology. It finally integrated both into one hybrid open-cell core filled with foam and employed the same device (WBW-100E) to conduct the three-point bending experiment. The test was conducted based on the international standard (ASTM-C 393-00) to perform the three-point bending investigation on the sandwich structure. Flexural test finding, with the hybrid polyurethane/polytropic acid (PUR/PLA) core, the ultimate bending load is increased by 127.7% compared to the open-cell structure core. In addition, the maximum deflection increased by 163.3%. The simulation results of three-point bending indicate that employing a hybrid combination of PUR-PLA led to an increase of 382.3%, and for PUR–TPU by 111.8%; however, the highest value recorded with PUR/PLA, which has the slightest stress error among the tests. Also, it is reported that when the volume fraction of reinforced aluminum particles is increased, the overall deformation becomes more sufficient, and the test accuracy improves; for example, rising from 0.5% to 3%, the midspan deflection of composite (foam-Al) is increased by 40.34%. There were noticeable improvements in mechanical properties in the 2.5% composite foam-Al.

Emad Kadum Njim

Hussam Raad Hasan

Muhsin J. Jweeg

Muhannad Al-Waily

Alaa Ali Hameed

Ahmed M. Youssef

Fahmi M. Elsayed

Mechanical Properties of Sandwiched Construction with Composite and Hybrid Core Structure

Infectious diseases caused by microorganisms have gained worldwide attention in recent years. According to data compiled by the World Health Organization, the number of deaths resulting from infectious diseases is on the rise. In light of these dangers, the study of antibacterial materials has become increasingly vital. In this research, an antibacterial polymer was developed using poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and 4,4-diamminodiphenylmethane (DDM). The produced polymer’s chemical structure and thermal properties were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The antibacterial activity of the resulting PVC-g-DDM polymer was effective in killing both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The antimicrobial efficacy was tested using a spread plate method, demonstrating its potential utility in a variety of applications like biomedical, coatings, water purification systems, and others. Antimicrobial resistance is increasing, especially among bacteria that have acquired resistance to multiple therapeutics. To fully optimize and explore the polymer’s potential and its usage, more research is needed.

Shrajan Kotian

Sonali Gupta

Yashoda Malgar Puttaiahgowda

Sanmit Shetty

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Grafted Poly(Vinyl Chloride) Polymer against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria

The present work investigates the influence of material phases and their volume fractions on the elastic behavior of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) scaffolds for the potential modeling of bone scaffolds. A graphical tool using TPMS functions, namely Schwarz-D (diamond), gyroid, and modified gyroid, was developed and used to design and additively manufacture 3D multiphase scaffold models. A PolyJet, UV-cured 3D-printer system was used to fabricate the various TPMS scaffold models using three polymer materials with high, medium, and low stiffness properties. All TPMS models had the same volume fractions of the three polymer materials. Final models were printed into cylinders with a diameter of 20 mm and a height of 8 mm for mechanical testing. The models were subjected to compressive and shear testing using a dynamic mechanical analysis rheometer. All samples were tested at physiologically relevant temperature (37°C) to provide detailed structural characterizations. Microscopic imaging of 3D-printed scaffold longitudinal and cross sections revealed that additive manufacturing adequately recreated the TPMS functions, which created anisotropic materials with variable structures in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Mechanical testing showed that all three TPMS 3D-printed scaffold types exhibited significantly different shear and compressive properties (verifying anisotropic properties) despite being constructed of the same volume fractions of the three UV-printed polymer materials. The gyroid and diamond scaffolds demonstrated complex moduli values that ranged from 1.2 to 1.8 times greater than the modified gyroid scaffolds in both shear and compression. Control scaffolds printed from 100% of each of the three polymers had statistically similar mechanical properties, verifying isotropic properties.

Josette Vigil

Kailey Lewis

Nicholas Norris

Alp Karakoç

Timothy A. Becker

Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of 3D-Printed Multiphase Scaffolds Based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces

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Advances in Polymer Technology publishes articles reporting important developments in polymeric materials, their manufacture and processing, polymer product design and considering the economic and environmental impacts of polymer technology.

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Chief Editor Dr. Ning Zhu is a Professor at Nanjing Tech University, China. His current research focuses on the design, synthesis, and application of bio-based materials and functional polymers based on microflow technology and catalysis.

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Advances in Polymer Technology - Table of contents 2024

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Advances in Polymer Technology publishes articles reporting important developments in polymeric materials, their manufacture and processing, polymer product design and considering the economic and environmental impacts of polymer technology.

Advances in Polymer Technology