This is an editorial article. It has no abstract.

Thermal stability of hybrid composites prepared from epoxy, novolac, and epoxidized-novolac resins and also modified graphene oxide (SFGO) was studied. SFGO was prepared by covering graphene oxide with silica nanoparticles and a bifunctional silane modifier. The first hybrid was prepared from SFGO and silane-modified epoxy resin. The second one was prepared from SFGO, and silane-modified epoxy and novolac resins. The third hybrid was formed from SFGO, silane-modified novolac, and epoxidized novolac resins. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that modification of graphene oxide was carried out successfully. TGA results show that degradation temperature and char residue of resins were increased through their incorporation into hybrid network with SFGO. In addition, the most increase of char residue was observed for the hybrid composites formed from SFGO and modified novolac and epoxy resins.

A stable and reproducible bi-component melt spinning process on an industrial scale incorporating Phase Change Material (PCM) into textile fibres has been successfully developed and carried out using a melt spinning machine. The key factor for a successful bi-component melt spinning process is that a deep insight into the thermal and rheological behaviour of PCM using Difference Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and an oscillatory rheological investigation. PCM is very sensitive to the temperature and residence time of the melt spinning process. It is found that the optimal process temperature of PCM is 210 °C. The textile-physical properties and the morphology of the melt spun and further drawn bi-component core and sheath fibres (bico fibres) were investigated and interpreted. The heat capacities of PCM incorporated in bico fibres were also determined by means of DSC. The melt spun bico fibres integrating PCM provide a high latent heat of up to 22 J/g, which is three times higher than that of state-of-the-art fibres, which were also obtained using the melt spinning process. Therefore, they have the potential to be used as smart polymer fibres for textile and other technical applications.

The low thermal conductivity of polymers limits their use in numerous applications, where heat transfer is important. The two primary approaches to overcome this limitation, are to mix in other materials with high thermal conductivity, or mechanically stretch the polymers to increase their intrinsic thermal conductivity. Progress along both of these pathways has been stifled by issues associated with thermal interface resistance and manufacturing scalability respectively. Here, we report a novel polymer composite architecture that is enabled by employing typical composites manufacturing method such as filament winding with the twist that the polymer is in fiber form and the filler in form of sheets. The resulting novel architecture enables accession of the idealized effective medium composite behavior as it minimizes the interfacial resistance. The process results in neat polymer and 50 vol% graphite/polymer plates with thermal conductivity of 42 W·m^–1·K^–1 (similar to steel) and 130 W·m^–1·K^–1 respectively.

In the current manuscript, a new approach for the synthesis of poly(1,4- cyclohexanedimethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PCHDMN) derived from dimethyl 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (2,6-DMN) and 1,4-Cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) via melt polycondensation method is introduced. The effect of three different synthesis pathways, polycondensation time and temperature on polyesters molecular weight increase has been investigated. All of the prepared samples were characterized measuring their intrinsic viscosity (IV), thermal properties and morphology with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), respectively. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the synthesis pathway proposed for the preparation of PCHDMN, resulting in high molecular weight (IV value around 0.5 dL/g) and much shorter reaction time. Melt polycondensation temperatures above melting point of polyester should be avoided to be used due to the decomposition of polyester. This was proved by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy analysis (Py-GC/MS).

New poly (thiophene vinyl thiazole) (PTVT) and poly (thiophene vinyl benzothiadiazole) (PTVBT) was synthesized by Wittig condensation route. The absorption maximum of PTVT and PTVBT appeared at 376 and 410 nm in a solution state, and it was red-shifted to 417 and 510 nm in a thin film state. The optical band gaps were 1.7 and 1.5 eV calculated from thin film absorption edges of the polymer. The photoluminescence spectra of PTVT and PTVBT have an emission peak at 457 nm with bluish green and 487 nm with greenish-yellow fluorescence in THF solution. Both polymers showed a short fluorescence decay time (τ₁) of 2.31 and 0.73 ns respectively. Furthermore, the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) phenomenon observed in both polymers in decreased fluorescence intensity with different water fractions. The lower electrochemical band gaps were achieved for both polymers (1.4, and 1.3 eV) from cyclic voltammetry. Both polymers have a granular shaped morphology with good surface roughness was observed using AFM. High thermal stability was observed with 8% weight loss at 400 °C for PTVT and 6% weight loss at 460°C for PTVBT. The highest electrical conductivity was observed from electrochemical impedance measurement which was 7.68·10^–6 Ω^–1·cm^–1 for PTVBT.

In this study, organic-inorganic composite electrolyte membranes are developed for a novel water-absorbing porous electrolyte water electrolysis cell. As the materials of the composite electrolyte membrane, 80 wt% of a proton-conducting nano zeolite (H-MFI) as an electrolyte and 20 wt% of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a cross-linkable matrix are used. The nano zeolite is prepared by a milling process. The nano zeolite-PVA composite membrane precursors are prepared by spraying onto a substrate, followed by cross-linking. The resulting nano zeolite-cross-linked PVA composite films are then evaluated for their properties such as proton conductivity as electrolyte membranes for the water-absorbing porous electrolyte water electrolysis cell. It is confirmed that conventional materials such as zeolites and PVA can be used for the water electrolysis as an electrolyte.

This work presents high surface area sp² carbon allotropes as important tools to design and prepare lightweight materials. Composites were prepared based on either carbon black (CB) or carbon nanotubes (CNT) or hybrid CB/CNT filler systems, with either poly(1,4-cis-isoprene) or poly(styrene-co-butadiene) as the polymer matrix. A correlation was established between the specific interfacial area (i.a.), i.e. the surface made available by the filler per unit volume of composite, and the initial modulus of the composite (G′_γmin), determined through dynamic mechanical shear tests. Experimental points could be fitted with a common line, a sort of master curve, up to about 30.2 and 9.8 mass% as CB and CNT content, respectively. The equation of such master curve allowed to correlate modulus and density of the composite. Thanks to the master curve, composites with the same modulus and lower density could be designed by substituting part of CB with lower amount of the carbon allotrope with larger surface area, CNT. This work establishes a quantitative correlation as a tool to design lightweight materials and paves the way for large scale application in polymer matrices of innovative sp² carbon allotropes.