The imperative for composite materials possessing high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation has recently come to the forefront to address the heat dissipation challenges in high-integration and high-power systems. Notably, while carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have garnered attention for their outstanding physical properties, they are inherently limited by aggregation and non-uniform dispersion due to van der Waals forces. To overcome these aforementioned drawbacks and achieve multifunctionality, a hybrid filler strategy utilizing CNTs in conjunction with two-dimensional materials, ceramic fillers, and other components is attracting significant interest. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the theoretical background of the hybrid filler strategy, its principal components, manufacturing processes, and the resulting changes in the thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and mechanical properties of the composites. Furthermore, it comprehensively presents recent research trends and highlights the potential value of these materials in diverse applications such as electronic devices and batteries. Through this, we aim to propose a directional framework for the development of next-generation, high-performance composite materials.
Tocopherol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) were incorporated into hydrogels formulated with various polymeric thickeners. The stability, rheological properties, and texture of the hydrogel formulations were compared according to the type of polymeric thickener, and the effects of interactions between polymers and NLCs on the final hydrogel properties were investigated. The Herschel-Bulkley model was applied to the shear rate-shear stress curves of the hydrogel formulations to calculate rheological parameters such as the shear-thinning index and yield stress. In formulations based on alkyl acrylate crosspolymers, nonpolar van der Waals interactions between the alkyl chains of the polymer and the fatty acid chains of the phospholipids constituting the NLC strengthened the network structure, leading to increased viscosity and hardness of the formulations. In contrast, the cationic polymer chitosan induced aggregation and complex formation through electrostatic interactions with the anionic surfactants contained in the NLCs, resulting in decreased formulation stability.
In this study, an antibacterial polymer was successfully synthesized by copolymerization using poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and 2,2',6,6'-tetra-tert-butyl-4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl (BP-264). Covalent incorporation was supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis spectroscopy (appearance of a BP-264 absorption band near 295 nm in PVC-BP-264), and H-1/C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra with corrected chemical-shift assignments for tertbutyl, aromatic, and phenolic signals. GPC showed a modest change in molecular-weight distribution after modification (M-n 4.60 & times;10(4) g mol(-1), M-w 9.40 & times;10(4) g mol(-1)). Mechanical testing demonstrated improved ductility while maintaining strength: PVC-BP-264 reached a tensile strength of about 19 MPa and elongation at break of about 270%, accompanied by a slight decrease in modulus to about 1.9 GPa. Preliminary antibacterial screening by agar disk diffusion against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus revealed clear growth-inhibition zones for PVC-BP-264 compared with PVC. Overall, this study provides a chemistry-driven route to antibacterial PVC with a favorable balance of mechanical performance.
This study explores the optimization of organomodified montmorillonites (OMMT)-Cloisite 20A (20A), MAX CT 4260 (CT), and Cloisite SE 3000 (SE)-in combination with alumina trihydrate (ATH) for enhancing natural rubber (NR) formulations used in conveyor belt cover applications. The combined effects of OMMT and ATH on the mechanical, thermal, and flame-retardant properties of NR compounds were systematically evaluated. Morphological characteristics were examined using wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Polymer-filler and filler-filler interactions were assessed via rubber process analyzer (RPA), Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and standard mechanical testing. Flame retardancy and thermal stability were analyzed through limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 horizontal flammability tests, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Additionally, thermal degradation kinetics were investigated using iso-conversional models-Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), and Friedman's method. The results reveal a synergistic enhancement in both flame retardancy and thermal stability with the OMMT-ATH hybrid system, demonstrating its potential as a high-performance filler combination for NR-based conveyor belt cover compounds.
Starch is a polysaccharide biopolymer whose structure-rheology relationships influence its functional behavior, including in vitro digestibility; however, small datasets often limit the accuracy of quantitative predictions. Here, the in vitro digestibility (0-1) of ten starch samples was modeled using molecular features (A-and B1-chain fractions and amylose content) and pasting/rheological features. Four tabular data-augmentation methods (FastML preset, Gaussian copula, tabular variational autoencoder, and conditional tabular generative adversarial network) were benchmarked using quality metrics, and the optimal approach generated 200 synthetic samples for model training. random forest, support vector regression, XGBoost, lightGBM, and neural network were optimized through grid search. Among these, the neural network demonstrated the best predictive performance (R-2 = 0.907). SNAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) analysis was then applied to interpret the trained model, identifying consistency index, setback viscosity, and peak viscosity as dominant contributors, highlighting the roles of gel strength and viscosity recovery. This frame-work offers a data-driven tool for the rapid screening and design of starch-based materials through small-sample exper-iments.
The rational design of chemically modified biopolymer supports is critical for tailoring metal coordination environments in functional materials. Chitosan was selectively quaternized with benzyl chloride to form a polymeric matrix that facilitates nickel complex formation. The modified biopolymer was coordinated with Ni(2+)ions from NiCl2 & centerdot;6H(2)O, yielding a benzyl-quaternized chitosan-nickel composite. Structural changes were investigated using FTIR and XRD. FTIR confirmed successful incorporation of benzyl quaternary ammonium and revealed spectral shifts indicative of coordination interactions between nickel ions and chitosan. XRD patterns showed new diffraction features in the nickel-loaded composite compared to pristine chitosan, indicating the formation of nickel-containing domains and polymer microstructure rearrangement upon quaternization and metal coordination. These findings demonstrate that benzyl chloride quaternization effectively modulates chitosan's structure, creating a favorable coordination environment for nickel complexes. This strategy offers a versatile platform for designing functional metal-biopolymer hybrid materials with potential applications in advanced materials.
The transition from petrochemical plastics to renewable bio-based polyesters is central to reducing carbon emissions, mitigating plastic pollution, and advancing circular economy goals in the packaging and printing sectors. This review summarizes recent progress in bio-based polyester systems derived from carbohydrate-, lignin-, and oil-based monomer platforms, with particular emphasis on polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyethylene furanoate (PEF), thiophenebased aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters, and related materials tailored for functional packaging applications. We first outline the main bio-based monomer classes and synthetic strategies, including melt polycondensation, transesterification, and ring-opening polymerization, highlighting how monomer structure and processing routes control molecular architecture. We then discuss structure-property relationships, focusing on thermal stability, mechanical performance, barrier properties, and biodegradability, and provide quantitative comparisons between polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PEF, and representative thiophene-containing copolyesters in the context of packaging performance requirements such as gas barrier thresholds, heat resistance, and mechanical robustness. Particular attention is given to the design of copolyesters that balance rigidity and flexibility, enabling tunable stiffness and elongation while maintaining compostability or enzyme-mediated degradability. Finally, we examine established and emerging applications in food and cosmetic packaging, printing substrates, and 3D-printed packaging prototypes, and identify key challenges related to feedstock sustainability, cost, regulatory compliance, and end-of-life management. By linking monomer and molecular design to functional performance and application demands, this review aims to guide the development of next-generation bio-based polyesters for sustainable packaging and printing.
Effective removal of toluene (C6H5CH3) is essential for protecting both the environment and human health. Although Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have been widely studied as porous adsorbents for toluene removal, powder form of MOFs has limitations in handling, and mechanical stability, which restrict their industrial application. To overcome these drawbacks, an X-Zeolite@HKUST-1 core-shell composite was fabricated by the direct growth of HKUST-1 on the surface of X-Zeolite without a binder. In the toluene gas detector tube tests, X-Zeolite@HKUST-1 exhibited significantly enhanced toluene removal performance compared with X-Zeolite, achieving 100.0% removal after 1 h, whereas X-Zeolite achieved only 14.4%. In the structural stability evaluation, the sample that maintained its particle morphology retained 71.07% of its initial mass, showing significantly improved durability compared to Zeolite X, which retained only 16.87%. Despite containing only 1.80 wt% HKUST-1, the composite demonstrated excellent adsorption performance and mechanical durability, indicating its strong potential for environmental purification applications.
A novel binuclear titanium FI catalyst bearing bulky tert-butyl substituents was synthesized from a bisphenol A backbone and applied to ethylene polymerization. When activated with methylaluminoxane (MAO), the catalyst exhibited extremely high activity of 9.8 & times;10(6) g PE mol(-1) Ti h(-1), producing genuinely bimodal high-density polyethylene with a weight-average molecular weight of 4.8 & times;10(5) g mol(-1), a polydispersity index of 2.5, and a melting point of 134.2 degrees C. Composite films (18-40 mu m thick) were prepared by melt-compounding the bimodal polyethylene with 10 parts by mass of diamond micropowders (average particle size 1.75-3.75 mu m) followed by blown-film extrusion. The resulting diamond-filled composites displayed outstanding dielectric performance (breakdown strength 285-312 kV mm-1, dielectric constant 2.68-2.86 at 1 kHz), high in-plane thermal conductivity (6.1-6.6 Wm(-1)K(-1)), and excellent dimensional stability (thermal shrinkage <= 0.42% at 150 degrees C). These properties surpass those of commercial biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) capacitor films and meet the stringent requirements for next-generation marine power-cable insulation and high-voltage capacitor films. This work highlights the unique combination of a rigid bisphenol-A-bridged binuclear FI catalyst and diamond-filled bimodal polyethylene, providing a new route to advanced insulating materials for demanding electrical applications.
To explore the feasibility and potential advantages of utilizing inexpensive and readily available calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the preparation of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) matting films, a polypropylene (PP)/ CaCO3 composite cast film was prepared and then stretched using a biaxial tensile testing machine. The impact of CaCO3 content on crystallinity, matting, and mechanical properties of the composite films was investigated. When CaCO3 was added at 35 wt%, the haze reached as high as 89.6%, showing excellent matting properties. Moreover, it was observed that either excessive or insufficient CaCO3 leads to a reduction in crystallinity. The surface morphology of the composite films was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The film's roughness was improved by the CaCO3 dispersion on the surface. This study provides an effective reference for the advancement of the plastic film industry in regard to superior packaging materials.
