The cover image by Takayuki Hirai, Yoshimi Muraoka, and Hirotaka Okamoto shows transparent composites achieved by refractive index matching between glass fiber textiles and polymer blends of polycarbonate (PC) and polycaprolactone (PCL). The PC/PCL blend shows good transparency due to its miscibility, and refractive index matching between glass fiber and PC/PCL blend can be achieved by optimizing a composition ratio of PC and PCL. The transparent composite was obtained by impregnating the refractive index adjusted PC/PCL into a woven glass fiber. The composite shows optical transparency and excellent mechanical properties. DOI: 10.1002/app.52925

A transparent composite is developed based on E-glass fiber and a polymer blend by refractive index matching. Polycarbonate (PC) and polycaprolactone (PCL) is used as the matrix of the composite due to their miscibility and refractive index adjustability of PC–PCL blends. The impregnation of a glass-fiber textile with an optimized PC–PCL blend produces a strong, transparent composite.

This article develops an antifouling and antibacterial coatings on PU surface based on PDA fast deposition. The coatings contain antibacterial agents polyhexamethyleneguanidine (PHMG) and hydrophilic polysaccharide chondroitin sulfate (CS), which endow surface with excellent anti-protein adsorption property and antibacterial ability. And the whole preparation process is environmentally friendly, which ensures the coatings good bio-compatibility.

Flexible bio-based polymeric materials were produced by combining epoxidized soybean oil (ESO), aqueous citric acid solutions, and varying amounts of epoxidized oleic acid (EOA), followed by heating at 95°C for 24 h. Their mechanical properties can be tuned with EOA: increasing EOA decreases stiffness and increases stretchiness. These materials are also impermeable to water, making them promising bio-bases alternatives to plastics.

Preparation of X-GO composite system and oil displacement process

Warm-keeping textile composed of cellular hollow fibers.

This image illustrates fatty acid-based polymeric dispersant in action, dispersing titania pigment effectively in pigment concentrate for surface coating application. The carboxyl group from oleic acid serves as effective pigment affinity group, allowing effective adsorption of the dispersant at the surface of the pigment, while the relatively long hydrocarbon side chain from the incorporated fatty acids provides good steric stabilization effect. The optical properties of coating produced from such pigment concentrate is of excellent quality.

This study introduces a comparative assay of physicochemical, mechanical, and antibacterial properties of the films based on pectin-Ag nanocomposites, synthesized by “green chemistry” method, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with different molecular weight. Prolonged release of antibiotic kanamycin (KAN) and antimicrobial effect of pectin-Ag/PVA/KAN films against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria have been demonstrated.

The use of the ferroelectric materials in hybrid nanogenerators based on triboelectricity requires the information on their surface potential. The latter was studied by the Kelvin-mode method on VDF-HFP copolymer films obtained by crystallization from solution in ethyl acetate. Freshly prepared films have a positive surface potential. Exposure of such a film at room temperature for 4 years is accompanied by structural changes: increase in the volume degree of crystallinity, but its strong decrease in the surface. The observed decrease occurs due to displacement of the amorphous phase chains, which contains sections of chains with monomer units attached in the "wrong" position, into the surface. Such structural changes are accompanied by significant changes in the surface potential, which changes its sign.

The vibration damping capabilities of Sheet Molding Compounds are enhaced by generating bi-material structures by means of the addition of Thermoplastic elastomer material layers.The bi-material structures can be construted by sandwich structures or by free layer damping structures. Each strategy implies several pos and cons regarding to the damping capabilities, overal mechanical performance and resistance to temperature.Sandwich structures show the most promising balance of the quoted variables.

Schematic illustration of electromagnetic wave absorption mechanism for the RGO/PPy/RGO/GFs composites.

This article presents the development of biobased unsaturated polyesters based on building blocks synthesized with monomers produced from renewable raw materials, namely, isosorbide, 1,3-propanediol, and fumaric acid, with petroleum-derived phthalic anhydride. A blend between styrene and a less toxic acrylate-type monomer (2-hydroethyl methacrylate) is used as a reactive diluent, resulting in biobased crosslinked resins suitable for various high-performance applications.

This study reports a feasible procedure to develop a nanocellulose-reinforced polypropylene composite prepared by melt extrusion with a twin-screw extruder. The tensile strength and thermal stability of the composite are improved, which indicated good compatibility between the nanocellulose fillers and the polymer matrices.

PB-g-PS graft copolymer with core-shell structure was prepared by emulsion polymerization. The matrix toughness was provided by the core phase (PB), while the shell phase (PS) has good compatibility with PPO, which ensured that the core-shell particles of PB-g-PS can be uniformly dispersed in the PPO/PS matrix. It is found that the impact toughness of PPO/PS blends can be effectively improved by controlling the core-shell ratio of PB-g-PS graft copolymer.

A highly reactive intrinsically flame retardant epoxy resin with excellent flame retardant properties derived from the synergistic effect of phosphorus and nitrogen elements.