Polymer TestingPub Date : 2025-05-26DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108869
Yao Xu , Chi Hua , Leyu Lin , Alois K. Schlarb
{"title":"Prediction and experimental verification of tribological performance of 3D-printed PEEK composite sliding layers with target fiber orientation designs","authors":"Yao Xu , Chi Hua , Leyu Lin , Alois K. Schlarb","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108869","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108869","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the morphology and tribological properties of 3D-printed composite sliding layers using fused filament fabrication (FFF). Morphology analysis confirms uniform carbon fiber dispersion and strong fiber alignment in the printing direction. Tensile shear strength tests reveal significantly improved adhesion with a Vestamelt Hylink (VH) adhesive layer compared to samples without it. Experimental results of the friction and wear tests reveal that the coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (w<sub>s</sub>) of the sliding layers show a strong dependence on the fiber orientation. Samples with fibers aligned parallel (P) to the sliding direction exhibited the lowest COF and wear rate at 400 N m/s, with values of 0.16 and 0.24 × 10<sup>−6</sup> mm<sup>3</sup>/(Nm), respectively. Similarly, anti-parallel (AP) fiber orientation resulted in a COF of 0.18 and a wear rate of 0.28 × 10<sup>−6</sup> mm<sup>3</sup>/(Nm). In contrast, samples with fibers oriented normal (N) to the sliding direction showed the highest values, with a COF of 0.32 and a wear rate of 0.99 × 10<sup>−6</sup> mm<sup>3</sup>/(Nm), where fibers are more likely to break and increase matrix wear. A predictive model accurately estimates COF and w<sub>s</sub> based on fiber alignment and F<sub>N</sub>·v-products, validated through experimental results. These findings highlight the critical role of fiber orientation in designing fiber-reinforced components for optimizing the tribological properties of polymer composites/steel sliding systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108869"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Investigation of the constitutive relationship between energy damage and CFRP layers in axially compressed small coal cylinders: Experiment and simulation","authors":"Qingwen Li, Chuangchuang Pan, Yuqi Zhong, Wenxia Li, Mengjiao Xu, Lei Zhang, Shuaishuai Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108867","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108867","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the effect of CFRP layer count on the mechanical properties and energy evolution of axially compressed small coal cylinders using uniaxial compression tests and FDM-DEM coupled simulations. The experimental and simulation results exhibit excellent agreement, with the error range is controlled within 10 %. This consistency effectively validates the reliability of the research methodology employed. Results show that both unconfined and CFRP-confined small coal cylinders exhibit four stress-strain stages: compaction, elasticity, yielding, and post-peak. CFRP confinement significantly enhances the ductility, with peak stress, peak strain, and elastic modulus increasing by approximately 200 %, 250 %, and 100 %, respectively. Numerical simulations reveal that increasing CFRP layers raises peak stress by 548 % and peak strain by 733 %, with energy absorption efficiency improving by up to 1051 %. However, elastic modulus does not increase monotonically, suggesting a trade-off between strength and stiffness in design. Additionally, CFRP confinement alters the failure mechanism from shear-tensile combined failure to shear failure, with crack distribution becoming more concentrated. Energy and acoustic emission analysis show that CFRP layers enhance energy dissipation, delay crack propagation, and improve residual bearing capacity. Based on these findings, an energy dissipation damage ontology model for small coal cylinders confined by CFRP layers is proposed, providing a useful tool for both theoretical research and engineering practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108867"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144177676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer TestingPub Date : 2025-05-25DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108864
Doyoung Kim , Gayoung Kim , Jinhyeok Jang , Jae-Hyuk Choi , Munkyu Lee , Woong-Ryeol Yu
{"title":"Analysis of low-frequency fatigue behavior of polyurethane elastomers under localized compressive loading using shear creep behavior","authors":"Doyoung Kim , Gayoung Kim , Jinhyeok Jang , Jae-Hyuk Choi , Munkyu Lee , Woong-Ryeol Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108864","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108864","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyurethane elastomers are widely utilized in various industrial applications due to their exceptional flexibility, energy absorption, and long-term pressure resistance. However, their mechanical stability under extremely low-frequency cyclic loading remains poorly understood, particularly in terms of fatigue and creep behavior. This study investigates the failure mechanisms of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and cross-linked TPU under long-term localized compressive stress under extremely low-frequency cyclic loading, simulating real-world conditions in the automotive sector. The experimental approach includes dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile, compression, shear, fatigue, and creep tests, complemented by finite element simulations using a visco-hyperelastic model. Our findings indicate that shear stress plays a more significant role in TPU failure compared to compressive stress, with fatigue behavior under extremely low-frequency conditions exhibiting characteristics similar to creep deformation. The time-temperature superposition method was employed to accelerate testing, validating predictive models for long-term elastomer durability. Furthermore, the introduction of SiO<sub>2</sub>-reinforced TPU nanocomposites demonstrated enhanced shear creep resistance, effectively extending failure time under equivalent stress conditions. These results provide valuable insights for improving the design and reliability of polyurethane elastomers in applications requiring prolonged mechanical stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108864"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer TestingPub Date : 2025-05-17DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108860
Zbigniew Pozorski , Jacek Andrzejewski
{"title":"Experimental determination of mechanical properties of 3D printed PLA. Methodology for testing orthotropic materials","authors":"Zbigniew Pozorski , Jacek Andrzejewski","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108860","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108860","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The paper presents the problem of determining the material properties of 3D printed poly(lactic acid) structures. Since the material structure is created by connecting the narrow strips of the deposited material, its mechanics becomes complex. The behavior of such a material cannot be described by a simple isotropic model. For this reason, a selected set of laboratory tests necessary to identify the mechanical properties of printed poly(lactic acid) has been carried out. An elastic, orthotropic material model was assumed. The aim of the work was to describe the material accurately, taking into account different deformation conditions, but also, or perhaps even primarily, to verify the measurement methods used. For this purpose, the results of simultaneous measurements were compared using an extensometer, strain gauges, and the Digital Image Correlation technique. The measurement results clearly showed a significant error in the measurement of the modulus of elasticity for tests using a strain gauge. For the tensile tests, the recorded value of 4.2 GPa was significantly higher than the 3.5 GPa measured by the extensometer. A similar shift was observed for the bending mode, 4.0 GPa for the strain gauge measurements, and 3.5 GPa for the extensometer. Interestingly, the results for the Digital Image Correlation measurements were very consistent with the extensometer measurements, confirming the effectiveness of this technique. The tests carried out made it possible to identify reliable measurement methods and the difficulties that may occur during the implementation of some laboratory tests. In particular, the failure mechanisms observed in the shear tests carried out using the Iosipescu method are worthy of note. Finally, a set of material parameters determined for samples printed from poly(lactic acid) was presented. The obtained results can be used to design structures printed from poly(lactic acid).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108860"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A critical review of the state of knowledge on factors responsible for the degradation in soils of polyhydroxyalkanoates","authors":"Ludovic Dulac, Mikaël Kedzierski, Stéphane Bruzaud","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108861","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108861","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plastic pollution in the environment, particularly in soils, has become a major ecological concern due to its persistence and potential risks to ecosystems and human health. To mitigate this issue, biodegradable polymers have been developed as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. Among them, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) stand out due to their promising biodegradability under diverse environmental conditions. However, their degradation is governed by a complex interplay of intrinsic factors (e.g., chemical structure, crystallinity, molar mass and polydispersity, physical state …) and extrinsic factors (e.g., temperature, humidity, oxygen, microorganisms …), which remain only partially understood. Despite significant research efforts, the methodologies used to assess PHA degradation are often inconsistent or suboptimal, limiting the comparability and reliability of results. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of these factors on PHA degradation in soils and suggests innovative experimental approaches to further the studies of these degradation processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108861"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer TestingPub Date : 2025-05-15DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108857
Priyanka Main , Sandra Schulnig , Ivica Duretek , Thomas Lucyshyn
{"title":"Influence of reprocessing on monopolymer blends of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)","authors":"Priyanka Main , Sandra Schulnig , Ivica Duretek , Thomas Lucyshyn","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108857","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108857","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work addresses the mechanical recycling of the biobased and biodegradable polymer Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by investigating different properties at each stage from once extruded (E) PHB blended with virgin (V) material in two ratios (E20V80 and E80V20) and further extruded five times (E5). For both series, thermal analyses revealed a stable melting and decomposition temperature even after five reprocessing cycles and a marginally decreased crystallinity. The tensile strength remained almost constant for the series E80V20 with a drop observed only from E3. Strain at break decreased from E80V20 to E5, which was corroborated by Charpy Notched Impact results showing a progressive sample brittleness. E20V80 showed similar trends to the E80V20 series, but with higher values in the impact strength and only differed in the tensile strength in which an increase was observed from E20V80 to E1 and a drop observed only at E4. Rheology studies showed an indistinct trend for the E80V20 series, but in E20V80, the viscosity dropped with each processing cycle. Hence, on a practical basis adding lesser quantities of virgin material to the reprocessed material is feasible with attention need only be given to the processing parameters (as viscosity is low).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108857"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer TestingPub Date : 2025-05-15DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108858
Julen Cortazar-Noguerol , Fernando Cortés , Iker Agirre-Olabide , María Jesús Elejabarrieta
{"title":"Compression and torsion testing for elastic moduli and Poisson's ratio characterization in silicone rubber samples with varying shape factors","authors":"Julen Cortazar-Noguerol , Fernando Cortés , Iker Agirre-Olabide , María Jesús Elejabarrieta","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elastomeric materials, such as silicone rubber, are widely used in engineering applications due to their high deformability and viscoelastic properties. Under quasistatic regime and small deformations their behavior can be considered purely elastic and can be characterized by the elastic modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson's ratio, which are interrelated in isotropic materials. Although standard methodologies exist for determining these properties, experimental measurements are known to be affected by the geometry of the tested samples. The influence of sample geometry on compressive modulus measurements is well understood, however, its effect on shear modulus measurements is less explored. This study investigates how the dimensions of cylindrical samples influence the experimental determination of both the compressive and shear moduli and, consequently, Poisson's ratio. Compression and torsion tests are performed on silicone rubber samples of varying diameters and lengths using a dynamic mechanical analyzer and a rheometer respectively. The results confirm that both the compressive and shear moduli are affected by sample geometry, leading to unrealistic values of Poisson's ratio. To account for these effects, a correction model is proposed for shear modulus measurements, complementing existing corrections for compressive tests. The model successfully describes experimental trends and provides a more reliable estimation of Poisson's ratio, aligning with theoretical expectations for nearly incompressible elastomers. These findings emphasize the importance of considering geometric effects in compressive and torsion tests and provide a framework for improving the accuracy of mechanical characterization in elastomeric materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108858"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer TestingPub Date : 2025-05-15DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108862
Aurore Jullin , Gabriel André , Fabrice Gouanvé , Guillaume Sudre , Matthieu Zinet , Nicolas Hascoët , Francisco Chinesta , Eliane Espuche
{"title":"Influence of the process on water permeability of semi-crystalline PLA nanocomposites: solvent casting versus annealing of melt-blended films","authors":"Aurore Jullin , Gabriel André , Fabrice Gouanvé , Guillaume Sudre , Matthieu Zinet , Nicolas Hascoët , Francisco Chinesta , Eliane Espuche","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108862","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108862","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Semi-crystalline PLA nanocomposites containing fillers of different types have been prepared by melt blending followed by annealing treatment or by solvent casting. Annealed melt blended samples exhibit higher crystallinity (around 47 %) than solvent cast films (around 36 %) independently of the filler type. The glass transition temperature remains similar (around 56 °C) for all investigated films. The filler dispersion, investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy, has been found to be better with the melt-mixing/annealing process than with the solvent casting process. The water vapor permeability of nanocomposites prepared by solvent casting shows a decrease of the permeability with the addition of fillers whereas it is not the case for annealed nanocomposites for which the permeability is often higher than the one of the annealed unfilled PLA. The permeability cannot be only related to the filler dispersion state but results also from the filler/matrix interfacial properties that depend on the filler type with respect to the matrix, but also on the process used to obtain semi-crystalline nanocomposites. It has been shown that, for silica, halloysite nanotubes and graphene, the melt blending/annealing process has a detrimental impact on the filler/matrix interfacial properties and the water barrier properties which is not the case for montmorillonite for which a 60 % decrease in permeability is reached when using 10 vol% of fillers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108862"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144089063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Calibration of force sensor mounted in tire tread block under rolling contact condition","authors":"Koga Ishido , Masami Matsubara , Takayuki Toyoshima , Tomonori Sakai , Akira Shibuya , Hiroshi Tachiya , Masahiro Higuchi","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108859","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108859","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates a sensor calibration method for accurately measuring the three-axis contact forces of a single tread block using sensor-equipped tires. Two calibration methods were examined: a static method based on forces generated by applying three-axis displacements, and a dynamic method using rolling contact. Significant errors were observed in the static method when road surface sensors were used as reference values during tire rotation. In contrast, the dynamic method showed minimal speed dependency but was influenced by the slip angle and inflation pressure. It was confirmed that the accurate reproduction of three-axis contact forces from tire sensors is possible if calibration coefficients corresponding to the slip angle and inflation pressure are available. Several methods have been proposed previously to measure the contact force of the entire tire by attaching sensors inside the tire; however, the method proposed in this study can measure the triaxial load acting on a single tread block, which is particularly useful for designing the tread pattern in the contact patch and is unique from previous studies. Considering the conditions commonly used in general tire tests, it will be necessary in the future to establish calibration coefficients that consider the slip angle, tire inflation pressure, and speed; in addition, the validity of linear interpolation should be examined.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"149 ","pages":"Article 108859"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144098608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}