Journal of Polymer Research最新文献

{"title":"Tribological behaviour of polymer materials: mechanisms, influencing factors, and control strategies","authors":"Guangfu Ge,&nbsp;Yinglei Wu,&nbsp;Zhongyi He,&nbsp;Sirui Wang,&nbsp;Emile van der Heide","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-05008-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-05008-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The tribological behaviour of polymer materials is not an intrinsic material constant but a complex system response arising from coupled multi-scale physicochemical processes. This review synthesizes key insights into the underlying mechanisms, influencing factors, and performance tailoring strategies. Friction and wear are governed by the interplay of interfacial adhesion, ploughing deformation, viscoelastic energy dissipation, frictional heating, and friction‑induced phase transitions, with thermo‑mechano‑chemical coupling dictating the dominant wear mode. Intrinsic properties (glass transition temperature, crystallinity, crosslinking density, chain mobility) and surface characteristics (roughness, surface energy, wettability) establish a performance baseline, whereas environmental conditions (humidity, temperature, lubrication media) and time‑dependent evolution (running‑in, transfer film formation, steady‑state wear) can override this baseline. Among performance‑enhancing strategies, molecular design (e.g., bottlebrush architectures, dynamic covalent bonds) and stimuli‑responsive smart polymers (self‑healing, multi‑responsive) are emerging as powerful tools alongside traditional filler incorporation and surface engineering. Representative case studies on engineering thermoplastics, elastomers, ultra‑low‑friction polymers, and biomedical polymers link these strategies to application‑specific tribological performance. A critical synthesis of current challenges, including high material cost, insufficient extreme‑condition stability, processing bottlenecks, and incomplete understanding of multi‑field coupling, outlines future directions: intelligent and multifunctional systems, cross‑scale biomimetic design, data‑driven material discovery, sustainable development, and multidisciplinary integration. This review provides a conceptually focused, insight‑driven reference for designing high‑performance, long‑life polymer tribological materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148323809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physical recycling of bio-based polyester nanocomposites","authors":"Béla Molnár,&nbsp;Zoubeida Taha Taha,&nbsp;Kashif Ullah Khan,&nbsp;Attila Bata,&nbsp;Emese Győry-Slezák,&nbsp;Ferenc Ronkay","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-05001-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-05001-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the physical recyclability of polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) nanocomposites containing organo-modified montmorillonite (OMMT) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Degradation was evaluated by changes in intrinsic viscosity (IV) and mass-flow rate (MFR), indicating that injection moulding caused more pronounced molecular chain scission than extrusion and that PLA was more susceptible to degradation during reprocessing than PBS. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) measurements revealed that the storage and loss moduli of the polymers are strongly influenced by the type and dispersion of nanofillers, with OMMT increasing and MWCNTs slightly decreasing the stiffness. The effect of reinforcement depends on the polymer phase state, remaining nearly constant for PLA in its glassy region but decreasing for PBS in its rubbery state. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements at different cooling rates revealed that MWCNTs act as effective nucleating agents for both PLA and PBS, significantly enhancing crystallinity, especially in PLA, due to improved nanoparticle dispersion, as observed in scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) elemental mapping images. In conclusion, physical recycling could potentially serve as a sustainable alternative to composting for biopolymer-based nanocomposites by extending their lifecycle.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10965-026-05001-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148323494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retraction Note: Exploring the chemistry of metakaolin-based geopolymers","authors":"Krishnan Dhanalakshmi,&nbsp;Seenipeyathevar Meenakshi Sudarvizhi,&nbsp;Prakash Arul Jose,&nbsp;Muniraj Dhanasekaran","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-05006-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-05006-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148323495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phyto-assisted synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles to develop multifunctional methylcellulose/zinc oxide nanocomposite films for food packaging","authors":"Srikanth R. Veerabhadraiah,&nbsp;Sweta Maji,&nbsp;Ashique Thazheparamban,&nbsp;Suresh Chandra Varsha,&nbsp;Sudheer Kumar Yannam,&nbsp;Arunkumar Panneerselvam","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-05000-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-05000-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, phyto-synthesised zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from <i>Terminalia chebula (TC)</i> fruit extract and zinc citrate dihydrate were reinforced into methylcellulose (MC) to fabricate MC/ZnO (1.0–5.0 wt.%) nanocomposite (NC) films via the solution-casting technique. The phyto-synthesised ZnO NPs exhibited a crystalline wurtzite structure with an average size of ~ 18.8 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses confirmed the incorporation of ZnO NPs into the MC matrix, which resulted in enhanced functional performance of the MC/ZnO NC films. Notably, the MC/3.0 wt.% ZnO NC film demonstrated improved tensile strength (~ 31.85 MPa), Young’s modulus (~ 1316.52 MPa) and reduced water vapor permeability (~ 2.49 × 10^− 10 g·m^− 1·s^− 1·Pa^− 1) compared to the neat MC film. The MC/5.0 wt.% ZnO NC film exhibited UV-shielding (UV-A ~ 85.07%, UV-B ~ 84.62%), antioxidant activity (~ 57.2% DPPH inhibition), and pronounced antibacterial activity against <i>E. coli</i> (~ 70.01% inhibition) than <i>S. aureus</i> (~ 35.09% inhibition).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148323496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering 3D-printed PLA/PBS biocomposites based on tricalcium phosphate and bone powder for bone tissue applications","authors":"Luana Caroline Góis Lima,&nbsp;Davi Felice Caetano,&nbsp;Leonardo Alves Pinto,&nbsp;Luiz Antonio Pessan,&nbsp;Eduardo Henrique Backes","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-05004-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-05004-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The global burden of bone fractures is projected to double by 2050, and this trend is driven by an aging population, higher incidence of car accidents, cancer-related bone damage, and osteoporosis, which compromises bone integrity. Addressing this growing challenge, bone tissue engineering (BTE) emerges as a promising strategy using polymeric scaffolds. These scaffolds must be biocompatible, bioresorbable, mechanically stable, and capable of promoting cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Therefore, this study focuses on developing biocomposite scaffolds based on a poly(lactic acid) (PLA) / poly(butylene succinate) PBS (75/25 wt%) blend, incorporating biofillers: tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and bone powder (BP), to enhance BTE. The composites were produced via melt blending and evaluated using rheological and thermal characterization methods. The results indicated thermal degradation of the polymer matrix upon filler incorporation, as evidenced by reduced viscosity and thermal stability. Despite this, 3D printed scaffolds demonstrated reproducibility and mechanical properties suitable for bone repair. Interestingly, increasing filler concentrations (10 and 20 wt%) did not enhance mechanical performance but did not compromise the elastic modulus compared to the pure blend and pure PLA. The cytotoxicity assay showed that the scaffolds are non-cytotoxic. These results collectively suggest that the developed scaffolds may serve as promising options for bone tissue engineering.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10965-026-05004-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148323311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Valorization of water-hyacinth-derived cellulose nanocrystals in biodegradable PVA–chitosan films for enhanced Cu(II) ion adsorption","authors":"Vu Viet Linh Nguyen,&nbsp;Thanh-Truc Pham,&nbsp;Hoc Thang Nguyen","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-04986-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-04986-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Valorizing invasive aquatic biomass as a sustainable nanomaterial source represents a promising yet underexplored route toward functional biodegradable polymers. In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were successfully extracted from <i>Eichhornia crassipes</i> (water hyacinth), an abundant, low-cost, and fast-growing invasive plant, through sulfuric acid hydrolysis and used to reinforce poly(vinyl alcohol)–chitosan (PVA-CS) blend films. The incorporation of prepared CNCs significantly improved the tensile strength, hydrophilicity, and surface morphology, as verified by tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements of the films. The obtained CNC@PVA-CS nanocomposite films achieved a Cu(II) removal efficiency of approximately 74.3%, equating to an adsorption capacity of 22.34 mg g⁻¹ at low adsorbent dosage, while a capacity of 13.00 mg g⁻¹ (0.162 mg cm⁻²) was obtained under standard conditions (0.10 g dosage) and used for kinetic modeling, which is about 20% higher than that of the pristine PVA-CS film. Importantly, this study introduces copper-ion adsorption performance normalized to geometric surface area (mg cm⁻²) for a biopolymer film reinforced with CNCs derived from water hyacinth. These findings highlight the potential of this invasive aquatic biomass for functional materials and establish a scalable approach for fabricating eco-functional films with enhanced adsorption capabilities.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148323313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation and photothermal energy-storage performance of carbon nanotube-modified calcium carbonate phase-change microcapsules via electrostatic self-assembly","authors":"Lunyuan Liu,&nbsp;Shuheng Hu,&nbsp;Peng Qin,&nbsp;Zimu Xu,&nbsp;Xianbin Qi,&nbsp;Helong Li,&nbsp;Lijian Ding","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-04977-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-04977-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Phase-change energy storage materials are of great significance for the efficient utilization of solar energy. However, conventional calcium carbonate-based phase-change microcapsules usually suffer from weak light absorption and relatively low photothermal conversion efficiency. In this study, an electrostatic self-assembly strategy was employed to load carboxylated carbon nanotubes onto the surface of calcium carbonate-based phase-change microcapsules through surface potential regulation, thereby constructing CNTs@CaCO₃-MEPCM composite microcapsules. The effect of CNTs loading on the photothermal energy-storage performance of the microcapsules was systematically investigated. The results show that, at a CNTs loading of 4 wt%, the composite microcapsules maintained a phase-change enthalpy of approximately 104 J/g, while achieving a latent-heat-based photothermal storage efficiency of 88.46% and a thermal conductivity of 0.9267 W·m^− 1·K^− 1. After 500 thermal cycles, the sample still retained stable phase-change behavior, indicating good thermal reliability. Compared with representative reported photothermally functionalized MEPCM systems, the present material exhibits a relatively balanced performance among photothermal energy storage, heat transfer, and latent-heat storage capabilities. This study provides a feasible strategy for designing composite phase-change microcapsules with integrated photothermal conversion and energy-storage capabilities, offering useful guidance for solar thermal utilization and building energy-efficiency applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148323123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Boosting chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel with freezing and thawing modification as sustainable porous material for salbutamol sulphate removal","authors":"Zahraa R. Tameemi,&nbsp;Zahraa H. Athab,&nbsp;Abbas N. Alshirifi","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-05003-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-05003-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the present study, we developed a simple approach to synthesize a blend hydrogel from chitosan (CS) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with a monolithic form through chemical cross-linking. The obtained CS/CMC hydrogel was further modified using a freeze-thaw treatment (F-T), which promoted porosity and formed an interconnected macroporous structure, yielding the FCS/CMC hydrogel with enhanced structural and textural properties. The morphology, structure, and surface area of the fabricated hydrogel were examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, respectively. Meanwhile, the interaction between the CMC and CS within the hydrogel matrix was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR). The hydrogel characterization revealed that the freeze-thaw modification resulted in an interconnected, channel-like macroporous network structure, leading to a significant enhancement of the surface area to 4.258 m²/g, which is markedly higher in comparison to that of the untreated CS/CMC hydrogel (0.116 m²/g), which exhibited a wavy surface morphology with no pores apparent. Consequently, the modified hydrogel was evaluated as an adsorbent material to remove Salbutamol Sulphate (SAS) from its aqueous solution, which exhibited a high removal efficiency compared with the unmodified hydrogel. The adsorption performance of the FCS/CMC hydrogel is best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm, indicating a heterogeneous surface with multilayer adsorption. The pseudo-first-order model best fits the kinetic data, confirming that physical interactions mainly drive the process. Significantly, the modified hydrogel demonstrated excellent reusability over five reuse cycles, indicating its strong potential as a sustainable and promising adsorbent material for the remediation of pharmaceutical pollutants from aqueous systems, which are often inadequately removed by conventional treatment methods and pose serious environmental concerns.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148281873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic effect of CuO-Coated CNTs on the flame retardancy of epoxy resin nanocomposites for aerospace applications","authors":"Muhammad Altaf,&nbsp;Muhammad Naeem Ahmed,&nbsp;Anila Iqbal,&nbsp;Arshad Ali Khan","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-04994-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-04994-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Epoxy resin is inherently flammable, which limits its use in high-temperature applications, including the aerospace, automotive, and defense industries. Therefore, to develop flame-retardant epoxy nanocomposites, the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes was modified with copper oxide, and the epoxy resin LY 5052 was reinforced with aluminum trihydroxide via a one-pot synthesis. The flame retardancy and thermal stability of the fabricated nanocomposites were evaluated using the Underwriters Laboratories (UL-94) test, the limiting oxygen index (LOI), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Remarkably, the epoxy nanocomposite achieved a UL-94 V-0 rating and a 37.3% LOI at a 0.5 wt% CuO-MWCNTs nanofiller concentration. The TGA study revealed significant improvements in thermal stability, including an increase in the maximum mass-loss temperature to 396.5 ℃ and a char yield of 44.7%. The findings suggest that CuO-modified MWCNTs and aluminum trihydroxide hybrid act as a promising, environmentally benign, novel flame-retardant system for epoxy resin. These nanocomposite materials, due to their low density, high performance, and dimensional stability, can be potentially used in the aerospace industry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148281875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlating polymer solution and thin-film properties in the good-solvent regime","authors":"Cheng-Hao Yang,&nbsp;Yu Wei,&nbsp;Chi-Chung Hua","doi":"10.1007/s10965-026-04995-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-026-04995-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and six nominal good solvents are used as a model system to delve into the correlation between solution and thin-film properties in the rarely explored good-solvent regime. To facilitate fulfilling the above goal, solvent evaporation rate is properly controlled to be nearly the same (1 day) for all solution-cast PVB films, so that the sole impact of solvent quality may be clearly discerned. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis reveals that, contrary to the usual expectation, all six solvent media produce two coexisting aggregate and cluster species of PVB with varying sizes and fractions under the same dilute condition. Small-angle light scattering (SALS) reveals anisotropic, coexisting isotropic/anisotropic, or isotropic shape of the cluster species in the individual PVB solutions. Corresponding thin films cast from semidilute solutions are uniform, transparent and mutually indistinguishable, while the mechanical properties from both dynamic rheology and universal tensile machine analyses differ substantially. Combined SALS and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirm an intimate correlation between the solvent-induced mesoscale structures and the thin-film morphologies that dictate the mechanical properties above. In particular, both characterization schemes reveal three different types of structural features that may be traced back to the slow-mode cluster species formed in the pristine solutions. Overall, the present findings suggest that polymer aggregate/cluster may still prevail well into the good-solvent regime and continue to have a notable impact on all quenched-state applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"33 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148281876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}