Utilization of polymers as biomaterials has greatly impacted the advancement of modern medicine. Specifically, polymeric biomaterials that are biodegradable provide the significant advantage of being able to be broken down and removed after they have served their function. Applications are wide ranging with degradable polymers being used clinically as surgical sutures and implants. To fit functional demand, materials with desired physical, chemical, biological, biomechanical, and degradation properties must be selected. Fortunately, a wide range of natural and synthetic degradable polymers has been investigated for biomedical applications with novel materials constantly being developed to meet new challenges. This review summarizes the most recent advances in the field over the past 4 years, specifically highlighting new and interesting discoveries in tissue engineering and drug delivery applications.

Biomedical applications of biodegradable polymers

A review on the susceptor assisted microwave processing of materials

The fate and role of in situ formed carbon in polymer-derived ceramics

As a result of its impressive 3D network structure form, a great deal of interest has thus been generated among the science community on the hybridization of carbon fiber (CF) and carbon nanotube (CNT). Although there had been a large amount of studies conducted on this novel hybrid material, there are however, limited reviews being published on their fabrication methods and performances in polymer composites. For this reason, apart from collectively introducing and discussing the advantages and limitations of the hybrid CF-CNT based on various fabrication methods such as those of chemical vapour deposition, electrophoretic deposition, electrospray deposition and chemical functionalization, this study had also examined and compared the detailed performances of each of the hybrid CF-CNT reinforced polymer composite based on their fabrication methods through its mechanical, electrical and thermal properties.

Hybrid carbon fiber-carbon nanotubes reinforced polymer composites: A review

Silicon carbide nano-fibers in-situ grown on carbon fibers for enhanced microwave absorption properties

Microstructure and tribological properties of 3D needle-punched C/C–SiC brake composites

Preparation and tribological properties of C fibre reinforced C/SiC dual matrix composites fabrication by liquid silicon infiltration

Preparation and tribological properties of C/C–SiC brake composites modified by in situ grown carbon nanofibers

The residual tensile strength (RTS) evolution of a chemical vapor infiltration and liquid silicon infiltration based 2.5 dimensional reinforced C/C-SiC (2.5D C/C-SiC) composites after fatigue loadings has been investigated. The results show that the fatigue limit (106 cycles) of the 2.5D C/C-SiC composites reaches 58.2 MPa, which corresponds to 75% of the virgin static tensile strength (77.7 MPa). Moreover, an ultimate strength enhancement is observed after fatigue loading. The most pronounced RTS increases to 92.5 MPa when specimens are subjected to fatigue stress of 69.3 MPa for 105 cycles. The microstructural analysis indicates that RTS after cyclic loading is affected by the formation and propagation of cracks and interfacial degradation. Furthermore, a model proposed in this work can well evaluate the RTS of the composites in relation to the number of the applied fatigue cycles.

Zhuan Li

Papers

Microstructure and tribological properties of 3D needle-punched C/C–SiC brake composites

Preparation and tribological properties of C fibre reinforced C/SiC dual matrix composites fabrication by liquid silicon infiltration

Preparation and tribological properties of C/C–SiC brake composites modified by in situ grown carbon nanofibers

Fatigue behavior and residual strength evolution of 2.5D C/C-SiC composites

Microstructures, dielectric response and microwave absorption properties of polycarbosilane derived SiC powders