Advanced industrial and engineering polymer research 

About: Advanced industrial and engineering polymer research is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Chemistry & Polymer. It has an ISSN identifier of 2542-5048. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 60 publications have been published receiving 128 citations.

3D Printed Parts and Mechanical Properties: Influencing Parameters, Sustainability Aspects, Global Market Scenario, Challenges and Applications

Abstract: 3D printing has evolved as a disruptive technology for fabrication of industrial components, however due to the intrinsic nature of the process, the mechanical strength of the parts developed by 3D printing is a subject of research. The economic and technical advantages offered by 3D printing makes it as a potential replacement for the conventional manufacturing processes, particularly for developing complex and optimized products. The current paper is structured to focus on the various processes of 3D printing used for the development of industrial products, the various process parameters involved in each process and their effect on the mechanical properties of these parts particularly fatigue, tensile, bending strength, etc. primarily focusing on polymeric materials. Further an important aspect of 3D printed parts i'e tribological properties have been highlighted. A systemic literature review related to these aspects has also been presented. A section highlights the various applications of these 3D printed parts particularly in medical, aerospace and automotive. A section also highlights the sustainability aspects of these 3D printed parts. The paper also highlights the possible future research areas, recommendations and challenges involved in developing 3D printed parts.

Waste tire rubber-based materials: processing, performance properties and development strategies

Abstract: In the many countries the main strategy for waste tires utilization is still energy recovery, which use waste tires as low-cost and high-calorific alternative fuel. Although, energy recovery is step forward for suitable waste tires collection and management, it should not be considered as a green and environmentally-friendly method. Waste tires recycling and upcycling technologies are crucial for further realization of circular economy strategies. Therefore, improvement of already existed and searching for new methods of waste tires industrial applications are fully justified. In this work, recent advances in development of waste tire rubber-based materials characterized by high content of ground tire rubber (defined as minimum 70 wt%) are presented and discussed. A special attention was focused on the correlation between sustainable treatment or functionalization of waste tire rubber and the structure–property relationships of the prepared materials. Moreover, the main problems and challenges affecting the possible industrial application of materials highly modified by waste tire rubber are also highlighted.

End-of-life options of tyres. A review

Abstract: The increasing motorisation rate worldwide is responsible for the demand of huge quantities of tyres that, after their useful service life, become waste and should be properly managed. Due to the relative low cost of tyres and the complexity related to recycling, worldwide around 41% of the total amount of end-of-life tyres is discarded into landfills or stockpiles without any recovery of the material or of the energy. Moreover, the chemical composition of tyres makes them extremely resistant to degradation phenomena with a potential long-term permanence in the environment. The high energy amount required for the production of tyres and the related environmental impact should encourage the recycling of tyres and also promote the adoption of maintenance activities, such as retreading, that allow a considerable increase in the useful service life of tyres with consequent reduction in GHG emissions. In this article the relevant literature describing the current status of end-of-life options worldwide, the European legislation regarding tyre waste, their possible uses and the related environmental aspects are presented.

Optimization of 3D Printed Polylactic Acid Structures with Different Infill Patterns using Taguchi-Grey Relational Analysis

Abstract: In several engineering applications, the demand for robust yet lightweight materials have exponentially increased. Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing technology have the scope to make this possible at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional manufacturing techniques. Majority of the previous studies are focused mainly towards the printing parameters namely build orientation, infill density, and layer height etc. Also, most studies considered strength as an output response. However, when it comes to the cellular geometry and nozzle diameter, these parameters were found limited in the literature. Similarly, the combination of output responses such as stiffness, strength, toughness and resilience are found rarely in the previous studies. The current study is designed to capture the said gap in the literature with focus on cell geometry, nozzle diameter and strain rate by using the Taguchi design of experimentation and Grey Relational Analysis. Tensile test results performed on six different patterned samples under ASTM D638 standard suggest that square patterned samples perform the best under tension and retain more mechanical strength than the other five patterns. The grey relational analysis indicates that highest grey relational grade (GRG) was achieved for the larger nozzle diameter of 0.8 mm, strain rate of 5 mm per minute and square cellular geometry. It has been observed that highest contributing factor was nozzle diameter (48.99%), whereas cellular geometry was ranked second with (40.78%) as obtained from analysis of variance (ANOVA). The grey relational analysis simplified the complex 3D printing process optimization.

A critical review of carbon fiber and related products from an industrial perspective

Abstract: Because of their exceptional mechanical properties, carbon fibers are being used in composite applications where weight saving is key such as in the aerospace and sports sector, with increasing demands coming from wind energy, aerospace and defense. However, an even more significant increase in demand in automotive is foreseen if the cost price of carbon fiber could come down substantially. In 2012 the US Department of Energy set a target price level of 10 USD/kg to get carbon fiber into mainstream cars. These low-cost carbon fibers should possess a tenacity of at least 1.7 GPa with a corresponding elastic modulus of 170 GPa. Carbon fibers are currently predominantly based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fibers, while pitch is used for some high-modulus fibers. The cost price of PAN-based carbon fibers is determined for at least 50% by the PAN precursor. Consequently, over the last decade huge R&D programs have been undertaken in search of cheaper and more sustainable precursors such as lignin and polyethylene. Despite major efforts no significant commercial successes have been obtained up to now in stark contrast with numerous claims in the scientific literature regarding so-called breakthrough technologies. Next to the recent revival in carbon fiber research another carbon allotrope, the carbon nanotube (CNT), has received huge attention as the ‘next generation’ reinforcing element for composites. Fibers and yarns have been made directly from CNTs or have been added into other high-performance fibers to boost their properties. However, also here despite major research efforts and numerous high impact publications the results obtained were at best interesting or doubtful with little commercial success.