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Journal of Polymer Engineering

Editor-in-Chief: Nino Grizzuti
Nino Grizzuti

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Language: English

First published: January 1, 1984

Publication Frequency: 10 issues per year

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Objective
Journal of Polymer Engineering publishes reviews, original basic and applied research contributions as well as recent technological developments in polymer engineering. Polymer engineering is a strongly interdisciplinary field and papers published by the journal may span areas such as polymer physics, polymer processing and engineering of polymer-based materials and their applications. The editors and the publisher are committed to high quality standards and rapid handling of the peer review and publication processes.

Topics
Cutting-edge topics such as but not limited to the following:

Polymer physics
Polymer processing
Functional polymers
Engineering of polymer composites, nanocomposites and blends
Biopolymer engineering
Engineering of polymer-based materials for electrical, piezoelectrical and optical applications
Polymers and renewable energies
Environmental polymer engineering
Automotive and aerospace
Nanotechnology
Photonics and optoelectronics

Article formats
Original articles, Reviews

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Your benefits:

State-of-the art knowledge in the broad field of polymer engineering
Strong interdisciplinary approach
Renowned international editorial board
Publication online and print incl. online first mode

History

Journal of Polymer Engineering was previously published by Freund Publishing House Ltd.

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Controllable speed absorbing polyacrylamide hydrogels synthesized by the method of frontal polymerization

September 16, 2025

Anahit Z. Varderesyan, Nune K. Gasparyan, Armenuhi G. Ketyan

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Polyacrylamide hydrogels (PAHs) with tunable properties were synthesized via frontal polymerization (FP) in a pilot-scale reactor. The process was regulated by controlling the starting mixture’s flow rate (0.5–5 cm/min) and temperature (16 °C, 23 °C, 53 °C) under UV irradiation, while eliminating adhesion between the PAH and reactor walls. PAH characterization under specified conditions employed varied monomer ratios with natural additives. Owing to FP’s unique mechanism, water absorption capacity (1–3,500 g/g) and release of active substances were precisely controlled to meet target properties. FP-synthesized PAHs exhibited tunable water absorption rates spanning 4–96 h. Numerical calculations with 3D measurements allowed eliminating minor deviations from stationarity and nonlinearity, ensuring the reproducibility of the obtained hydrogels. No residual toxic acrylamide monomer was detected in FP-synthesized PAHs. The swelling kinetics (water absorption/release) of the resulting hydrogels were investigated, alongside their potential agricultural applications. The hydrogels demonstrated efficacy in accelerating wheat seed germination and growth.
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Sustainable polymer composites: tuning PLA/recycled-ABS blends for a circular economy

September 11, 2025

Shengren Si, Xihao Wu, Liuliu Ma, Congshan Zhu, Jun Zhu, Hao Duan

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In this study, the compatibilization and chain-extension effects of a novel high molecular weight, high epoxy functionality polymer (HSMG) on the PLA/recycled-ABS (70/30) blend were investigated for a circular economy. Multiple aspects including compatibility, micro-phase morphology, rheological behavior, thermodynamic behavior, and mechanical properties were examined. SEM observation revealed that the incorporation of HSMG into PLA/r-ABS (70/30) blend significantly refined the size of the dispersed ABS phase. The viscosity of the composite system increased with rising r-ABS content due to its high viscosity and also with the increase in HSMG dosage, attributed to enhanced compatibility and branched-PLA (b-PLA) structure formation. The melt index of the system decreased with increasing HSMG dosage, in line with the viscosity change, and dropped sharply at 0.1 wt% HSMG addition. The mechanical properties generally improved with rising HSMG dosage. The optimal HSMG dosage was 0.5 wt%, at which the overall mechanical properties of the blend were comparable to those of general high impact ABS resin. Additionally, TGA results showed that adding HSMG to the PLA/r-ABS blend had certain impacts on its thermal stability. Overall, HSMG was demonstrated to have a significant influence on modifying the properties of the PLA/r-ABS blend.
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Recent advances in magnetorheological materials and applications in robots and medical devices

September 8, 2025

Lifeng Wang, Xinhua Liu, Haihua Xu, Qian Huang, Yuxin Jian, He Lu, Xiaojiang Zou, Tao Shen

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Magnetorheological (MR) materials are smart materials whose rheological properties change significantly under the influence of magnetic fields. These materials mainly include fluids, elastomers, and greases. The components of MR materials consist of magnetic particles, a non-magnetic carrier liquid or matrix, and additives. The unique MR effect of these materials makes them widely used in robotics and medical devices. Improving the properties of MR materials and utilizing their characteristics are of great significance for the design and application of modern electromechanical devices. Therefore, this paper presents the composition, characteristics, and working principles of MR materials, as well as the latest progress in their applications in robotics and medical devices. Firstly, the composition and fabrication process of MR materials are introduced. Then, devices based on MR materials, including actuators, clutches, dampers, pumps, grippers for robots and medical devices, and MR robots, are extensively reviewed. Finally, a discussion of future research directions and technological challenges is provided as the conclusion of this review. The aim is to provide useful information to facilitate the design of robots and medical devices. Graphical Abstract Among the advancements of soft-bodied robots or micro-robots, MR materials exhibit the ability to deform under external magnetic fields, making them highly suitable for fabricating robots. 29 , 66 , 67 Hua et al. 68 designed an MRF-filled soft crawling robot with magnetic actuation. The robot achieves anisotropic magnetic torque-driven crawling, avoiding magnetic interference when the field is off. It demonstrates potential for applications in confined spaces, offering a novel approach to soft robotics with improved control and fabrication efficiency. McDonald et al. 69 developed an MRF-based soft robot with integrated flow control components, where motion is regulated by magnetic field-induced changes in fluid viscosity and pressure drop. This design enables multi-degree-of-freedom actuation through a single inlet and outlet, reducing the complexity of fluidic connections. The robot achieves complex behaviors such as bending, gripping, and independent control of multiple actuators, improving both autonomy and scalability while preserving compliance and adaptability. Chen et al. 70 designed a solid-liquid state transformable MRF-Robot made from an MRF. The MRF-Robot can perform diverse tasks such as large deformation, splitting, merging, object manipulation, and gradient pulling, making it suitable for biomedical applications like drug delivery and thrombus clearance. Li et al. 71 developed an untethered MRF robot encapsulated within an elastic membrane. The robot can wrap and transport delicate objects like tomatoes without causing damage, and it can also navigate through complex mazes shaped like letters. These capabilities highlight its potential for handling soft objects and operating in confined spaces. Min et al. 72 reported a stiffness-tunable, soft adhesive robot inspired by the velvet worm, utilizing an MRE that rapidly changes stiffness under an external magnetic field. This robot achieves precise adhesion control with low preload, enabling delicate grasping of soft and wrinkled surfaces without damage. The robot can unscrew nuts, and assist in mouse tumor removal surgery, showing potential in biomedical engineering (Figure 2e Figure 1: Proportional classification of MR materials applications in robots and medical devices based on Refs. [28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], [34], [35 Copyright (2022), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 28 Copyright (2023), American Chemical Society. 29 Copyright (2024), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 30 Copyright (2020), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 31 , 34 Copyright (2022), reprinted with permission from Tan et al. 32 Copyright (2023), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 33 Copyright (2021), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 35 Figure(s) reproduced with permissions from the institutions/holders mentioned. ).
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Utilization of agro-waste-derived cellulose for eco-friendly hydrogel production in irrigation management

August 12, 2025

Swetha Satheesh, Thenesh Kumar Saghadevan

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Water scarcity and irregular rainfall pose significant challenges to irrigation, especially for small-scale farmers. This study presents the development of an eco-friendly, cellulose-based hydrogel using agricultural waste such as sugarcane bagasse and pea peels aimed at improving soil moisture retention. Cellulose was extracted via alkali treatment, aligning with principles of waste valorization and the circular economy. The hydrogel was synthesized using carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMCNa) and xanthan gum with citric acid as a biodegradable crosslinker. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC’s), obtained through acid hydrolysis, were incorporated to enhance structural integrity. The hydrogel was characterized through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It demonstrated excellent swelling capacity, sustained moisture retention, and biodegradability. Soil amended with the hydrogel retained 67 % of moisture after 15 days compared to 50 % in control soil and supported enhanced plant growth (26.9 cm of height vs. 20.7 cm in control). Biodegradability tests indicated 20 % degradation within 2 weeks. These results show that the hydrogel offers a cost-effective and sustainable approach to irrigation management, with strong potential for application in drought-prone agricultural areas.
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Integrating low dielectric constant and high thermal conductivity into composite films for 5G circuit package substrate

August 11, 2025

Caijie Shi, Xuyi Wang, Qiannan Cheng, Qingquan Tang, Luoxin Wang, Hua Wang, Siwei Xiong

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The high-frequency, integrated, and miniaturized circuits increase the risks of electromagnetic interference and heat accumulation. However, it is difficult for the traditional circuit package substrate to realize both low dielectric and high thermal conductivity, resulting in high-quality signal transmission and fast heat dissipation cannot be achieved simultaneously. Here, for the first time, composite films (hBN/LCPs) with low dielectric constant in high-frequency and high thermal conductivity are prepared based on liquid crystal aromatic polyesters (LCPs) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The highest thermal conductivity of hBN/LCPs film reaches 0.696 W m −1  K −1 , which is 3.3 times higher than that of the pristine LCPs. In the simulation of wafer heat dissipation, hBN/LCPs film shows a maximum surface temperature decrease of over 20 °C compared to the pristine LCPs, showing the fast heat transfer ability. The dielectric constants and dielectric losses of hBN/LCPs films keep the low values in the range of 0.4–1 GHz, being less than 3.4 and 0.007, respectively, meeting the requirements of 5G communication devices. Meanwhile, the hBN/LCPs films show good mechanical strength and heat resistance. Therefore, a low-cost and facile method is developed to prepare composite films with low dielectric and high thermal conductivity for 5G circuit package substrates.
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High performance poly ceramic hybrid composite featured with carbon fiber

July 31, 2025

Vagheesan Senthilkumar, Kasilingam Balasubramanian, Subramaniam Prabagaran, Tharmaraj Premkumar, Pichandi Chandrasekar, Venkatesh Rathinavelu, Mohanavel Vinayagam, Sami Al Obaid, Saleh Hussein Salmen

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Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a high-performance thermoplastic recognized for its outstanding mechanical characteristics, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. Besides, working with pure PEEK requires a lot of energy and can result in issues like thermal degradation if not handled carefully, which limits mechanical performance. The research intends to synthesize a high-performance PEEK hybrid nanocomposite layer series by PEEK/zirconia (ZrO 2 )/carbon fiber (CF)/PEEK with varied percentages of weight for ZrO 2 as 0–5 wt% adhered with the epoxy medium through hand layup associated with advanced hot compression mould technique. The response of nano ZrO 2 particles on microstructural and mechanical characteristics of PEEK/carbon fiber (CF)/PEEK hybrid composites is investigated. The PEEK/5 wt% ZrO 2 /CF-PEEK hybrid nanocomposite exploited superior mechanical performance rather than others, and microstructural transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis provides the clear fiber-filler matrix bonding, which favours better mechanical behaviour of the composite. Besides, the composite series of PEEK/5 wt% ZrO 2 /CF/PEEK is found to have optimum yield, tensile and flexural stress, and fracture toughness, with values 132.8 MPa, 182.5 MPa and 192.2 MPa, and 7.9 MPa 0.5 and proposed to automotive parts applications.
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Highly efficient adsorption of Cu²⁺ and Cr⁶⁺ by polyethyleneimine-modified nanocellulose from sunflower stem pith

July 28, 2025

Zhiyun Sun, Tianqi Feng, Chen Yan, Shijing Sun, Guanyu Wu, Xin Zhou, Jing Luo

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Sunflower stem pith-derived cellulose (SSPC) and nanocellulose (TOCN) were modified with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to enhance their adsorption of Cu 2+ and Cr 6+ . PEI modification significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity for Cu 2+ , increasing it by 5.2 times compared to pure cellulose. Meanwhile, TOCN-PEI exhibited superior adsorption performance for Cr 6+ , attributed to its higher PEI graft density compared to SSPC. The adsorption kinetics were best described by the pseudo-second-order model, while the Langmuir isotherm model provided the best fit for equilibrium data, indicating monolayer adsorption. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the adsorption process was exothermic (ΔH 0 < 0) and less favorable at elevated temperatures. After five adsorption/desorption cycles, TOCN-PEI retained approximately 63.0 % of its initial adsorption efficiency, demonstrating reusability. Overall, TOCN-PEI is a promising adsorbent for Cu 2+ and Cr 6+ removal, offering exceptionally high Cu 2+ adsorption capacity (217.3 mg/g), effective Cr 6+ removal (196.7 mg/g), and good reusability.
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Laser transmission welding of ABS polymers: a systematic study of parameter-quality correlations and interfacial morphology

July 25, 2025

Ghulam Anwer, Bappa Acherjee

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A comprehensive analysis of laser transmission welding (LTW) of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a widely used engineering plastic for structural applications, is presented in this research paper. The efficiency and reliability of LTW for ABS are examined by analyzing the complex interactions between process parameters and weld characteristics, as well as through the study of fracture surface characteristics and weld morphology. Systematic experimentation combined with response surface methodology is employed to develop precise mathematical models correlating process parameters with weld quality. Optimization strategies are explored to identify parameter configurations yielding desired weld quality. It is observed that higher laser power enhances weld strength by improving energy transfer, while careful balancing of scanning speeds prevents overheating, and increased stand-off distances improve both weld strength and width. Fracture surface analysis reveals significant fibril elongation and interlayer deformation, demonstrating the effectiveness of LTW in enhancing weld quality through improved interfacial bonding and material integration. The research provides key insights into LTW for ABS, emphasizing parameter interactions, weld quality, fracture characteristics, morphology, and optimal processing conditions for advanced engineering applications.
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Injection molding of complex hollow products using an eco-friendly salt core technique

July 22, 2025

Chung-Chih Lin, Wu-Sheng Xu

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Molding complex hollow products with intricate contours via plastic injection molding remains a major challenge due to mold design limitations. For example, components such as plastic intake manifolds are typically molded in separate segments and subsequently assembled. Traditional sand or salt cores used in metal casting are unsuitable for injection molding because molten plastics are thousands to millions of times more viscous than molten metals. As a result, these cores are prone to fracture under high injection pressure. This study presents a novel salt core technique to overcome this constraint. The core is fabricated using a sugar-based syrup with an optimized sugar-to-salt ratio, and a balanced mix of coarse and fine salt particles to reduce voids and improve structural compactness. The method’s effectiveness is demonstrated through successful molding of a Tri-Ring connector, a part typically difficult to produce integrally. Core shift behavior was analyzed through CAE simulations and confirmed by experimental validation. The dimensional precision of the molded product was further optimized using the Taguchi method. This work highlights a sustainable and practical solution for producing complex, high-precision molded parts without assembly.

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Journal Impact Factor	1.7	2024, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2025)
5-year Journal Impact Factor	1.8	2024, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2025)
Journal Citation Indicator	0.33	2024, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2025)
CiteScore	3.7	2024, Scopus (Elsevier B.V., 2025)
SCImago Journal Rank	0.382	2024, SJR (Scimago Lab, 2025; Data Source: Scopus)
Source Normalized Impact per Paper	0.538	2024, CWTS Journal Indicators (CWTS B.V., 2025; Data Source: Scopus)

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Editor-in-Chief
Nino Grizzuti, University of Naples Federico II, Italy, nino.grizzuti@unina.it

Editors
Abdellah Ajji, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Canada, abdellah.ajji@polymtl.ca
Pedro Fardim, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, pedro.fardim@kuleuven.be
Michele Galizia, The University of Oklahoma, USA, mgalizia@ou.edu
Hiroshi Ito, Yamagata University, Japan, ihiroshi@yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp
Yongjin Li, Hangzhou Normal University, China, yongjin-li@hznu.edu.cn
Shih-Jung Liu, Chang Gung University, Taiwan, shihjung@mail.cgu.edu.tw
Ana Vera Machado, University of Minho, Portugal, avm@dep.uminho.pt
Tim A. Osswald, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, tosswald@wisc.edu
Roberto Pantani, University of Salerno, Italy, rpantani@unisa.it

Advisory Board
Francisco J. Baltá Calleja, Institute for Structure of Matter, CSIC, Spain
Satinath N. Bhattacharya, RMIT University, Australia
Shia-Chung Chen, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan
José A. Covas, University of Minho, Portugal
Igor Emri, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Donald L. Feke, Case Western Reserve University, USA
Dino Ferri, Basic Chemical and Plastics Research Centre, Versalis S.p.A., Italy
Walter W. Focke, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Russell E. Gorga, North Carolina State University, USA
Juan P. Hernández Ortiz, National University of Colombia, Colombia
Christian Hopmann, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Sadhan C. Jana, The University of Akron, USA
Takeshi Kikutani, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Ica Manas-Zloczower, Case Western Reserve University, USA
Han E. H. Meijer, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands
Ashok Misra, Indian Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India
Luiz A. Pessan, Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
Hans.-J. Radusch, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
Tadamoto Sakai, Shizuoka University, Japan
Zehev Tadmor, Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Bruno Vergnes, MINES ParisTech, France
Xinling Wang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

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Journal information

Additional information

eISSN:

2191-0340

ISSN:

0334-6447

Language:

English

Publisher:

De Gruyter

Additional information

First published:

January 1, 1984

Publication Frequency:

10 issues per year

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Journal of Polymer Engineering

eISSN: 2191-0340

ISSN: 0334-6447

Audience(s) for this journal

Polymer engineers; materials scientists; chemical and environmental engineers; physicists

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