ABSTRACT Polyamide 1012 (PA1012) composites with balanced strength and toughness were fabricated by blending with lanthanum‐neutralized polyolefin elastomer (POE) ionomers and nano‐alumina grafted with nylon short chains (Al 2 O 3 ‐PA). Al 2 O 3 ‐PA was synthesized based on in situ polymerization, while POE ionomers with different glutamic acid/maleic anhydride mole ratios were prepared through melt‐blending. The multiple interactions between La 3+ ‐carboxyl/amide groups and dynamic networks formed by chain entanglement of Al 2 O 3 ‐PA with PA1012 and POE ionomers significantly improved PA1012's mechanical properties. Compared with pure PA1012, the impact toughness (92.0 kJ/m 2 ) of PA1012/POE ionomer/Al 2 O 3 ‐PA composites was 14 times higher while the tensile strength (53.4 MPa) retained 86.1% of its value. Rheological characterization showed decreased melt viscosity, helping with processing challenges in rubber‐toughened plastics. The toughening mechanism was attributed to matrix yielding, elastomer particle deformation, and dynamic network destruction. This work provides an efficient strategy for designing high‐performance polyamide composites with balanced mechanical properties and enlarging their applications in automotive, electronics and military fields.

ABSTRACT Isinglass/agar hydrogel beads were synthesized using a self‐assembly method at a water‐in‐oil emulsion interface. The hydrogel was chemically crosslinked using glutaraldehyde to generate stable aldimine bonds with amino (–NH 2 ) groups present in isinglass. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was utilized to determine the generation of chemical crosslinks within the hydrogel. The hydrogel's porous and interconnected three‐dimensional morphology was investigated with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM). The resulting hydrogel beads demonstrated a narrow and uniform size distribution ranging from 3.5 to 3.75 mm, confirming the reproducibility of the synthesis method. The equilibrium swelling ratio was reduced as the crosslinking agent concentration increased, resulting in water uptake decreasing from about 1358% to 753%. Also, the swelling ratio was very sensitive to pH changes, showing a maximum (~1580%) at pH 3 and decreasing as pH increased. The swelling ratio increased with the temperature, reaching approximately 1960% at 60°C. Analysis of the swelling kinetics showed that the swelling behavior was in good agreement with the pseudo‐second‐order model, implying the presence of chemical interactions between the polymeric chains and the molecules of water. These findings suggest that these hydrogels could be suitable for wastewater treatment, contaminant removal, or controlled release.

ABSTRACT Artificial cartilage foam (ACF) is a novel polyurethane foam, characterized by a pore structure that is partially connected and partially closed. The present study proposes a novel mesoscale model with mixed cellular pores, and investigates the effects of parameters such as strain rate of the soft matrix, air, and interconnectivity between pores on the mechanical properties of foam materials. The research reveals that the strain rate effect of the cellular foam matrix significantly enhances the plateau stress of the foam material under high‐speed compression. Additionally, it is demonstrated that the connectivity and pore size parameters have a noticeable influence on the mechanical performance of the matrix mixed cellular foam materials. Furthermore, the investigation extends to the internal development of the material under both high‐speed and static compression, a phenomenon that is difficult to observe experimentally. The study finds that the different stress plateau regions caused by dynamic and static compression are primarily due to pore deformation, and the deformation sequence of the pores is related to their spatial positions, with pores located in the damage zone being more likely to deform. Finally, under high‐density conditions, the soft matrix results in increased lateral deformation, forming a horizontal densification zone. The methods and conclusions of this study can be applied to material design in the materials industry, providing guidance for the production of polymer foam materials.

ABSTRACT Creep of outer shell fabric (OSF) of the bulletproof jacket (BPJ) is an important factor for determining its sagging behavior, which is an important aspect of OSF that carries heavy armor panels (hard and soft armor). In the present study, various woven fabrics from polyester, nylon, and high tenacity (HT) polyester yarns are prepared with rib‐stop constructions and evaluated for their creep behavior. In comparison to other fabrics, the HT polyester fabric shows the best creep resistance properties (0% in warp and 1% in weft direction) even after 12 h of loading. It is concluded that the HT polyester fabric has excellent anti‐sag properties at three different loads (2, 3, and 4 kgf) and meets the mechanical performance of OSF of BPJ. The OSF made of HT polyester rip‐stop fabric can be an alternative material to existing nylon OSF, exhibiting excellent creep, sagging, and mechanical properties at a 25%–30% cheaper cost. The Findley Visco‐elastic model is employed to investigate the creep and anti‐sag behavior of the fabrics while subjected to a constant load for a prolonged duration. Long‐term creep simulation predicts that the HT polyester fabric can retain its structural integrity till 5 years under operational loads of 4 kgf, making it a highly durable and cost‐effective OSF alternative to nylon.

ABSTRACT Extensive research is being carried out on the development of biodegradable packaging films. Antimicrobial activity is one among the critical factors in food packaging. In the present work, Cu‐TiO 2 nanocomposite has been synthesized by the reduction of copper ions using L‐ascorbic acid in the presence of TiO 2 nanoparticles. Formation of copper nanoparticles has been confirmed by x‐ray diffraction, and morphology has been observed by scanning electron microscopy. Nanocomposite has been compounded with poly lactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic starch (TPS) using a twin‐screw extruder, followed by the blowing of films. The prepared film has tensile strength and elongation of 31.11 ± 0.93 MPa and 2.83% ± 0.12%, respectively. The obtained values are similar to PLA/TPS film with TiO 2 . Cu‐TiO 2 nanocomposite film has ~80%–85% transparency in the visible region. Antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus has been observed for the Cu‐TiO 2 nanocomposite film, with about an order of magnitude lower colony‐forming unit as compared to the film with TiO 2 . Weight loss of 4.4% has been observed for the film buried in composting medium for 30 days.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the incorporation of industrial waste materials into polyurethane‐based composites and evaluates their mechanical, thermal, and microstructural properties. The polyurethane matrix was synthesized from methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and polyether polyol, into which various waste fillers, including ulexite, colemanite, tincal, and Kırka clay, were introduced in different proportions. Mechanical testing revealed that specific wastes significantly enhance compressive strength, with ulexite‐ and clay‐reinforced composites achieving improvements of 42.19% and 43.54%, respectively, compared to the pure polymer. The ulexite–clay composite exhibited the highest mechanical strength (38.67 kN), whereas tincal‐containing samples demonstrated the weakest performance. Shore A hardness values generally decreased with waste incorporation, indicating that filler addition reduces polymer rigidity. Thermal conductivity results showed property variations within ±25%, where ulexite increased conductivity while Kırka clay reduced it, thereby improving thermal insulation potential. Microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed heterogeneous morphologies with dense filler distribution that intensified with increasing filler ratios. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated both physical and chemical interactions between the polymer matrix and boron‐containing fillers, highlighting the complex interfacial bonding mechanisms. To complement the experimental analyses, machine learning (ML) models were applied to predict composite performance based on waste type and ratio. Among the tested algorithms, Random Forest (RF) demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy (R 2 > 0.90), confirming its suitability for modeling composite properties. The integration of ML provided quantitative insights into the role of individual and combined waste fillers, aligning closely with experimental observations. This research demonstrates that the controlled selection and optimization of waste fillers can enhance the performance of polyurethane composites, promote recycling of industrial byproducts, and support the development of sustainable materials for applications such as thermal insulation and structural components.

ABSTRACT This study presents the development of sustainable fibrous biocomposites based on natural rubber (NR) and castor oil‐based polyurethane (PUR), reinforced with 45S5‐K bioactive glass (BL0) particles, using the solution blow spinning (SBS) technique. The resulting materials displayed well‐formed fibrous mats with diameters ranging from 70 to 100 μm and an evident improvement in mechanical strength with the incorporation of BL0, reaching a maximum tensile strength of (2.91 ± 0.57 MPa) in the biocomposite with 20 wt% BL0. Thermogravimetric analyses (TG/DTG) under nitrogen atmosphere revealed that, despite a modest reduction in thermal stability with increasing BL0 content, all samples remained stable up to 250°C, which is suitable for biomedical applications. DMA results indicated that the addition of BL0 particles enhanced the stiffness of the biocomposites, as evidenced by higher storage modulus values and broader viscoelastic profiles. Biological assays confirmed that all fibrous biocomposite samples, with the exception of the one containing 30 wt% BL0, maintained cell viability above 70%, thus meeting ISO 10993‐5:2009 standards. These findings highlight the potential of NR‐PUR/BL0 fibrous biocomposites as sustainable scaffolds for regenerative medicine, particularly for applications in tissue engineering.

ABSTRACT In recent years, the reduction of water reserves has highlighted the processes related to obtaining high‐quality water. For this aim, membrane processes have gained significant attention regarding sustainability and energy savings. In this study, the cross‐flow filtration (CFF) process, as a green process, was used to remove tartrazine (E‐102), an anionic dye, from aqueous solutions. For this aim, cellulose‐supported alginate (Alg‐CS), cellulose‐supported alginate‐aluminum oxide (Alg‐CS/Al 2 O 3 ), and cellulose‐supported alginate‐graphite (Alg‐CS/C) composite membranes were prepared. Characterization of the membranes was performed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and contact angle (CA) measurements. The effects of the amount of Al 2 O 3 and C on the removal efficiency of the composite membranes were deeply examined. At the end of the study, it was determined that the presence of Al 2 O 3 and C enhanced the removal tendency of the cellulose‐supported alginate membranes, and the maximum tartrazine removal efficiency as a recovery percentage (R%) was found to be 91.9% at a pH of 3.5 for the Alg‐CS/Al 2 O 3 membranes containing 7 g of Al 2 O 3 , and 87% at a pH of 1.5 for the Alg‐CS/C membranes containing 0.5 g of C.

ABSTRACT Nanocellulose materials are promising candidates to partly replace petroleum‐based carbon black (CB) as fillers for rubber composites. This study considers the actual rubber manufacturing process in preparing nanocellulose‐containing and vulcanized (i.e., sulfur‐ or S‐crosslinked) natural rubber (NR) composite sheets. Their abrasion resistance, which is significant in actual applications, in addition to their normal properties, was investigated using S‐crosslinked NR/CB composite sheets as references. The S‐crosslinked NR/CB composite sheets showed higher tensile strengths and abrasion resistance than those of the S‐crosslinked nanocellulose‐containing NR composite sheets prepared under various conditions. However, the peroxide (PO)‐crosslinked NR/nanocellulose composite sheet exhibited higher tensile strengths and higher stress values at 20%, 50%, 100%, and 300% strain than those of the NR/CB composite sheets and an abrasion resistance similar to those of the NR/CB composite sheets. Therefore, the advantages of using nanocellulose as a filler were demonstrated by preparing NR composite sheets via PO‐crosslinking. Pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance is a useful tool for characterizing the network structures of composite sheets at the nano‐level, and the obtained spin–spin relaxation‐related data were well correlated with the macroscopic tensile properties and abrasion resistance of the composite sheets.

There are many industrial examples of low Reynolds number non-Newtonian flows through rectangular ducts in polymer processing. They occur in all types of manufacturing processes in which raw polymeric materials are converted into products, ranging from screw extrusion to shaping operations in dies and molds. In addition, they are found in numerous rheological measurement systems. The literature provides various mathematical formulations for non-Newtonian flows through rectangular ducts, but-if not simplified further-their solution usually requires use of numerical techniques. Removing the need for these time-consuming techniques, we present novel analytical correction factors for the drag and pressure flows of power-law fluids in rectangular flow channels. We approximated numerical results for a fully developed flow under isothermal conditions using symbolic regression based on genetic programming. The correction factors can be applied to the analytical theory that describes the flow of power-law fluids between parallel plates to include effects of the side walls in the prediction of flow rate and viscous dissipation.