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This book presents information about composite materials, which have a variety of applications in engineering and aeronautics, transportation, construction, sports, and recreational activities, and so on. The first section evaluates the thermal and mechanical properties of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers reinforced with particles and fibers. The second section discusses new 2D composites such as thin films for their conductivity and shielding properties. In discussing the different materials, Composite Materials include information on the design of the materials, their structure, and their preparation methods.

Composite materials.

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Annotation In a dedicated Special Issue, the journal Polymers has compiled papers on the current trends and research directions within the preparation, characterization and application of polymer-based composite materials in electrical engineering applications. In recent times, this type of material has evolved to become one of the most thoroughly investigated materials, stimulated by the demand for the resource-efficient assembly of generators, transformers, communication devices, etc. Novel composites are to be used as insulating materials with high thermal conductivity and excellent temperature stability, through which premature ageing and degradation of devices shall be avoided or at least reduced. This Special Issue comprises twelve contributions by internationally renowned researchers; to mention Petru V. Nothinger (University Politehnica of Bucharest), Alun S. Vaughan (University of Southampton), Stanislaw M. Gubanski (Chalmers University of Technology), Michael Muhr (Graz University of Technology), Johan J. Smit (TU Delft), and Ulf W. Gedde (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) as prominent examples. The state-of-the-art research and technology of the area 'micro- and nanocomposites for electrical engineering applications' has been summarized in three review articles, while the current research trends and the development and characterization of novel materials have been described in eight original research articles. Stimulated by the vivid current interest in this topic, this Special Issue of Polymers has additionally been compiled in a book version.

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The use of composite materials is ubiquitous in every field of human activities, including in the agricultural, industrial, environmental, biomedical and transport sectors. After a pandemic with the simultaneous unfolding of an energy and climatic crisis, we now realize how necessary it is to carry out studies on composite materials based on polymers to positively affect our current society and, in particular, future generations.

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Presenting very high surface-to-volume ratio, relatively simple processability and low cost, graphene and graphene-related materials were soon identified as promising nanofillers for polymer matrixes. Reports have shown notorious property enhancements for graphene-polymer composites (GPC) at very low filler loadings. Uses of GPC in varied fields, such as energy, electronics, catalysis, separation and purification, biomedicine, aerospace, tribology, etc., have been demonstrated and, in some cases, put into industrial practice. However, challenges still exist. Platelet agglomeration within the polymer matrix is often seen to hinder performance improvements. Poor interfacial adhesion between filler and matrix is also a limiting factor in many systems, demanding for tuning the surface chemistry to promote physical or chemical interactions with the polymer chains. The range of routes for fabrication of graphene-related materials, leading to different morphologies, oxidation states, and degrees of platelet exfoliation, have an impact on the final properties of the composites that has not yet been fully addressed. Some argue that the potential of graphene, and its advantages in relation to other nanofillers, has not yet been clearly demonstrated for polymer composites. This Special Issue provides a state of the art view on the different facets of graphene-polymer composite materials, showing that this area of research is thriving and relevant advancements are still to be expected.

Composite materials. --- Polymers.

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Concrete, one of the most often-used building materials today, is the cornerstone of modern buildings all over the world, being used for foundations, pavements, building walls, architectural structures, highways, bridges, overpasses, and so on. Because of its adaptability, concrete may be found in practically every construction, in some form or another. Yet, the diverse nature of its components, their combinations, and their doses result in a very wide range of concrete kinds with varying properties. As a result, concrete is a material that is always evolving and is popular even now, especially when it comes to circular economy.Other ways of concrete manufacturing are now being researched to lessen or remove the limits of this material, which are connected to its brittleness and poor environmental effects. As a result, the development of engineering cementitious composites has resulted in a significant reduction in flexibility issues, while the introduction of new additives and the optimization of the manufacturing process has resulted in a significant reduction in the negative effects of virgin raw material exploitation. In-depth research is still required to optimize and increase the sustainability of these advanced engineering cementitious composites or alternative concretes.In this Special Issue (SI), state-of-the-art research and review articles on the emerging material systems for AM are collected, with a focus on the process-structure-properties relationships. In total, eleven research papers and six reviews have been collected.

Composite materials. --- Building materials.