Aims and scope

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering is a broad scope journal that publishes articles in all areas of materials science and engineering including, but not limited to:

    Chemistry and fundamental properties of matter
    Material synthesis, fabrication, manufacture, and processing
    Magnetic, electrical, thermal, and optical properties of materials
    Strength, durability, and mechanical behaviour of materials
    Consideration of materials in structural design, modelling, and engineering 
    Green and renewable materials, and consideration of materials’ life cycles
    Materials in specialist applications (such as medicine, energy, aerospace, and nanotechnology)

Submission of original research, and focused review articles, is welcomed from materials scientists and engineers across both academia and industry.

Special Issue on Eco-sustainable Materials and Technologies to Address Technological Challenges
Submission Date: 2024-12-27

Description

The global demand for environmentally and economically sustainable materials and technologies driven by the urgent need to reduce the environmental impact of industrial processes and products has stimulated significant interest and innovation in practices. This includes the development of materials that are not only efficient and durable but also have a minimal ecological footprint during their life cycle. Increasing interest has been devoted to the use of polymers derived from renewable resources such as plants, animals, insects, and microbes, which offer a promising alternative to conventional petroleum-based polymers. These biopolymers, including cellulose, chitosan and polylactic acid, are inherently biodegradable and have a smaller environmental footprint. Enriching the physicochemical and functional properties of polymers with organic/inorganic nanomaterials is not only in line with ecological goals, but also opens up new avenues for the creation of high-performance materials that meet the needs of modern applications.

Despite progress, the field of sustainable materials and green technologies faces several challenges. One of the main challenges is to improve the mechanical properties and durability of these biopolymers to match or exceed those of traditional synthetic polymers. Furthermore, there is a need to develop scalable and cost-effective synthesis methods capable of producing high-quality composites with consistent and reproducible performance. Finally, the scalability of new materials and technologies from the laboratory to industrial applications is a challenge facing researchers. Addressing these challenges requires innovative approaches in materials science and engineering as well as interdisciplinary collaboration.

This aim of this Special Issue is to address these challenges by providing a platform for researchers to share their latest findings and insights focused on the use of innovative sources of natural polymers and environmentally sustainable synthetic strategies for the development of composite materials. We welcome original research and review articles that present innovative research addressing the aforementioned challenges, including new synthesis techniques, improved material properties, and successful applications in different fields.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

    Biodegradable Polymer Composites: development, characterization and potential applications
    Synthesis of Bio-Based Polymers from renewable resources
    Eco-Friendly Composite Synthetic Strategies
    Lifecycle Assessment of Natural Polymers and Composites
    Sustainable Packaging Solutions
    Advanced Characterization Techniques
    Smart and Functional Biopolymer Composites
    Bio composites for Biomedical Applications

Editors

Lead Editor
Angela De Bonis1

1University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy

Guest Editors

Mariangela Curcio1
1University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy