Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2025

Artificial Thermal Ageing of Polyester Reinforced and Polyvinyl Chloride Coated Technical Fabric
Published on: January 29, 2020
Investigation of Polymer Aging Mechanisms Using Molecular Simulations: A Review
Fan Zhang1, Rui Yang1, Diannan Lu1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Abstract:
Aging has a serious impact on the properties of functional polymers. Therefore, it is necessary to study the aging mechanism to prolong the service and storage life of polymer-based devices and materials. Due to the limitations of traditional experimental methods, more and more studies have adopted molecular simulations to analyze the intrinsic mechanisms of aging. In this paper, recent advances in molecular simulations of the aging of polymers and their composites are reviewed. The characteristics and applications of commonly used simulation methods in the study of the aging mechanisms (traditional molecular dynamics simulation, quantum mechanics, and reactive molecular dynamics simulation) are outlined. The current simulation research progress of physical aging, aging under mechanical stress, thermal aging, hydrothermal aging, thermo-oxidative aging, electric aging, aging under high-energy particle impact, and radiation aging is introduced in detail. Finally, the current research status of the aging simulations of polymers and their composites is summarized, and the future development trend has been prospected.
More Related Videos
06:16Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering
Published on: December 21, 2017
06:55Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
Published on: September 26, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview