Materials Today Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Zeolite-based materials for sulfate remediation: A review of structure–function insights, modification strategies, and sustainable water treatment applications","authors":"Amira S. Diab ,&nbsp;Ahmed A. Allam ,&nbsp;Hassan A. Rudayni ,&nbsp;Mostafa R. Abukhadra","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101308","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101308","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The widespread presence of sulfate (SO₄²⁻) in natural and industrial waters poses serious environmental and engineering challenges, including ecological degradation, scaling, and infrastructure corrosion. Conventional treatment methods such as chemical precipitation, ion exchange, biological reduction, and membrane separation are often limited by high energy consumption, secondary waste generation, or poor cost-effectiveness. Zeolites, crystalline aluminosilicates with highly ordered frameworks and ion-exchange capacity, have emerged as promising candidates for sulfate remediation. This review provides a critical assessment of natural, synthetic, and modified zeolites, with particular emphasis on how structural features and modification strategies influence adsorption performance. Surface modifications—such as cation exchange, acid activation, metal incorporation, and surfactant functionalization—are shown to significantly enhance sulfate affinity, stability, and reusability compared with raw zeolites. Mechanistic insights into ion exchange, electrostatic attraction, and surface complexation are systematically correlated with framework topology, pore dimensionality, and Si/Al ratios. Current challenges include regeneration efficiency, long-term structural stability under realistic wastewater conditions, and cost of large-scale synthesis and modification. Future directions highlight the importance of green synthesis approaches, the design of hybrid zeolite composites, and multifunctional zeolite-based platforms capable of simultaneously targeting anionic, cationic, and organic pollutants. By integrating structural chemistry with environmental engineering, this review establishes zeolites and their modified derivatives as sustainable and scalable materials for advanced sulfate remediation in water and wastewater systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101308"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oxygen vacancy engineering and synergistic effects of Ce-doping in NiO octahedra for enhanced photodegradation of organic and antibiotic pollutants","authors":"Mohd Shkir ,&nbsp;Mohd Taukeer Khan ,&nbsp;S. AlFaify ,&nbsp;Ashwani Kumar ,&nbsp;R. Marnadu ,&nbsp;Sambasivam Sangaraju","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101311","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101311","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study systematically investigates the effect of cerium (Ce) doping on the photocatalytic performance of nickel oxide (NiO) under visible light irradiation. The introduction of Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ ions into the NiO lattice induces lattice strain and generates oxygen vacancies, thereby enhancing charge separation and visible-light absorption. These defects promote the generation of reactive oxygen species (O₂•^- and •OH), which drive the degradation of organic pollutants. Structural, optical, and electronic analyses of NiO doped with 1 %, 3 %, and 5 % Ce highlight the key role of the Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ redox couple in facilitating thermally assisted polaronic hopping and improving charge transport. Notably, Ce-NiO-3 % showed higher surface area of 114.4 m²g^-1 than pure NiO. Among all samples, Ce–NiO-3 % showed the best photocatalytic activity, degrading over 95 % of methylene blue within 90 min. The enhanced activity arises from the synergistic effects of bandgap narrowing, defect engineering, and redox-mediated ROS generation. This work provides valuable insights for designing efficient, defect-engineered Ce–NiO photocatalysts for environmental remediation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101311"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A green binary solvent for the electrospinning of cellulose acetate","authors":"Vanessa O. Castro ,&nbsp;Bastian Zötzl ,&nbsp;Maik Förste ,&nbsp;Laura Hohlfeld ,&nbsp;Susann Rabe ,&nbsp;Claudia Merlini ,&nbsp;Katja Heise","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101310","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101310","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The demand for sustainable materials has increased the need for benign solvent systems in polymer processing technologies. In the field of electrospinning, the selection of the solvent system is critical not only for determining the final material properties but also for improving the overall sustainability of the fiber production process. Cellulose acetate (CA) electrospinning typically relies on hazardous or non-green solvents, limiting its sustainable processing. In this study, we present a sustainable approach for electrospinning of CA, by identifying and validating a green binary solvent system based on dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). CA solutions were prepared using DMC/DMSO (w/w) ratios of 100/0, 83/17, 80/20, 75/25, 67/33 and 50/50, and the influence of the solvent composition on solution processability and fiber properties was studied. By tuning the solvent ratio, the fiber diameter, surface morphology and mechanical performance could be modified. Higher contents of the more volatile solvent (DMC) led to porous fiber surfaces, while increasing amounts of DMSO led to smooth fiber surfaces. In addition, the mechanical properties of the electrospun fiber mats were strongly dependent on the solvent composition. Overall, this study provides a new and sustainable approach to green electrospinning of CA, establishing DMC/DMSO as an effective binary solvent system for producing CA fibers with adaptable properties for various eco-friendly applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101310"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biocatalytic degradation of perfluoroalkyl substances from water using multi-walled carbon nanotube/laccase polyamide thin film nanocomposite membranes","authors":"N.K. Ramogale,&nbsp;N. Mamba,&nbsp;B.S. Mbuli,&nbsp;S.P. Malinga","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biocatalytic membranes have emerged as a sustainable approach for removing and degrading detrimental pollutants from water. This research introduces a uniquely engineered biocatalytic PA-TFC membrane synthesised through <em>in-situ</em> incorporation of an MWCNTs/laccase nanocomposite, offering a new integration strategy that enhances catalytic stability, membrane performance, and pollutant degradation. The study distinguishes itself by demonstrating simultaneous removal and enzymatic degradation of PFOA, supported by multi-technique characterisation and superior functional metrics compared to conventional membranes. The Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Infra-Red spectroscopy confirmed the successful synthesis of modified PA-TFC membranes, revealing the presence of an amide band at 1610 cm⁻¹, which is a characteristic of the polyamide thin film layer. Additionally, the scanning electron microscopy and correlative light electron microscopy showed green fluorescence under confocal microscopy, validating the presence of laccase enzyme aggregates. The modified PA-TFC membranes exhibited enhanced hydrophilicity, as evidenced by reduced water contact angle of 42.07° ± 6.89 and high-water flux of 37.40 ± 1.07 L m⁻² h⁻¹. Conversely, the pristine PA-TFC exhibited low hydrophilicity, characterised by an elevated contact angle of 54.42° ± 6.89° and a reduced water flux of up to 9.36 ± 9.36 L m⁻² h⁻¹. This was accompanied by enhanced antifouling properties of the modified membranes, with a flux recovery ratio of over 80 %, compared to 72.55 % for the unmodified membrane. Furthermore, the modified membranes achieved the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) removal efficiencies of 65.33 % ± 3.52, whereas the unmodified membranes exhibited the removal of 55.06 % ± 0.80. Perfluorooctanoic acid was degraded into less toxic by-products such as perfluorohexanoic acid, perfluoroheptanoic acid, perfluorobutanoic acid, and formic acid. The in-situ modified MWCNTs/laccase-PA-TFC membranes exhibited enhanced efficacy compared to other conventional biocatalytic membranes, highlighting their potential in advancing sustainable water treatment applications due to their self-cleaning properties and longevity in degrading the PFOA contaminant.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101313"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiation shielding properties of Fe-Cu@cellulose composites synthesised via sol-gel method for sustainable X-ray protection","authors":"Ali Alomari ,&nbsp;Heryanto Heryanto ,&nbsp;Dahlang Tahir ,&nbsp;Muh Ade Artasasta ,&nbsp;Ahmed Akouibaa ,&nbsp;Abdelillah Akouibaa ,&nbsp;Mohammad I. Abualsayed ,&nbsp;Yasser Maghrbi","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101309","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing use of X-rays requires the advancement of radiation protection materials to mitigate the negative effects associated with X-ray exposure. Here, cellulose-based composites were successfully developed with metal (Fe and Cu) as filler, and PVA as an adhesive via sol-gel methods. The enhanced performance of the samples in X-ray shielding was supported by changes in structural-optical properties, such as a high crystallinity index, reduced crystallite size, and broadened phonon modes. The findings in this study show that the 30Fe-70Cu@Cel sample has the highest ability to reduce X-ray radiation, where the performance is attributed to the increase in distance <span><math><mrow><mo>Δ</mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mi>L</mi><mi>O</mi><mo>−</mo><mi>T</mi><mi>O</mi></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span>, the increase in peaks in <span><math><mrow><msub><mi>ε</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></math></span>, and higher ELF. The enhanced results of LAC and MAC obtained were (0.33 ± 0.01) cm⁻¹ and (1.02 ± 0.02) cm²/g, respectively, at 80 keV X-ray energy with a thickness of (0.108 ± 0.01) cm. Additionally, the experimental calculation results were compared with the theoretical calculation using the XCOM database, demonstrating a strong agreement. Based on the results obtained, cellulose fibers loaded with Fe and Cu could be a material that is effective in X-ray shielding, lightweight, flexible, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101309"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing circular additive manufacturing: Life cycle sustainability assessment of gears made from recycled polylactic acid","authors":"Mohammad Raquibul Hasan ,&nbsp;Ian J. Davies ,&nbsp;Alokesh Pramanik ,&nbsp;Michele John ,&nbsp;Wahidul K. Biswas","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates the mechanical performance and life cycle sustainability of post-consumer recycled polylactic acid (rPLA) for use in the fused filament fabrication of 3D-printed gear components. Five material compositions ranging from 0 % to 100 % rPLA blended with virgin PLA (vPLA) were assessed through tensile testing and gear function trials. To balance the technical evaluation, a comprehensive life-cycle sustainability assessment was conducted, incorporating environmental (ELCA), economic (LCC), and social (SLCA) indicators using a triple bottom line sustainability framework. Mechanical testing showed a slight reduction in tensile strength with increased rPLA content, with the 50:50 blend (V50:R50) achieving 52.83 MPa compared to 61.12 MPa for 100 % vPLA. All the blends maintained functional gear performance with no slippage. Environmentally, rPLA-rich blends significantly lowered global warming potential, cumulative energy demand, and abiotic resource depletion. Economically, although rPLA reduces raw material and energy costs, filament quality variability introduces preprocessing challenges, slightly increasing the overall production costs. Socially, rPLA-inclusive systems have demonstrated strong potential for improving local employment, training, and worker safety, particularly within decentralised recycling networks. The V50:R50 blend achieved the highest overall sustainability score (−1.35), offering the most balanced trade-off between mechanical performance and triple bottom line sustainability, outperforming both pure vPLA (−1.96) and pure rPLA (−1.75). These findings support the viability of rPLA in noncritical gear applications and underscore the importance of future research on quality assurance systems and cost-effective preprocessing technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101312"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adding boron nitride or SiO2/MnO/graphene composite to a flexible thermoelectric generator to change its operation mode to temperature sensor","authors":"L. Ojeda ,&nbsp;J. Oliva ,&nbsp;G. Gonzalez-Contreras ,&nbsp;T.A. Esquivel-Castro ,&nbsp;K.P. Padmasree ,&nbsp;A.I. Mtz-Enriquez ,&nbsp;V. Rodriguez-Gonzalez","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work reports AgSe/SbTe-based thermoelectric (THME) devices and their use as temperature sensors. The AgSe//SbTe-THME device produced an open-circuit-voltage (V_O) of 32 mV, a power density (P_D) of 100 nW cm⁻² and an absolute seebeck-coeficient <span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mi>S</mi><mo>|</mo></mrow></math></span> of 320 μV K⁻¹ in <span><math><mrow><mo>Δ</mo><mi>T</mi></mrow></math></span> range of 40–100 °C. Later, the AgSe electrode was replaced with AgSe + Boron nitride (BN) electrode, creating a (AgSe + BN)//SbTe-THME device. The SbTe electrode was also replaced by SbTe + SiO₂/MnO/Graphene electrode, and this device was named as AgSe//(SbTe + MnO)-THME. We obtained V_O values (at <span><math><mrow><mo>Δ</mo><mi>T</mi></mrow></math></span> of 40–100 °C) of 480 mV and 520 mV for the (AgSe + BN)//SbTe-THME and AgSe//(SbTe + MnO)-THME devices, respectively. Those values are 14–15 times higher with respect to the AgSe//SbTe-THME device. The highest power/Seebeck coefficient of 0.9 μW cm⁻²/5.21 mV K⁻¹ was obtained for the AgSe//(SbTe + MnO)-THME device. The devices above with BN and MnO were also evaluated as temperature sensors (TS) and the lowest response time (Res) of 12.88 s and the highest sensitivity (TCR) of 2.92 % °C⁻¹ were obtained from the (AgSe + BN)//SbTe-TS sensor. Raman and UV–Vis techniques demonstrated that decreasing the content of defects on the electrodes increased the voltages generated by the THME devices and decreased the response times of the sensors. XPS demonstrated that the chemical stability is maintained only in the electrodes of the (AgSe + BN)//SbTe-TS devices despite the increase of temperature, therefore, they increased their sensitivity for the detection of temperature at higher temperatures. The dual devices with thermoelectric and temperature-sensor functions were fabricated on recycled plastics, which reduced considerably their cost.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101304"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of corrosion rate, mechanical properties, toxicity, and bone healing towards different surface modification of biodegradable metallic: A systematic review","authors":"Siti Adawiyah Zulkefli ,&nbsp;Nurin Tihani Nazemi ,&nbsp;Zatul Faqihah Mohd Salaha ,&nbsp;Gan Hong Seng ,&nbsp;Mohammed Rafiq Abdul Kadir ,&nbsp;Muhammad Hanif Ramlee","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101307","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101307","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Magnesium and its alloys are promising biodegradable implant materials for developing orthopaedic implants. However, the drawback of pure Mg and Mg alloys is their high degradation rate in a biological environment. Thus, several strategies are implemented to enhance corrosion resistance and biocompatibility and achieve a controlled degradation rate for these implants by using surface modification. This systematic review addressed the importance of corrosion rate, mechanical properties, toxicity, and bone healing of the biodegradable metallic implant coated with other materials. From the review, the study indicates that chemical and physical coatings are among the most extensively studied strategies for enhancing the performance of orthopaedic implants. For example, a composite coating made of polycaprolactone (PCL), and amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) particles has shown improved corrosion resistance when tested in simulated body fluid (SBF). Furthermore, bioactivity osteointegration could be enhanced by calcium phosphate (CaP) coating, such as brushite, β-tricalcium phosphate, and hydroxyapatite. Several studies have shown that a compact HA coating has excellent corrosion resistance and good biocompatibility, which are suitable for biodegradable metal orthopaedic implants. These findings highlight the various successful surface modification methods that could enhance the biodegradable metal implants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101307"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances in nanotechnology in phase change materials and their applications","authors":"Md. Abdullah ,&nbsp;Mohammad Obayedullah ,&nbsp;Md. Abul Khair ,&nbsp;Md Habibullah ,&nbsp;Md. Nahidul Islam ,&nbsp;Delowar Hossain ,&nbsp;Md. Shariful Islam Shuvo","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of nanotechnology into phase change materials (PCMs) has substantially advanced thermal energy storage and thermoregulation technologies across diverse sectors, including building construction, electronics cooling, smart textiles, and renewable energy systems. This review provides a comprehensive and critical synthesis of recent progress in nano-enhanced phase change materials (NePCMs), focusing on how nanomaterial incorporation modifies thermophysical behavior, durability, and application performance. Various nanomaterials—such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and metal oxides are examined for their roles in enhancing thermal conductivity, regulating phase transition kinetics, and improving overall energy efficiency. Compared with conventional PCMs, NePCMs demonstrate markedly improved performance, with reported thermal conductivity enhancements of 20–160 % at nanoparticle loadings of 0.1–5 wt.%, while maintaining latent heat reductions within an acceptable range of &lt;10–15 %. Hybrid nanomaterials and advanced encapsulation strategies, including in-situ polymerization and silica shell encapsulation, enable 10–30 % reductions in melting and solidification times and 30–70 % suppression of supercooling, alongside enhanced leakage resistance. Long-term reliability is evidenced by &gt; 90–95 % latent heat retention after 200–500 thermal cycles. For thermoregulation applications, system-level energy efficiency improvements of 10–25 % are reported within operating temperature windows of 20–200 °C. Despite these advances, critical challenges persist, including nanoparticle agglomeration, increased viscosity, scalability constraints, material cost escalation of 10–40 %, and unresolved environmental and health concerns. This review also evaluates emerging applications in smart textiles, electronics, temperature-controlled packaging, and solar thermal systems, highlighting the cross-sector potential of NePCMs. Furthermore, it addresses sustainability considerations, emphasizing lifecycle assessment, green synthesis, and risk mitigation strategies. Novel insights into artificial intelligence-assisted property prediction and material optimization are discussed. Overall, this work provides a quantitatively benchmarked, application-driven roadmap for the sustainable development and industrial deployment of next-generation NePCMs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101305"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable and eco-friendly brake pads: Ensuring reliable copper-free performance with minimal steel fiber","authors":"Fatemeh Mollaei ,&nbsp;Ali Partovinia","doi":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtsust.2026.101306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copper, despite its favorable frictional and thermal properties, poses significant environmental concerns, which necessitate the development of sustainable alternatives. In this study, the tribological performance of low-metallic copper-free brake pads reinforced with steel fibers was investigated using a Chase friction testing machine in accordance with the SAE J661 standard. Low-metallic brake pad friction composites reinforced with 10–30 wt% steel fibers were fabricated using hot molding as a manufacturing step. The composites were formed under heat and pressure and subsequently post-cured to obtain the final friction materials. The samples were evaluated for normal and hot friction coefficients and wear rate. To evaluate the mechanical integrity of the brake pad composites, shear strength testing was also performed. By eliminating copper and focusing on frictional stability at different temperatures in steel fiber-reinforced formulations, this method enables accurate and reproducible simulation of real-world braking conditions within a controlled laboratory environment. This approach offers a standardized framework for optimizing environmentally friendly friction materials for automotive applications. The results demonstrated that the formulation containing 15 wt% steel fiber exhibited the most balanced performance, showing a high hot friction coefficient (0.468) and normal friction coefficient of 0.439, indicating consistent friction behavior with low sensitivity to operating conditions, which is regarded as an acceptable coefficient of friction under normal braking conditions. Moreover, this formulation presented the lowest wear rate (4.236 %) and excellent thermal stability. These findings indicate that replacing copper with steel fiber reinforcement can maintain reliable frictional performance and durability, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional copper-based brake pads.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18322,"journal":{"name":"Materials Today Sustainability","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 101306"},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}