3D printing is a state‐of‐the‐art technology for the fabrication of biomaterials with myriad applications in translational medicine. After stimuli‐responsive properties were introduced to 3D printing (known as 4D printing), intelligent biomaterials with shape configuration time‐dependent character have been developed. Polysaccharides are biodegradable polymers sensitive to several physical, chemical, and biological stimuli, suited for 3D and 4D printing. On the other hand, engineering of mechanical strength and printability of polysaccharide‐based scaffolds along with their aneural, avascular, and poor metabolic characteristics need to be optimized varying printing parameters. Multiple disciplines such as biomedicine, chemistry, materials, and computer sciences should be integrated to achieve multipurpose printable biomaterials. In this work, 3D and 4D printing technologies are briefly compared, summarizing the literature on biomaterials engineering though printing techniques, and highlighting different challenges associated with 3D/4D printing, as well as the role of polysaccharides in the technological shift from 3D to 4D printing for translational medicine.

Polymer-bonded magnets are a class of composite material that combines the magnetic properties of metal particles and the molding possibility of a polymeric matrix. This class of materials has shown huge potential for various applications in industry and engineering. Traditional research in this field has so far mainly focused on mechanical, electrical or magnetic properties of the composite, or on particle size and distribution. This examination of synthesized Nd-Fe-B-epoxy composite materials includes the mutual comparison of impact toughness, fatigue, and the structural, thermal, dynamic-mechanical, and magnetic behavior of materials with different content of magnetic Nd-Fe-B particles, in a wide range from 5 to 95 wt.%. This paper tests the influence of the Nd-Fe-B content on impacting the toughness of the composite material, as this relationship has not been tested before. The results show that impact toughness decreases, while magnetic properties increase, along with increasing content of Nd-Fe-B. Based on the observed trends, selected samples have been analyzed in terms of crack growth rate behavior. Analysis of the fracture surface morphology reveals the formation of a stable and homogeneous composite material. The synthesis route, the applied methods of characterization and analysis, and the comparison of the obtained results can provide a composite material with optimum properties for a specific purpose.

An increased demand for energy in recent decades has caused an increase in the emissions of combustion products, among which carbon-dioxide is the most harmful. As carbon-dioxide induces negative environmental effects, like global warming and the greenhouse effect, a decrease of the carbon-dioxide emission has emerged as one of the most urgent tasks in engineering. In this work, the possibility for the application of the polymer-based, dense, mixed matrix membranes for flue gas treatment was tested. The task was to test a potential decrease in the permeability and selectivity of a mixed-matrix membrane in the presence of moisture and at elevated temperature. Membranes are based on two different poly(ethylene oxide)-based polymers filled with two different zeolite powders (ITR and IWS). An additive of detergent type was added to improve the contact properties between the zeolite and polymer matrix. The measurements were performed at three different temperatures (30, 60, and 90 °C) under wet conditions, with partial pressure of the water equal to the vapor pressure of the water at the given temperature. The permeability of carbon-dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen was measured, and the selectivity of the carbon-dioxide versus other gases was determined. Obtained results have shown that an increase of temperature and partial pressure of the vapor slightly increase both the selectivity and permeability of the synthesized membranes. It was also shown that the addition of the zeolite powder increases the permeability of carbon-dioxide while maintaining the selectivity, compared to hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) are some of the most common modern composite materials for interior and exterior design that combine natural waste wood properties and the molding possibility of a thermoplastic polymer binder. The addition of reinforcing elements, binding agents, pigments, and coatings, as well as changes to the microstructure and composition, can all affect the quality of WPCs for particular purposes. To improve the properties, hybrid composite panels of WPCs with 30 wt. % and 40 wt. % of wood content and reinforced with one or three metal grid layers were prepared sequentially by extrusion and hot pressure molding. The results show an average 20% higher moisture absorption for composites with higher wood content. A high impact test (HIT) revealed that the absorbed energy of deformation increased with the number of metal grid layers, regardless of the wood content, around two times for all samples before water immersion and around ten times after water absorption. Also, absorbed energy increases with raised wood content, which is most pronounced in three-metal-grid samples, from 21 J to 26 J (before swelling) and from 15 J to 24 J (after swelling). Flexural tests follow the trends observed by HIT, indicating around 65% higher strength for samples with three metal grid layers vs. samples without a metal grid before water immersion and around 80% higher strength for samples with three metal grid layers vs. samples without a grid after water absorption. The synthesis route, double reinforcing (wood and metal), applied methods of characterization, and optimization according to the obtained results provide a WPC with improved mechanical properties ready for an outdoor purpose.