Polymer composites are widely used in indoor and outdoor applications owing to their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and design flexibility. However, exposure to environmental factors such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, humidity, temperature fluctuations, and biological agents significantly affect their long-term durability and performance. In this review, we comprehensively examine the degradation mechanisms of polymer composites under both natural and accelerated weathering, with particular emphasis on degradation mechanisms, characterization techniques, and durability assessment. We critically discuss the fundamental degradation mechanisms, including photo-oxidation, hydrolysis, polymer chain scission, crosslinking and interfacial debonding. We also evaluated accelerated weathering techniques, conducted under standardized testing conditions, for their ability to simulate long-term outdoor exposure within significantly shorter timeframes, by controlling key environmental parameters such as UV radiation, humidity, and temperature. We also examine the influence of reinforcements, including natural fibres, synthetic fibres, and nanofillers, on the weathering resistance of polymer composites. Attention is given to natural fibre–reinforced composites because their inherent hydrophilicity promotes moisture absorption, accelerating degradation and weakening the fibre–matrix interface. Furthermore, we critically evaluate the effects of weathering on the mechanical properties, crystalline structure and barrier performance of polymer composite films, and discuss recent advances in enhancing weather resistance through hybridization, surface modification, and the incorporation of stabilizing additives. Finally, the review highlights the key challenges and future research directions for the development of durable, high-performance, and sustainable polymer composite systems for long-term outdoor applications.

This is an editorial article. It has no abstract.

In this work, oil-absorbing cellulose aerogel was fabricated from balsa wood waste, aiming to enhance the valueadded utilization of biomass waste. Cellulose was extracted using a simple treatment and subsequently formed into aerogel through a freeze-drying process. The material was reinforced with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and modified using a polydimethylsiloxane/n-hexane system to improve mechanical strength and hydrophobicity. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed effective removal of hemicellulose and lignin, resulting in a crystallinity index of 82.18%. The obtained materials exhibited a porous structure with a specific surface area of 15.28 m²/g and a pore volume of 0.034 cm³/g, as determined by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Mechanical testing demonstrated that PVA reinforcement significantly enhanced the compressive strength compared to non-reinforced materials. Contact angle result revealed pronounced hydrophobicity of modified aerogel, with water contact angles ranging from 150° to 154° after modification. Oil absorption tests showed that the aerogel achieved a high oil uptake capacity of 1.67±0.26 g/g. Owing to its reasonable oil absorption performance, enhanced mechanical properties, and inherent biodegradability, this aerogel exhibits strong potential as an environmentally friendly sorbent for oil spill remediation and sustainable utilization of balsa wood waste.

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has attracted much attention and shows promising applications in numerous fields. In this study, PLA was plasticized using bio-based castor oil derivatives - hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) and castor oil glycidyl ether (COGE). These eco-blends were measured using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, a scanning electron microscope, a contact angle test, rheology, a differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and a tensile test, respectively. The findings show that a core-shell morphology of COGE-HCO encapsulation is formed in PLA matrix, and the hydrogen bonding interaction and ring-opening chemical reaction among functional groups of the components greatly improve the compatibility, ductility, cold crystallization ability, and thermostability of the eco-blends, but the melt crystallization ability is hindered. The incorporation of HCO improves the hydrophobicity and oleophobicity of the eco-blends. Due to the combined effect of HCO and COGE, the melt viscosity reduces, and the Newtonian behavior enhances; the nucleation density and spherulitic growth of PLA increase. The strain at break of the PLA/HCO/COGE (90/7.5/2.5) blend reached 221%, which is 22.6 times higher than that of the neat PLA. These eco-blends present appropriate rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties, showing application scenarios in biodegradable packaging and disposable appliances.

This is an editorial article. It has no abstract.