The microstructural properties and rheological behavior of the long‐glass‐fiber‐reinforced polypropylene (GF50‐PP) composite produced by the compression molding process were studied and modeled. Composite plates of GF50‐PP with different thicknesses of 4, 12, and 24 mm have been used to study the effect of glass fiber distribution and various thicknesses on the properties of the core and the surface of the composites. Physicochemical characteristics and rheological behavior of the surface and the core of the plates have been compared. The effect of material sampling area on glass transition temperature, melting temperature, crystallization temperature, degree of crystallinity (Xc), and viscosity were analyzed. Mechanical tests have been carried out to assess the impact of the process parameters on the mechanical characteristics. The results showed that in the compression molding process, three competing parameters should be considered: the Xc, fiber accumulation, and presence of porosity. One can note that this study is applicable to present the relation or interaction between process, microstructure, and properties of the GF50‐PP composite prepared by the thermocompression method.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is used for various purposes because of its special physico-chemical properties, including large band gap, high binding energy of exciton, nontoxicity, high chemical and thermal stability, large piezoelectric constants, and wurtzite crystal structure with various and widespread applications in electronics, optoelectronics, biochemical sensing, biomedical, and energy-saving systems. This review mainly aimed to present the recent improvement in ZnO-based composite materials with utilization in energy storage systems with a specific focus on lithium-ion batteries, dye-sensitized solar cells, and supercapacitors. The first part of this paper looks at the structure and properties of ZnO and then describes some of the most common synthesizing methods of ZnO composites, including electrochemical, chemical, solvo/hydrothermal, and physical deposition methods. Finally, the recent advancement of ZnO-based composite materials applied in energy storage systems was discussed.

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