Upcycling of SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test Cassettes into Flame Retardant Plastics.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the generation of large quantities of medical waste and highlighted the importance of efficient waste management systems. One good example of this is rapid antigen tests, which contain valuable resources, and which are usually incinerated after their use. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of waste rapid antigen test cassettes (RATCs) as a resource for the preparation of sustainable flame-retardant plastics.

Overprinting of TPU onto PA6 Substrates: The Influences of the Interfacial Area, Surface Roughness and Processing Parameters on the Adhesion between Components.

The hybridisation of injection moulding (IM) and additive manufacturing (AM) offers the opportunity to combine the high productivity of IM and the high flexibility of AM into a single process. IM parts can be overprinted through fused filament fabrication (FFF) to allow for the customisation of parts or to add new functionalities. However, the right material pair must be chosen, and processing parameters must be optimised to achieve suitable adhesion between the components.

Material Analysis of the Remains of a Wooden Chest from the 4th Century and a Proposal for Its Reconstruction.

A stone chest found in 1971 near one of the largest early Christian basilicas in Northern Dalmatia (Croatia) contained brass tiles decorated with various biblical scenes. An archaeological study confirmed the thesis that the fragments of brass tiles are most likely the remains of a wooden chest made in the 4th century AD, and that this is one of the best preserved archaeological finds of its kind in the world as one of the biblical scenes shows Mary, together with a record of her name (Maria). Based on the preserved brass tiles, a reconstruction of the wooden chest was made in 1973 with tiles glued onto a plastic frame.

Influence of Viscose Fibre Geometry on the Structure-Property Relationships of High-Density Polyethylene Composites.

This study investigated the influence of viscose fibre (VF) geometry on the microstructures and resulting properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. Seven types of viscose fibres varying in cross-section shape, linear density, and length were pelletised, compounded into HDPE with a twin-screw extruder, and injection moulded. The microstructures of the composites were characterised by investigating their cross-sections and by extracting the fibres and measuring their lengths using optical microscopy (OM).

Relationships between the Decomposition Behaviour of Renewable Fibres and Their Reinforcing Effect in Composites Processed at High Temperatures.

Engineering polymers reinforced with renewable fibres (RF) are an attractive class of materials, due to their excellent mechanical performance and low environmental impact. However, the successful preparation of such composites has proven to be challenging due to the low thermal stability of RF. The aim of the present study was to investigate how different RF behaves under increased processing temperatures and correlate the thermal properties of the fibres to the mechanical properties of composites.