Recyclability of Post-Consumer Polystyrene at Pilot Scale: Comparison of Mechanical and Solvent-Based Recycling Approaches.

Solvent-based and mechanical recycling technology approaches were compared with respect to each process's decontamination efficiency. Herein, post-consumer polystyrene (PS) feedstock was recycled by both technologies, yielding recycled PS resins (rPS). The process feedstock was subjected to four recycling cycles in succession to assess the technology perennity.

Two-Dimensional Correlation Analysis of iPP Bead Foaming Thermal Features Modeled by Fast Scanning Calorimetry.

The bead foaming of semicrystalline polymers is a complex thermal process involving the formation of multiple crystalline populations, which serve the dual purposes of ensuring the structural integrity of beads while also allowing bead sintering at the interface. The quality of this "double melting peak" structure is determined by the temperature and duration of the isothermal treatment of the beads as well as the quenching rate following the isotherm. Currently, the intricacies of the quenching process are not very well-known due to the challenge of replicating these rapid cooling rates in a laboratory setting.

Determination of CO solubility in semi-crystalline polylactic acid with consideration of rigid amorphous fraction.

Due to phase heterogeneity in semi-crystalline polymers, accurate determination of gas solubility has been a challenge. In this regard, PLA/CO was used as a case study to investigate the parameters governing formation of the rigid amorphous fraction (RAF) and its effect on the gas sorption behavior of the polymer. Six samples with different degrees of RAF were prepared through varying PLA tacticity and thermal history.

Cross-Linkable Liquid-Crystalline Biopolyesteramide as a Multifunctional Polymeric Platform Designed from Corn Oil Side-Stream Product of Bioethanol Industry.

A tunable biopolyesteramide platform is designed from the corn oil (CnO) side-stream product of bioethanol industry. The (trans)amidation of CnO by diethanolamine (DEA) leads to the generation of a diol monomer (MCnO). The subsequent polymerization of MCnO with maleic anhydride (MA) generated a new kind of branched and brushed amphiphilic polymer (PCnO).

Composites from renewable and sustainable resources: Challenges and innovations.

Interest in constructing composite materials from biosourced, recycled materials; waste resources; and their combinations is growing. Biocomposites have attracted the attention of automakers for the design of lightweight parts. Hybrid biocomposites made of petrochemical-based and bioresourced materials have led to technological advances in manufacturing.

Stereodynamic insight into the thermal history effects on poly(vinyl chloride) calorimetric sub-glass and glass transitions as a fragile glass model.

The dynamic thermal history impact of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) has been explored for a wide range of pre-cooling rates, from 1 to 30 °C min-1. A first macroscopic insight into the dynamic thermal history influence has been highlighted through a decrease in the apparent activation energy (Eapp) in the first stage of the glass transition. The overall glass transition Eapp surface was successfully modeled in a polynomial fashion regarding the pre-cooling range.

Stereodynamic control of star-epoxy/anhydride crosslinking actuated by liquid-crystalline phase transitions.

The epoxy/anhydride copolymerization kinetics of an original star-epoxy monomer (TriaEP) was explored in dynamic heating mode using a series of isoconversional methods. Negative values of the apparent activation energy (E) related to an anti-Arrhenius behavior were observed. The transition from Arrhenius to anti-Arrhenius behavior and vice versa depending on the E of polymerization was correlated with the dynamics of mesophasic fall-in/fall-out events, physically induced transition (PIT) and chemically induced transition (CIT).

Synthesis of Glycerol-Based Biopolyesters as Toughness Enhancers for Polylactic Acid Bioplastic through Reactive Extrusion.

The synthesis of polyesters based on glycerol, succinic acid [poly(glycerol succinate), PGS] and/or maleic anhydride [poly(glycerol succinate--maleate), PGSMA] was investigated aiming to produce a green product suitable for toughening of polylactic acid (PLA) using melt blending technologies. The molar ratio of reactants and the synthesis temperature were screened to find optimum synthesis conditions leading to the highest toughness enhancement of PLA. It was found that a molar ratio of reactants of 1:1 glycerol/succinic acid increases the effectiveness of PGS as a toughening agent for PLA, which correlates with the achievement of a higher molecular weight on the synthesis of PGS.

Copolymerization as a Strategy to Combine Epoxidized Linseed Oil and Furfuryl Alcohol: The Design of a Fully Bio-Based Thermoset.

Epoxidized linseed oil and furfuryl alcohol are bio-sourced monomers known for their high-potential applications in materials science. In this work, we propose the association of these monomers through copolymerization reactions with the target to design fully bio-based thermosets. Herein, investigations on cationic polymerization reactivity have been explored using differential scanning calorimetry.

From epoxidized linseed oil to bioresin: an overall approach of epoxy/anhydride cross-linking.

Biorenewable resources can be used as green monomers to design tailored structures for formulations that can play an important role as functional materials. The choice of optimal structures depends on the targeted properties and applications. This work focuses on the elaboration of biobased materials with toughened mechanical properties based on epoxidized linseed oil.