Environmentally Friendly Polyurethane Composites: Preparation, Characterization and Mechanical Properties

The waterborne polyurethane (PU) prepolymer was prepared based on isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polyester polyol (N220), dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA) and hydroxyethyl methyl acrylate (HEMA). The modified waterborne polyurethane–acrylate (PUA) emulsions were obtained with different proportions of acrylate (butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate) and initiating agent by in situ dispersion technique. The structures and thermal properties of prepared PU and PUA were analyzed and characterized with FT-IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and DSC. The PUA hybrid samples had lower glass transition temperature of hard segment and higher decomposition temperatures than PU sample. Performances of the emulsion and film were studied by means of apparent viscidity, particle size and polydispersity, surface tension and mechanical properties. The results indicated that the particle sizes of the PUA dispersions were larger than those of the pure PU and the solvent resistance, mechanical properties of PUA films was improved compare with the unmodified polyurethane film. The film had the biggest hardness and the least water absorption when the BA/MMA mass ratio 5:5 modified PU. The obtained PUA have great potential application such as coatings, leather finishing, adhesives, sealants, plastic coatings and wood finishes.     

Chitosan/Hydrophilic Plasticizer-Based Films: Preparation,Physicochemical and Antimicrobial Properties

The addition of plasticizers to biopolymer films is a good method for improving their physicochemical properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chitosan (CHI) blended with two hydrophilic plasticizers glycerol (GLY) and sorbitol (SOR), at two concentrations (20 and 40 wt%) on their mechanical, thermal, barrier, structural, morphological and antimicrobial properties. The chitosan was prepared through the alkaline deacetylation of chitin obtained from fermented lactic from shrimp heads. The obtained chitosan had a degree of deacetylation (DA) of 84 ± 2.7 and a molecular weight of 136 kDa, which indicated that a good film had formed. The films composed of CHI and GLY (20 wt%) exhibited the best mechanical properties compared to the neat chitosan film. The percentage of elongation at break increase to over 700 % in the films that contained 40 % GLY, and these films also exhibited the highest values for the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 79.6 ± 1.9 g m² h^?1 and a yellow color (b _o  = 17.9 ± 2.0) compared to the neat chitosan films (b _o  = 8.8 ± 0.8). For the structural properties, the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed an interaction in the acetamide group and changes in the crystallinity of plasticized films. The scanning electron micrographs revealed that all formulations of the chitosan films were smooth, and that they did not contain aggregations, pores or microphase separation. The thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 130 °C for neat chitosan film, but the addition of SOR or GLY elicited a decrease in the temperature of the peak (120 °C). In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the chitosan films was evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes, and reached a reduction of 2 log after 24 h. The plasticizer concentration of 20 % GLY is sufficient for obtaining flexible chitosan films with good mechanical properties, and it could serve as an alternative as a packaging material to reduce environmental problems associated with synthetic packaging films.     

Novel Whey Protein Isolate/Polyvinyl Biocomposite for Packaging: Improvement of Mechanical and Water Barrier Properties by Incorporation of Nano-silica

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The current global proposal for withdrawing polymers with high resistance to degradation and from fossil sources from disposable appliances, as well as the...     

Mechanical and Physical Properties of Green Biocomposite Based on Medium Density Fiberboard Sanding Powder/Polyethylene/Nanoclay

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) sanding powder is an industrial waste that has not been yet used as a raw material to produce composites. In this study, the influence of nanoclay particles on the flexural and impact strengths and the withdrawal strength of green biocomposites (based on MDF sanding powder/polyethylene/nanoclay) were investigated. For this aim, medium density fiberboard sanding dust and polyethylene were used as the lignocellulosic and thermoplastic material, respectively. In addition, maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene was used in three weight percentages (0, 3 and 6 %) as a coupling agent and compatibilizer, and Cloisite^®15A was used in four weight percentages (0, 2, 4 and 6 %). To prepare samples, wood-plastic granules were produced by using a twin-screw extruder followed by the hot pressing method. The mechanical and physical properties were measured according to the CEN/TS15534:2007 and ASTM-D256 technical specifications. The results showed that the coupling agent improved the mechanical and physical properties of biocomposites; however, its effect might be affected by the nanoclay particles. Furthermore, the ultrastructure of the biocomposites was surveyed with SEM.     

Properties of Biocomposite Films From PLA and Thermally Treated Wood Modified with Silver Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extracts of Oriental Sweetgum

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The technological, thermal, and antimicrobial properties of biocomposite films produced from polylactic acid (PLA) and thermally treated wood flour with in...     

A Novel Eco-friendly Blood Meal-based Bio-adhesive: Preparation and Performance

In this reported study, a renewable and eco-friendly blood meal-based (BM) bio-adhesive was developed for the plywood fabrication. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), and triglycidylamine (TGA) were respectively employed as emulsifier, denaturant and crosslinking agent to modify the BM adhesive. Three-ply plywood was manufactured and its wet shear strength was tested. The solid content, residual rate, functional groups, thermal degradation behavior, and cross section micromorphology of the resulting adhesives were characterized in detail. The experimental results showed that PVA prevented the BM agglomeration, SDS unfolded the structure of protein and then TGA reacted with the exposed active groups in the BM protein molecules, forming a cross-linked structure. As a result, the thermal stability of the modified BM adhesive was improved and the cross section of the cured adhesive was more homogeneous, which enhanced the performance of the adhesive. Consequently, the wet shear strength of the plywood bonded by modified BM adhesive markedly increased by 388% to 1.27 MPa. Compared with soy bean meal-based adhesive, a higher protein content and hydrophobic amino acids content of BM are benefit for fabricating high performance bio-based adhesive, which rendered the BM adhesive practical for plywood industrial application.     

Preparation and Properties of Biodegradable Foams

Foam extrusion of biodegradable polyester [poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)] and its blends with maleated thermoplastic starch (MTPS) using a chemical blowing agent was performed. The effect of MTPS and percentage of chemical blowing agent on various foam properties is discussed. In general, an increased amount of PBAT in the foams improves the properties of the foams. The foam samples were characterized by measurements of density, expansion ratio, specific length, compressive strength, resiliency, moisture sorption, and imaging using digital light microscopy. Density, expansion ratio, and specific length measurements show that the best characteristics of lowest density, highest expansion ratio, and highest specific length are exhibited by the PBAT samples. The compressive strength and foam density exhibit a power-law relationship. Greater amounts of PBAT in the samples increase the resiliency and decrease the steady state weight gain during moisture sorption. All samples show regions of unfoamed material when only 3% chemical blowing agent is used, but when 5 and 7% chemical blowing agent is used, the samples exhibit cells throughout the matrix.     

N,N-二膦酰基甲基牛磺酸的制备与阻垢缓蚀性能

以牛磺酸、甲醛和三氯化磷为原料制备了N,N-二膦酰基甲基牛磺酸（BPMT）。探讨了原料配比、反应温度、反应时间对BPMT质量的影响,考察了BPMT的阻垢缓蚀性能,并与N,N-二膦酰基甲基氨基磺酸、N,N-二膦酰基甲基氨基甲磺酸、丙烯酸／2-丙烯酰胺-2-甲基丙磺酸、2-膦酸基-1,2,4-三羧基丁烷等进行了比较。实验结果表明,当n（牛磺酸）：n（三氯化磷）：n（甲醛）=1：2：4、反应温度110℃、反应时间2h时,BPMT的质量较好。BPMT的阻碳酸钙垢和稳定锌的性能优于其他阻垢剂,阻磷酸钙垢和分散氧化铁的性能仅次于丙烯酸／2-丙烯酰胺-2-甲基丙磺酸。当BPMT加入量为40mg／L时,缓蚀效果最好。     

Biobased Polyurethanes from Rapeseed Oil Polyols: Structure, Mechanical and Thermal Properties

Biobased polyols were synthesized from rapeseed oil (RO) with diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA) and glycerol (GL) at different molar ratios. The structures of the synthesized polyols were analyzed using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Polyurethane (PU) networks from RO/DEA polyols and polymeric MDI showed higher tensile strength, modulus and hardness, but their elongation at break decreased, compared to the case of the PU obtained from RO/TEA and RO/GL polyols. The tensile strength and modulus of PU networks increased with increasing PU cohesion energy density (CED) and decreasing molecular weight between crosslinks M _c . From the thermogravimetric analysis and its derivative thermograms, at the first stage of destruction (below 5 % weight loss) in the air and inert atmosphere, the PU obtained from RO polyols were ranked in the following order: PU RO/GL > PU RO/TEA > PU RO/DEA, and their thermostability was higher than that of the PU based on propylene oxide.     

聚合氯化铝锌絮凝剂的制备及其性能

用在AlCl,与ZnCl2溶液中加NaOH溶液的方法制备无机高分子絮凝剂聚合氯化铝锌（PAZC）,通过正交实验确定的最佳制备条件为：反应时间10min、碱化度2．2、氯化铝浓度0．5mol／L、NaOH溶液浓度0．5mol／L。在n（Zn）：n（Al）=0．6、水样pH=7．8、PAZC加入量为5mg／L的条件下,浊度和COD去除率分别为98．9％和88．2％。PAZC与聚合氯化铝对各种工业废水的处理效果比较结果表明,PAZC对各种工业废水的处理效果较好。从废水处理成本来看,PAZC具有较好的经济效益。     

Renewable Resource-Based Composites of Acorn Powder and Polylactide Bio-Plastic: Preparation and Properties Evaluation

Renewable resource-based composites were prepared with acorn powder and Thermoplastic resin poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by twin-screw extrusion followed by injection molding processing or hot-compression molding processing. The study of the composites microstructure showed poor adhesion between acorn powder and PLA matrix. The hygroscopicity, mechanical properties and melt flow property of composites were promising even though the composites had a 70 wt% content of acorn powder. Silane coupling agent, 4,4′-Methylenebis (phenyl isocyanate) and PLA grafted with maleic anhydride did not show obvious effect on mechanical properties of composites. The impact resistance strength of reinforced composites with steel fiber webs were improved greatly in comparison with those having no steel fiber webs. Thermal properties results of DSC and DMA showed that the presence of acorn powder significantly affected the crystallinity, crystallization temperature (T_c), glass transition temperature (T_g) and melting temperature (T_m) of PLA matrix. The study results proved that composites had superior mechanical properties, enough to partially replace the conventional thermoplastic plastics.     

Preparation and Adsorption Performance of Nano-hydroxyapatite-Enhanced Acrylamide Hydrogel Adsorbent

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this study, a hydrogel adsorbent was successfully synthesized using hydroxyapatite/acrylamide/β-cyclodextrin to adsorb heavy metal ions and dyes in...     

Performance and Environmental Impact of Biodegradable Films in Agriculture: A Field Study on Protected Cultivation

The performance, the degradability in soil and the environmental impact of biodegradable starch-based soil mulching and low tunnel films were assessed by means of field and laboratory tests. The lifetime of the biodegradable mulches was 9 months and of the biodegradable low-tunnel films 6 months. The radiometric properties of the biodegradable films influenced positively the microclimate: air temperature under the biodegradable low tunnel films was 2 °C higher than under the low density polyethylene films, resulting in an up to 20% higher yield of strawberries. At the end of the cultivation period, the biodegradable mulches were broken up and buried in the field soil together with the plant residues. One year after burial, less than 4% of the initial weight of the biodegradable film was found in the soil. According to ecotoxicity tests, the kinetic luminescent bacteria test with Vibrio fischeri and the Enchytraeus albidus ISO/CD 16387 reproduction potential, there was no evidence of ecotoxicity in the soil during the biodegradation process. Furthermore, there was no change in the diversity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the soil determined on the basis of the appearance of amoA gene diversity in denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.     

Residential recycling programs: Environmental,economic and disposal factors

The type of recycling program initiated by state or local government is related to (a) the environmental awareness of the population and the subsequent reflection of that awareness in government, (b) the state's municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal situation, and (c) the market conditions for recycled materials. Two hypotheses are studied: (1) voluntary participation recycling programs are initiated when environmental awareness is the driving force and market conditions are good and (2) mandatory participation recycling programs result when the driving force is MSW disposal difficulties.New Jersey and Oregon, two of the states, with statewide mandatory and voluntary recycling programs respectively, are studied with respect to the events leading to the enactment of their recycling programs. The hypotheses are supported by the events in each state. Hypothesis 2 is further supported by data from 48 states comparing information on each state's MSW disposal situation with the local and statewide recycling programs reported in a survey. The percentages of mandatory recycling programs increase with increasing MSW disposal difficulty. A measure of environmental awareness must be developed before hypothesis one can be studied with cross-sectional data.     

交联壳聚糖/沸石复合吸附剂的制备及性能

用沸石负载由缩水甘油基三乙基氯化铵交联的壳聚糖,制得了性能良好的交联壳聚糖/沸石复合吸附剂。研究了该吸附剂应用性能的影响因素,探讨了该吸附剂的吸附性、沉降性和重复使用性,利用FTIR仪和高倍透射电子显微镜对该吸附剂的结构进行了表征。实验结果表明:壳聚糖的交联度为0.93、交联壳聚糖与沸石的质量比为0.045时,制得的交联壳聚糖/沸石复合吸附剂对腐殖酸的去除率可达81.4%,吸附量为4.07mg/g;交联壳聚糖/沸石复合吸附剂对腐殖酸的吸附性能较沸石有显著提高,沉降时间较交联壳聚糖明显缩短;经二次洗脱后腐殖酸去除率仍可达80.2%,腐殖酸吸附量为4.01mg/g。     

Preparation and Properties of Water and Glycerol-plasticized Sugar Beet Pulp Plastics

Sugar beet pulp (SBP), the residue from sugar extraction, was compounded and turned into in situ thermoplastic composite materials. The compounding was performed using a common twin- screw compounding extruder and water and glycerol were used as co-plasticizers. The melt compounding of SBP utilized the water-soluble characteristics of pectin which is one of main components of SBP. The structure of SBP was destroyed under extrusion and pectin was partially released and plasticized by water and glycerol. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the cellulose microfibrils were dispersed in the matrix of pectin and other ingredients. Effects of the water and glycerol co-plasticizers on rheological, tensile and dynamic mechanical properties of the SBP plastics were investigated. Effects of relative humidity of the environment on the tensile and dynamical mechanical properties of the neat SBP compounds were also evaluated. The results demonstrated that SBP could be processed as a plastic with water and glycerol as co-plasticizers using traditional processing equipments.     

介孔TiO2纤维的制备及其光催化性能

采用溶胶-凝胶和水蒸气活化热处理技术制备了介孔TiO2纤维,考察了各种因素对介孔TiO2纤维光催化活性的影响,并对介孔TiO2纤维结构进行了表征。介孔TiO2纤维的最佳制备条件：n（TBOT）∶n（C6H10O3）∶n（H2O）∶n（C3H8O）=1∶0.4∶2.0∶16,搅拌时间80min,Si与Ti的摩尔比为0.15,采用分段程序升温工艺,活化温度为700℃。所得介孔TiO2纤维比表面积为127.7m2/g,最可几孔径为7.3nm,具有极高的热稳定性及抗晶型转变能力,反应时间75min时活性艳红X-3B降解率为99.3%。     

聚合硫酸铁铝硅的制备及混凝性能

研究了以硫铁矿烧渣、硫酸、铝酸钙粉和水玻璃为原料制备新型无机高分子复合混凝剂聚合硫酸铁铝硅（PFASS）的方法,采用微电泳技术研究了不同n（SiO2）：n（Fe）的PFASS的水解聚合产物的电动特性,应用超滤法对PFASS、聚合硫酸铁铝（PFAS）和聚合硫酸铁（PFS）的表观相对分子质量了进行测定,并对PFASS混凝性能及其混凝机理进行了研究。研究结果表明,在对高岭土悬浊液的混凝处理中,PFASS比PFAS和PFS具有更优的去浊性能。