Biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) management strategy in Ireland: A comparison with some key issues in the BMW strategy being adopted in England

Due to increasing pressure from the European Union to meet recycling and recovery targets, (e.g. the packaging waste, waste electronic equipment and landfill directives), both the Irish and England's governments’ policy on waste management is changing to meet these pressures, with major emphasis upon the management of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW). In particular, the EU landfill directive requires reductions in the rate of biodegradable waste going to landfill to 35% by 2016. The objective of this paper is to examine how Ireland plans to meet this challenge and to compare the Irish strategy to that being adopted in England. The approach in England is driven by a clear understanding that the practice in the late 1990s was unlikely to ensure compliance with EU targets by the set dates. England has therefore developed a discrete, programme (Waste Implementation Programme) to drive a new approach, based on rigorous science and international best practice, which includes a Demonstrator Programme for new technologies. The dynamic, high cost, large scale programme in England stands in sharp contrast to that for Ireland and only future, detailed analysis of outcomes will be able to evaluate the cost effectiveness of each.     

环境友好新型聚乳酸复合材料的研究及应用

聚乳酸(PLA)复合材料是一类重要的环境友好新型可降解材料。该材料通常是以PLA高分子为基体,以无机钙质成分(如羟基磷灰石、磷酸钙、珊瑚、珍珠层)、碳纤维、生物活性成分、有机物等为增强材料复合而成。概述了近年来国内外通过共聚、共混、复合等改性方法获得PLA复合材料的研究进展;论述了PLA复合材料的制备方法、生物相容性、力学性能、开发现状及应用等;指出使用新型的复合工艺、采用超细的无机粒子或纳米增强材料或加入特殊填料,同时开发新型增强物质是PLA复合材料的发展趋势;展望了PLA复合材料的应用前景。     

Influence of Fibers on the Mechanical Properties of Cassava Starch Foams

The utilization of renewable resources in packaging can provide solutions to ecological problems such as waste quantity. Agricultural resources are alternative raw materials, among which there is starch, a natural polysaccharide that can be used to form resistant foam under wet and warm conditions. The starch foam is obtained by thermo pressing process where cassava starch, water and additives are processed to form a rigid structure by swelling, gelatinization and network formation. Natural fibers can be used to improve the mechanical properties of starch foams. In this project was investigated the influence of the addition of fibers in the levels of 1, 2 and 3% of cassava (short fiber) and 1, 2 and 3% of wheat fiber (powered fiber) in the starch dough. The foams were characterized by physical methods of strength, flexibility, density and by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The increase in fibers quantity has resulted in foams with higher density and less flexibility, whatever the fiber type. Most fibers quantity did not improve the foam strength. Foam made with 1% of cassava fiber showed higher compression strength; by increasing the percentage quantity there was a decrease on the compression resistance. Foam made with wheat fiber presented a lower result in 2%. The fiber type had no statistical significance in strength, flexibility and density foam. Only the fiber quantity was significant. The results showed that both fibers presented limited dimensions to improve the reinforcement of the starch foams up to 1%.     

Injection Molded Wheat Straw and Corn Stem Filled Polypropylene Composites

Environmentally friendly composite materials can be prepared using wood fibers and/or various types of agro-derived fibers as reinforcements. In this study, agro-residues such as wheat straw and corn stem filled polypropylene were prepared and their suitability was investigated as a reinforcing filler in thermoplastics and as an alternative to the wood flour filled plastics. Effect of compounding techniques, compatibilizer and fungal treatment of agro-residues on the mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated. It was found that high shear compounding of wheat straw fibers exhibited similar properties to that produced by the milled wheat straw. This may be due to the extensive fiber breakage occurred during the high shear compounding that results in a similar aspect ratio to that of milled straw. Compatibilizer is needed for improving the strength properties of the agro-residue filled PP composites. Fungal treatment of milled wheat straw did not show much improvement in the strength properties of the composites. Comparison of mechanical properties of the agro-residue filled PP with that of the wood flour and the old newsprint filled PP showed the suitability of the agro-residues as alternative filler for thermoplastics.     

Degradation of a Terephthalate-containing Polyester by a Thermophilic Microbial Consortium

Biomax^® is an aliphatic-aromatic polyester. The biodegradability of Biomax^® was studied at 58 °C using a laboratory scale bioreactor. The bioreactor was inoculated with bacteria derived from compost and supplemented with powdered Biomax^® and an additional energy source. After a period of acclimation, the microorganisms in the bioreactor were capable of metabolizing the major components of the polymer, i.e., TPA and ethylene glycol. TPA and ethylene glycol were detected in the bioreactor only when they were added. Degradation and disintegration of the powdered Biomax^® was monitored by laser diffraction. The particle size distribution of the powdered polymer progressively shifted toward smaller sizes until the diameters of the polymer particles were indistinguishable from bacteria. The types of microbes in the bioreactor were determined by analyzing 16S rRNA gene sequences. The bacteria belonged to 35 different groups, and the majority of the bacteria appeared to represent new species.     

废电路板非金属材料再生利用技术现状分析

废电路板金属成分分离回收过程中产生了占其质量近50%～80%的非金属材料废物,其已成为电子废物处理的难题。文章首先对废电路板非金属材料的产生特性、处理和处置、资源化利用技术和方法现状进行了对比分析。在此基础上,结合对非金属材料的来源特征、成分组成和界面微观特性等各方面分析研究,提出了非金属材料制备复合材料再生利用的技术工艺方案。     

可生物降解吸油材料发展现状与研究进展

综述了近年来国内外可生物降解吸油材料的发展情况，探讨了其相关的降解机理及目前可生物解吸油材料发展中仍存在的一些问题，并指出可生物降解吸油材料将具有广阔的应用前景。     

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange using ZnO/TiO composites

ZnO/TiO₂ composites were synthesized by using the solvothermal method and ultrasonic precipitation followed by heat treatment in order to investigate their photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous suspension under UV irradiation. The composition and surface structure of the catalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The degradation efficiencies of MO at various pH values were obtained. The highest degradation efficiencies were obtained before 30min and after 60min at pH 11.0 and pH 2.0, respectively. A sample analysis was conducted using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry. Six intermediates were found during the photocatalytic degradation process of quinonoid MO. The degradation pathway of quinonoid MO was also proposed.     

Enzymatic Degradation of Poly(l-Lactic Acid): Effects of UV Irradiation

Amorphous and crystallized poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA-A and PLLA-C, respectively) films were prepared, and the proteinase K-catalyzed enzymatic degradation of UV-irradiated and non-irradiated PLLA-A and PLLA-C films was investigated for periods up to 10 h (PLLA-A) and 60 h (PLLA-C). The molecular weights of both the PLLA-A and PLLA-C films can be manipulated by altering the UV irradiation time. The enzymatic weight loss values of the UV-irradiated PLLA films were higher than or similar to those of the non-irradiated PLLA film, when compared with the specimens of same crystallinities. UV irradiation is expected to cause the PLLA films to undergo chain cleavage (a decrease in molecular weight) and the formation of C=C double bonds. It seems that the acceleration effects from decreased molecular weight on enzymatic degradation were higher than or balanced with the disturbance effects caused by the formation of C=C double bonds. After enzymatic degradation, a fibrous structure appeared on the spherulites of the UV-irradiated PLLA-C film. This structure may have arisen from chains containing or neighboring on the C=C double bonds, which were enzymatically undegraded and assembled on the film surface during enzymatic degradation. The results of this study strongly suggest that UV irradiation will significantly affect the biodegradation behavior of PLLA materials in the environment.     

玄武岩纤维片材和碳纤维片材高温后拉伸性能比较

对未经环氧树脂浸渍以及经环氧树脂充分浸渍的单向玄武岩纤维增强复合材料(BFRP)片材和碳纤维增强复合材料(CFRP)片材进行了高温后拉伸性能试验。试验结果表明,常温下和高温后BFRP片材的拉伸强度和拉伸模量均远远小于CFRP片材,但伸长率一般高于CFRP片材;常温下,环氧树脂的存在能够显著提高FRP片材的拉伸强度,但高温处理后,环氧树脂的作用不明显,尤其对于CFRP片材;浸渍环氧树脂的CFRP片材和BFRP片材的拉伸强度随温度的变化规律基本一致,均呈现出先降后升再降的趋势,并在150℃左右时取得最大;浸渍和未浸渍环氧树脂的FRP片材在经历300～400℃高温处理后强度均出现急剧下降;当处理温度大于200℃时,处理时间越长,FRP片材的拉伸强度和拉伸模量下降越多。