Chemiluminescence of polyethylene: The comparative antioxidant effectiveness of phenolic stabilizers in low-density polyethylene

UV Light Causes Structural Changes in Microplastics Exposed in Bio-Solids

Bio-solids (biological sludge) from wastewater treatment plants are a significant source of the emission of microplastics (MPs) into the environment. Weakening the structure of MPs before they enter the environment may accelerate their degradation and reduce the environmental exposure time. Therefore, we studied the effect of UV-A and UV-C, applied at 70 °C, on three types of MPs, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), that are commonly found in sewage sludge, using three shapes (fibers, lines, granules). The MPs were exposed to UV radiation in bio-solid suspensions, and to air and water as control. The structural changes in and degradation of the MPs were investigated using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (ATR-FTIR) and surface morphology was performed with SEM analysis. UV exposure led to the emergence of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups in all of the PP samples. In PE and PET, these groups were formed only in the bio-solid suspensions. The presence of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups increased with an increasing exposure time. Overall, UV radiation had the greatest impact on the MPs in the bio-solids suspension. Due to the surface-to-volume ratio of the tested samples, which influences the degradation rate, the fibers were more degraded than the other two plastic shapes. UV-A was slightly more effective at degrading the MPs than UV-C. These findings show that ultraviolet radiation in combination with an elevated temperature affects the structure of polymers in wastewater bio-solids, which can accelerate their degradation.

Cross-sectional microstructural analysis to evaluate the crack growth pattern of weathered marine plastics

Fragmentation of degraded plastics and release of smaller secondary microplastics is usually attributed to the growth of environmental stress cracks. Analysis of crack patterns derived from chemical degradation can be useful not only for assessing the cause of plastic fracture and evaluating the useful lifetime of a product, but it can also potentially provide valuable information on the generation of microplastics. However, the literature with respect to microplastics generation is generally limited to surface observations of polypropylene and polyethylene. Here, we used ion-beam milling to prepare cross-sections of fragments of 15 plastic products made from five commodity plastics (polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate) that were collected at two beaches in Japan, and then we examined the microstructures of those cross-sections by means of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Crack growth in the depth direction was examined to provide insights into microplastic generation behavior. In all of the polypropylene samples, and some of the low-density polyethylene and polystyrene samples, cracks with a depth exceeding 100 μm from the sample surface were observed. Considering that crack growth causes fracture of degraded plastic and microplastic release, these observations suggest the release of sharp-edged microplastics from the crack fracture surface. In contrast, in the high-density polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride samples, crack growth was limited to within 20 μm of the sample surface, suggesting the release of irregularly shaped microplastics and additive particles. The present results suggest that the degradation behavior of plastic products in the depth direction is dependent on the type of plastic.

Effect of Antioxidants on Thermo-Oxidative Stability and Aging of Bio-Based PA56T and Fast Characterization of Anti-Oxidation Performance

Bio-based polyamide 56T (PA56T) is a new type of bio-based polyamide regarded as a promising material for sustainable solutions. The stabilization of PA56T compounded with Irganox 1098, Doverphos S9228, or SH3368 was studied by using a rotational rheometer and a circulating air oven at 150 °C. The thermal-oxidative aging resulted in an increase of the yellow color index of the PA56T/GF composites, which due to the carbonyl group as a chromophore group, continuously formatted during the aging process. After 10 days of aging, the mechanical properties and dynamic mechanical properties increase due to the molecular cross-linking and annealing effects. When the aging time is beyond 20 days, the degradation of molecular chain segments dominates, and the mechanical properties of PA56T/GF deteriorate continuously. The addition of antioxidants only slowed this effect and did not change the process of thermal-oxidative aging, which destroys the molecular chain. The results from both methods are consistent after a series of characterizations by FTIR, XRD, and so on. In the case of samples without lubricant, the rotational rheometer has the benefit of being less time-consuming than the accelerated aging experiment.

Stabilization of PE with Pomegranate Extract: Contradictions and Possible Mechanisms

Dry pomegranate peel was extracted with acetone and the extract was added to a Phillips type polyethylene. The concentration of the extract was changed from 0 to 1000 ppm in six steps and stabilization efficiency was checked by the multiple extrusion of the polymer followed by the characterization of chemical structure, processing, and residual stability. The results confirmed the excellent processing stabilization efficiency of the extract, but also the poor long-term stability of PE containing it in accordance with previously published results. The extract is amorphous and its solubility is relatively large in the polymer; thus, these factors cannot be the reason for the poor stabilization efficiency in an oxygen-rich environment. Chemical factors like the self-interaction of the polyphenol molecules, the stability of the radicals forming after hydrogen abstraction, and the lack of hydrogens with the necessary reactivity must be considered during the evaluation of the efficiency of the extract. These factors as well as the insufficient number of active hydrogens hinder the reaction of the additive molecules with oxygen-centered radicals, thus leading to inferior long-term stability. The extract can be used for the processing stabilization of polymers, but for applications requiring long-term stability, it must be combined with other natural antioxidants like flavonoids or Vitamin E.

To what extent are microplastics from the open ocean weathered?

It is necessary to better characterize plastic marine debris in order to understand its fate in the environment and interaction with organisms, the most common type of debris being made of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). In this work, plastic debris was collected in the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre during the Expedition 7th Continent sea campaign and consisted mainly in PE. While the mechanisms of PE photodegradation and biodegradation in controlled laboratory conditions are well known, plastic weathering in the environment is not well understood. This is a difficult task to examine because debris comes from a variety of manufactured objects, the original compositions and properties of which vary considerably. A statistical approach was therefore used to compare four sample sets: reference PE, manufactured objects, mesoplastics (5-20 mm) and microplastics (0.3-5 mm). Infrared spectroscopy showed that the surface of all debris presented a higher oxidation state than the reference samples. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that the microplastics were more crystalline contrarily to the mesoplastics which were similar to references samples. Size exclusion chromatography showed that the molar mass decreased from the references to meso- and microplastics, revealing a clear degradation of the polymer chains. It was thus concluded that the morphology of marine microplastic was much altered and that an unambiguous shortening of the polymer chains took place even for this supposedly robust and inert polymer.

New blends of ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymers with thermoplastic starch. Characterization and bacterial biodegradation

Ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer (EBA) with 13% of butyl acrylate content was used to produce blends with 10, 30 and 60% of thermoplastic starch (TPS) plasticized with glycerol. Ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer (EAA) was used as compatibilizer at 20% content with respect to EBA. The blends were characterized by X-ray diffraction, ATR-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), water-Contact Angle measurements (CA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Stress-strain mechanical tests. Initiated autoxidation of the polymer blends was studied by chemiluminescence (CL) confirming that the presence of the polyolefin-TPS interphase did not substantially affect the oxidative thermostability of the materials. Three bacterial species have been isolated from the blend films buried in soil and identified as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus borstelensis and Bacillus licheniformis. Biodegradation of the blends (28days at 45°C) was evaluated by carbon dioxide measurement using the indirect impedance technique.

Investigation on the spontaneous combustion of refuse-derived fuels during storage using a chemiluminescence technique

Refuse-derived fuel (RDF), a high-caloric material, is used by various combustion processes, such as power plants, as alternative fuel. Several explosion accidents, however, possibly initiated by the spontaneous combustion of stored RDF, have been reported in Japan. Therefore the spontaneous combustion of RDF prepared from domestic garbage was investigated using chemiluminescence. RDF samples were heated either under air or under nitrogen for 1, 2, or 4 h at 120 or 140 degrees C and then cooled by an air or nitrogen stream. All RDF samples exhibited chemiluminescence. In air-treated RDF samples (heated and cooled by air), chemiluminescence after ageing was shown to be slightly lower than before ageing, whereas in nitrogen-treated samples (both heated and cooled by nitrogen) chemiluminescence decreased significantly after ageing. When nitrogen was replaced with air during aging, however, a sudden increase of chemiluminescence was observed. On the other hand, when cooling was done with air, chemiluminescence increased. Higher chemiluminescence was also observed during high-temperature treatment. Further experiments on cellulose, one of the major components of domestic garbage, exhibited similar chemiluminescence patterns to those of RDF when treated by the same methods as those used for RDF ageing. Chemiluminescence from cellulose increased significantly when the atmospheric gas was changed from nitrogen to air, suggesting that oxygen in the air promoted the formation of hydroperoxide from cellulose. Therefore, it is hypothesized that cellulose plays an important role in the formation of chemiluminescence from RDF. The formation of chemiluminescence indicated that radicals are formed from RDF by oxidation or thermal degradation at room or atmospheric temperatures and may subsequently lead to spontaneous combustion.

Alkaline-treated poly(ε-caprolactone) films: Degradation in the presence or absence of fibroblasts

In the first stage, we observed the study of the degradation behavior of alkaline-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) in two biologically-related media: phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) for 18 months, finding a much accelerated degradation in the last one. As expected, the degradation in the presence of cells is much pronounced even considering that the study is limited to 6 months. The characterization of the degraded substrates by chemiluminescence (CL) allows to explain the modifications of the substrate and their relations with transitory oxidative stress phenomena described in the fibroblasts seeded onto the PCL membranes.