Structure and performance properties of environmentally-friendly biocomposites based on poly(ɛ-caprolactone) modified with copper slag and shale drill cuttings wastes

Development of Biodegradable Composites Using Polycaprolactone and Bamboo Powder

The use of biodegradable polymers in daily life is increasing to reduce environmental hazards. In line with this, the present study aimed to develop a fully biodegradable polymer composite that was environmentally friendly and exhibited promising mechanical and thermal properties. Bamboo powder (BP)-reinforced polycaprolactone (PCL) composites were prepared using the solvent casting method. The influence of BP content on the morphology, wettability, and mechanical and thermal properties of the neat matrix was evaluated. In addition, the degradation properties of the composites were analysed through soil burial and acidic degradation tests. It was revealed that BP contents had an evident influence on the properties of the composites. The increase in the BP content has significantly improved the tensile strength of the PCL matrix. A similar trend is observed for thermal stability. Scanning electron micrographs demonstrated uniform dispersion of the BP in the PCL matrix. The degradation tests revealed that the biocomposites with 40 wt·% of BP degraded by more than 20% within 4 weeks in the acidic degradation test and more than 5% in the soil burial degradation test. It was noticed that there was a considerable difference in the degradation between the PCL matrix and the biocomposites of PCL and BP. These results suggest that biodegradable composites could be a promising alternative material to the existing synthetic polymer composites.

Treating waste with waste: Metals recovery from electroplating sludge using spent cathode carbon combustion dust and copper refining slag

Electroplating sludge is a hazardous waste and secondary metal resource because of its heavy metal content, which poses a huge threat to environmental safety if not properly disposed. An innovative process of oxidizing roasting followed by water leaching and smelting reduction to recover Cr, Cu, and Ni from electroplating sludge was proposed in this research, in which other two hazardous wastes of spent cathode carbon combustion dust and copper refining slag were co-treated. The NaF from spent cathode carbon combustion dust could convert Cr₂O₃ to Na₂CrO₄ using the oxidizing roasting process, resulting in a Cr recovery through the subsequent water leaching. The Na₂CrO₄ formation was promoted by CaO owing to it transferring the Cr spinel phase of FeCr₂O₄ [1+] to CaCrO₄ and then to Na₂CrO₄. Under optimal conditions, the Cr recovery reached 97.1 %, and most 'F' was solidified into CaF₂. In the next smelting reduction of the leaching residue, the Cu and Ni were recovered mainly in the form of Cu-Ni alloy. The addition of copper refining slag promoted their recovery, due to it modifying the molten slag and alloy structures and increasing the Cu-Ni alloy separation from molten slag. Some generated high-melting-point Cu-Ni-Fe and Ni-Fe alloys were converted to a Cu-Ni alloy with a low melting point in presence of Co from the copper refining slag, simultaneously with which the Fe was transferred out from Cu-Ni-Fe and Ni-Fe alloys and combined with Co to form a Fe-Co alloy. It increased Cu-Ni alloy droplets aggregation from molten slag and decreased their contents in the residual slag. Under optimized conditions, the Cu and Ni contents in the residual slag decreased to 0.37 and 0.06 wt%, respectively. Besides, the residual slag mainly composed of CaO, CaF₂ and SiO₂ could be used to prepare building materials rendering it harmless.

Thermomechanical and Fire Properties of Polyethylene-Composite-Filled Ammonium Polyphosphate and Inorganic Fillers: An Evaluation of Their Modification Efficiency

The development of new polymer compositions characterized by a reduced environmental impact while lowering the price for applications in large-scale production requires the search for solutions based on the reduction in the polymer content in composites' structure, as well as the use of fillers from sustainable sources. The study aimed to comprehensively evaluate introducing low-cost inorganic fillers, such as copper slag (CS), basalt powder (BP), and expanded vermiculite (VM), into the flame-retarded ammonium polyphosphate polyethylene composition (PE/APP). The addition of fillers (5-20 wt%) increased the stiffness and hardness of PE/APP, both at room and at elevated temperatures, which may increase the applicability range of the flame retardant polyethylene. The deterioration of composites' tensile strength and impact strength induced by the presence of inorganic fillers compared to the unmodified polymer is described in detail. The addition of BP, CS, and VM with the simultaneous participation of APP with a total share of 40 wt% caused only a 3.1, 4.6, and 3 MPa decrease in the tensile strength compared to the reference value of 23 MPa found for PE. In turn, the cone calorimeter measurements allowed for the observation of a synergistic effect between APP and VM, reducing the peak heat rate release (pHRR) by 60% compared to unmodified PE. Incorporating fillers with a similar thermal stability but differing particle size distribution and shape led to additional information on their effectiveness in changing the properties of polyethylene. Critical examinations of changes in the mechanical and thermomechanical properties related to the structure analysis enabled the definition of the potential application perspectives analyzed in terms of burning behavior in a cone calorimetry test. Adding inorganic fillers derived from waste significantly reduces the flammability of composites with a matrix of thermoplastic polymers while increasing their sustainability and lowering their price without considerably reducing their mechanical properties, which allows for assigning developed materials as a replacement for flame-retarded polyethylene in large-scale non-loaded parts.

Thermal and Sliding Wear Properties of Wood Waste-Filled Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposites

In our study, the effects of wood waste content (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt.%) on thermal and dry sliding wear properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) biocomposites were investigated. The wear of developed composites was examined under dry contact conditions at different operating parameters, such as sliding velocity (1 m/s, 2 m/s, and 3 m/s) and normal load (10 N, 20 N, and 30 N) at a fixed sliding distance of 2000 m. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the inclusion of wood waste decreased the thermal stability of PLA biocomposites. The experimental results indicate that wear of biocomposites increased with a rise in load and sliding velocity. There was a 26-38% reduction in wear compared with pure PLA when 2.5 wt.% wood waste was added to composites. The Taguchi method with L₂₅ orthogonal array was used to analyze the sliding wear behavior of the developed biocomposites. The results indicate that the wood waste content with 46.82% contribution emerged as the most crucial parameter affecting the wear of PLA biocomposites. The worn surfaces of the biocomposites were examined by scanning electron microscopy to study possible wear mechanisms and correlate them with the obtained wear results.

Effect of Basalt Powder Surface Treatments on Mechanical and Processing Properties of Polylactide-Based Composites

Legislative restrictions and the needs of consumers have created a demand for sustainable materials. Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable polyester with advantageous mechanical properties, however, due to its low crystallization rate, it also has low thermomechanical stability. Its range of application temperatures can be widened using nucleating agents and fillers including basalt powder (BP), a waste product from the mining industry. This study analyzed the possibility of enhancing the properties of a PLA-BP composite by chemically treating the filler. Basalt powder was subjected to silanization with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane or γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and mixed with PLA at 5-20 wt%. The nucleating effect of a potassium salt of 3,5-bis(methoxycarbonyl) (LAK-301) in the silanized composite was also evaluated. The properties of the materials with silanized BP were compared with the unmodified basalt powder. The miscibility of the filler and the polymer was assessed by oscillatory rheometry. The structure of the composites was studied using scanning electron microscopy and their thermomechanical properties were analyzed using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness and impact strength, and heat deflection temperature of the materials were also determined. It was concluded that BP-filled nucleated PLA composites presented satisfactory thermomechanical stability without silanization, but chemical treatment could improve the matrix-filler interactions.

Solvent-based washing as a treatment alternative for onshore petroleum drill cuttings in Thailand

In Thailand, onshore drill cuttings (DC) contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) are currently transported off-site for incineration, causing high transportation cost and potential leakage to the environment. To address the issues, we develop solvent-based washing as a greener alternative for onshore DC remediation, focusing on solvent selection, washing process optimization, and solvent recovery. The results showed that ethyl lactate (EL) was the best green solvent for DC washing, compared to water, ethylene glycol, and ethyl acetate. Based on response surface methodology assisted with central composite design, the maximum TPH removal of 87.1% was achieved from 4 mL g^-1 liquid-to-solid ratio, 14 min washing time, and 80 rpm stirring speed, and the TPH removal rate by EL fitted well with the second-order reaction (R² = 0.9774). Furthermore, the spent EL was successfully recycled by simple and low-energy adsorption using granular activated carbon (GAC). With the sufficient GAC dosage, TPH could be completely removed from the spent EL without impairing the original EL properties. Moreover, the recycled EL exhibited its successful reuse in the subsequent DC washing process. These findings suggest that solvent washing accompanied with solvent recovery by adsorption could be a novel and greener remedial scheme for onshore DC management.

Continuous supercritical water oxidation treatment of oil-based drill cuttings using municipal sewage sludge as diluent

Oil-based drill cuttings (OBDC) is a characteristic hazardous waste that is generated in oil and gas exploration. In this study, two typical OBDCs from shale gas fields were treated in a continuous supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) for the first time. Because both heat value and ash content (AC) in the OBDCs were well beyond the capacity of continuous operation, municipal sewage sludge (MSS) was innovatively adapted as the diluent. A mixed sludge with OBDC addition levels of 10%, 20%, and 30% was tested using a novel SCWO reactor. Mean residence times of reactants in different reaction zones were specifically calculated. Results indicated the organic carbon removal efficiency could reach up to 98.44%. Eight detected heavy metals were found to be almost completely removed into solid products, and the concentrations in liquid products were all below the discharge limits. It was also found that the SCWO reactor exhibited good anti-plugging and anti-corrosion performance. The AC in the feedstock was up to 28.58%. To the best of our knowledge, this has, hitherto, not been achieved in a continuous SCWO operation. This study provides a new approach for harmlessly and completely degrading OBDC, and is also helpful for the industrialization of SCWO technology.