Degradation Of Polyvinyl Chloride Research Articles

Isolation and purification of esterase enzyme from marine bacteria associated with biodegradation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the third most produced synthetic plastic and releases the most harmful and lethal environmental component after incineration and landfilling. Few studies on microbial degradation of PVC have been reported but very little knowledge about the enzymes. In the present study, esterase enzyme was isolated and partially purified from marine bacterial isolates (T-1.3, BP-4.3 and S-237 identified as Vibrio sp., Alteromonas sp., and Cobetia sp., respectively) having the capability of PVC degradation. Initially, a plate assay was carried out for testing esterase production by studying bacteria using 1-naphthyl acetate as substrate. Enzyme assay showed higher production of esterase i.e. 0.57 U mL-1 (2nd day), 0.46 U mL-1 (2nd day) and 0.55 U mL-1 (5th day) by bacterial isolate Vibrio sp., Alteromonas sp. and Cobetia sp., respectively incubated with PVC. Other enzymes like lipase, laccase and manganese peroxidase were much less or negligible compared to esterase enzyme production. Sephadex G-50 column purification had shown 58.62, 42.35 and 223.70 units mg-1 of a specific activity by esterase for bacterial isolates Vibrio sp., Alteromonas sp. and Cobetia sp., respectively. Further, Sephadex G-50 column purification removed all the contamination and gave a clear appearance of the band at 38, 20 and 20 KD for bacterial isolates Vibrio sp., Alteromonas sp., and Cobetia sp., respectively. Esterase has shown maximum stability at a range of pH between 6.0 to 7.5, temperature between 30 to 35°C and salinity concentration between 3 to 3.5M for all bacterial isolates. In conclusion, esterase enzyme has promising potential to degrade PVC which can contribute to the decline the plastic pollution in an eco-friendly manner from the environment.

Elucidating synergistic effects and environmental value enhancement in infrared-Assisted Co-Pyrolysis of coal and polyvinyl chloride

Co-pyrolysis of high-alkali coal and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) through infrared heating is a promising approach for managing escalating PVC waste and converting low-grade coal resources efficiently. The synergistic effects during co-pyrolysis and thermal degradation of PVC were studied through thermogravimetric analysis (TG-FTIR) and spectral analysis. Furthermore, chlorine migration and chemical transformation integral to the process, along with catalytic interactions, were explored through chlorine mass balance assessment, employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ion chromatography to establish a groundbreaking understanding of these phenomena. The results of products exhibited a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing with increasing temperatures and mixing ratios. The maximum oil yield was 14.62 %, achieving at 600 °C and 20 %. Meanwhile, the content of aromatic hydrocarbons remained high level through the synergistic interaction of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites, nearly exceeding 60 %. The results showed that the Artificial Neural Network model had a high prediction accuracy with an R2 value of 0.99, while the decarboxylation effect dissociated the metal, resulting in an increase in the fixation of inorganic chlorine from 1 % to 66 % and a decrease in the chlorine content in the liquid phase. Innovatively, the study employs an ANN model for predicting the behavior of co-pyrolysis, exemplifying high accuracy in understanding complex thermal conversions of PVC and coal. Notably, the work challenges existing constraints by applying sophisticated analytical methods to elucidate the thermodynamics and kinetics of the co-pyrolysis processes, thereby enhancing the energetic and environmental value of the products.

Thermal degradation of polyvinyl chloride in the presence of lead oxide: A kinetic and mechanistic investigation

The elimination of toxic heavy metals from metallurgical wastes before its recycling to steel furnaces is essential. Lead oxide (PbO) is a major toxic heavy metal present in electric arc furnace dust (EAFD). The co-recycling of EAFD with Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) followed by water leaching allows the elimination of this material. Herein, an experimental and theoretical kinetic investigation was conducted on the thermal degradation of PVC in the presence of PbO. An inhibiting effect of PbO on the thermal degradation of PVC was observed; the onset PVC de-hydrochlorination temperature increased from 273 to 293 °C. PbO addition also increased the activation energy of PVC mass loss from 148 kJ/mol (PVC) to 173 kJ/mol (PbO-PVC) in the conversion window 5–45 %. The theoretical Density Function Theory (DFT) suggested that the intramolecular hydrogen transfer (IHT) to form H2O on PbO surface exhibited the highest energy barrier at 251.01 kJ/mol, which aligns with the experimental data. The kinetic parameters generated here can be utilised to calculate the appropriate holding temperature and time for the effective removal of PbO from waste EAFD using PVC as a chlorinating additive. This should contribute towards optimising process economics and efficiency.

The Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus toyonensis Cbmb3 with Polyvinyl Chloride-Degrading Properties.

The accumulation of high amounts of plastic waste in the environment has raised ecological and health concerns, particularly in croplands, and biological degradation presents a promising approach for the sustainable treatment of this issue. In this study, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-degrading bacterium was isolated from farmland soil samples attached to waste plastic, utilizing PVC as the sole carbon source. The circular chromosome of the strain Cbmb3, with a length of 5,768,926 bp, was subsequently sequenced. The average GC content was determined to be 35.45%, and a total of 5835 open reading frames were identified. The strain Cbmb3 was designated as Bacillus toyonensis based on phylogenomic analyses and genomic characteristics. The bioinformatic analysis of the Cbmb3 genome revealed putative genes encoding essential enzymes involved in PVC degradation. Additionally, the potential genomic characteristics associated with phytoprobiotic effects, such as the synthesis of indole acetic acid and secondary metabolite synthesis, were also revealed. Overall, the present study provides the first complete genome of Bacillus toyonensis with PVC-degrading properties, suggesting that Cbmb3 is a potential strain for PVC bioremediation and application.

Investigation of the uptake and catalytic effect of calcium and potassium‐based additives under low‐temperature pyrolysis of polyvinyl chloride

AbstractManaging plastic waste containing polyvinyl chloride is difficult due to the release of hazardous substances such as hydrogen chloride. Alkaline metal has been proven to minimize the release of hydrogen chloride during thermal degradation of polyvinyl chloride. However, most past studies conducted heating experiments under a high temperature which promotes the production of aromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, low‐temperature pyrolysis was utilized which focuses on the dehydrochlorination stage while minimizing further degradation of hydrocarbons. The effectiveness of calcium oxide, calcium carbonate and potassium carbonate in minimizing the release of hydrogen chloride was also evaluated. Among those three additives, calcium oxide and potassium carbonate have shown some potential in uptaking hydrogen chloride. Especially when the molar ratio of additive to PVC is 1:1.6, calcium oxide reduced the generation of hydrogen chloride to as low as 20%. Potassium carbonate also exhibits an uptake effect but has a slight catalytic effect when the molar ratio is less than 1:1. On the other hand, calcium carbonate not only shows little to no uptake effect, but also promotes the thermal degradation of hydrocarbon.

SOS-PVCase: A machine learning optimized lignin peroxidase with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) degrading properties

Plastic accumulating in landfills poses a threat to wildlife ecosystems and contributes to the production of harmful greenhouse gases. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) accounts for 12% of plastic manufactured worldwide, and currently, 79% of post-consumer PVC ends up in landfills. Enzymatic degradation of plastic polymers into reusable monomers provides a green and scalable solution to this expanding problem. However, the application of PVC degrading peroxidases in real-world environments is impaired by their lack of stability and solubility. Fungal lignin peroxidase (E.C 1.11.1.14), an enzyme expressed by Phanerochaete chrysosporium, has previously been identified to have PVC degradation properties but, nevertheless, is hindered by the same constraints. In our study, we hypothesized that mutations in the primary structure of lignin peroxidase can improve the stability and solubility of the enzyme. To test our hypothesis, we utilized publicly available machine learning models to pinpoint stabilizing and solubilizing mutations of lignin peroxidase. The optimized mutant protein (SOS-PVCase: stable, optimized, soluble) contains five amino acid substitutions (A112I, A114I, S174K, E224M, L291R) which collectively improve stability by 18.6% and solubility by 10.2% compared to the wild-type enzyme, supporting our hypothesis that some mutations can enhance the protein’s stability and solubility. This is important, as it allows PVC recycling pathways to be accelerated and made more economical. Furthermore, this suggests the potential of utilizing machine learning for the purpose of protein optimization.

Photo-electrochemical activation of persulfate for the simultaneous degradation of microplastics and personal care products.

The recent widespread use of microplastics (MPs), especially in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), has caused significant water pollution. This study presents a UV/electrically co-facilitated activated persulfate (PS) system to co-degrade a typical microplastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and an organic sunscreen p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). We investigated the effect of various reaction conditions on the degradation. PVC and PABA degradation was 37% and 99.22%, respectively. Furthermore, we observed alterations in the surface topography and chemical characteristics of PVC throughout degradation. The possible degradation pathways of PVC and PABA were proposed by analyzing the intermediate products and the free radicals generated. This study reveals the co-promoting effect of multiple mechanisms in the activation by ultraviolet light and electricity.

Ball milling‐assisted exfoliation and deposition to prepare few‐layer graphene/PVC nanocomposites with enhanced thermal stability

AbstractIt is still a great challenge to prepare high‐performance graphene/polymer nanocomposites by fully utilizing the large surface area, high tensile strength, and high thermal stability. Herein, a simple but efficient approach based on ball milling was developed to in situ exfoliate graphite into single‐layer graphene and simultaneously deposit them onto polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surface. Graphene/PVC nanocomposites were prepared via the plasticized molding and followed by hot pressing. Resulting from incorporation of highly exfoliated and evenly distributed graphene nanosheets, the obtained graphene/PVC nanocomposites displayed a significantly enhanced thermal stability. In contrast with neat PVC, the temperature of maximum weight loss (Tmax), glass transition temperature (Tg), and residual content of composite with 2.0 wt% graphene were increased by 10, 13°C, and 4.4%, respectively. Based on the deep analysis on heat releasing behavior and structure of residue, we proposed the related enhancing mechanism. Large‐area and highly exfoliated graphene sheets effectively inhibited the heat/mass transfer in composite system and prevented the degradation of PVC, as well as promoted the compact residue formation from polymer itself at high temperatures. In short, this work provided an environmentally friendly strategy to prepare high‐performance graphene/polymer nanocomposites with using low additive amount of single‐layer graphene.Highlights A simple graphite exfoliation method based on ball milling was proposed. Strong shearing and compact force induce graphene exfoliation and deposition. Graphene/PVC nanocomposites with enhanced thermal stability was prepared.

Chemical upcycling of PVC-containing plastic wastes by thermal degradation and catalysis in a chlorine-rich environment

Chlorine (Cl)-containing chemicals, including hydrogen chloride, generated during thermal degradation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and corresponding mixture impede the chemical recycling of PVC-containing plastic wastes. While upgrading plastic-derived vapors, the presence of Cl-containing chemicals may deactivate the catalysts. Accordingly, herein, catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis vapor prepared from a mixture of PVC and polyolefins is performed using a fixed-bed reactor comprising zeolites. Among the H-forms of zeolites (namely, ZSM-5, Y, β, and chabazite) used in this study, a higher yield of gas products composed of hydrocarbons with lower carbon numbers is obtained using H-ZSM-5, thus indicating further decomposition of the pyrolysis vapor to C1–C4 hydrocarbons on it. Although the formation of aromatic compounds is better on H-ZSM-5, product distributions can be adjusted by further modifying the acidic properties via the alteration of the Si/Al molar ratio, and maximum yields of C1–C4 compounds (60.8%) and olefins (64.7%) are achieved using a Si/Al molar ratio of 50. Additionally, metal ion exchange on H-ZSM-5 is conducted, and upgrading of PVC-containing waste-derived vapor to aromatic chemicals and small hydrocarbon molecules was successfully performed using Co-substituted H-ZSM-5. It reveals that the highest yield of gas products on 1.74 wt% cobalt (Co)-substituted H-ZSM-5 is acquired via the selection of an appropriate metal and metal ion concentration adjustment. Nevertheless, introduction of excess Co into the H-ZSM-5 surface decreases the cracking activity, thereby implying that highly distributed Co is required to achieve excellent cracking activity. The addition of Co also adjusted the acid types of H-ZSM-5, and more Lewis acid sites compared to Brønsted acid sites selectively produced olefins and naphthenes over paraffins and aromatics. The proposed approach can be a feasible process to produce valuable petroleum-replacing chemicals from Cl-containing mixed plastic wastes, contributing to the closed loops for upcycling plastic wastes.

Chlorine Fixing Ability of Electric Arc Furnace Dust During the Thermal Degradation of Polyvinyl Chloride under Oxidative Conditions

Electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are two hazardous wastes that are accumulated world-wide at an alarming rate. Utilising these two wastes simultaneously towards a sustainable recycling loop can greatly mitigate their environmental impact. Herein, EAFD was studied as a potential emission fixator of evolved gaseous HCl generated from the thermal decomposition of PVC under different operational conditions: EAFD-PVC mass ratio, solid reactants geometry, O2 partial pressure, holding temperature, holding time and heating rate. The highest chlorine fixation percentage was calculated to be 78.9% and was obtained at an EAFD-PVC mass ratio of 1:1 (thin disks geometry), while the rest escaped in the form of HCl/Cl2. No significant variation was observed on the percentage of fixed chlorine when the thermal treatment was performed using different geometries: long cylinder, thin disks, and powder forms with a maximum difference in fixation of only 5.6% between extremities. Increasing O2 partial pressure positively affected the chlorine fixation percentage increasing it from 39.9 to 48.4% at 0 and 21 kPa partial pressures, respectively. Increasing both the holding temperature and holding time under oxidative conditions negatively affected the percentage of fixed chlorine due to oxidation of formed FeCl2 back to Fe2O3. The heating rate did not show any significant effect on the amount of fixed HCl, suggesting that the speed of chlorination reactions can be identical to or faster than the decomposition rate of PVC. Overall, EAFD is believed to be an excellent candidate for capturing HCl contained in PVC upon thermal degradation.

Optimizing Eco-Friendly Degradation of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Plastic Using Environmental Strains of Malassezia Species and Aspergillus fumigatus.

Worldwide, huge amounts of plastics are being introduced into the ecosystem, causing environmental pollution. Generally, plastic biodegradation in the ecosystem takes hundreds of years. Hence, the isolation of plastic-biodegrading microorganisms and finding optimum conditions for their action is crucial. The aim of the current study is to isolate plastic-biodegrading fungi and explore optimum conditions for their action. Soil samples were gathered from landfill sites; 18 isolates were able to grow on SDA. Only 10 isolates were able to the degrade polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer. Four isolates displayed promising depolymerase activity. Molecular identification revealed that three isolates belong to genus Aspergillus, and one isolate was Malassezia sp. Three isolates showed superior PVC-biodegrading activity (Aspergillus-2, Aspergillus-3 and Malassezia) using weight reduction analysis and SEM. Two Aspergillus strains and Malassezia showed optimum growth at 40 °C, while the last strain grew better at 30 °C. Two Aspergillus isolates grew better at pH 8-9, and the other two isolates grow better at pH 4. Maximal depolymerase activity was monitored at 50 °C, and at slightly acidic pH in most isolates, FeCl3 significantly enhanced depolymerase activity in two Aspergillus isolates. In conclusion, the isolated fungi have promising potential to degrade PVC and can contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution in eco-friendly way.

Solid phase synthesis of alkoxyl tin and the role of alkyl for Multi-stage thermal decomposition of polyvinyl chloride

To prepare an innovative thermal stabilizer for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the micro-nano powders of alkoxyl tin (RxOSn) were synthesized via a solid phase reaction at room temperature, using the surfactant sodium benzene sulfonate (SBS) as a catalyst. Theoretical calculation of deprotonation reaction energy of monobasic alcohol and tin chloride was performed with the framework of DFT, and their structures were characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR, XPS, and its surface wetting performance was carried out by contact angle (CA). Meanwhile, the multi-stage thermal stability of PVC with 10% RxOSn sample, and the role of alkyl groups (Rx, x = 2 ∼ 5) in the RxOSn/PVC were investigated. The results show that the RxOSn samples exhibit a microstructure akin to the rutile of SnO2. Multi-stage kinetic studies of exothermic reactions has confirmed that the alkoxyl wetting performance of stabilizers becomes a determining factor, while the variation in activation energy (Ea) values seems to be mainly influenced by the Rx alkyl groups in the RxOSn samples. Besides, the differences in the lattice parameter a of RxOSn were validated to have a certain impact on the stabilizing effect of PVC, and the Ea of PVC degradation is closely related to the relative value of exposed crystal surfaces (D(110)/D(101)). This series of materials is easily synthesized and can effectively enhance the thermal stability of PVC, offering a wide range of potential applications.

Enhancement of interfacial adhesion to carbon fibers via electrostatic interaction using polyvinyl chloride as a model matrix

The purpose of this study is to provide a framework for spectroscopic investigation of an enhancement mechanism of the interfacial adhesion using a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix as a model. PVC dissolved in a tetrahydrofuran solution was dropped onto carbon fiber (CF) or glass fiber (GF), and the interfacial shear strength was measured after annealing at various temperatures. The interfacial shear strength of PVC/CF increased significantly with the annealing temperature compared with that of PVC/GF. As characterized by Raman spectroscopy, the polyene content (an indicator of PVC degradation) in bulk PVC was positively correlated with the interfacial shear strength. PVC radicals were not detected at the annealing temperature in the electro spin resonance spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that the interaction between the ions (C+Cl−) formed during the decomposition of PVC (formation of polyene) and the π electrons in the benzene of CF; the cation–π interaction is attributable to the enhancement of the interfacial shear strength.

Effect of iron-nickel cations on urea-assisted hydrothermal dechlorination of polyvinyl chloride: Appropriateness of using steel reactors for determining intrinsic degradation chemistry

Hydrothermal dechlorination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is primarily performed in stainless-steel reactors prone to chlorine-induced pitting corrosion, contaminating the reaction media with Fe2+, Ni2+, and Cr2+ possibly triggering shifts in the degradation chemistry. This study investigated the single and synergistic effects of Fe2+ and Ni2+ on urea-assisted hydrothermal dechlorination of PVC under mild conditions. Significant improvement in dechlorination degree was observed at 210 °C when 5 mmol/L Fe2+ or 10 mmol/L Ni2+ was added. Furthermore, positive interaction between the cations was confirmed when the simultaneous use of 1 mmol/L Fe2+ and 0.25 mmol/L Ni2+ achieved the same catalytic performance. The presence of these ions prevented adhesive contact of PVC particles, thus limiting the mass-transfer resistance and autocatalytic effect. The experimental design revealed that dechlorination and its improvement were temperature-dependent (p < 0.0001). Ni2+ and Fe2+ exerted quadratic and linear effects, respectively, on dechlorination. The highest catalytic activity occurred in the temperature range of 217.5–222.5 °C. The results show that total concentrations of as low as 1.08 mmol/L accelerated dechlorination, indicating the inappropriateness of using steel reactors for determining intrinsic PVC degradation chemistry. However, Fe–Ni composites have the potential to be used as catalysts.

Degradation of Polyvinyl Chloride by Sequential Dehydrochlorination and Olefin Metathesis.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a problematic waste plastic with limited options for recycling or upcycling. Herein, we demonstrate preliminary results in breaking down the long carbon chains of PVC into oligomers and small organic molecules. First, treatment with a substoichiometric amount of alkali base effects elimination of HCl to form a salt and creates regions of conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds, as determined by 1H NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Olefin cross metathesis with an added partner alkene then cleaves carbon-carbon double bonds of the polymer backbone. Addition of allyl alcohol to the dehydrochlorination step introduces allyloxy groups by substitution of allylic chlorides. Subsequent metathesis of the pendant allyloxy groups provides a reactive terminal alkene to promote insertion of the metathesis catalyst onto the olefins in the all-carbon backbone. The products obtained are a mixture of PVC oligomers with greatly reduced molecular weights and a small-molecule diene corresponding to the substituents of the added alkene, as evidenced by 1H and DOSY NMR and GPC . This mild procedure provides a proof of concept towards harvesting carbon resources from PVC waste.

Impact of PVC microplastics on soil chemical and microbiological parameters

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants whose occurrence is a global problem in natural ecosystems including soil. Among MPs, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a well-known polymer with remarkable resistance to degradation, and because its recalcitrant nature serious environmental concerns are created during manufacturing and waste disposal.The effect of PVC (0.021% w/w) on chemical and microbial parameters of an agricultural soil was tested by a microcosm experiment at different incubation times (from 3 to 360 days). Among chemical parameters, soil CO2 emission, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) activity, total organic C (TOC), total N, water extractable organic C (WEOC), water extractable N (WEN) and SUVA254 were considered, while the structure of soil microbial communities was studied at different taxonomic levels (phylum and genus) by sequencing bacterial 16S and fungal ITS2 rDNA (Illumina MiSeq).Although some fluctuations were found, chemical and microbiological parameters exhibited some significant trends. Significant (p < 0.05) variations of soil CO2 emission, FDA hydrolysis, TOC, WEOC and WEN were found in PVC-treated soils over different incubation times. Considering the structure of soil microbial communities, the presence of PVC significantly (p < 0.05) affected the abundances of specific bacterial and fungal taxa: Candidatus_Saccharibacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Bacteroides among bacteria, and Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota and Ascomycota among fungi.After one year of experiment, a reduction of the number and the dimensions of PVC was detected supposing a possible role of microorganisms on PVC degradation. The abundance of both bacterial and fungal taxa at phylum and genus level was also affected by PVC, suggesting that the impact of this polymer could be taxa-dependent.

A Comparative Study of the Photostabilization of Polyvinyl Chloride with Nano and Micro Nickel Oxide

NiO nanoparticle synthesis by chemical method and characterized by XRD with crystal size 11.72 nm and grain size 13 nm from FESEM image also NiO micro used ,two NiO as an additive to evaluate the possibility of producing photodegradable polymers, the practical application of solid-phase photocatalytic degradation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC- NiO composite films) was investigated. PVC has a negative impact on the environment since its polymer degrades slowly, yet it has a wide range of industrial applications and the amount used shows no evidence of diminishing use. Thus, a synthesis of modified PVC- NiO micro and nano has been studied with 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 (hours) as irradiation time and a number of spectroscopic analyses such as FTIR and UV-VIS. Additionally, the effects of adding nanostructures to PVC chains on optical stability testing procedures were examined through indices (ICO, IPO, and IOH), weight loss measurements, UV and viscosity.

Degradation of polyvinyl chloride by a bacterial consortium enriched from the gut of Tenebrio molitor larvae

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a carbon backbone synthetic plastic containing chlorine element, is one of six widely used plastics accounting for 10% global plastics production. PVC wastes are recalcitrant to be broken down in the environment but release harmful chlorinated compounds, causing damage to the ecosystem. Although biodegradation represents a sustainable approach for PVC reduction, virtually no efficient bacterial degraders for additive-free PVC have been reported. In addition, PVC depolymerization by Tenebrio molitor larvae was suggested to be gut microbe-dependent, but to date no additive-free PVC degraders have been isolated from insect guts. In this study, a bacterial consortium designated EF1 was newly enriched from the gut of Tenebrio molitor larvae, which was capable of utilizing additive-free PVC for its growth with the PVC-mass reduction and dechlorination of PVC. PVC films inoculated with consortium EF1 for 30 d were analyzed by diverse polymer characterization methods including atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscope, water contact angle, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis technique, and ion chromatography. It was found that bio-treated PVC films were covered with tight biofilms with increased –OH and –CC- groups and decreased chlorine contents, and erosions and cracks were present on their surfaces. Meanwhile, the hydrophilicity of bio-treated films increased, but their thermal stability declined. Furthermore, Mw, Mn and Mz values were reduced by 17.0%, 28.5% and 16.1% using gel permeation chromatography, respectively. In addition, three medium-chain aliphatic primary alcohols and their corresponding fatty acids were identified as PVC degradation intermediates by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Combing all above results, it is clear that consortium EF1 is capable of efficiently degrading PVC polymer, providing a unique example for PVC degradation by gut microbiota of insects and a feasibility for the removal of PVC wastes.

Incorporation of ultrathin porous metal-free graphite carbon nitride nanosheets in polyvinyl chloride for efficient photodegradation

Solid-phase photocatalytic degradation of waste plastics is one of the promising approaches to solve the “white pollution” problem. In this work, a low cost, metal-free, environmentally friendly organic photocatalyst, graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4), was used for the first time to successfully enhance the photodegradation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) under simulated sunlight from its visible light photocatalytic capability, while its organic nature and abundant surface functional groups were beneficial for its good dispersion in plastics. It was found that the ultrathin porous g-C3N4 nanosheet synthesized from urea (the UCN sample) had much stronger photodegradation effect in PVC/g-C3N4 composite films than its thick block counterpart synthesized with melamine (the MCN sample) due to its larger specific surface area, higher pore volume, and enhanced photogenerated charge carrier separation. With the incorporation of only 1 wt% UCN sample into PVC, its mechanical properties were largely enhanced with the tensile strength increase of ∼ 45% and the elongation at break increase of ∼ 72%, and its weight loss increased ∼ 58% after 120 h irradiation in the weather resistance test chamber. ·O2- and h+ produced by the UCN sample were found as the main active species in the photocatalytic degradation of PVC to dechlorinate PVC and decompose its long-chain molecules into short-chain small molecules until its final degradation into CO2 and H2O under ideal conditions.

Synergistic Modification of PVC with Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycle and Tung-Oil Based Derivative for Enhanced Heat Stabilization and Plasticization Behavior

The additives present in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials are the major source of organic by-products during PVC degradation. The thermal stabilizer and plasticizer are the main additives that endow PVC with the required properties during its processing. However, these two additives easily migrate when samples are obtained by physical mixing of the additives with PVC. This causes the reduction of PVC sample efficacy and the increase in the formation of organic by-products in the radiolysis process. In this work, two kinds of grafted PVC samples (tung-oil derivative grafted PVC and Atz grafted PVC, abbreviated as P-GT4 and P-AZ3) were synthesized by chemical grafting of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (Atz) and tung-oil derivative on PVC, respectively. These two PVC samples were then blended at different mass ratios to obtain hybrid PVC materials with excellent plasticization, thermal stability and migration resistance ability. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), discoloration, Congo red test and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that when the mass ratio of P-GT4 to P-AZ3 in the mixed PVC resin was 1:3, the resulting P1:3-GT4-AZ3 (P4) presented the best plasticization and thermal stability. The kinetics of thermal decomposition showed that the activation energy of P4 was much higher than that of the reference material [PVC/DOTP/CaSt2/ZnSt2, PVC/CZ41 for short] at mass loss α = 20% and 80%. In addition, the leaching test showed that P4 material possessed excellent migration resistance ability.