Different Types Of Plastics Research Articles

Using of system SurveNIR for identification of plastics in library collection

The paper describes qualitative methods of modern library collections (produced after the year 1800) survey in The National Library of the Czech Republic in Prague. Each book is primarily composed of paper sheets and bookbinding. In modern library collections bookbinding usually contains parts composed of synthetic materials. Different types of materials have different mechanisms of degradation. Therefore, the main objectives of this work are nondestructive identification of synthetic materials in bookbinding, their degradation processes, and methods of conservation, conditions of storage, and preventive care as well. Based on the preliminary results of the collection survey in the National Library of the Czech Republic, the most usual types of synthetic materials in bookbinding are cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, polyethylene, polyurethane, polymethylmethacrylate, and polyvinyl chloride, both of solid and plasticized type. For faster survey of the collections and deeper information is used new instruments for modern library collection survey and preservation – SurveNIR measuring system. SurveNIR measuring system is used for determination of paper properties and identification of plastic materials using chemometric and comparison with material standards. It can identify more than 45 different types of plastics. It is a nondestructive method, very fast, and it is possible to obtain results in a few seconds of measuring. The SurveNIR system was developed in the European project.

Label-free identification and differentiation of different microplastics using phasor analysis of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)-generated data

As plastic pollution is becoming an increasing worldwide problem, a variety of different techniques for the detection and in-depth characterization of plastics, including spectroscopy and chromatography methods, were introduced to the public. Recently we presented fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) a new approach for the identification and characterization of microplastics using their fluorescence lifetime (τ) for differentiation. A very powerful extension of the recently established FLIM could be phasor analysis, which allows data representation in an interactive 2D graphical phasor plot thereby enabling a global view of the fluorescence decay in each pixel of the measured image. Microplastic particles generated from six different types of plastics were subjected to excitation wavelengths of 440 nm, upon which specific fluorescence lifetimes as well as the photon yield were determined using FLIM and phasor analysis. We could show that phasor analysis for FLIM with a laser pulse repetition frequency of 40 MHz was able to generate specific locations in the phasor plot for the plastics for fast differentiation, e.g. resulting in well-defined phasor plot positions for ABS at 3.019 ns, PPE at 6.239 ns, PET bottle from Germany at 2.703 ns and PET bottle from USA at 2.711 ns. Phasor analysis for FLIM proves to be a fast, label-free, and sensitive method for the identification and differentiation of plastics also with the aid of visualization variation enabling techniques such as heat treatment of plastics.

Use of Digital Olfaction to Standardize Cabin Odor Testing in Automotive Interiors

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Subjectivity in testing for automotive validation processes is typically a sticking point for many suppliers and OEMs. For vehicle interiors, in addition to the laboratory testing, human panels of “trained noses” are used to judge the different components and the completed vehicle.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">In the automotive industry, there is no standardization as each OEM has their own testing specifications, rating scale and methods. In addition to the variation in OEM specification, there are also global specifications issued by SAE, VDA, and ISO. This lack of unified quantitative norms leads to increased costs and timing for suppliers, lab-to-lab variations in results and ultimately longer development times for the OEMs.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">With the advances in sensors, biochemistry and machine learning, odor detection and classification can be achieved with the use of a digital olfaction device, or “electronic nose”. We will demonstrate the ability to identify different types of plastics, the ability to differentiate between compound variants of the same material and a proof of concept for detection of odors in the automotive domain based on the ISO 12219-7 and VDA270 standards. We will also propose a quantifiable rating of odor which mimics the human panel established norms, in a way which is reproducible and independent of variation between individual testers. Ultimately, standardization of odor testing with consistent, repeatable and cost-effective digital olfaction methods can bring traceability and credibility to Tier 1 suppliers that translate to end-product quality for OEMs.</div></div>

АВТОМАТИЗОВАНИЙ МОДУЛЬ СОРТУВАННЯ ПЛАСТИКОВИХ ВІДХОДІВ

Sorting of solid waste is now of paramount importance. Therefore, it is advisable today to spend more time developing new modern, efficient, environmentally friendly waste sorting systems in an automated mode. The development of modern technologies for sorting solid waste is becoming increasingly important, as classical methods of disposal are no longer able to meet the needs of mankind in this regard. An important aspect is both the sorting of waste with the possibility of further processing and the disposal process itself without significant harm to the environment. Currently, there is a significant number of methods and organizational procedures for sorting solid waste, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. An important element of solid waste sorting technologies should be the ability to quickly identify types of materials with their subsequent separation and disposal, which will significantly increase the productivity of this process. The purpose of the article is to improve the method of sorting solid waste on the basis of visual spectrometry. On the example of a specific type of solid waste, namely plastic, the capabilities of the proposed module for sorting plastics based on visual spectrometry are demonstrated. The paper also considers the main properties of spectroscopy in the field of infrared spectrum in order to develop a technology for identifying different types of plastics during their sorting for further processing or disposal. The method of solid waste sorting on the basis of visual spectrometry was proposed in the work, which allowed to obtain the optimal technological process of identification and separation of different types of plastics. The prototype of the module for sorting of plastics is developed, the basic principles of its functioning are considered.

Mechanical Properties of Whey Composite Edible Film with the Addition of Clove Essential Oil and Different Types of Plasticizer

The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanical properties of the composite whey edible film with the addition of clove oil and different types of plasticizers. This research was conducted as a laboratory experiment and the variables observed were the mechanical properties of the composite whey edible film. This research was conducted using a Factorial Completely Randomized Design consisting of Factor A (clove oil concentration: 5%; 10% and 15%) and Factor B (a type of plasticizer): sorbitol and polyethylene glycol. The results showed that the percentage value of elongation with the use of clove oil was 46.00-63.01% and the use of plasticizers resulted in 49.56-57.33%. The value of tensile strength using clove oil resulted in 7.76-7.9 N and the use of plasticizers from 7.74-8.05N. WVTR film with the use of clove oil 7,00-7,31 g/m2.day-1 and the use of plasticizer resulted in a value of 7,09-7,16 g/m2.day-1, for the microstructures showed a film surface that still showed oil droplets and no homogenization process but no cracks occurred in the film. Composite whey edible film with the addition of clove oil and a different type of plasticizer can produce good film mechanical properties.

Global Modeled Sinking Characteristics of Biofouled Microplastic.

Microplastic debris ending up at the sea surface has become a known major environmental issue. However, how microplastic particles move and when they sink in the ocean remains largely unknown. Here, we model microplastic subject to biofouling (algal growth on a substrate) to estimate sinking timescales and the time to reach the depth where particles stop sinking. We combine NEMO‐MEDUSA 2.0 output, that represents hydrodynamic and biological properties of seawater, with a particle‐tracking framework. Different sizes and densities of particles (for different types of plastic) are simulated, showing that the global distribution of sinking timescales is largely size‐dependent as opposed to density‐dependent. The smallest particles we simulate (0.1 μm) start sinking almost immediately around the globe and their trajectories take the longest time to reach their first sinking depth (relative to larger particles). In oligotrophic subtropical gyres with low algal concentrations, particles between 1 and 0.01 mm do not sink within the simulation time of 90 days. This suggests that in addition to the comparatively well‐known physical processes, biological processes might also contribute to the accumulation of floating plastic (of 1–0.01 mm) in subtropical gyres. Particles of 1 μm in the gyres start sinking largely due to vertical advection, whereas in the equatorial Pacific they are more dependent on biofouling. The qualitative impacts of seasonality on sinking timescales are small, however, localized sooner sinking due to spring algal blooms is seen. This study maps processes that affect the sinking of virtual microplastic globally, which could ultimately impact the ocean plastic budget.

Exploring the Composition and Functions of Plastic Microbiome Using Whole-Genome Sequencing.

Besides the ecotoxicological consequences of microplastics and associated chemicals, the association of microbes on plastics has greater environmental implications as microplastics may select for unique microbiome participating in environmentally significant functions. Despite this, the functional potential of the microbiome associated with different types of plastics is understudied. Here, we investigate the interaction between plastic and marine biofilm-forming microorganisms through a whole-genome sequencing approach on four types of microplastics incubated in the marine environment. Taxonomic analysis suggested that the microplastic surfaces exhibit unique microbial profiles and niche partitioning among the substrates. In particular, the abundance of Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio campbellii suggested that microplastic pollution may pose a potential risk to the marine food chain and negatively impact aquaculture industries. Microbial genera involved in xenobiotic compound degradation, carbon cycling, and genes associated with the type IV secretion system, conjugal transfer protein TraG, plant-pathogen interaction, CusA/CzcA family heavy metal efflux transfer proteins, and TolC family proteins were significantly enriched on all the substrates, indicating the variety of processes operated by the plastic-microbiome. The present study gives a detailed characterization of the rapidly altering microbial composition and gene pools on plastics and adds new knowledge surrounding the environmental ramifications of marine plastic pollution.

Потенціал біорозкладання та властивості біопластику з мікроводоростей

Petroleum-based plastic has been widely used in many industries. However, it takes hundreds of years to degrade and causes widespread pollution to our environment. These problems led to the invention of bioplastics, which were comprised of natural biopolymers made from starch. The production of bioplastics from food-based starches such as tapioca and corn created competition between food and bioplastic production industries. Hence, this research study focuses on producing bioplastic from microalgae residue, which is a non-food based raw material that uses four different types of plasticizers: glycerol, sorbitol, glutaraldehyde and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Microalgae species for identification were obtained from the fish pond at the University Malaysia of Kelantan, before cultivating the species for 14 days. The microalgae residues were extracted through the centrifugation process. Three species were identified under the light microscope, Chlorella sp., Scenedesmus sp. and Monoraphidium sp. The production of bioplastic involved a manual stirring method using a hotplate magnetic stirrer, followed by drying the bioplastic in an oven at 60 oC. Results obtained showed that sorbitol and glycerol from microalgae are suitable to be used as a plasticizer for the production of bioplastic, however glutaraldehyde and PEG are not suitable. Bioplastics that used PEG and glutaraldehyde became cracked and brittle after the drying process. The characterization of bioplastics includes universal tensile testing machines, Fourier-transform infrared analysis and biodegradability tests being processed//undertaken on glycerol-based and sorbitol based bioplastic. Characterization of bioplastics proved that both glycerol and sorbitol have high potential for applications in daily human life. Bioplastics which used sorbitol as a plasticizer could be used in can be applied the production of plastic goods such as toys and household items due to its good resistance toward stress and minimal flexibility. Meanwhile bioplastics which used glycerol as a plasticizer could be applied to the production of plastic bags and plastic food wrap due to its elastic and flexible nature.

A review on plastic waste as sustainable resource in civil engineering applications

Plastic wastes are non-biodegradable and can stay in the ecosystem for many decades. It can go through aging processes resulting from physical, chemical, and biological actions with the potential to harm habitats and weaken the life-supporting environment. The overwhelming environmental problem created by the indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste containers has led to a search for comprehensive research work seeking a viable alternative to manage, process and dispose of used plastic containers. Hence, researchers have found alternative use to its recovery. The waste can be recycled, reused or reprocessed as substitutes for construction materials because construction applications take up significant amounts of aggregates and cement. Its use is also applicable in bitumen modification, soil stabilization, geosynthetic materials, bricks, plastic reinforcement, and as natural aggregates, which all assist in reducing the quantity of natural aggregates that can be extracted for use in the construction industry. The review covers the collection of relevant information about plastics, the different types of plastics, their corresponding waste and its application in the construction industry from literature. It also examines plastic waste challenges and its sustainable utilization as a construction material. By changing the production design of plastics, it would proffer better ways to manage plastic waste, clean up and improve our natural environment. This review submits that there is an opportunity for the use of plastic waste as an innovative alternative in the construction industry which can stimulate economic growth and could boost the drive of government towards the achievement of some of the sustainable development goals.

Evaluation of Waste Blends with Sewage Sludge as a Potential Material Input for Pyrolysis

In line with the requirements of the circular economy, the European Union’s waste management legislative changes also concern the treatment of sewage sludge. Although sewage sludge production cannot be prevented, its quantities may be reduced by the synergetic effect of energy recovery via choosing a proper technology. Sewage sludge is difficult to apply as fuel alone, because of its high moisture and ash content. However, its energy use will be increased by adding suitable waste materials (different types of plastics, waste tires and paper rejects). Most recently, the thermal utilization of sewage sludge via incineration or pyrolysis has grown in importance. This article describes the fuel parameters of particular waste materials and of their blends with sewage sludge in connection with laboratory-scale thermal decomposition in an inert atmosphere, for their potential use in a semi-pilot plant pyrolysis unit. For pyrolytic application, the results of thermogravimetric analysis are needed in order to know the maximal temperature of thermal decomposition in an inert atmosphere, maximal mass losses, and weight loss rates. The samples of different thermoplastics mixed with sewage sludge, and low-density polyethylene blends with sewage sludge, had the lowest residual masses (70–74%) and the highest weight loss rates (11–19%/min). On the other hand, the blend of polyester rejects from tire processing, paper rejects and sewage sludge had the second highest residual mass (60%) and the lowest weight loss rate (3%/min).

Direct numerical simulation of magneto-Archimedes separation of spherical particles

Abstract

Investigating the Plastic Decomposing Ability of Tenebriomolitor Using Carbon Dioxide Sensors

According to a group of Stanford scientists, mealworms, the larva of darkling beetles, can digest Styrofoam, a type of polystyrene, and break it down into carbon dioxide. This paper investigates the plastic-digesting property of mealworms on different types of plastic, namely polystyrene (PS), low- density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Since mealworms breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. To measure the extent of plastic intake, we explored an alternative method to measure the extent of plastic digestion - using Arduino carbon dioxide sensors instead of calculating the difference in weight of plastic. As the increase in the exhalation of carbon dioxide is indicative of the amount of plastic consumed, the authors measured the change in carbon dioxide concentration of the mealworms' environment as they consume plastic. This is put into comparison with when the mealworms respire without food. The results show that mealworms consume Styrofoam to a certain extent. However, they are mostly unable to digest polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, likely due to their elasticity and high density respectively.

Experimental study on comparison of the plasticizer effect on PVA fiber reinforcement concrete

A high-strength Concrete structure is what everyone tries to achieve through the project. So many studies are being studied with various types of fibers. In this paper, I have used PVA fibers with two different types of plasticizers. The main purpose of this study is to find the amount of plasticizer to be used and which is feasible to be used for different proportions of PVA fibers. We have casted 0.125%, 0.250%, 0.375%, and 0.50% of PVA fiber in the proportion of the weight of cement. We have also studied their compressive strength and split tensile strength. By which we have decided the optimum dosage of plasticizes to be used for the different proportions of PVA fiber.

Experimental Investigation on Hydrophobic Behavior of Carbon Spheres Coated Surface Made from Microplastics

In this paper, a simple method to plate a hydrophobic coating on the inner surface of a small-scaled tube was proposed, where the coating consisted of carbon microspheres. Three common plastics polystyrene, polycarbonate and polyethylene were used as the feedstocks to be processed in supercritical water in a quartz tubular reactor. After reaction, the contact angle of droplet on the inner surface of the quartz tube was turned out to be over 100°, significantly larger than that of the blank tube 54°. When processing polystyrene in the 750C supercritical water for 10 min, the largest contact angle was obtained, up to 145°. Besides, in this sample, the size of carbon spheres was smallest, about 2.09 μm diameter on average. When comparing among different types of plastics under the same condition, the contact angle of surface made from PC took the dominant position over that of PS and PE, 124°, 100° and 90°, respectively. In the sample made from PC, carbon spheres adhered into a mountainlike shape, producing a binary geometric structure. Furthermore, this research could be helpful in the discussion of plastic waste management and carbon spheres fabrication with low cost.

Advancing mechanical recycling of multilayer plastics through finite element modelling and environmental policy

Plastics are attracting negative publicity due to the scale of current pollution levels, yet they are irreplaceable in several applications such as food packaging, where different types of plastics are combined in laminate form to produce multilayered packaging (MLP) materials which extend the life of food items packaged within them. Increased plastic recycling is urgently needed, however for MLP it is particularly difficult. For the first time, this study combines engineering tools with environmental policy towards developing solutions for current single use plastic packaging. This study investigates recycling challenges for MLP and emerging melt-blending based mechanical recycling solutions as this is the main current method for material recovery of conventional plastics. Melt-blending of MLP with compatibilisers is explored, and the current lack of models addressing the influence of compatibilisers is identified. This gap in knowledge is addressed using novel engineering models based on the finite element (FE) micromechanical modelling technique to estimate the mechanical properties of recycled blends. Our model output is compared with experimental data available in literature and the good agreement highlights its predictive ability, providing a fast and cost-effective novel method for optimising recycled plastics. The policy aspect proposes the introduction of twenty policies based on mission-orientated innovation strategy to enable deployment of the recycling technologies studied whilst improving the viability of recycling of material currently not recycled. Implementation of these measures by the stakeholders will enable adoption of new MLP recycling techniques, create demand for recycled materials from MLP and incentivise MLP collection to mitigate pollution.

Plastic credit: A consortium blockchain-based plastic recyclability system

By the end of 2015, approximately 6300 million tons (Mt) of plastic waste had been generated globally, but less than 10% of plastics was recycled. Since different types of plastics have various degrees of recyclability, consumer information about plastic product recyclability is paramount in order to increase the levels of plastic recycled. Against this context, the objective of this work is to define a plastic credit system to increase the amount of recyclable plastics. The plastic credit system assigns credit information to each plastic product and its corresponding company based on the percentage recyclability value of the plastic type and its composition. The methodology proposed is based on a unified and transparent credit system established by a double-chain system, which comprises a public blockchain CreditChain and a consortium blockchain M-InfoChain. The results show through the overall system performance analysis that the designed plastic credit system is capable of promoting a demand shift towards plastic products with higher plastic recyclability and achieving a lightweight operation for resource requirements and system maintenance.

Thermo-catalytic degradation of different consumer plastic wastes by zeolite a catalyst: A kinetic approach

This research work includes the effect of Zeolite-A catalyst on the thermal degradation behavior of six different consumer plastic wastes like high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethylene methacralate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS) and polytetrafluoro ethylene (PTFE) through kinetic approach by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data. Kinetic parameters such as reaction order, activation energy, and Arrhenius constant for the degradation of different waste plastics is determined using model fitting Coats–Redfern method. All the plastics show one-step degradation in the temperature range of 300–600°C. There is a significant decrease in activation energy (Ea) for the thermo-catalytic decomposition of the plastics in presence of Zeolite A catalyst. The extent of catalytic effect is found different for different plastics in the order of HDPE < PP < PS < PET < PMMA < PTFE. The order of the thermal degradation reaction is also found different for different types of plastics. The order of the reaction is altered in case of PET, PS and PTFE in presence of the catalyst but it is unaffected in case of remaining plastics. This treatment would reduce the energy consumption of pyrolysis process and also make the process economical viable.

Bacterial and fungal assemblages and functions associated with biofilms differ between diverse types of plastic debris in a freshwater system

Once in aquatic ecosystems, plastics can be easily colonized by diverse microbes, and these microbial communities on plastics—the ‘plastisphere’—often differ from the communities in the surrounding water and other substrates. However, our knowledge of plastic-associated bacterial and fungal communities on diverse plastics in freshwater is poor, especially for fungal communities. Furthermore, intraspecies interactions among bacterial and fungal communities colonized on diverse plastics are poorly known. Here, we characterized the taxonomic composition and diversity of bacteria and fungi on three types of plastics in a lab-scale incubator with freshwater from an urban river. High-throughput sequencing revealed that the alpha diversity of bacterial communities was higher on polyethylene microplastics (MPs) than on polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) sheets. The structure of bacterial communities on MPs differed from those on plastic sheets. In contrast, no striking differences in alpha diversity and taxonomic composition were observed for fungal communities on different types of plastics. Members of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota and Mucoromycota dominated fungal assemblages on plastics. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the biotic interactions between bacteria and fungi on MPs were less complex than those on PE and PP sheets. The three types of plastics shared no keystone taxa. The functional profiles (KEGG) predicted by Tax4Fun showed that the pathways of alanine, aspartate, glutamate and biotin metabolism were enriched in biofilms on MPs. Nonetheless, the higher complexity of plastic sheet-associated biofilms might make them more resistant to environmental perturbation and facilitate the maintenance of microbial activities.

Functional Properties of Tilapia’s Fish Scale Gelatin Film: Effects of Different Type of Plasticizers

The aim of this study was to investigate the functional properties of Tilapia’s fish scale gelatin films with various type of plasticizers. Gelatin film solutions using solution casting method with different type of plasticizers; glycerol, sorbitol, glycerol: sorbitol (80:20), and diethylene glycol with concentration of 30% were stirred at 60 °C for one hour and dried at room temperature for 2 days. The determination of film characterizations was included thermal (thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)), mechanical testing using the Texture Analyzer and chemical properties (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)). Essentially, all plasticizers show an improvement by able to plasticizing with increasing of elongation at break in between 14 and 50% compared to the gelatin film without plasticizer. Meanwhile, the tensile strength of plasticized gelatin films decreased drastically compared to the unplasticized gelatin film. From the result obtained in TGA analysis, film with sorbitol and dietheylene glycol demonstrated low resistance toward high temperature compared to film with glycerol and glycerol:sorbitol gelatin film. In addition, all the gelatin film with different plasticizers show the value of Tg around 60-70.85 °C except for sorbitol with Tg 79.98 °C due to strong intermolecular chain interaction between the sorbitol and gelatin. FTIR spectrum analysis demonstrated that only gelatin film with glycerol does not have any amide group that related to stretching vibration of carbonyl group along the polypeptide backbone of the plasticized film which later give highest tensile strength. Hence, notable differences of functional properties were found with four different type of plasticizers used in the gelatin film, especially in term of temperature resistance and mechanical properties

Quantitative Evaluation for the Peak Selectionin the Raman Spectroscopy Classification of Plastics Based on the Support Vector Machine

To perform mechanical recycling of massive amounts of waste plastics, we developed an identifier oriented on industrial use and based on Raman spectroscopy. For the purpose of designing a practical classification technique that is accurate, fast, and robust against external noise, a simple comparison of spectroscopic peak intensities is considered to be more useful than a complicated multivariate analysis. However, such peak choosing is carried out empirically so far based on expert spectroscopic knowledges. In this report, we successfully demonstrate the classification of three kind plastics using only two peaks that are selected based on support vector machine (SVM) of machine learning; three types of plastic, polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer (ABS), are categorized well even in the case of the large artificially generated noise conditions. We could choose automatically a set of two peaks among six sets of four peaks that become candidates in the Raman spectra. Margin values in SVM allow obtaining the decisive information on how to select the peaks in the spectra quantitatively, for distinguishing different types of plastics.