Low Additive Concentrations Research Articles

The effect of free fatty acids on the tribological properties of karanja oil

Research is being carried extensively on vegetable-based lubricants to provide a suitable replacement against toxic and non-biodegradable petroleum-based lubricants. In this work, tribological properties of free fatty acids in non-edible karanja seed oil are evaluated. Free fatty acids namely palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid were added at 1%, 2%, 3%, and 5%by weight of the base oil. A four ball tribotester was utilized to study the friction and wear properties of different samples. These additives provided both anti-wear and anti-friction properties. Palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid reduced wear by 34.39%, 28.82%, and 13.12% respectively. Further, the coefficient of friction was reduced by 27.51%, 30.15%, and 44.97% respectively. The wear scar region was analyzed using optical microscopy. Flash temperature parameter (FTP) for different additives was calculated and found that at lower additive concentrations, stearic acid had a better FTP but at 5%wt., palmitic acid had the best FTP. Energy consumed during the test was calculated for different additive concentrations and oleic acid additive had the lowest energy consumption.

Mechanical properties and biological durability in soil contact of chemically modified wood treated in an open or in a closed system using glycerol/maleic anhydride systems

ABSTRACT This paper presents mechanical properties and biological durability properties against soft-rot (soil bed test) and subterranean termites (grave-yard test) of the wood modified with a vinylic derivative of glycerol or polyglycerol and maleic anhydride at different curing conditions. Wood modification was performed through impregnation of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) with an aqueous solution of polyglycerol maleate, glycerol maleate, or maleic anhydride at 10 or 20% w/w concentration, followed with curing under oven heating (OHT) in an open system (120°C, 150°C, or 220°C) or under heat pressurised steam (HPS) at 150°C in a closed system. Results revealed that almost all modified wood presented higher modulus of elasticity (MOE) values than untreated wood, however, modulus of rupture (MOR) and work to maximum load in bending (WMLB) decreased considerably. Biological durability in the soil bed test against soft-rot indicated that almost all modified wood was specified as “durable” to “very durable”. However, among the treatments, the wood modified with polyglycerol maleate/glycerol maleate/maleic anhydride at 20% under OHT 150°C or the wood modified at lower additive concentration (10%) under OHT 220°C presented excellent durability against subterranean termites within a period of 328 days in the field.

Ice recrystallisation inhibiting polymers prevent irreversible protein aggregation during solvent-free cryopreservation as additives and as covalent polymer-protein conjugates

Protein storage and transport is essential to deliver therapies (biologics), enzymes for biotechnological applications, and underpins fundamental structural and molecular biology. To enable proteins to be stored and transported it is often essential to freeze them, requiring cryoprotectants such as glycerol or trehalose. Here we explore the mechanisms by which poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA, a potent ice recrystallisation inhibitor protects proteins during freeze/thaw to enable solvent-free cryopreservation with a focus on comparing mixing, verses polymer-protein conjugation. A panel of poly(vinyl alcohol)s are investigated including commercial, well-defined (from RAFT), and PVA-protein conjugates, to map out PVA’s efficacy. Enzymatic activity recovery of lactate dehydrogenase was found to correlate with post-thaw aggregation state (less aggregated protein had greater activity), which was modulated by PVA’s ice recrystallisation inhibition activity. This macromolecular cryoprotectant matched the performance of glycerol, but at lower additive concentrations (as low as 1 mg.mL−1). It was also demonstrated that storage at −20 °C, rather than −80 °C was possible using PVA as a cryoprotectant, which is not possible with glycerol storage. A second protein, green-fluorescent protein (GFP), was used to enable screening of molecular weight effects and to obtain PVA-GFP bioconjugates. It was observed that covalent attachment of RAFT-derived PVA showed superior cryoprotectant activity compared to simple mixing of the polymer and protein. These results show that PVA is a real alternative to solvent-based protein storage with potential in biotechnology, food and therapeutics. PVA is already approved for many biomedical applications, is low cost and available on a large scale, making it an ideal cryoprotectant formulation enhancer.

Highly Oil-Repellent Thermoplastic Boundaries via Surface Delivery of CF3 Groups by Molecular Bottlebrush Additives.

We fabricated thermoplastic surfaces possessing extremely limited water and oil wettability without employment of long-chain perfluoroalkyl (LCPFA) substances. Namely, by taking advantage of the structure and behavior of original oleophobic perfluoropolyether (PFPE) methacrylate (PFM) molecular bottlebrush (MBB) additive we obtained polymeric surfaces with oil contact angles well above 80° and surface energy on the level of 10 mN/m. Those angles and surface energies are the highest and the lowest respective values reported to date for any bulk solid flat organic surface not containing LCPFA. We show experimentally and computationally that this remarkable oil repellency is attributed to migration of small quantities of the oleophobic MBB additives to the surface of the thermoplastics. Severe mismatch in the affinity between the densely grafted long side chains of MBB and a host matrix promotes stretching and densification of mobile side chains delivering the lowest surface energy functionalities (CF3) to the materials' boundary. Our studies demonstrate that PFM can be utilized as an effective low surface energy additive to conventional thermoplastic polymers, such as poly(methyl methacrylate) and Nylon-6. We show that films containing PFM achieve the level of oil repellency significantly higher than that of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a fully perfluorinated thermoplastic. The surface energy of the films is also significantly lower than that of PTFE, even at low concentrations of PFM additives.

Influence of Sodium Sulfate on the Direct Red 28 Degradation by Ozone in a Wastewater Recycling Process: A Stoichiometric and Novel Image Analysis

ABSTRACT The current study presents the treatment of water contaminated with the dye Direct Red 28 in the presence of Na2SO4 at three different concentrations (10, 40 and 80 g/L) by simple ozonation. This wastewater treatment was considered in a wastewater recycling process. At the end of each ozonation cycle, ozonation dynamics, ozone consumption, pH, electrical conductivity and UV/Vis spectra variation were analyzed and correlated with the stoichiometric analysis balance. The efficiency of the wastewater treatment in each reuse cycle was evaluated by a novel image processing method. The image results show that the presence of sulfate improves more than 45% the dye fixation on a cotton sample. However, at high additive concentrations, the color quality decreases 25%, compared with the system with low additive concentration, due to the presence of peroxysulfate ions and the compounds accumulated through the ozonation process.

Evaluation of the efficiency of lightweight concrete modified with additives based on nanostructures

The paper presents the results of studies on assessing the effectiveness of the modification of lightweight concrete with nanostructures. The results of these experimental studies show that the introduction of additives based on nanostructures, such as dispersions of carbon nanotubes and silica nanoparticles, improves the physical-mechanical characteristics of lightweight foam concrete (LWFC), even at low additive concentrations. As a result of chemical and physical interactions, nanosilica (NS) accelerates the pozzolanic reaction between cement and nanosilicate in the concrete mixture, filling the gaps. CNTs affect the hydration process and effectively increase the grain growth of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H). The presented experimental studies not only demonstrate the possibility of modifying construction materials with nanostructures in order to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the LWFC but also provide potential modification mechanisms that help in designing and manufacturing high-tech lightweight concrete of various compositions.

Effect of compact spherical potassium 12-tungstosilicate and lithium heteropolytungstate additives on the rheology and surface chemistry of washed spherical and platelet α-Al2O3 suspensions: Patch charge bridging

The zeta potential data confirmed the adsorption of the large compact Keggin [Si(W12O40)]4- and heteropolytungstate (LST) anions on both α-Al2O3. The adsorbed [Si(W12O40)]4- ions should form a thick steric barrier, ~1 nm, but this effect was not reflected in the yield stress results. A relatively strong additional attractive force explained the increasing maximum yield stress. A similar result was observed with LST. For the spherical α-Al2O3 the largest maximum yield stress (at zero charge) occurred at 0.6 dwb% additive. This attractive force was attributed to patch charge attraction between the negative additive patch and the positive surface site. For the low surface area platelet α-Al2O3 suspensions, complete surface coverage occurred at a low additive concentration as reflected by an almost identical all negative zeta potential-pH behaviour at all additive concentrations at low pH. The slightly larger yield stress at pH 2.5 could be due to this patch charge bridging attraction.

Non-biocide antifungal and anti-termite wood preservation treatments based on combinations of thermal modification with different chemical additives

The synergic effect between a mild chemical and thermal modification of beech wood (Fagus sylvatica) has been studied. A low concentration of additives based on vinylic-polyglycerol, vinylic-glycerol, and maleic anhydride was impregnated into beech wood, followed by curing under different temperature conditions at 103, 150, 200, and 220 °C. The modified wood was then analyzed for its leaching resistance, dimensional stability, wettability, modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) in bending, decay resistance against Trametes versicolor, and termite resistance against Reticulitermes flavipes. Results have disclosed a synergic effect of thermo-chemical wood modification under 200 and 220 °C curing conditions. At these curing temperatures, thermo-chemically modified beech presents improved dimensional stability (> 60%) and better resistance against both Trametes versicolor and Reticulitermes flavipes compared to the control. However, at the same conditions, MOE and MOR values were lowered by approximately 25% and 60%, respectively.

Stabilising Additives for High Nickel Content Sodium-Ion Cathode Inks

Sodium-ion batteries have the potential to be cheaper alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, mainly due to sourcing the alkali metals; the price of the mineral sources of lithium have increased by more than 15% between 2015-2016 and have continued to rise.[1] Studies of sodium-ion cathodes establish layered nickel based oxides as potential active materials,[2] for which the highest energy density to date has been demonstrated in a full cell configuration (320Wh/L) [3]. However, further investigations have shown a need to modify some of the existing manufacturing methods used for lithium and sodium-ion batteries, due to revealed material instabilities in air.[4] Current layered nickel based oxides are unstable in air and can cause gelation of the binder material, PVDF.[5] It has been shown that the active materials can degrade to produce basic conditions,[6] which leads to a degradation of the PVDF, causing the electrode inks to gel. Therefore low temperatures and a dry atmosphere are required. However, the inks still exhibit poor time stability (see Fig. 1), and variations in the viscosity of the inks appear within minutes of formulation.[7] It is generally deemed that at least 4-5 hrs (or longer) at a stable viscosity is required to coat homogeneously;[8] additives are required to increase the window of stability of the electrode inks. We have investigated and compared a collection of additives that successfully reduce the effects of the instabilities of materials in an electrode ink, in air. These additives reduce the need for drastic changes to the manufacturing methodologies used in lithium ion batteries. Low concentrations (0.1-5 wt%) of additives were added to sodium-ion cathode inks containing layered nickel based oxides as the active material, C65 carbon black as a conductive additive, PVDF as a binding material, and NMP as solvent. A number of measurements were used to verify these interactions. Under controlled conditions, ink shear flow rheology over time was measured, viscosity and stability improvements against ‘standard’ (or non-additive-containing) electrode formulations were observed. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy of the electrode inks over time showed enhancements to the stability of the materials in air. Similar observations were noted in the analysis of the physical properties and homogeneity of the electrodes. Furthermore, in a sodium metal half-cell arrangement, the cells demonstrated comparable electrochemical performance to ‘standard’ coatings, with slight changes observable in the first cycles of each additive-containing electrode. [1] M. Á. Muñoz-Márquez, D. Saurel, J. L. Gómez-Cámer, M. Casas-Cabanas, E. Castillo-Martínez, and T. Rojo, “Na-Ion Batteries for Large Scale Applications: A Review on Anode Materials and Solid Electrolyte Interphase Formation,” Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 7, no. 20. 2017. [2] E. Kendrick et al., “Tin Containing Compounds,” WO 2015177568 A1, 2015. [3] K. Smith, J. Treacher, D. Ledwoch, P. Adamson, and E. Kendrick, “Novel High Energy Density Sodium Layered Oxide Cathode Materials: From Material to Cells,” ECS Trans., vol. 75, no. 22, pp. 13–24, 2017. [4] M. H. Han, E. Gonzalo, G. Singh, and T. Rojo, “A comprehensive review of sodium layered oxides: powerful cathodes for Na-ion batteries,” Energy Environ. Sci., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 81–102, 2015. [5] M. Biso, R. Colombo, M. Uddin, M. Stanga, and S. Cho, “A Rheological Behavior of Various Polyvinylidene Difluoride Binders for High Capacity LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2,” Polym. Eng. Sci., pp. 6–10, 2016. [6] J. M. Paulsen, H. Park, and Y. H. Kwon, “Process of making cathode material containing Ni-based lithium transition metal oxide,” US8574541B2, 2013. [7] S. Roberts and E. Kendrick, “The re-emergence of sodium ion batteries: testing, processing, and manufacturability,” Nanotechnol. Sci. Appl., vol. 11, pp. 23–33, 2018. [8] H.-C. Chen et al., “Electrochemical Na+ storage properties of SnO 2/graphene anodes in carbonate-based and ionic liquid electrolytes,” J. Mater. Chem. A, vol. 5, no. 26, pp. 13776–13784, 2017. Figure 1

Organic Additives for the Enhancement of Laminar Flow in a Brain‐Vessels‐Like Microchannel Assembly

AbstractOrganic polymers were extracted from okra, aloe vera, and hibiscus leaves and used as drag‐reducing additives (DRAs) to enhance the laminar flow in custom‐made microchannels that simulate the human brain vessels. The experiment was conducted using an open‐loop microfluidic system. The flow enhancement performance was evaluated as the function of percentage of flow increment of mucilage additives at different concentrations. Okra mucilage showed greater flow enhancement performance at higher mucilage concentration while both aloe vera and hibiscus mucilage performed better at lower additive concentration. The findings prove the potential of these organic polymers as DRAs to enhance the blood flow.

UV-curable waterborne epoxy acrylate coating modified by monomethacryloyloxy-terminated fluorinated oligomer

Monomethacryloyloxy-terminated fluorinated oligomers (PPFOMA-GMA and PHFBMA-GMA) and methyl allyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether-modified epoxy resin (HPEGEA) were successfully synthesized and used as reactive additives and emulsifier for epoxy acrylate, respectively. FTIR, 1H NMR, and GPC were used to characterize the structures of PPFOMA-GMA, PHFBMA-GMA, and HPEGEA. The influence of the concentrations of PPFOMA-GMA and PHFBMA-GMA on the properties of waterborne epoxy acrylate (WEA) resin coatings was investigated. The surface energy of waterborne epoxy acrylate coating was decreased from 38.20 mN/m to 15.31 mN/m by adding just 0.21 wt% PPFOMA-GMA, indicating its high effectiveness in improving the hydrophobic properties of the surface. The surface compositions of the WEA resin coatings (with 0.85 wt% PPFOMA-GMA or 0.85 wt% PHFBMA-GMA) were characterized by XPS. The XPS results confirmed the quantitative enrichment of fluorine atoms on the surface. What is more, the physical properties of waterborne epoxy acrylate coatings prepared with different concentrations of fluorinated reactive additive, such as optical transmittance, adhesion (on glass, PET, and tinplate), pencil hardness, water absorption, and thermal properties, were also analyzed in detail. Hence, the waterborne epoxy acrylate coatings prepared with low concentrations of reactive additives were economical and have potential for large-scale industrial applications.

Enhanced electrokinetic remediation of multi-contaminated dredged sediments and induced effect on their toxicity

Electrokinetic (EK) remediation is often developed for metal decontamination but shows limitations for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) which are nonionic and involve low aqueous solubility. This paper reports many laboratory studies devoted to the investigations of EK efficiency on the mobility and the removal of metals, PAHs and PCBs from dredged sediments, using a mixture of chelating agent and surfactants. The results showed that increasing chelating agent concentration was favorable for both metal and PAH removal. Applying a periodic voltage gradient associated to a low concentration of additives provided the best removal of Zn, Cd and Pb and also the 16 priority PAHs. The tested fresh harbor sediment was highly resistant to metals and organics mobilization and transport because of an aged contamination, a high buffering capacity, a very low hydraulic permeability and a high organic matter content. However, experiments performed on a former sediment which was deposited many years ago provided better removal results, involving low organic matter and carbonates content. The efficiency of the EK process was also assessed by measuring the acute toxicity of the EK-treated sediment on the copepod Eurytemora affinis exposed to sediment elutriates.

Low-concentration Sorbic Acid Promotes the Induction of Escherichia coli into a Viable but Nonculturable State.

The effect of food preservatives and sanitizers at low concentrations on the induction of Escherichia coli into a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state was investigated. When E. coli was incubated in physiological saline at 37℃, the viable cell count measured by plate counting was approximately 3-logs lower than that measured by flow cytometry after 30 days. This difference, and morphological changes in cells, confirmed the transition of E. coli into a VBNC state. Adding 10 μg/l of sorbic acid significantly promoted the induction of E. coli into a VBNC state. This effect was not seen with benzoic acid or sodium hypochlorite at the same concentration. Resuscitation of E. coli VBNC cells was successful when they were grown in nutrient broth containing sodium pyruvate. These results suggest that the presence of low concentrations of food additives in a food manufacturing environment may act as potential triggers for bacterial VBNC induction.

Evolution of Synthetic Fluid from Water Extract from Fermented Ground Maize (WEFGM) as an Alternative to Water-Based Cutting Fluids: Performance Test

The use of agricultural wastes and natural materials in new technologies is a novel subject. Consequently, an attempt has been made to formulate a synthetic fluid using an organic water, Water Extract from Fermented Ground Maize (WEFGM) and compare its performance with water-based sample in turning operation using a mild steel as workpiece. Two samples of synthetic fluids were formulated from each of deionized WEFGM, ordinary WEFGM and deionized water as base-fluids at two composition (5 and 10%vol) levels of selected additives. The results of experimental analysis of heat transfer properties of these synthetic fluids exist, hence the need to ascertain the actual performance output. Temperature-Time Gradient (TTG) which is a rate of temperature drop (heat withdrawn) from the work zone was used as evaluation parameters. The result showed that deionized WEFGM is the most efficient of the entire samples at both compositions with an average TTG of 3.61 and 2.16 °C/min at 10 and 5% additive concentration respectively. At lower additive concentration which is more economically advantageous, the performance rating is deionized WEFGM>>WEFGM>>deionized Water. This implies that WEFGM is more effective than water as a base fluid for synthetic fluid in performance as it has been previously so reported in properties. Meanwhile, T-test statistical analysis (using IBM SPSS 23) shows that there is highly significant difference in TTG at each time of application of individual fluid (p<0.05). However, TTG of one fluid sample is not significantly different from the other (p>0.05) implying that the fluids can all work as coolants and relatively have comparable performance output.

Engineering impact modification of anionically polymerized polyamide 6

ABSTRACTA new approach to toughen anionically polymerized polyamide 6 (aPA6) is presented using an additive monomer that simultaneously polymerizes and undergoes reaction‐induced phase separation (RIPS) during aPA6 polymerization. In this work, the selection of additive, concentration, and reaction conditions are controlled in such a way to produce rubbery domains of the proper size and interparticle distance necessary for effective toughening without the diminishment of other engineering properties. This method circumvents the issues of particle dispersion and mixture viscosity that are commonly associated with other conventional methods of impact modification thereby making it an ideal system for fiber‐reinforced aPA6 reaction injection molding. Controlled phase separation, modulus retention, and increased crystallinity are achieved at low additive concentrations. The additive monomer used in this case is octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4). D4 undergoes RIPS during aPA6 polymerization and simultaneously polymerizes to produce polydimethylsiloxane. Optimal properties to maximize fracture energy without reducing the modulus are achieved with 2 wt % D4. The fracture mechanisms are investigated and results show approximately a 3‐fold increase in energy release rate and a twofold increase in Izod impact energy. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46823.

Electrodeposited copper using direct and pulse currents from electrolytes containing low concentration of additives

This work examines the effect of pulse deposition using a “lean” electrolyte, i.e., an acid-free bath with low cupric ion and additive concentrations using direct and pulse current. To this end, 25 μm copper films have been plated on stainless steel substrates from electrolytes containing only cupric ions, chloride and commercial additives. Films have been deposited from electrolytes containing different concentrations of additives ranging from 17% to 200% of the levels recommended by the supplier. The morphology of deposits was characterised using scanning electron microscopy and grain size has been determined using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The crystalline structure has been examined using x-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that although pulse currents or increasing amounts of chemical additive can reduce the grain size, the mechanisms for size reduction may be different. Whilst current pulsing helps the generation of new nuclei, using additives suppresses grain growth. Mechanical and electrical measurements of these films showed that pulsing currents provide deposits with better mechanical and electrical properties. This has been attributed to lower number of defects when pulse currents are used. Our results also show that by using pulse currents, electrolytes containing low levels of additives and metal ions can be used to obtain copper deposits attaining industry specifications. Combining pulse currents with lean electrolytes may be therefore beneficial to the environment.

Additive-induced aggregate changes of two structurally similar dyes in aqueous solutions: A comparative photophysical study

Absorption and emission spectral characteristics of the two structurally similar phenothiazine dyes, azure B and toluidine blue, in aqueous solutions of the two sets of molecular additives (ureas and monosaccharides) were studied as a function of the dye and additive concentrations. The absorption spectra of the dyes were also studied in pure tetramethylurea with an aprotic nature. The spectral data were analyzed using DECOM Program. The dimer structure of the interacting molecules in these dyes was discussed using the exciton model. The urea class of additives was found to act as water structure-breakers over the range of studied concentration. The carbohydrate additives were found to act as water structure-breakers at low concentrations. However, the water structure breaking process may be disfavored by the additive-additive interactions at higher concentrations. It can be concluded that at low additive concentrations, the main driving force for breaking the dye association is water-additive interaction, which disrupts the water hydrogen bonds induced by the additives. However, at the high additive concentrations, the different phenomena including additive-additive and additive-dye interactions can change the structure, strength, and aggregative properties of the dyes. Finally, the urea in water induces noticeably fluorescence quenching in emission spectra of both the dyes.

Investigations on the distribution of polymer additives in polypropylene using confocal fluorescence microscopy

ABSTRACTWithin this work, a fluorescence microscopy approach for the investigation of the distribution of polymer additives in polypropylene is presented. The fluorescent whitening agent 2,5-bis-(5-tert-butyl-benzoxazol-2-yl)-thiophene was used as a model compound representing other groups of polymer additives. So far, methods reported in the literature such as UV and IR microscopy offer a high spatial resolution, however, suffer from poor sensitivities, thus not allowing them to analyze samples with low additive concentrations typically used in engineering materials. Using the fluorescence microscopy technique, it was shown that independent from the applied concentrations (0.1–1.7 wt%), additives are distributed on a spherulitic scale with the majority being found at the spherulite boundary and only traces in the center. Furthermore, it could be demonstrated that the additive distribution is affected not only by the spherulite sizes but also by the cooling rate of the polymer melt leading to more or less pronounced additive distribution patterns.

Dual-stimulus-responsive crosslinking chitosan as a gene vector

Absorption and emission spectral characteristics of the two structurally similar phenothiazine dyes, azure B and toluidine blue, in aqueous solutions of the two sets of molecular additives (ureas and monosaccharides) were studied as a function of the dye and additive concentrations. The absorption spectra of the dyes were also studied in pure tetramethylurea with an aprotic nature. The spectral data were analyzed using DECOM Program. The dimer structure of the interacting molecules in these dyes was discussed using the exciton model. The urea class of additives was found to act as water structure-breakers over the range of studied concentration. The carbohydrate additives were found to act as water structure-breakers at low concentrations. However, the water structure breaking process may be disfavored by the additive-additive interactions at higher concentrations. It can be concluded that at low additive concentrations, the main driving force for breaking the dye association is water-additive interaction, which disrupts the water hydrogen bonds induced by the additives. However, at the high additive concentrations, the different phenomena including additive-additive and additive-dye interactions can change the structure, strength, and aggregative properties of the dyes. Finally, the urea in water induces noticeably fluorescence quenching in emission spectra of both the dyes.

Epoxy Matrices Modified by Green Additives for Recyclable Materials.

Epoxy-based thermosets are one of the most popular matrix materials in many industries, and significant environmental benefits can be obtained by developing a recyclable variant of this widely utilized material. Incorporation of a bio-based disulfide additive within a commercial epoxy system leads to a cross-linked material that can be fractionated under mild and environmentally benign conditions. The material has been analyzed by FTIR and solid-state NMR. Furthermore, modified epoxy matrices with low additive concentrations are demonstrated to have similar mechanical and thermal properties compared to commercially available benchmarks. Thus, additive formulation and fractionation based on green chemistry principles have been demonstrated, and a recyclable epoxy matrix has been developed.