Search

Following our previous studies aimed at the valorization of cellulose waste and glycerol, biobased polyols-polyesters were synthesized using both a "green approach" and a novel heterogeneous catalyst based on scandium silicate thortveitite. The latter showed an enhanced linear selectivity compared with most of the analogous catalysts reported in recent studies. Polymers obtained were tested in two important reactions with potential industrial applications: as co-monomers for the synthesis of polyurethanes and as binders for 3D printers. The polyols-polyesters were obtained, with the average molecular weight ranging from 440 to 1050 Da. It is worth noting that the typical polyol polyester used in coatings is branched and has an average molecular weight of 2000–4000 Da. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling of catalysts is often performed. Additive manufacturing (AM) received increasing attention in recent years in various fields such as engineering and medicine, among others. More recently, the fabrication of three-dimensional objects used as scaffolds in heterogeneous catalysis has shown innumerable advantages, such as easier handling and waste reduction, both leading to a reduction in times and costs. In this work, the fabrication and use of 3D-printed recyclable polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds coated with an iron oxide active catalyst for Fenton reactions applied to aromatic model molecules, is presented. These molecules are representative of a wider class of intractable organic compounds, often present in industrial wastewater. The 3D-printed PLA-coated scaffolds were also tested using an industrial wastewater, determining the chemical oxygen demand (COD). The catalyst is characterized using electron microscopy coupled to elemental analysis (SEM/EDX) and thermogravimetry, demonstrating that coating leach is very limited, and it can be easily recovered and reused many times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]