Search

Since biodegradable materials are unwittingly mixed with synthetic materials, this work aimed to study the feasibility of reliably identifying some biopolymers, treated as contaminants, in the recycling process of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The results showed that the miscibility between PET-PLA and PET-PHB is good. However, PHB is degraded in the recycling of PET due to the high processing temperatures used; meanwhile, PET and TPS are poorly miscible, characteristics also reflected in the microstructure. The contaminants decrease the mechanical properties of the recycled PET. WCA, FTIR, and DSC, do not allow to identify of these contaminants. FESEM resulted in the most successful technique to detect the biodegradable polymers in the PET matrix. No significant degradation of PET under composting conditions was obtained due to the presence of biodegradable polymers, and the effects of the biodegradable contaminants continue to reduce the mechanical performance of the recycled PET after 1 year of storage.

[EN] In this work, the presence of biodegradable polymers in recycled plastic materials was characterized using readily available techniques. Recycled polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were studied. The contamination of these plastics with polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and thermoplastic starch (TPS) was simulated using 10 wt.% of the contaminant. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used as characterization techniques. In addition, the effect of aging on recycled products from PET blends contaminated with TPS and PHB was studied. The results show changes in the intensity of the FTIR spectra bands of the PS and PP blends contaminated with biodegradable polymers. By DSC, changes in the cold crystallization peak of recycled PET are observed when mixed with TPS and PHB. When the contaminant is PLA, the changes are masked due to the thermal characteristics of both materials. In PS, changes in the calorimetric curves are identified by the presence of PLA and PHB. Contamination with PLA, PHB and TPS hinders the processing of recycled PET after one year of storage due to the aging of the material., This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), projects: PROMADEPCOL (MAT2017-84909-C2-2-R).

The effect of ultraviolet radiation on styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene (SEBS) has been studied at different exposures times in order to obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of ageing. The polymer materials were mechanically tested and then their surfaces were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Moreover, the optical analysis of contact angle (OCA) was used to evaluate the surface energy (&gamma, s) and the yellowing index (YI) and attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR&ndash, FTIR) were used to observe structural and physical changes in aging SEBS. The results obtained for the SEBS, in relation to the duration of exposure, showed superficial changes that cause a decrease in the surface energy (&gamma, s) and, therefore, a decrease in surface roughness. This led to a reduction in mechanical performance, decreasing the tensile strength by about 50% for exposure times of around 200 h.

[EN] The modification of PLA by melt compound with gum rosin (GR) and pentaerythritol ester of GR (PEGR) was investigated by studying the mechanical and thermal performance, blends morphology, wettability, and water absorption. Standard testing specimens for characterization were made at a variate resin content of 5, 10, and 15 part per hundred resin (phr) and manufactured by injection molding. It was found that GR and PEGR had a lubricating effect in PLA polymeric chains, resulting in a remarkable increase of 790 and 193% in melt flow index with only 5 phr GR and PEGR contents, respectively. A significant change in more than 10 degrees of increasing water contact angle was observed for PLA with 15 phr PEGR. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that PEGR led to delayed PLA degradation/decomposition process to higher temperature, increasing the onset temperature (T-5%) in more than 7 degrees C for PLA with 15 phr PEGR., This research was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness-PROMADEPCOL Ref: (MAT2017-84909-C2-2-R). Authors also want to acknowledge the postdoc contract offered to José Miguel Ferri by the Generalitat Valenciana, which project title is "BIONANOCOMPOSITES BASADOS EN MEZCLAS DE PLA Y TPS CON MEMORIA" (APOSTD/2019/122) GENERALITAT VALENCIANA (2019-2021).

[EN] The effect of three additives derived from pine resin, namely, gum rosin (GR) and two pentaerythritol ester of GR, Lurefor (LF) and Unik Tack (UT), in 5, 10, and 15 wt %, on the properties of Mater-Bi, based on plasticized starch, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL), obtained by injection molding processes, was studied. The mechanical, microstructural, and thermal properties were evaluated. LF had a cohesive behavior with the components of Mater-Bi, increasing the toughness of the material up to 250% accompanied by an increase of tensile modulus and tensile strength. UT had an intermediate behavior, conferring cohesive and plasticizing effects, allowing an increase of 105% in impact resistance. GR had a more marked plasticizing effect. This allows processing temperatures of about 50 degrees C lower than those used for neat Mater-Bi. In addition, an increase of the elongation at break, toughness, and impact resistance in 370, 480, and 250%, respectively, was achieved., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, PROMADEPCOL (MAT2017-84909-C2-2-R). M. P. Arrieta thanks Complutense University of Madrid for "Ayudas para la contratacion de personal postdoctoral en formacion en docencia e investigacion en departamentos de la UCM."

The use of maleinized (MLO) and epoxidized (ELO) linseed oils as potential biobased plasticizers for lignin/natural fiber composites formulations with improved toughness was evaluated. Arboform&reg, a lignin/natural fiber commercial composite, was used as a reference matrix for the formulations. The plasticizer content varied in the range 0&ndash, 15 wt % and mechanical, thermal and morphological characterizations were used to assess the potential of these environmentally friendly modifiers. Results from impact tests show a general increase in the impact-absorbed energy for all the samples modified with bio-oils. The addition of 2.5 wt % of ELO to Arboform (5.4 kJ/m2) was able to double the quantity of absorbed energy (11.1 kJ/m2) and this value slightly decreased for samples containing 5 and 10 wt %. A similar result was obtained with the addition of MLO at 5 wt %, with an improvement of 118%. The results of tensile and flexural tests also show that ELO and MLO addition increased the tensile strength as the percentage of both oils increased, even if higher values were obtained with lower percentages of maleinized oil due to the possible presence of ester bonds formed between multiple maleic groups present in MLO and the hydroxyl groups of the matrix. Thermal characterization confirmed that the mobility of polymer chains was easier in the presence of ELO molecules. On the other hand, MLO presence delayed the crystallization event, predominantly acting as an anti-nucleating agent, interrupting the folding or packing process. Both chemically modified vegetable oils also efficiently improved the thermal stability of the neat matrix.

A method to modify polymers is that of introducing fibers in a matrix to produce a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP). Consequently, the aim of this work was to study the compatibility effect of four coupling agents on wool FRP properties, using poly(lactic acid) plasticized with maleinized linseed oil as polymer matrix. The content of wool assessed was 1 phr. The compatibilizers were (3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl)-trimethoxysilane, trimethoxy (2-(7-oxabicyclo (4.1.0)hept-3-yl) ethyl) silane, tris(2-methoxyethoxy)(vinyl) silane and titanium (IV) (triethanolaminate)isopropoxide. Initially, wool was modified with coupling agents in an acetone/water (50/50) solution. Mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile and flexural properties, hardness by Shore D measurement and impact resistance by Charpy&rsquo, s energy. Differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic thermo-mechanical analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis were conducted to evaluate the interaction among components and the effect of the coupling agents on the thermal properties of the original material. Color, wettability and scanning electron microscopy were used to describe physical and microstructural properties. Modification of fibers allows achieving improved mechanical properties and changes the thermal properties of the FRPs slightly. Coupling agent treatment helps to formulate PLA&ndash, MLO and sheep wool materials and to improve their performance, thereby creating a broader spectrum of applications for PLA maintaining the bio-based character of the material.

In this work, karanja oil has been epoxidized and further used as biobased plasticizer to improve some properties of poly (lactic acid) (PLA). The use of epoxidized karanja oil (EKO) has been studied because karanja oil is used in organic farming as an insecticide and generating an epoxidation of the oil can act as a PLA plasticizer. Melt extrusion was used to plasticize PLA with different EKO amounts in the 0–10 wt%. The formulations with EKO decrease the glass transition temperature as the EKO content increases and, in addition, generates an increase in elongation at break. Plasticizer saturation is observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) above 5% of EKO. PLA formulation with 5 wt% shows an optimal balance between the improvement of the fragility of the material, improving the elongation at breakage by 77%, using a relatively small concentration of plasticizer. Moreover, all materials were disintegrated under composting conditions at laboratory scale level.

In recent years, due to the increasing concerns about their negative impact on wildlife and possible toxicity to living organisms (including humans), microplastics have become the subject of intense investigations. In the ocean, microplastics can be easily ingested by numerous marine organisms because of their small size (5 mm). The Northwest African upwelling system is an important fishery area, and the present study is the first one in the region to reveal the presence of microplastic particles in the digestive tract of Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias). From the 120 examined fish gastrointestinal tracts, 78.3% contained some type of microplastics, 74.2% contained fibres, 17.5% plastic fragments, and 16.7% paint. More studies are needed on fish, but S. colias is a candidate for being a good indicator of microplastic contamination in the region.

[EN] Microplastics are small plastic particles, globally distributed throughout the oceans. To properly study them, all the methodologies for their sampling, extraction, and measurement should be standardized. For heterogeneous samples containing sediments, animal tissues and zooplankton, several procedures have been described. However, definitive methodologies for samples, rich in algae and plant material, have not yet been developed. The aim of this study was to find the best extraction protocol for vegetal-rich samples by comparing the efficacies of five previously described digestion methods, and a novel density separation method. A protocol using 96% ethanol for density separation was better than the five digestion methods tested, even better than using H2O2 digestion. As it was the most efficient, simple, safe and inexpensive method for isolating microplastics from vegetal rich samples, we recommend it as a standard separation method., This work was funded by projects PLASMAR (MAC/1.1a/030), with the support of the European Union (EU) and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the INTERREG V-A Spain-Portugal MAC 2014 2020 (Madeira-Azores-Canarias), MICROTROFIC (ULPGC2015-04) awarded to A.H. by ULPGC and BIOMAR (CEI-39-20162105-01) awarded to M.G. by CEI Canarias: Campus Atlántico Tricontinental. A.H. was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship granted by Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC-2014). T.T.P. was supported by TIAA-CREF (USA), Social Security (USA), and Canary Islands CEI: Tricontinental Atlantic Campus program.

Recycling polymers is common due to the need to reduce the environmental impact of these materials. Polypropylene (PP) is one of the polymers called &lsquo, commodities polymers&rsquo, and it is commonly used in a wide variety of short-term applications such as food packaging and agricultural products. That is why a large amount of PP residues that can be recycled are generated every year. However, the current increasing introduction of biodegradable polymers in the food packaging industry can negatively affect the properties of recycled PP if those kinds of plastics are disposed with traditional plastics. For this reason, the influence that generates small amounts of biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and thermoplastic starch (TPS) in the recycled PP were analyzed in this work. Thus, recycled PP was blended with biodegradables polymers by melt extrusion followed by injection moulding process to simulate the industrial conditions. Then, the obtained materials were evaluated by studding the changes on the thermal and mechanical performance. The results revealed that the vicat softening temperature is negatively affected by the presence of biodegradable polymers in recycled PP. Meanwhile, the melt flow index was negatively affected for PLA and PHB added blends. The mechanical properties were affected when more than 5 wt.% of biodegradable polymers were present. Moreover, structural changes were detected when biodegradable polymers were added to the recycled PP by means of FTIR, because of the characteristic bands of the carbonyl group (between the band 1700&ndash, 1800 cm&minus, 1) appeared due to the presence of PLA, PHB or TPS. Thus, low amounts (lower than 5 wt.%) of biodegradable polymers can be introduced in the recycled PP process without affecting the overall performance of the final material intended for several applications, such as food packaging, agricultural films for farming and crop protection.

This work focuses on the development of new composite laminates based on the use of epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) as matrix and reinforcement fabrics from slate fibers with different silane treatments. The curing behavior of the ELO resin is followed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the gelation is studied by oscillatory rheometry and gel-time. Composite laminates of ELO matrix and slate fabrics are manufactured by Rein Transfer Molding (RTM) and the mechanical properties of the composite laminates are tested in tensile, flexural and impact conditions. The effects of different silane coupling agents on fiber-matrix interface phenomena are studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As in other siliceous fibers, silane treatment leads to improved mechanical performance but glycidyl silane treatment produces the optimum results as the interactions between silanized slate fiber and epoxidized linseed oil are remarkably improved as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., This study has been funded by the "Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esport" - Generalitat Valenciana (reference number: GV/2014/008). Authors thank Microscopy Services at UPV for helping in using SEM technique.

[EN] Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is the most used biopolymer for food packaging applications. Several strategies have been made to improve PLA properties for extending its applications in the packaging field. Melt blending approaches are gaining considerable interest since they are easy, cost-effective and readily available processing technologies at the industrial level. With a similar melting temperature and high crystallinity, poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) represents a good candidate to blend with PLA. The ability of PHB to act as a nucleating agent for PLA improves its mechanical resistance and barrier performance. With the dual objective to improve PLAPHB processing performance and to obtain stretchable materials, plasticizers are frequently added. Current trends to enhance PLA-PHB miscibility are focused on the development of composite and nanocomposites. PLA-PHB blends are also interesting for the controlled release of active compounds in the development of active packaging systems. This review explains the most relevant processing aspects of PLA-PHB based blends such as the influence of polymers molecular weight, the PLA-PHB composition as well as the thermal stability. It also summarizes the recent developments in PLA-PHB formulations with an emphasis on their performance with interest in the sustainable food packaging field. PLA-PHB blends shows highly promising perspectives for the replacement of traditional petrochemical based polymers currently used for food packaging., This research was performed within the framework of the project MAT2014-59242-C2-1-R supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). Marina Patricia Arrieta is a recipient of Juan de la Cierva Post-Doctoral Contract (FJCI-2014-20630) from the MINECO.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was plasticized with epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) an further added with triethylene glycol ester of gum rosin (TEGR) as natural viscosity increasing agent. Although, the addition of both additives resulted in some colour changes, since TEGR induced red tone and ELO produced an amber tonality, all formulations showed high brightness and transparency. FTIR was used to study the changes in the plastisol chemical structures due to the addition of both natural additives. The microstructure of plastisols, studied by SEM observations, further confirmed that ELO and TEGR presented good compatibility with PVC resin, particularly when a mixture of ELO and TEGR was used. Therefore, changing the proportion of both natural additives allows designing tunable plastisols employing renewable materials., Authors thank United Resins, ProduÇão de Resinas S.A (Portugal) who kindle provided TEGR. M.P. Arrieta is recipient of a Juan de la Cierva contract (FJCI-2014-20630) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness

The main objective of this experimental study is the validation of the technique of atmospheric plasma with the aim of improving the surface energy of the polylactic acid (PLA) for further adhesion uses. The wettability of PLA has been improved with the application of an atmospheric plasma surface treatment. This method provides good adhesion properties with the optimizing the process parameters in terms of the nozzle substrate distance and sample advance rate. In order to achieve that goal, a new and environmentally friendly technology has been used which is based on the use of air atmospheric plasma. The effects of the surface treatment on this type of substrates have been analyzed. The macroscopic effects of the process parameters have been determined using contact angle measurements and subsequent surface free energy (SFE) calculation. In addition, the chemical changes at the topmost layers have been studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Surface topography changes due to the plasma-acting mechanisms have been evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The obtained results show a remarkable increase in surface free energy from 37.1 mJ m 2 up to values of 60 mJ m 2 thus indicating the effectiveness of the air plasma treatment. The main advantage of this technology is that the industrial process is continuous, it is easy to establish in current production systems and it does not generate wastes. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This article presents a study on the stabilization of polypropylene against thermo-oxidation and UV radiation by using natural phenolic compounds derived from the structures of flavonoids: a flavone (chrysin), a flavanol (quercetin), two flavanone glycosides (hesperidin and naringin), and flavanoligand (silibinin). Thermal stabilization has been assessed in an oxidizing atmosphere by means of differential scanning calorimetry both in isothermal and in dynamic conditions. In addition, the effectiveness of these phenolic compounds as thermal stabilizers at high temperature has been quantified with the use of thermogravimetric analysis. Stabilization against UV radiation has been estimated by studying the morphology changes of the exposed surfaces by scanning electron microscope (SEM); also, surface chemical changes have been followed by infrared spectroscopy. Global results show that flavonoid compounds of type flavonols (quercetin and silibinin) provide the best results in stabilizing both against oxidation and against the action of UV radiation. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., This study is part of the project IPT-310000-2010-037, "ECOTEX-COMP: Research and development of textile structures useful as reinforcement of composite materials with marked ecological character" funded by the "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion," with an aid of 189540.20 euros, within the "Plan Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica, Desarrollo e Innovacion Tecnologica 2008-2011" and funded by the European Union through FEDER funds, "Technology Fund 2007-2013, Operational Programme on R+D+i for and on behalf of the companies." Also, Generalitat Valenciana Ref: ACOMP/2012/087 is acknowledged for financial support.

The fiber-matrix interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of biobased epoxy composites reinforced with basalt fiber was investigated by the fragmentation method. Basalt fibers were modified with four different silanes, (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane, [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]-trimethoxysilane, trimethoxy[2-(7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-yl)ethyl]silane and (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane to improve the adhesion between the basalt fiber and the resin. The analysis of the fiber tensile strength results was performed in terms of statistical parameters. The tensile strength of silane-treated basalt fiber is higher than the tensile strength of the untreated basalt fiber; this behavior may be due to flaw healing effect on the defected fiber surfaces. The IFSS results on the composites confirm that the interaction between the fiber modified with coupling agents and the bio-based epoxy resin was much stronger than that with the untreated basalt fiber. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1205-1212, 2015. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers, Contract grant sponsor: Programme Support Research and Development (Polytechnic University of Valencia); contract grant number: PAID-00-12.

During the last decade the use of fiber reinforced composite materials has consolidated as an attracting alternative to traditional materials due to an excellent balance between mechanical properties and lightweight. One drawback related to the use of inorganic fibers such as those derived from siliceous materials is the relative low compatibility with conventional organic polymer matrices. Surface treatments with coupling agents and the use of copolymers allow increasing fiber-matrix interactions which has a positive effect on overall properties of composites. In this research work we report the use of slate fiber treated with different coupling agents as reinforcement for high density polyethylene from sugarcane. A silane (propyltrimethoxy silane; PTMS) and a graft copolymer (polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride; PE-g-MA) were used to improve fiber-matrix interactions on HOPE-slate fiber. The effect of the different compatibilizing systems and slate fiber content were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DTMA) as well as mechanical properties (tensile, flexural and impact). The results show that the use of silane coupling agents leads to higher fiber-matrix interactions which has a positive effect on overall mechanical properties. Interesting results are obtained for composites containing 30 wt.% slate fiber previously treated with propyltrimethoxy silane (PTMS) with an increase in tensile and flexural strength of about 16% and 18% respectively. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., Authors thank "Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" ref: MAT2011-28468-C02-02 and "Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esport" - Generalitat Valenciana ref: GV/2014/008 for financial support.

Green composites were prepared with polypropylene matrix and 20 wt.% spent coffee ground (SCG) powder for uses as a wood plastic composite (WPC). The effects of hydrophobic treatment with palmitoyl chloride on SCG powder is compared with conventional surface treatment based on silanization with (3-glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane and the use of a maleated copolymer compatibilizer (polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride, PP-g-MA) in terms of mechanical properties, morphology, thermal properties and water uptake. Composites were previously mixed in a twin-screw co-rotating extruder and subsequently subjected to injection moulding. The comparative effect of the different surface treatments and or compatibilizers on mechanical performance was studied by flexural, impact tests and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA-torsion); in addition, the stabilizing effect of SCG was revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravymetric analysis (TGA). As one of the main drawbacks of wood plastic composites and natural fibre reinforced plastics is the moisture gain, water uptake tests were carried out in order to quantify the effectiveness of the hydrophobization process with palmitoyl chloride. Results show a slight increase in flexural modulus for composites with both untreated and treated/compatibilized SCG powder (20 wt.%). As expected, thermal stability is improved as indicated by an increase of more than 8% in the onset degradation temperature by DSC if compared to unfilled polypropylene. Fracture analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows better particle dispersion for PP-SCG composites with hydrophobized SCG with palmitoyl chloride treatment; in addition a remarkable decrease in water uptake is observed for composites with hydrophobized SCG. ©2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This paper deals with the development of polymeric materials derived from epoxidized vegetable oils which have been used in the manufacture of laminated composite materials with basalt fabrics. Epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) and epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) were used as biobased matrices. The basalt fabrics were modified with amino-silane and glycidyl-silane to increase fiber-matrix interactions. The curing behaviour of both resins was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and oscillatory rheometry (OR). The evaluation of mechanical properties was made by tensile, flexural and Charpy tests. The extent of the fiber-matrix interactions among interface was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained results revealed that surface modification of basalt fibers with glycidyl-silane clearly improves the mechanical properties of the composites. The use of the ELO resin as matrix for composite laminates improved substantially the mechanical performance compared to composites made with ESBO. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., This study was funded by the "Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esport" - Generalitat Valenciana (reference number: GV/2014/008).

Poly(lactic acid) PLA, and poly(hydroxybutyrate) PHB, blends were processed as films and characterized for their use in food packaging. PLA was blended with PHB to enhance the crystallinity. Therefore, PHB addition strongly increased oxygen barrier while decreased the wettability. Two different environmentally-friendly plasticizers, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and acetyl(tributyl citrate) (ATBC), were added to these blends to increase their processing performance, while improving their ductile properties. ATBC showed higher plasticizer efficiency than PEG directly related to the similarity solubility parameters between ATBC and both biopolymers. Moreover, ATBC was more efficiently retained to the polymer matrix during processing than PEG. PLA PHB ATBC blends were homogeneous and transparent blends that showed promising performance for the preparation of films by a ready industrial process technology for food packaging applications, showing slightly amber color, improved elongation at break, enhanced oxygen barrier and decreased wettability., This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MAT2011-28648-C02-01 and MAT2011-28468-C02-02) M.P. Arrieta is Granted by Santiago Grisolia program (GRISOLIA/2011/007). Authors gratefully acknowledge Prof. Arturo Horta Zubiaga from National University of Distance Education (UNED) Spain for his valuable discussion.

[EN] In recent years, it has been detected an increased interest in the development of materials from renewable resources. This trend has been intensified in the industrial sector where significant efforts have been made in this field in order to adapt these natural fibers to conventional industrial processes and applications. As a result, research has been done into developing new thermoplastic matrices which are compatible with this type of reinforcing fibers. This study evaluates the influence of different coupling agents based on silanes, on the mechanical properties of composite laminates made from a biobased epoxy resin matrix and basalt fabric by using vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding. The curing behavior of the biobased epoxy resin was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), gel point determination, and ionic conductivity. The evaluation of mechanical properties was done by tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness tests. Compatibility between basalt fibers and epoxy resin generally has managed to increase through the addition of silanes, after the addition of these, their mechanical properties are substantially improved compared to the sample without silane treatment, obtaining this way an easily processable material, with good properties and capable of competing with materials with petroleumbased epoxy resins., Contract grant sponsors: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (part of the project IPT-310000-2010-037, "ECOTEXCOMP: Research and development of textile structures useful as reinforcement of composite materials with marked ecological character" with an aid of 189540.20 euros, within the "Plan Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica, Desarrollo e Innovacion Tecnologica 2008-2011"), European Union through FEDER funds, Technology Fund 2007-2013, Operational Programme on R+D+i for and on behalf of the companies, Generalitat Valenciana Ref.: ACOMP/2012/087, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV; FPI-UPV grant, to J.M.E.

In this work we have developed polymeric materials from epoxidized vegetable oils in order to obtain materials with excellent mechanical properties for use as green matrix composites. Epoxidized soybean oil (ESO), epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) and different mixtures of the two oils were used to produce the polymers. Phthalic anhydride (17 mol%) and maleic anhydride (83 mol%) which has a eutectic reaction temperature of 48 °C were used as crosslinking agents while benzyl dimethyl amine (BDMA) and ethylene glycol were used as the catalyst and initiator, respectively. The results showed that samples 100ELO and 80ELO20ESO could be used as a matrix in green composites because they demonstrated good mechanical properties. © 2012 AOCS (outside the USA)., This work is part of the project IPT-310000-2010-037,''ECOTEXCOMP: Research and development of textile structures useful as reinforcement of composite materials with marked ecological character'' funded by the "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion", with financial aid of 189,540.20 EUR, within the "Plan Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica, Desarrollo e Innovacion Tecnologica 2008-2011" and funded by the European Union through FEDER funds, Technology Fund 2007-2013, Operational Programme on R + D + i for and on behalf of the companies.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a commonly used polymer in the packaging industry. The great importance of EPS recovery is related to the material's short service life and the high volume of EPS waste. The aim of the present work was to reduce the volume of waste by its mechanical milling and crushing and subsequent reintroduction into mass production. The results of thermal and infrared analysis indicate that the material does not degrade during the recovery process; indeed, the thermal properties of the recycled material are even better than those of the virgin product. Tensile tests showed that the recycled and virgin materials have similar mechanical behaviour. From the results obtained we can conclude that recycled polystyrene can replace virgin polystyrene in some industrial processing, thus reducing the cost of the final product.