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Dr. Lorenzo Cafiero
Department for Sustainability, ENEA—Casaccia Research Center

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0 Pyrolysis
0 Polymer degradation
0 Community composting
0 Plastic Waste Management
0 Organic waste management

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Pyrolysis

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Journal article
Published: 30 December 2020 in Sustainability
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Interest in small scale composting systems is currently growing, and this in turn raises the question of whether the compostable bags are as suitable as in industrial composting facilities. In this work the physical degradation percentage of compostable lightweight bioplastic bags in two types of composter was examined. The main goal was to understand whether the mild biodegrading conditions that occur in electromechanical or static home composters are sufficient to cause effective bag degradation in times consistent with the householders’ or operators’ expectations. Bags, which complied with standard EN 13432, were composted in a number of 600 L static home composters, which were run in different ways (e.g., fed only with vegetables and yard waste, optimizing the humid/bulking agent fraction, poorly managed) and a 1 m3 electromechanical composter. Six months of residence time in static home composters resulted in 90–96 wt% degradation depending on the management approach adopted, and two months in the electromechanical composter achieved 90 wt%. In the latter case, three additional months of curing treatment of the turned heaps ensured complete physical degradation. In conclusion, in terms of the level and times of physical degradation, the use of compostable bioplastic bags appeared promising and consistent with home composting practices.

ACS Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Margherita Canditelli; Fabio Musmeci; Giulia Sagnotti; Riccardo Tuffi. Assessment of Disintegration of Compostable Bioplastic Bags by Management of Electromechanical and Static Home Composters. Sustainability 2020, 13, 263 .

AMA Style

Lorenzo Cafiero, Margherita Canditelli, Fabio Musmeci, Giulia Sagnotti, Riccardo Tuffi. Assessment of Disintegration of Compostable Bioplastic Bags by Management of Electromechanical and Static Home Composters. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):263.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Margherita Canditelli; Fabio Musmeci; Giulia Sagnotti; Riccardo Tuffi. 2020. "Assessment of Disintegration of Compostable Bioplastic Bags by Management of Electromechanical and Static Home Composters." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 263.

Journal article
Published: 27 June 2020 in Forest Ecosystems
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Background Land-use change and forest management may alter soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrient dynamics, due in part to alterations in litter input and quality. Acacia was introduced in eucalypt plantations established in the Congolese coastal plains to improve soil fertility and tree growth. Eucalypt trees were expected to benefit from N2 fixed by acacia. However, some indicators suggest a perturbation in SOM and P dynamics might affect the sustainability of the system in the medium and long term. In tropical environments, most of the nutrient processes are determined by the high rates of organic matter (OM) mineralization. Therefore, SOM stability might play a crucial role in regulating soil-plant processes. In spite of this, the relationship between SOM quality, C and other nutrient dynamics are not well understood. In the present study, OM quality and P forms in forest floor and soil were investigated to get more insight on the C and P dynamics useful to sustainable management of forest plantations. Methods Thermal analysis (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TGA)) and nuclear magnetic resonance (solid state 13C CPMASS and NMR and 31P-NMR) spectroscopy have been applied to partially decomposed forest floor and soils of pure acacia and eucalypt, and mixed-species acacia-eucalypt stands. Results Thermal analysis and 13C NMR analysis revealed a more advanced stage of humification in forest floor of acacia-eucalypt stands, suggesting a greater microbial activity in its litter. SOM were related to the OM recalcitrance of the forest floor, indicating this higher microbial activity of the forest floor in this stand might be favouring the incorporation of C into the mineral soil. Conclusions In relation with the fast mineralization in this environment, highly soluble orthophosphate was the dominant P form in both forest floor and soils. However, the mixed-species forest stands immobilized greater P in organic forms, preventing the P losses by leaching and contributing to sustain the P demand in the medium term. This shows that interactions between plants, microorganisms and soil can sustain the demand of this ecosystem. For this, the forest floor plays a key role in tightening the P cycle, minimizing the P losses.

ACS Style

Lydie-Stella Koutika; Lorenzo Cafiero; Annamaria Bevivino; Agustín Merino. Organic matter quality of forest floor as a driver of C and P dynamics in acacia and eucalypt plantations established on a Ferralic Arenosols, Congo. Forest Ecosystems 2020, 7, 1 -15.

AMA Style

Lydie-Stella Koutika, Lorenzo Cafiero, Annamaria Bevivino, Agustín Merino. Organic matter quality of forest floor as a driver of C and P dynamics in acacia and eucalypt plantations established on a Ferralic Arenosols, Congo. Forest Ecosystems. 2020; 7 (1):1-15.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lydie-Stella Koutika; Lorenzo Cafiero; Annamaria Bevivino; Agustín Merino. 2020. "Organic matter quality of forest floor as a driver of C and P dynamics in acacia and eucalypt plantations established on a Ferralic Arenosols, Congo." Forest Ecosystems 7, no. 1: 1-15.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2020 in Waste Management
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The possibility of a pyrolysis process as a mean of recycling the residual plastic rich fraction (WEEE residue) derived from of a material recovery facility has been evaluated. The unknown product composition of WEEE residue has been supposed through coupled thermal – infrared analysis and ultimate analysis and resulted as PP 3 wt%, PBT 3 wt%, PVC 4 wt%, styrene-based polymers (principally ABS) 50 wt%, thermosetting resins (principally, epoxy/phenolic resins) 24 wt%, inorganic fraction (principally fiber glass) 16 wt%. DSC experiments showed that the overall energy, defined as the degradation heat, needed in order to completely degrade WEEE residue was about 4% of the exploitable energy of the input material. The effect of temperature and different zeolite catalysts were investigated, in particular in terms of yield and quality of the produced oils during the pyrolysis process. Produced oils were potentially exploitable as fuels and almost all catalysts improved their quality. The best performance was reached by NaUSY(5.7) with the second highest production of light oil and the greatest total monoaromatics yield, plus 12 wt% in comparison to thermal pyrolysis experiments. Furthermore, light oil produced by NaUSY(5.7) has one of the best LHV (36 MJ/kg) and no halogenated compounds were detected by GC–MS analysis. Char or pyrolytic gas combustion could supply the energy required for the thermal degradation of WEEE Residue.

ACS Style

Luca Esposito; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Valorization of the plastic residue from a WEEE treatment plant by pyrolysis. Waste Management 2020, 112, 1 -10.

AMA Style

Luca Esposito, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Valorization of the plastic residue from a WEEE treatment plant by pyrolysis. Waste Management. 2020; 112 ():1-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Esposito; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2020. "Valorization of the plastic residue from a WEEE treatment plant by pyrolysis." Waste Management 112, no. : 1-10.

Journal article
Published: 15 May 2020 in Fuel
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The coal fly ash (CFA) from a coal gasification plant was used as raw materials for X zeolites synthesis by fusion and hydrothermal method and the ability of CFA-derived zeolites to adsorb CO2 was studied. After characterization of CFA, factors affecting the synthesis of different zeolites from this CFA, i.e., NaOH/CFA weight ratio, crystallization temperature and crystallization time were investigated. X-ray powder diffraction showed that only the experimental conditions corresponding to 1.2 NaOH/CFA, 7 h and 90 °C have led to a mixture composed by NaX and amorphous compounds without the formation of other crystalline structures. This product has a specific surface area of 498 ± 4 m2/g and exhibits a CO2 adsorption capacity of 2.18 molCO2/kg, corresponding to 57% of commercial 13X. Results showed that this feature is directly related to this specific crystalline product and not to other zeolitic forms or to amorphous phases. The design of experiment, named central composite full factorial, was accounted to optimize these synthesis parameters in order to maximize the CO2 adsorption capacity of the CFA-derived zeolites. Thermogravimetry experiments showed that the experimental setting corresponding to 1.4 NaOH/CFA, 80 °C and 7 h has led to a material with an adsorption capacity of 3.3 molCO2/kg, the 86% of commercial 13X. Furthermore, results highlighted that all the examined synthesis parameter are significant for the purpose of improving CO2 adsorption capacity of CFA-derived zeolites but too high values entail the production of more stable and useless (for this purpose) zeolites.

ACS Style

Gabriele Verrecchia; Lorenzo Cafiero; Benedetta de Caprariis; Alessandro Dell'Era; Ida Pettiti; Riccardo Tuffi; Marco Scarsella. Study of the parameters of zeolites synthesis from coal fly ash in order to optimize their CO2 adsorption. Fuel 2020, 276, 118041 .

AMA Style

Gabriele Verrecchia, Lorenzo Cafiero, Benedetta de Caprariis, Alessandro Dell'Era, Ida Pettiti, Riccardo Tuffi, Marco Scarsella. Study of the parameters of zeolites synthesis from coal fly ash in order to optimize their CO2 adsorption. Fuel. 2020; 276 ():118041.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gabriele Verrecchia; Lorenzo Cafiero; Benedetta de Caprariis; Alessandro Dell'Era; Ida Pettiti; Riccardo Tuffi; Marco Scarsella. 2020. "Study of the parameters of zeolites synthesis from coal fly ash in order to optimize their CO2 adsorption." Fuel 276, no. : 118041.

Research article
Published: 07 December 2019 in Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering
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A synthetic mixture of real waste packaging plastics representative of the residue from a material recovery facility (plasmix) was submitted to thermal and catalytic pyrolysis. Preliminary thermogravimetry experiments coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed to evaluate the effects of the catalysts on the polymers’ degradation temperatures and to determine the main compounds produced during pyrolysis. The thermal and catalytic experiments were conducted at 370°C, 450°C and 650°C using a bench scale reactor. The oil, gas, and char yields were analyzed and the compositions of the reaction products were compared. The primary aim of this study was to understand the effects of zeolitic hydrogen ultra stable zeolite Y (HUSY) and hydrogen zeolite socony mobil-5 (HZSM5) catalysts with high silica content on the pyrolysis process and the products’ quality. Thermogravimetry showed that HUSY significantly reduces the degradation temperature of all the polymers—particularly the polyolefines. HZSM5 had a significant effect on the degradation of polyethylene due to its smaller pore size. Mass balance showed that oil is always the main product of pyrolysis, regardless of the process conditions. However, all pyrolysis runs performed at 370°C were incomplete. The use of either zeolites resulted in a decrease in the heavy oil fraction and the prevention of wax formation. HUSY has the best performance in terms of the total monoaromatic yield (29 wt-% at 450°C), while HZSM5 promoted the production of gases (41 wt-% at 650°C). Plasmix is a potential input material for pyrolysis that is positively affected by the presence of the two tested zeolites. A more effective separation of polyethylene terephthalate during the selection process could lead to higher quality pyrolysis products.

ACS Style

Simona Colantonio; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Nicolò M. Ippolito; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering 2019, 14, 288 -303.

AMA Style

Simona Colantonio, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Nicolò M. Ippolito, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering. 2019; 14 (2):288-303.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Colantonio; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Nicolò M. Ippolito; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2019. "Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture representative of packaging plastics residue." Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering 14, no. 2: 288-303.

Article
Published: 13 November 2019 in Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry
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A plastic packaging residue provided by a central Italy recycling facility was the subject of study of the present paper. The aim is to propose the valorization of plastic film residue (PFR) through a pyrolysis process. The PFR was thermo-chemically characterized through heating value, proximate and ultimate analysis. Fourier transformed infrared measurements have shown that PFR is constituted by 92–95 mass% of polyethylene (PE) film, around 5 mass% of PP, polystyrene (PS) < 1 mass%, PET < 1 mass% and traces of foreign materials. The extremely high percentage (98.7 mass%) of volatile matter and the low content of ash (2.1 mass%), humidity (0.6 mass%) and chlorine (0.1 mass%) make PFR an optimum candidate as load of a pyrolytic reactor. Thermogravimetry (TG) experiments were carried out at five different heating rates (2, 5, 7, 10, 12 K min−1) to determine the kinetic parameters of pyrolysis (activation energy E, pre-exponential factor A and the reaction model). No significant variation of activation energy, calculated by an integral isoconversional method proposed by Vyazovkin, is observed with increasing the degree of conversion. An average value of 264 ± 5 kJ mol−1 was estimated. Then, the Coats–Redfern method and the compensation effect were used to determine the lnA versus α data (being 41.9 the average value within the 0.25 < α < 0.85 range) and the reaction mechanism (R2 contracting cylinder model). Furthermore, the minimum energy required to pyrolyze 1 kg of PFR, about 2.27 MJ, was estimated by differential scanning calorimetry. It corresponds to about 5.5% of the exploitable energy of the input material.

ACS Style

Nicolò M. Ippolito; Lorenzo Cafiero; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Characterization of the residue of a commingled post-consumer plastic waste treatment plant: a thermal, spectroscopic and pyrolysis kinetic study. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 2019, 138, 3323 -3333.

AMA Style

Nicolò M. Ippolito, Lorenzo Cafiero, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Characterization of the residue of a commingled post-consumer plastic waste treatment plant: a thermal, spectroscopic and pyrolysis kinetic study. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 2019; 138 (5):3323-3333.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicolò M. Ippolito; Lorenzo Cafiero; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2019. "Characterization of the residue of a commingled post-consumer plastic waste treatment plant: a thermal, spectroscopic and pyrolysis kinetic study." Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 138, no. 5: 3323-3333.

Journal article
Published: 04 September 2019 in Forest Ecosystems
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Afforestation of savannas in the Congolese coastal plains with eucalypt has provided wood pulp for industry and fuel energy for the local population. Typically, following afforestation, Acacia mangium are introduced to improve soil fertility and sustain productivity. Through investigations of particulate organic matter (POM), potential soil organic matter (SOM) quality was assessed in acacia and eucalypt plantations along rotations. Nutrients in POM (4000–50 μm) in the 0–5 cm soil layer were measured after five years into the second rotation (R2Y5) in relation to soil pH and P availability. Data were compared to those at the end of the first 7-year-rotation (R1Y7) and after two years into the second rotation (R2Y2) to evaluate overall SOM quality in the topsoil. At R2Y5, soil pH was higher in the pure eucalypt stands (100E) than in stands containing acacia, either in monoculture (100A) or evenly mixed with eucalypt (50A50E). Coarse POM (cPOM, 4000–250 μm) beneath 100A had the highest N concentration (1.71%), followed by those beneath 50A50E (1.42%) and 100E (1.30%). Higher N was always found in the stands containing acacia. Lower sulphur (S) concentrations and P availabilities were observed in cPOM (50A50E). The greatest amount of coarse (414.7 g) and fine (214.5 g) forest floor litter were found in 100A stands, whereas higher C concentrations were found in the 100E stands for coarse forest floor litter (36.5%) and in the 50A50E stands for fine forest floor litter (38.7%). The decrease in cPOM N and C concentrations were lower than 20% (R1Y7) and 26% (R2Y5) relative to the younger stage (R2Y2). This tendency was more pronounced in fine POM (250–50 μm) and organo-mineral fraction (< 50 μm). The main changes occurred in cPOM beneath stands containing acacia while higher weight of forest floor litter was found in 100A. Soil pH decreased in stands containing acacia. Overall N and C dynamics was enhanced in older stands (R2Y5) than in the younger stands (R2Y2). This may reveal a creation of more labile SOM with lower N and C concentrations in POM fractions in the surface layer, i.e., an ecosystem with a lower potential to mitigate climate change along rotations.

ACS Style

Lydie-Stella Koutika; Sylvain Ngoyi; Lorenzo Cafiero; Annamaria Bevivino. Soil organic matter quality along rotations in acacia and eucalypt plantations in the Congolese coastal plains. Forest Ecosystems 2019, 6, 1 -13.

AMA Style

Lydie-Stella Koutika, Sylvain Ngoyi, Lorenzo Cafiero, Annamaria Bevivino. Soil organic matter quality along rotations in acacia and eucalypt plantations in the Congolese coastal plains. Forest Ecosystems. 2019; 6 (1):1-13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lydie-Stella Koutika; Sylvain Ngoyi; Lorenzo Cafiero; Annamaria Bevivino. 2019. "Soil organic matter quality along rotations in acacia and eucalypt plantations in the Congolese coastal plains." Forest Ecosystems 6, no. 1: 1-13.

Journal article
Published: 18 June 2018 in Solid State Ionics
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During the last years, with the development of the battery technology, besides Li-ion batteries, Na-ion batteries have been extensively studied as well. However, some disadvantages and issues, such as the impossibility to use the graphite as anode material, are still to be overcome. At the same time, environmental problems push researchers to develop practical and convenient ways to perform useful materials recycling. In this context, the present work evaluates an innovative high pressure water jet recycling process of tires to produce a carbon material to be used as anode in alkali ion (Li, Na) batteries. Prior to be used, the carbon was washed with a solution of sulfuric acid and then pyrolysed. This obtained material was characterized by using SEM and EDX analysis, while a preliminary electrochemical characterization has been performed by charge/discharge cycles in galvanostatic mode at C/10 rate. A comparison between Li and Na intercalation has been carried out. For Li-ion batteries capacities of about 290 mAh g−1 have been obtained, while for Na-ion batteries a capacity of 140 mAh g−1 has been achieved.

ACS Style

A. Dell'Era; M. Pasquali; G. Tarquini; F.A. Scaramuzzo; P. De Gasperis; P.P. Prosini; A. Mezzi; R. Tuffi; L. Cafiero. Carbon powder material obtained from an innovative high pressure water jet recycling process of tires used as anode in alkali ion (Li, Na) batteries. Solid State Ionics 2018, 324, 20 -27.

AMA Style

A. Dell'Era, M. Pasquali, G. Tarquini, F.A. Scaramuzzo, P. De Gasperis, P.P. Prosini, A. Mezzi, R. Tuffi, L. Cafiero. Carbon powder material obtained from an innovative high pressure water jet recycling process of tires used as anode in alkali ion (Li, Na) batteries. Solid State Ionics. 2018; 324 ():20-27.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Dell'Era; M. Pasquali; G. Tarquini; F.A. Scaramuzzo; P. De Gasperis; P.P. Prosini; A. Mezzi; R. Tuffi; L. Cafiero. 2018. "Carbon powder material obtained from an innovative high pressure water jet recycling process of tires used as anode in alkali ion (Li, Na) batteries." Solid State Ionics 324, no. : 20-27.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2018 in Express Polymer Letters
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ACS Style

R. Tuffi; S. D'abramo; L. M. Cafiero; E. Trinca; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti; Lorenzo Cafiero. Thermal behavior and pyrolytic degradation kinetics of polymeric mixtures from waste packaging plastics. Express Polymer Letters 2018, 12, 82 -99.

AMA Style

R. Tuffi, S. D'abramo, L. M. Cafiero, E. Trinca, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti, Lorenzo Cafiero. Thermal behavior and pyrolytic degradation kinetics of polymeric mixtures from waste packaging plastics. Express Polymer Letters. 2018; 12 (1):82-99.

Chicago/Turabian Style

R. Tuffi; S. D'abramo; L. M. Cafiero; E. Trinca; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti; Lorenzo Cafiero. 2018. "Thermal behavior and pyrolytic degradation kinetics of polymeric mixtures from waste packaging plastics." Express Polymer Letters 12, no. 1: 82-99.

Research article
Published: 12 October 2017 in Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering
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Catalytic pyrolysis of thermoplastics extracted from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) was investigated using various fly ash-derived catalysts. The catalysts were prepared from fly ash by a simple method that basically includes a mechanical treatment followed by an acid or a basic activation. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using various analytical techniques. The results showed that not treated fly ash (FA) is characterized by good crystallinity, which in turn is lowered by mechanical and chemical treatment (fly ash after mechanical and acid activation, FAMA) and suppressed almost entirely down to let fly ash become completely amorphous (fly ash after mechanical and basic activation FAMB). Simultaneously, the surface area resulted increased. Subsequently, FA, FAMB and FAMA were used in the pyrolysis of a WEEE plastic sample at 400°C and their performance were compared with thermal pyrolysis at the same temperature. The catalysts principally improve the light oil yield: from 59 wt.% with thermal pyrolysis to 83 wt.% using FAMB. The formation of styrene in the oil is also increased: from 243 mg/g with thermal pyrolysis to 453 mg/g using FAMB. As a result, FAMB proved to be the best catalyst, thus producing also the lowest and the highest amount of char and gas, respectively.Open image in new window

ACS Style

Marika Benedetti; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Alessandro Dell’Era; Mauro Pasquali; Stefano Stendardo; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics using catalysts produced from fly ash of coal gasification. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 2017, 11, 11 .

AMA Style

Marika Benedetti, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Alessandro Dell’Era, Mauro Pasquali, Stefano Stendardo, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics using catalysts produced from fly ash of coal gasification. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering. 2017; 11 (5):11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marika Benedetti; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Alessandro Dell’Era; Mauro Pasquali; Stefano Stendardo; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2017. "Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics using catalysts produced from fly ash of coal gasification." Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 11, no. 5: 11.

Design for next industry
Published: 28 July 2017 in The Design Journal
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"Hospital of Objects" is a service that provides for the recovery of forgotten, obsolete and accidentally broken objects, it fall within typical chain of personal manufacturing. Through the design input of the designer / maker, the obsolete object reacquires an aesthetic and functional dignity, according to the contemporary hybrid design and hacking design logic. The aim is to give new life to small everyday objects , recomposing, aggregating or replacing some parts with new parts 3d printed, using filament obtained from the recycling plastic of WEEE waste. The service through the exchange of expertise (including Laboratory for the recycling of WEEE and Rapid Manufacturing Laboratory), cooperation (between user and designer / maker), attention to environmental impact, leading to the creation of a particular product: hybrid of languages and technologies, that allows experiments in the field of recycling, technology and creativity, exploiting the 3D Printing aimed at small-scale production or unique pieces.

ACS Style

Chiara Petruzzi; Loredana Di Lucchio; Lorenzo Cafiero; Riccardo Tuffi; Alessio Ubertini; Flavio Caretto. Hospital of Objects. Recycling plastic from the small electronic devices to redesign old objects by the 3d printers. The Design Journal 2017, 20, S2716 -S2723.

AMA Style

Chiara Petruzzi, Loredana Di Lucchio, Lorenzo Cafiero, Riccardo Tuffi, Alessio Ubertini, Flavio Caretto. Hospital of Objects. Recycling plastic from the small electronic devices to redesign old objects by the 3d printers. The Design Journal. 2017; 20 (sup1):S2716-S2723.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chiara Petruzzi; Loredana Di Lucchio; Lorenzo Cafiero; Riccardo Tuffi; Alessio Ubertini; Flavio Caretto. 2017. "Hospital of Objects. Recycling plastic from the small electronic devices to redesign old objects by the 3d printers." The Design Journal 20, no. sup1: S2716-S2723.

Journal article
Published: 29 October 2016 in Sustainability
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Bromine and chlorine are almost ubiquitous in waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the knowledge of their content in the plastic fraction is an essential step for proper end of life management. The aim of this study is to compare the following analytical methods: energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF), ion chromatography (IC), ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), and elemental analysis for the quantitative determination of chlorine and bromine in four real samples taken from different WEEE treatment plants, identifying the best analytical technique for waste management workers. Home-made plastic standard materials with known concentrations of chlorine or bromine have been used for calibration of ED-XRF and to test the techniques before the sample analysis. Results showed that IC and ISEs, based upon dissolution of the products of the sample combustion, have not always achieved a quantitative absorption of the analytes in the basic solutions and that bromine could be underestimated since several oxidation states occur after combustion. Elemental analysis designed for chlorine determination is subjected to strong interference from bromine and required frequent regeneration and recalibration of the measurement cell. The most reliable method seemed to be the non-destructive ED-XRF. Calibration with home-made standards, having a similar plastic matrix of the samples, enabled us to carry out quantitative determinations, which have been revealed to be satisfactorily accurate and precise. In all the analyzed samples a total concentration of chlorine and/or bromine between 0.6 and 4 w/w% was detected, compromising the feasibility of a mechanical recycling and suggesting the exploration of an alternative route for managing these plastic wastes.

ACS Style

Beatrice Beccagutti; Lorenzo Cafiero; Massimiliana Pietrantonio; Stefano Pucciarmati; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Characterization of Some Real Mixed Plastics from WEEE: A Focus on Chlorine and Bromine Determination by Different Analytical Methods. Sustainability 2016, 8, 1107 .

AMA Style

Beatrice Beccagutti, Lorenzo Cafiero, Massimiliana Pietrantonio, Stefano Pucciarmati, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Characterization of Some Real Mixed Plastics from WEEE: A Focus on Chlorine and Bromine Determination by Different Analytical Methods. Sustainability. 2016; 8 (11):1107.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beatrice Beccagutti; Lorenzo Cafiero; Massimiliana Pietrantonio; Stefano Pucciarmati; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2016. "Characterization of Some Real Mixed Plastics from WEEE: A Focus on Chlorine and Bromine Determination by Different Analytical Methods." Sustainability 8, no. 11: 1107.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2016 in Waste Management
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Pyrolysis seems a promising route for recycling of heterogeneous, contaminated and additives containing plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). This study deals with the thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a synthetic mixture containing real waste plastics, representative of polymers contained in small WEEE. Two zeolite-based catalysts were used at 400 °C: HUSY and HZSM-5 with a high silica content, while three different temperatures were adopted for the thermal cracking: 400, 600 and 800 °C. The mass balance showed that the oil produced by pyrolysis is always the main product regardless the process conditions selected, with yields ranging from 83% to 93%. A higher yield was obtained when pyrolysis was carried out with HZSM-5 at 400 °C and without catalysts, but at 600 and 800 °C. Formation of a significant amount of solid residue (about 13%) is observed using HUSY. The oily liquid product of pyrolysis, analysed by GC–MS and GC-FID, as well as by elemental analysis and for energy content, appeared lighter, less viscous and with a higher concentration of monoaromatics under catalytic condition, if compared to the liquid product derived from thermal degradation at the same temperature. HZSM-5 led to the production of a high yield of styrene (17.5%), while HUSY favoured the formation of ethylbenzene (15%). Energy released by combustion of the oil was around 39 MJ/kg, thus suggesting the possibility to exploit it as a fuel, if the recovery of chemical compounds could not be realised. Elemental and proximate analysis of char and GC-TCD analysis of the gas were also performed. Finally, it was estimated to what extent these two products, showing a relevant ability to release energy, could fulfil the energy demand requested in pyrolysis.

ACS Style

Chiara Santella; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Floriana La Marca; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a mixture of plastics from small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Waste Management 2016, 54, 143 -152.

AMA Style

Chiara Santella, Lorenzo Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Floriana La Marca, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a mixture of plastics from small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Waste Management. 2016; 54 ():143-152.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chiara Santella; Lorenzo Cafiero; Doina De Angelis; Floriana La Marca; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2016. "Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a mixture of plastics from small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)." Waste Management 54, no. : 143-152.

Journal article
Published: 24 June 2015 in Journal of Thermal Analysis
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Seven waste thermoplastic polymers (polypropylene, polyethylene film, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene, high-impact polystyrene and polybutadiene terephthalate, denoted as PP, PE (film), PET, PS, ABS, HIPS and PBT, respectively) and four synthetic mixtures thereof with different compositions representing commingled postconsumer plastic waste and waste of electrical and electronic equipment were studied by means of simultaneous thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG/DSC–FTIR) under pyrolytic conditions (inert atmosphere). By summing all the heat change contributions due to physical and/or chemical processes occurring (i.e., melting, decomposition), an overall energy, defined as the degradation heat, was determined for both single component and their mixtures. It was found to be about 4–5 % of the exploitable energy of the input material. Vapors evolved during the pyrolysis of single-component polymers and their mixtures, analyzed using the FTIR apparatus, allowed identifying the main reaction products as monomers or fragments of the polymeric chain. Results from TG/DSC runs and FTIR analysis show that there is no interaction among the plastic components of the mixtures during the occurrence of pyrolysis.

ACS Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Dario Fabbri; Emiliano Trinca; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and spectroscopic (TG/DSC–FTIR) characterization of mixed plastics for materials and energy recovery under pyrolytic conditions. Journal of Thermal Analysis 2015, 121, 1111 -1119.

AMA Style

Lorenzo Cafiero, Dario Fabbri, Emiliano Trinca, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Thermal and spectroscopic (TG/DSC–FTIR) characterization of mixed plastics for materials and energy recovery under pyrolytic conditions. Journal of Thermal Analysis. 2015; 121 (3):1111-1119.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Dario Fabbri; Emiliano Trinca; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2015. "Thermal and spectroscopic (TG/DSC–FTIR) characterization of mixed plastics for materials and energy recovery under pyrolytic conditions." Journal of Thermal Analysis 121, no. 3: 1111-1119.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2014 in Polymer Degradation and Stability
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The ␣rst step consisted in a ␣eld investigation carried out in Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) treatment plants coupled with a bibliographic product analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy polymers identi␣cation. Three main polymers of the thermoplastic fraction of small appliances were identi␣ed: in the external cases it was possible to ␣nd acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and high impact poly- styrene (HIPS), while polybutadiene terephthalate (PBT) was contained in the printed circuit boards (PCBs). Taking into account this identi␣cation, a ternary polymer mixture of ABS-HIPS-PBT was prepared as a representative sample of the thermoplastic fraction contained in WEEE (real WEEE sample). From the thermal characterization (proximate and ultimate analysis, high heating value (HHV) direct mea- surement and Energy-Dispersive-X-Ray-Fluorescence analysis (ED-XRF)) the only polymer whose properties sensibly differ from the analogous virgin polymer is the one contained in PCBs.\ud A kinetic analysis of pyrolysis occurring on the three components and on their ternary mixture was performed using a thermogravimetry (TG) apparatus in argon atmosphere under non isothermal con- ditions. Triplicates of TG experiments at four heating rates of 2, 5, 10 and 15 K min��1 were carried out and two different model-free approaches were adopted, namely the Kissinger and Ozawa-Flynn-Wall methods in order to determine the activation energy E (as a single mean value or as a function of the degree of conversion a). The conversion dependencies of both activation energy and pre-exponential factors were determined as well as the reaction model, representing the reaction mechanism. The suitability of the models selected was tested using the Akaike's Information Criteria (AIC) score, being the geometric model R3 the best found for pyrolysis of ABS, HIPS and real WEEE samples, while PBT sample showed an uncertainty between the R3 and the diffusion D2 model. The reaction time values to achieve the maximum pyrolysis rate in the three main components and in the real WEEE sample were also calculated

ACS Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Eugenio Castoldi; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Identification and characterization of plastics from small appliances and kinetic analysis of their thermally activated pyrolysis. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2014, 109, 307 -318.

AMA Style

Lorenzo Cafiero, Eugenio Castoldi, Riccardo Tuffi, Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. Identification and characterization of plastics from small appliances and kinetic analysis of their thermally activated pyrolysis. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 2014; 109 ():307-318.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorenzo Cafiero; Eugenio Castoldi; Riccardo Tuffi; Stefano Vecchio Ciprioti. 2014. "Identification and characterization of plastics from small appliances and kinetic analysis of their thermally activated pyrolysis." Polymer Degradation and Stability 109, no. : 307-318.