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Prof. Dr. Francesco La Mantia
Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università di Palermo and INSTM, Firenze, Italy

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0 Biodegradable Polymers
0 Nanocomposites
0 Polymer Blends
0 Polymer Processing
0 biocomposites

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Nanocomposites
Biodegradable Polymers
Polymer Blends
rheological behavior of polymer-based systems
mechanical behavior of polymer-based systems
Polymer Processing
biocomposites
green composites
degradation and recycling of polymer-based systems

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Journal article
Published: 10 August 2021 in Polymers
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This work investigates the effects of very small amounts of fumed silica on the morphology and on the rheological and mechanical behaviour of polypropylene nanocomposites and on their photo-oxidation behaviour. Polypropylene nanocomposites were prepared using a twin-screw corotating extruder with 0, 1 and 2 wt/wt% of SiO2. Morphological, mechanical, thermomechanical and rheological properties were examined. It was found that the viscosity of the matrix is reduced by the presence of the silica nanoparticles, suggesting a poor adhesion between the two phases and probably some lubricating effect. On the contrary, the mechanical and, in particular, the thermomechanical properties of the matrix are considerably improved by the presence of the silica. In particular, elastic modulus and tensile strength increases remarkably, and this effect becomes more and more remarkable with an increasing temperature. As for the photo-oxidation behaviour, the presence of silica improves the photostability of the polypropylene matrix. This effect has been attributed to both the barrier to the oxygen and to the absorbance of the UV radiation from the silica nanoparticles. Finally, no significant effect of the silica nanoparticles has been put in evidence on the crystallisation behaviour of the polypropylene. As for the effect of the silica content, the difference in the properties of the two nanocomposites is relatively small and all the measured properties depend much less than linearly with its amount. This has been correlated with the reaggregation of the nanoparticles that, having a larger size, decrease the contact area between the matrix and the filler.

ACS Style

Vincenzo Titone; Maria Mistretta; Luigi Botta; Francesco Mantia. Investigation on the Properties and on the Photo-Oxidation Behaviour of Polypropylene/Fumed Silica Nanocomposites. Polymers 2021, 13, 2673 .

AMA Style

Vincenzo Titone, Maria Mistretta, Luigi Botta, Francesco Mantia. Investigation on the Properties and on the Photo-Oxidation Behaviour of Polypropylene/Fumed Silica Nanocomposites. Polymers. 2021; 13 (16):2673.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vincenzo Titone; Maria Mistretta; Luigi Botta; Francesco Mantia. 2021. "Investigation on the Properties and on the Photo-Oxidation Behaviour of Polypropylene/Fumed Silica Nanocomposites." Polymers 13, no. 16: 2673.

Journal article
Published: 09 August 2021 in Polymers
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This study explores the processability, mechanical, and thermal properties of biocompostable composites based on poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) as polymer matrix and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) derived from softwood almond (Prunus dulcis) shells (as-MCC) as filler at two different weight concentration, i.e., 10 wt% and 20 wt%. The materials were processed by melt mixing and a commercial MCC (c-MCC) was used as filler comparison. The fibrillar shape of as-MCC particles was found to change the rheological behavior of PBAT, particularly at the highest concentration. The melt mixing processing allowed obtaining a uniform dispersion of both kinds of fillers, slightly reducing the L/D ratio of as-MCC fibers. The as-MCC particles led to a higher increase of the elastic modulus of PBAT if compared to the c-MCC counterparts. Both the MCC fillers caused a drastic reduction of the elongation at break, although it was higher than 120% also at the highest filler concentrations. DSC analysis revealed that both MCC fillers poorly affected the matrix crystallinity, although as-MCC induced a slight PBAT crystallinity increase from 8.8% up to 10.9% for PBAT/as-MCC 20%. Therefore, this work demonstrates the great potential of MCC particles derived from almond shells as filler for biocompostable composites fabrication.

ACS Style

Luigi Botta; Vincenzo Titone; Maria Mistretta; Francesco La Mantia; Aurora Modica; Maurizio Bruno; Francesco Sottile; Francesco Lopresti. PBAT Based Composites Reinforced with Microcrystalline Cellulose Obtained from Softwood Almond Shells. Polymers 2021, 13, 2643 .

AMA Style

Luigi Botta, Vincenzo Titone, Maria Mistretta, Francesco La Mantia, Aurora Modica, Maurizio Bruno, Francesco Sottile, Francesco Lopresti. PBAT Based Composites Reinforced with Microcrystalline Cellulose Obtained from Softwood Almond Shells. Polymers. 2021; 13 (16):2643.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luigi Botta; Vincenzo Titone; Maria Mistretta; Francesco La Mantia; Aurora Modica; Maurizio Bruno; Francesco Sottile; Francesco Lopresti. 2021. "PBAT Based Composites Reinforced with Microcrystalline Cellulose Obtained from Softwood Almond Shells." Polymers 13, no. 16: 2643.

Journal article
Published: 16 July 2021 in Recycling
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In this work, monopolymer blends of virgin polypropylene and photo-oxidized polypropylene were prepare and characterized. The polypropylene samples were subjected to accelerated ageing to simulate the effects of outdoor exposure of polypropylene. After exposure, samples were pelletized and mixed with the same virgin polymer. The rheological, mechanical and morphological characterization was conducted on both the polymers and the blends. Both viscosity and mechanical properties decrease with increases in the content of recycled, photo-oxidized components and of the level of degradation of this component. In addition, the experimental data were compared with a model that takes into account both the effect of the change of the molecular weight and of the presence of oxygenated groups.

ACS Style

Francesco Mantia; Maria Mistretta; Vincenzo Titone. Rheological, Mechanical and Morphological Characterization of Monopolymer Blends Made by Virgin and Photo-Oxidized Polypropylene. Recycling 2021, 6, 51 .

AMA Style

Francesco Mantia, Maria Mistretta, Vincenzo Titone. Rheological, Mechanical and Morphological Characterization of Monopolymer Blends Made by Virgin and Photo-Oxidized Polypropylene. Recycling. 2021; 6 (3):51.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Mantia; Maria Mistretta; Vincenzo Titone. 2021. "Rheological, Mechanical and Morphological Characterization of Monopolymer Blends Made by Virgin and Photo-Oxidized Polypropylene." Recycling 6, no. 3: 51.

Review
Published: 29 June 2021 in Nanomaterials
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Interest in the development of graphene-based materials for advanced applications is growing, because of the unique features of such nanomaterials and, above all, of their outstanding versatility, which enables several functionalization pathways that lead to materials with extremely tunable properties and architectures. This review is focused on the careful examination of relationships between synthetic approaches currently used to derivatize graphene, main properties achieved, and target applications proposed. Use of functionalized graphene nanomaterials in six engineering areas (materials with enhanced mechanical and thermal performance, energy, sensors, biomedical, water treatment, and catalysis) was critically reviewed, pointing out the latest advances and potential challenges associated with the application of such materials, with a major focus on the effect that the physicochemical features imparted by functionalization routes exert on the achievement of ultimate properties capable of satisfying or even improving the current demand in each field. Finally, current limitations in terms of basic scientific knowledge and nanotechnology were highlighted, along with the potential future directions towards the full exploitation of such fascinating nanomaterials.

ACS Style

Andrea Maio; Ivana Pibiri; Marco Morreale; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Roberto Scaffaro. An Overview of Functionalized Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 1717 .

AMA Style

Andrea Maio, Ivana Pibiri, Marco Morreale, Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Roberto Scaffaro. An Overview of Functionalized Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications. Nanomaterials. 2021; 11 (7):1717.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Maio; Ivana Pibiri; Marco Morreale; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Roberto Scaffaro. 2021. "An Overview of Functionalized Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications." Nanomaterials 11, no. 7: 1717.

Journal article
Published: 17 May 2021 in Polymers
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This work is focused on the influence of moisture content on the processing and mechanical properties of a biodegradable polyester used for applications in injection molding. The pellets of the biodegradable polyester were exposed under different relative humidity conditions at a constant temperature before being compression molded. The compression-molded specimens were again placed under the above conditions before the mechanical testing. With all these samples, it is possible to determine the effect of moisture content on the processing and mechanical properties separately, as well as the combined effect of moisture content on the mechanical properties. The results obtained showed that the amount of absorbed water—both before processing and before mechanical testing—causes an increase in elongation at break and a slight reduction of the elastic modulus and tensile strength. These changes have been associated with possible hydrolytic degradation during the compression molding process and, in particular, with the plasticizing action of the moisture absorbed by the specimens.

ACS Style

Vincenzo Titone; Antonio Correnti; Francesco La Mantia. Effect of Moisture Content on the Processing and Mechanical Properties of a Biodegradable Polyester. Polymers 2021, 13, 1616 .

AMA Style

Vincenzo Titone, Antonio Correnti, Francesco La Mantia. Effect of Moisture Content on the Processing and Mechanical Properties of a Biodegradable Polyester. Polymers. 2021; 13 (10):1616.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vincenzo Titone; Antonio Correnti; Francesco La Mantia. 2021. "Effect of Moisture Content on the Processing and Mechanical Properties of a Biodegradable Polyester." Polymers 13, no. 10: 1616.

Review article
Published: 10 April 2021 in Polymer Degradation and Stability
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The examination of the aging behavior of polymers, blends, composites, items, etc. under different environmental conditions is a priority issue for assessing the possible applications and establishing the lifetime. In agriculture, plastic items (mulch films, irrigation tubes, etc.) are widely used and subjected to solar UV exposure that can induce photo-oxidation on macromolecular chains. Therefore, weathering under outdoor conditions and accelerated degradation tests are performed for simulating aging processes during the lifetime of materials and select appropriate stabilizers to be used. In the last decades, oxo- and biodegradable polymers have been investigated and used in agricultural items. The influence of photooxidation or outdoor weathering on their structures, performance and biodegradation behavior in soil has been evaluated. This review aims to provide an overview of the studies focused on the effects of photo-degradation processes on chemical-physical properties and degradation in soil of oxo- and biodegradable polymers or items designed for agricultural purpose, including an outline of the available standards. Additionally, a comparison between the behaviors induced by photo-oxidation of the two different families of degradable polymers used in agricultural plastic items is carried out.

ACS Style

Paola Rizzarelli; Marco Rapisarda; Laura Ascione; Francesco Degli Innocenti; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. Influence of photo-oxidation on the performance and soil degradation of oxo- and biodegradable polymer-based items for agricultural applications. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2021, 188, 109578 .

AMA Style

Paola Rizzarelli, Marco Rapisarda, Laura Ascione, Francesco Degli Innocenti, Francesco Paolo La Mantia. Influence of photo-oxidation on the performance and soil degradation of oxo- and biodegradable polymer-based items for agricultural applications. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 2021; 188 ():109578.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paola Rizzarelli; Marco Rapisarda; Laura Ascione; Francesco Degli Innocenti; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. 2021. "Influence of photo-oxidation on the performance and soil degradation of oxo- and biodegradable polymer-based items for agricultural applications." Polymer Degradation and Stability 188, no. : 109578.

Journal article
Published: 05 April 2021 in Polymers
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In this work, bionanocomposites based on two different types of biopolymers belonging to the MaterBi® family and containing two kinds of modified nanoclays were compounded in a twin-screw extruder and then subjected to a film blowing process, aiming at obtaining sustainable films potentially suitable for packaging applications. The preliminary characterization of the extruded bionanocomposites allowed establishing some correlations between the obtained morphology and the material rheological and mechanical behavior. More specifically, the morphological analysis showed that, regardless of the type of biopolymeric matrix, a homogeneous nanofiller dispersion was achieved; furthermore, the established biopolymer/nanofiller interactions caused a restrain of the dynamics of the biopolymer chains, thus inducing a significant modification of the material rheological response, which involves the appearance of an apparent yield stress and the amplification of the elastic feature of the viscoelastic behavior. Besides, the rheological characterization under non-isothermal elongational flow revealed a marginal effect of the embedded nanofillers on the biopolymers behavior, thus indicating their suitability for film blowing processing. Additionally, the processing behavior of the bionanocomposites was evaluated and compared to that of similar systems based on a low-density polyethylene matrix: this way, it was possible to identify the most suitable materials for film blowing operations. Finally, the assessment of the mechanical properties of the produced blown films documented the potential exploitation of the selected materials for packaging applications, also at an industrial level.

ACS Style

Maria Mistretta; Luigi Botta; Rossella Arrigo; Francesco Leto; Giulio Malucelli; Francesco La Mantia. Bionanocomposite Blown Films: Insights on the Rheological and Mechanical Behavior. Polymers 2021, 13, 1167 .

AMA Style

Maria Mistretta, Luigi Botta, Rossella Arrigo, Francesco Leto, Giulio Malucelli, Francesco La Mantia. Bionanocomposite Blown Films: Insights on the Rheological and Mechanical Behavior. Polymers. 2021; 13 (7):1167.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Mistretta; Luigi Botta; Rossella Arrigo; Francesco Leto; Giulio Malucelli; Francesco La Mantia. 2021. "Bionanocomposite Blown Films: Insights on the Rheological and Mechanical Behavior." Polymers 13, no. 7: 1167.

Journal article
Published: 08 March 2021 in Polymer Degradation and Stability
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In this work, we report the effect of an organoclay on the photochemical weathering of nanocomposites based on a poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blend. The evolution of physicochemical properties was monitored by integrating spectroscopic, mechanical, and morphological analyses. A robust relationship was found between the molecular transformations of the polymer macromolecules and the morpho-mechanical properties of irradiated films. Moreover, the analysis of insoluble fractions extracted from nanocomposites pointed out that free-standing, porous structures, displaying an unprecedented thickness as great as 100 µm, were formed, thus unambiguously demonstrating that the organoclay increased the propagation depth of photochemical crosslinking reactions by 10 times with respect to previously reported results on PBAT. The pore architecture and chemical structure of such crosslinked networks proved to change depending on organoclay content of films.

ACS Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Michele Gammino; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. Effect of an organoclay on the photochemical transformations of a PBAT/PLA blend and morpho-chemical features of crosslinked networks. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2021, 187, 109549 .

AMA Style

Roberto Scaffaro, Andrea Maio, Michele Gammino, Francesco Paolo La Mantia. Effect of an organoclay on the photochemical transformations of a PBAT/PLA blend and morpho-chemical features of crosslinked networks. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 2021; 187 ():109549.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Scaffaro; Andrea Maio; Michele Gammino; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. 2021. "Effect of an organoclay on the photochemical transformations of a PBAT/PLA blend and morpho-chemical features of crosslinked networks." Polymer Degradation and Stability 187, no. : 109549.

Journal article
Published: 04 March 2021 in Polymers
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In this work, bionanocomposites based on different biodegradable polymers and two types of nanofillers, namely a nanosized calcium carbonate and an organomodified nanoclay, were produced through melt extrusion, with the aim to evaluate the possible applications of these materials as a potential alternative to traditional fossil fuel-derived polyolefins, for the production of irrigation pipes. The rheological behavior of the formulated systems was thoroughly evaluated by exploiting different flow regimes, and the obtained results indicated a remarkable effect of the introduced nanofillers on the low-frequency rheological response, especially in nanoclay-based bionanocomposites. Conversely, the shear viscosity at a high shear rate was almost unaffected by the presence of both types of nanofillers, as well as the rheological response under nonisothermal elongational flow. In addition, the analysis of the mechanical properties of the formulated materials indicated that the embedded nanofillers increased the elastic modulus when compared to the unfilled counterparts, notwithstanding a slight decrease of the material ductility. Finally, the processing behavior of unfilled biopolymers and bionanocomposites was evaluated, allowing for selecting the most suitable material and thus fulfilling the processability requirements for pipe extrusion applications.

ACS Style

Luigi Botta; Francesco La Mantia; Maria Mistretta; Antonino Oliveri; Rossella Arrigo; Giulio Malucelli. Structure–Property Relationships in Bionanocomposites for Pipe Extrusion Applications. Polymers 2021, 13, 782 .

AMA Style

Luigi Botta, Francesco La Mantia, Maria Mistretta, Antonino Oliveri, Rossella Arrigo, Giulio Malucelli. Structure–Property Relationships in Bionanocomposites for Pipe Extrusion Applications. Polymers. 2021; 13 (5):782.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luigi Botta; Francesco La Mantia; Maria Mistretta; Antonino Oliveri; Rossella Arrigo; Giulio Malucelli. 2021. "Structure–Property Relationships in Bionanocomposites for Pipe Extrusion Applications." Polymers 13, no. 5: 782.

Journal article
Published: 19 February 2021 in Sustainability
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Finding an appropriate technical solution for reusing waste plastics is crucial for creating a circular plastic economy. Although mechanical recycling is the best option for recycling post-consumer plastics, some heterogeneous mixed plastics cannot be recycled to produce secondary material due to their very low properties. In this case, alternative routes should be considered in order to limit their disposal as much as possible. Therefore, in order to solve the environmental problems in the landfills of plastic waste recycling, and to improve the mechanical performance of bitumen for road pavement, the reuse of these post-consumer plastic wastes are preliminarily evaluated for the modification of bitumen for road use. The field of polymers used so far and widely studied concerns virgin materials, or highly homogeneous materials, in case of recycled plastics. In this work, a highly heterogeneous mixed plastic—Plasmix—from the separate collection in Italy, is used as a bitumen modifier for road construction. The research focused on the dry (into the mixture) and wet (into the binder) addition of different content of the Plasmix compound, with the aim of assessing the feasibility of the modification itself. Results of the mechanical tests carried out prove an increase in performance and that there is a potential of the addition of the Plasmix compound both for binder and mixture modifications.

ACS Style

Clara Celauro; Rosalia Teresi; Francesco Graziano; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Antonio Protopapa. Preliminary Evaluation of Plasmix Compound from Plastics Packaging Waste for Reuse in Bituminous Pavements. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2258 .

AMA Style

Clara Celauro, Rosalia Teresi, Francesco Graziano, Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Antonio Protopapa. Preliminary Evaluation of Plasmix Compound from Plastics Packaging Waste for Reuse in Bituminous Pavements. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2258.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Clara Celauro; Rosalia Teresi; Francesco Graziano; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Antonio Protopapa. 2021. "Preliminary Evaluation of Plasmix Compound from Plastics Packaging Waste for Reuse in Bituminous Pavements." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2258.

Journal article
Published: 19 January 2021 in Polymers
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The research on cellulose fiber-reinforced nanocomposites has increased by an unprecedented magnitude over the past few years due to its wide application range and low production cost. However, the incompatibility between cellulose and most thermoplastics has raised significant challenges in composite fabrication. This paper addresses the behavior of plasma-modified polyethylene (PE) reinforced with cellulose nanofibers extracted from isora plants (i.e., isora nanofibrils (INFs)). The crystallization kinetics of PE–INF composites were explained using the Avrami model. The effect of cellulose nanofillers on tuning the physiochemical properties of the nanocomposite was also explored in this work. The increase in mechanical properties was due to the uniform dispersion of fillers in the PE. The investigation on viscoelastic properties confirmed good filler–matrix interactions, facilitating the stress transfer.

ACS Style

Cintil Jose; Chin Chan; Tan Winie; Blessy Joseph; Abhimanyu Tharayil; Hanna Maria; Tatiana Volova; Francesco La Mantia; Didier Rouxel; Marco Morreale; David Laroze; Lovely Mathew; Sabu Thomas. Thermomechanical Analysis of Isora Nanofibril Incorporated Polyethylene Nanocomposites. Polymers 2021, 13, 299 .

AMA Style

Cintil Jose, Chin Chan, Tan Winie, Blessy Joseph, Abhimanyu Tharayil, Hanna Maria, Tatiana Volova, Francesco La Mantia, Didier Rouxel, Marco Morreale, David Laroze, Lovely Mathew, Sabu Thomas. Thermomechanical Analysis of Isora Nanofibril Incorporated Polyethylene Nanocomposites. Polymers. 2021; 13 (2):299.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cintil Jose; Chin Chan; Tan Winie; Blessy Joseph; Abhimanyu Tharayil; Hanna Maria; Tatiana Volova; Francesco La Mantia; Didier Rouxel; Marco Morreale; David Laroze; Lovely Mathew; Sabu Thomas. 2021. "Thermomechanical Analysis of Isora Nanofibril Incorporated Polyethylene Nanocomposites." Polymers 13, no. 2: 299.

Journal article
Published: 09 January 2021 in Materials
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It is well known that the need for more environmentally friendly materials concerns, among other fields, the food packaging industry. This regards also, for instance, nets used for agricultural product (e.g., citrus fruits, potatoes) packaging. These nets are typically manufactured by film blowing technique, with subsequent slicing of the films and cold drawing of the obtained strips, made from traditional, non-biodegradable polymer systems. In this work, two biodegradable polymer systems were characterized from rheological, processability, and mechanical points of view, in order to evaluate their suitability to replace polyethylene-based polymer systems typically used for agricultural product net manufacturing. Furthermore, laboratory simulation of the above-mentioned processing operation paths was performed. The results indicated a good potential for biodegradable polymer systems to replace polyethylene-based systems for agricultural product packaging.

ACS Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Manuela Ceraulo; Paolo Testa; Marco Morreale. Biodegradable Polymers for the Production of Nets for Agricultural Product Packaging. Materials 2021, 14, 323 .

AMA Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Manuela Ceraulo, Paolo Testa, Marco Morreale. Biodegradable Polymers for the Production of Nets for Agricultural Product Packaging. Materials. 2021; 14 (2):323.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Manuela Ceraulo; Paolo Testa; Marco Morreale. 2021. "Biodegradable Polymers for the Production of Nets for Agricultural Product Packaging." Materials 14, no. 2: 323.

Journal article
Published: 02 January 2021 in Recycling
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In this work, an additive model for the prediction of the rheological and mechanical properties of monopolymer blends made by virgin and reprocessed components is proposed. A polypropylene sample has been reprocessed more times in an extruder and monopolymer blends have been prepared by simulating an industrial process. The scraps are exposed to regrinding and are melt reprocessed before mixing with the virgin polymer. The reprocessed polymer is, then, subjected to some thermomechanical degradation. Rheological and mechanical experimental data have been compared with the theoretical predictions. The results obtained showed that the values of this simple additive model are a very good fit for the experimental values of both rheological and mechanical properties.

ACS Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Maria Chiara Mistretta; Vincenzo Titone. An Additive Model to Predict the Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Blends Made by Virgin and Reprocessed Components. Recycling 2021, 6, 2 .

AMA Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Maria Chiara Mistretta, Vincenzo Titone. An Additive Model to Predict the Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Blends Made by Virgin and Reprocessed Components. Recycling. 2021; 6 (1):2.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Maria Chiara Mistretta; Vincenzo Titone. 2021. "An Additive Model to Predict the Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Blends Made by Virgin and Reprocessed Components." Recycling 6, no. 1: 2.

Journal article
Published: 08 October 2020 in Polymers
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Mechanical recycling is one of the possible ways to enhance the value of postconsumer plastic materials. However, the final performance of the recycled material will strongly depend on the quality of the selection made on the recycled product and on the degradation of the properties. In this context, the present study examines the effect of reprocessing for five successive extrusion cycles on the rheological, mechanical and thermal properties of a poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)-based blend on samples reprocessed in both dry and wet conditions. The results showed that when the sample was processed after drying, degradation of the material was less than when it was processed in wet conditions. However, the experimental results showed that the decrease of rheological and mechanical properties was not so dramatic, and therefore the material could be reused in both cases.

ACS Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Luigi Botta; Maria Chiara Mistretta; Antonino Di Fiore; Vincenzo Titone. Recycling of a Biodegradable Polymer Blend. Polymers 2020, 12, 2297 .

AMA Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Luigi Botta, Maria Chiara Mistretta, Antonino Di Fiore, Vincenzo Titone. Recycling of a Biodegradable Polymer Blend. Polymers. 2020; 12 (10):2297.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Luigi Botta; Maria Chiara Mistretta; Antonino Di Fiore; Vincenzo Titone. 2020. "Recycling of a Biodegradable Polymer Blend." Polymers 12, no. 10: 2297.

Journal article
Published: 31 August 2020 in Polymers
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Polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) is bitumen that has been specifically engineered with polymer for providing enhanced performance in service. The aging of bitumen is a main aspect that is able to affect its final performance: during the production phase in a hot mix plant, all the binders experience short-term aging due to the high processing temperature. The same is true during the production of the modified binder, when the polymer is dispersed at high temperature in the bitumen mass. This paper aims at studying the effect of short-term aging when using different types of modifiers such as recycled polymers obtained from waste materials. A 50/70 penetration-grade bitumen has been modified, and bitumen characterization has been carried out before and after short-term aging; conventional tests, viscosity measurements, and dynamical mechanical analysis have been used to investigate the properties. Different aging indices have been determined for predicting the effect of short-term aging based on the type of modifier. Furthermore, the morphology of the modified bitumen has been investigated via fluorescent microscopy, before and after aging, in order to highlight morphological changes due to aging. The results confirm that aging affects all the modified binders, due to the thermal stress imposed during PMBs production. Nevertheless, polymer modification is proved to reduce the aging effect in terms of an increase in the elastic modulus as experienced by the original binder.

ACS Style

Clara Celauro; Edwina Saroufim; Maria Chiara Mistretta; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. Influence of Short-Term Aging on Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Polymer-Modified Bitumen with Recycled Plastics from Waste Materials. Polymers 2020, 12, 1985 .

AMA Style

Clara Celauro, Edwina Saroufim, Maria Chiara Mistretta, Francesco Paolo La Mantia. Influence of Short-Term Aging on Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Polymer-Modified Bitumen with Recycled Plastics from Waste Materials. Polymers. 2020; 12 (9):1985.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Clara Celauro; Edwina Saroufim; Maria Chiara Mistretta; Francesco Paolo La Mantia. 2020. "Influence of Short-Term Aging on Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Polymer-Modified Bitumen with Recycled Plastics from Waste Materials." Polymers 12, no. 9: 1985.

Full paper
Published: 11 August 2020 in Macromolecular Materials and Engineering
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The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of nanosized CaCO3 on the photo‐oxidation of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT)‐based nanocomposites. The PBAT/CaCO3 nanocomposites are prepared by using a corotating twin‐screw extruder with 0, 2, and 5 wt% of CaCO3. The films are obtained by film blowing process. Specimens of the nanocomposites and that of the pure polymer are subjected to accelerated aging with a cycle of 8 h of light at a temperature of 55 °C followed by 4 h condensation at 45 °C to evaluate the effects of the CaCO3 addition on the photo‐oxidation of PBAT. The results indicate that the modulus and tensile strength of the nanocomposites are increased significantly after incorporation of nanosized CaCO3, but, however, the elongation at break remains almost unchanged. The presence of the calcium carbonate slightly increases the photo‐oxidation rate of the matrix due to the presence of a stearate coating.

ACS Style

Vincenzo Titone; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Maria Chiara Mistretta. The Effect of Calcium Carbonate on the Photo‐Oxidative Behavior of Poly(butylene adipate‐ co ‐terephthalate). Macromolecular Materials and Engineering 2020, 305, 1 .

AMA Style

Vincenzo Titone, Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Maria Chiara Mistretta. The Effect of Calcium Carbonate on the Photo‐Oxidative Behavior of Poly(butylene adipate‐ co ‐terephthalate). Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 2020; 305 (10):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vincenzo Titone; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Maria Chiara Mistretta. 2020. "The Effect of Calcium Carbonate on the Photo‐Oxidative Behavior of Poly(butylene adipate‐ co ‐terephthalate)." Macromolecular Materials and Engineering 305, no. 10: 1.

Journal article
Published: 09 August 2020 in Polymer Degradation and Stability
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During processing of molten polymers the thermal and mechanical stress acting on the melt in presence of oxygen can induce degradation with a modification of the chemical structure of the polymers. This picture can become even more relevant if the melt is a multiphasic polymer system. In this last case, the effects of the degradation depend also on the presence of a second phase and on the interactions between the two phases. In this work, the effect of the processing conditions, temperature and time, have been considered in order to investigate the thermo-mechanical and thermo-oxidative degradation of nanocomposites made by polypropylene and different contents of graphene nanoplatelets. Graphene nanoplatelets improve the stability of the polymer matrix and the sample with the lower content of nanofiller shows a lower level of degradation. The better resistance of the filled samples has been interpreted with a barrier effect to the oxygen of the nanofiller that hinders the transport of oxygen necessary for the oxidation of the polypropylene. The unexpected effect of the concentration of graphene nanoplatelets has been correlated with the agglomeration of the nanoplatelets that reduces the surface area of the filler and then the barrier effect to the oxygen.

ACS Style

Luigi Botta; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Manuela Ceraulo; Maria Chiara Mistretta. Effect of processing temperature and mixing time on the properties of PP/GnP nanocomposites. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2020, 181, 109321 .

AMA Style

Luigi Botta, Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Manuela Ceraulo, Maria Chiara Mistretta. Effect of processing temperature and mixing time on the properties of PP/GnP nanocomposites. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 2020; 181 ():109321.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luigi Botta; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Manuela Ceraulo; Maria Chiara Mistretta. 2020. "Effect of processing temperature and mixing time on the properties of PP/GnP nanocomposites." Polymer Degradation and Stability 181, no. : 109321.

Journal article
Published: 10 June 2020 in Materials
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In this paper, gas permeability studies were performed on materials based on natural rubber/acrylonitrile butadiene rubber blends and nanoclay incorporated blend systems. The properties of natural rubber (NR)/nitrile rubber (NBR)/nanoclay nanocomposites, with a particular focus on gas permeability, are presented. The measurements of the barrier properties were assessed using two different gases—O2 and CO2—by taking in account the blend composition, the filler loading and the nature of the gas molecules. The obtained data showed that the permeability of gas transport was strongly affected by: (i) the blend composition—it was observed that the increase in acrylonitrile butadiene rubber component considerably decreased the permeability; (ii) the nature of the gas—the permeation of CO2 was higher than O2; (iii) the nanoclay loading—it was found that the permeability decreased with the incorporation of nanoclay. The localization of nanoclay in the blend system also played a major role in determining the gas permeability. The permeability of the systems was correlated with blend morphology and dispersion of the nanoclay platelets in the polymer blend.

ACS Style

Hanna J. Maria; Martin George Thomas; Marco Morreale; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Ange Nzihou; Kuruvilla Joseph; Didier Rouxel; Susana C. M. Fernandes; Nandakumar Kalarikkal; Sabu Thomas. Gas Barrier, Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Immiscible Natural Rubber/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber/Organoclay (NR/NBR/Organoclay) Blend Nanocomposites. Materials 2020, 13, 1 .

AMA Style

Hanna J. Maria, Martin George Thomas, Marco Morreale, Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Ange Nzihou, Kuruvilla Joseph, Didier Rouxel, Susana C. M. Fernandes, Nandakumar Kalarikkal, Sabu Thomas. Gas Barrier, Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Immiscible Natural Rubber/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber/Organoclay (NR/NBR/Organoclay) Blend Nanocomposites. Materials. 2020; 13 (11):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hanna J. Maria; Martin George Thomas; Marco Morreale; Francesco Paolo La Mantia; Ange Nzihou; Kuruvilla Joseph; Didier Rouxel; Susana C. M. Fernandes; Nandakumar Kalarikkal; Sabu Thomas. 2020. "Gas Barrier, Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Immiscible Natural Rubber/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber/Organoclay (NR/NBR/Organoclay) Blend Nanocomposites." Materials 13, no. 11: 1.

Journal article
Published: 16 April 2020 in Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling
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Polycarbonate (PC) is a good material for covering and protecting cultural heritage sites because of its durability, mechanical properties, and transparency. When bisphenol A polycarbonate is subjected to weathering conditions this polymer shows several degradation processes depending on the irradiation wavelength, humidity and temperature. In particular, the combined effects of humidity and UV irradiation speed up the PC molecular weight reduction. In this work, the decomposition mechanisms associated to the hydrolysis process are scrutinized and the effects of UV irradiation on the hydrolysis process are evaluated throughout the Density Functional Theory (DFT) approach. It was found that under UV irradiation the hydrolysis process is speeded up because of the geometrical rearrangement due to the photo-Fries process induced by the UV light.

ACS Style

A. Motta; F.P. La Mantia; L. Ascione; M.C. Mistretta. Theoretical study on the decomposition mechanism of bisphenol A polycarbonate induced by the combined effect of humidity and UV irradiation. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling 2020, 99, 107622 .

AMA Style

A. Motta, F.P. La Mantia, L. Ascione, M.C. Mistretta. Theoretical study on the decomposition mechanism of bisphenol A polycarbonate induced by the combined effect of humidity and UV irradiation. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling. 2020; 99 ():107622.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Motta; F.P. La Mantia; L. Ascione; M.C. Mistretta. 2020. "Theoretical study on the decomposition mechanism of bisphenol A polycarbonate induced by the combined effect of humidity and UV irradiation." Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling 99, no. : 107622.

Journal article
Published: 30 March 2020 in Polymers
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Polymer films based on biodegradable polymers, polyethylene (PE) and modified PE with oxo-degradable additive were prepared by film blowing. Carbon black (1%) was added to all the films. Commercial biodegradable Ecovio® and Mater-Bi® samples were used. Mechanical properties, soil burial degradation and surface wettability were investigated, before and after UV irradiation. Chemical modifications induced by UV and soil degradation, or a synergic effect, were highlighted by Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infra-Red (ATR-FTIR). Photo-oxidized film samples with an elongation at break equal to 50% and 0.5 the initial value were selected for the soil burial degradation test at 30 °C. Weight loss measurements were used to follow biodegradation in soil. Predictably, the degradation in soil was higher for biodegradable polymer-based films than for the PE-based ones. UV irradiation increased surface wettability and encouraged the disintegration in soil of all the samples. In fact, photo-oxidation produced a molar mass reduction and hydrophilic end groups, thus increasing surface erosion and weight loss. This paper not only supplies new criteria to evaluate the performance of biodegradable films in agriculture, before and after lifetime, but also provides a comparative analysis on the soil burial degradation behaviour with traditional ones.

ACS Style

Francesco La Mantia; Laura Ascione; Maria Mistretta; Marco Rapisarda; Paola Rizzarelli. Comparative Investigation on the Soil Burial Degradation Behaviour of Polymer Films for Agriculture before and after Photo-Oxidation. Polymers 2020, 12, 753 .

AMA Style

Francesco La Mantia, Laura Ascione, Maria Mistretta, Marco Rapisarda, Paola Rizzarelli. Comparative Investigation on the Soil Burial Degradation Behaviour of Polymer Films for Agriculture before and after Photo-Oxidation. Polymers. 2020; 12 (4):753.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco La Mantia; Laura Ascione; Maria Mistretta; Marco Rapisarda; Paola Rizzarelli. 2020. "Comparative Investigation on the Soil Burial Degradation Behaviour of Polymer Films for Agriculture before and after Photo-Oxidation." Polymers 12, no. 4: 753.