The availability of green and cheap technologies to recover polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from microbial biomass is crucial for the development of a reliable and sustainable production chain. Here, two novel protocols are proposed to extract PHAs from Cupriavidus necator. The first method is based on PHA-extraction with dimethyl carbonate (DMC), a green solvent that is completely biodegradable and less harmful to humans and the environment than most solvents. The procedure can be applied directly to concentrated microbial slurries or to dry biomass, affording very high polymer recovery (>85%) and excellent purity (>95%). No degradation/decomposition of the polymer is observed in both cases. The second protocol uses fatty acid carboxylates as surfactants, which disrupt cell membranes, providing excellent polymer recovery (>99%) and high purity (>90%). Ammonium laurate can be successfully used and easily recycled (98%) by lowering the pH through CO₂ addition. Therefore, both protocols reported here are effective and sustainable: the recovery and purity of the obtained PHAs are very high, the use of toxic chemicals is avoided, and the recycling of various solvents/surfactants used in the processes is optimal.

The treatment of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) with nucleophilic agents yielded new linear homo/co-polymers. The materials obtained have different physicochemical properties depending upon the nucleophiles utilized and thus, by this way, water soluble polymers are easily accessible. This approach is also very convenient for the synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers. Additional chemical modifications can further transform the obtained polymers after the post-polymerization treatment. Starting from RAFT pre-synthesized/pre-functionalized polymers, the described procedures allow us to obtain a wide variety of chemically diverse materials characterized by controlled structure and specific functions.

Glass fiber-reinforced polyester composite (GFRPs) scraps from manufacturing of polyester laminates were pyrolyzed at 500, 550 and 600°C in an 70 Kg innovative batch pilot plant that processes whole parts. The presence of a hydraulic guard guarantees the safety of the process. The influence of the maximum process temperature on yields and chemical-physical properties of pyrolysis products was investigated: the oil fraction was analysed by GC-MS, Viscometer and XRF, while the gas fraction was monitored online during the entire pyrolysis process by µ-GC. Substantial fractions of methane (20.7 vol %) and hydrogen (11.5 vol %) were produced. The solid residue (glass fibers covered by a thin carbonaceous layer) underwent an oxidative process at 500 and 600°C at different residence times to provide clean glass fibers free of organic residues. The effects of both pyrolysis and oxidative step on the glass fibers, obtained in different process conditions, were evaluated by SEM and Raman spectroscopy.