The effect on the notched Izod impact strength of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) by blending it with acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA) was examined. Epoxy resin (ER) was demonstrated to be an efficient compatibilizer for the partially compatible blends of PBT/ASA. It requires only a very small amount of ER to improve the toughness of the PBT/ASA blends drastically. Furthermore, there exists an optimum proportion of ER added to achieve maximum notched Izod impact strength. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation suggests that the ER in the PBT/ASA/ER blends suppressing the tendency of coalescence of ASA, leading to better dispersion of the ASA particles. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) shows that ER enhances the phase dispersion and the interfacial adhesion between the PBT and ASA phases, it improves the compatibility between PBT and ASA. The compositions in the interphase was continuous, which results in multiphase composites with a graded interphase. It is suggested that enhanced interphase adhesion was necessary to obtain improved dispersion, fine phase morphology, and better toughness.

PET/DIDOPO conjugated flame retardant composites were prepared by melt blending of styrene bridged DOPO (DIDOPO) into polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The flame retardancy, rheological behavior, and thermal degradation behavior of the composite were characterized by vertical combustion test (UL-94), limit oxygen index test (LOI), rotational rheometer, and thermogravimetry (TG). The results showed that the flame retardant composite with V-0 grade was obtained when the amount of DIDOPO is 12.5wt%, and the corresponding LOI value was 56.87% higher than that of PET. The thermogravimetry-fourier infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) test results showed that DIDOPO could promote the degradation of PET/DIDOPO materials, and release phosphorus-containing free radicals to quench the flame, therefore slowing down the combustion process, and mainly playing the key flame retardant role in gas-phase.

Non-homogeneous photocatalysis-self-Fenton technology offers a highly efficient approach to pollutant degradation. However, conventional catalysts suffer from limited light absorption and challenging separation processes. In this study, BaFe₁₂O₁₉ (BFO) was integrated into iron–carbon-dot-modified resorcinol-formaldehyde (FRF) to construct an S-scheme heterojunction (BFR), which was subsequently embedded into a cross-linked polyacrylic acid-based hydrogel (PAA) matrix to obtain a floating composite gel catalyst. Under visible light irradiation, this catalyst achieved complete degradation of 20 mg L⁻¹ chloroquine phosphate within 30 minutes, exhibiting a reaction rate constant 10-fold higher than that achieved by the BFR powder catalyst. The in situ generation rate of H₂O₂ (30.05 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹) increased by a factor of 11, enhancing hydroxyl radical (˙OH) production. This substantial improvement was attributed to the superior adsorption capacity of the PAA hydrogel (124.2 mg g⁻¹), its enhanced near-infrared absorption, and the photothermal effects of the BFR heterojunction. The underlying mechanisms, including internal electric field formation between FRF and BFO and the construction of the S-scheme heterojunction, were elucidated using in situ XPS and Kelvin probe force microscopy. Additionally, reactive species analysis, potential chloroquine phosphate (CQ) degradation pathways, and toxicity assessments of degradation products were conducted. The proposed floating photocatalyst design presents an innovative strategy for developing efficient and recyclable photo-self-Fenton systems.

Phosphogypsum is a solid waste with great environmental stockpile pressure produced by the wet production of phosphoric acid. Although there are various methods to purify and utilize phosphogypsum, the means for environmentally friendly, low energy consumption, and high value-added utilization still need to be further explored. Here, CaSO₄·2H₂O crystal was directly purified and regulated from phosphogypsum by using the anti-solvent method. The antisolvent can be adsorbed in the c-axis direction of the crystal and further inhibit the growth rate in this direction, resulting in a change in the morphology of the crystal. By adjusting the polarity and chain length of the anti-solvent, the morphology of CaSO₄·2H₂O crystal can change from butterfly-like flake crystals to hexagonal prism-like crystals. When n-propanol with long chain was used as the anti-solvent, the morphology of the CaSO₄·2H₂O crystal showed a hexagonal prism with a specific surface area of 19.98 m²/g and a Cu²⁺ loading efficiency of 52.67%. The encouraging results open up new possibilities for the application of phosphogypsum.