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A. Frache
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Polytechnic of Turin, INSTM Research Unit, Viale Teresa Michel 5, 15121 Alessandria, Italy

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Journal article
Published: 23 July 2021 in Journal of Composites Science
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In this paper, we studied the effect of different carbon-based nanostructures on the electrical and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), expanded graphite (EG), and two different carbon black nanoparticles (CB) have been dispersed at several weight contents in the polymer matrix through a melt extrusion process. The produced nanocomposites have been used to obtain samples for the characterization by injection molding. The dispersion of the nanoparticles in the matrix has been evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The electrical characterization has been performed both in DC and in AC configuration. The mechanical properties have been evaluated with both tensile test and impact strength (Izod). The thermal conductivity has been also evaluated. As a result, MWCNTs are the nanoadditive with the lowest electrical percolation threshold. This allows MWCNT nanocomposite to drastically change the electrical behavior without a significant embrittlement observed with the other nanoadditives. However, CB with the lowest surface area allows the highest conductivity, even though at a high particle content. EG has a limited effect on electrical properties, but it is the only one with a significant effect on thermal conductivity.

ACS Style

Marta Zaccone; Alberto Frache; Luigi Torre; Ilaria Armentano; Marco Monti. Effect of Filler Morphology on the Electrical and Thermal Conductivity of PP/Carbon-Based Nanocomposites. Journal of Composites Science 2021, 5, 196 .

AMA Style

Marta Zaccone, Alberto Frache, Luigi Torre, Ilaria Armentano, Marco Monti. Effect of Filler Morphology on the Electrical and Thermal Conductivity of PP/Carbon-Based Nanocomposites. Journal of Composites Science. 2021; 5 (8):196.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marta Zaccone; Alberto Frache; Luigi Torre; Ilaria Armentano; Marco Monti. 2021. "Effect of Filler Morphology on the Electrical and Thermal Conductivity of PP/Carbon-Based Nanocomposites." Journal of Composites Science 5, no. 8: 196.

Original paper
Published: 24 May 2021 in Journal of Polymers and the Environment
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The effect of process parameters on the final properties of a poly-lactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) polymer blend filled with nanoclays was evaluated. To this aim, the nanofilled blend was processed in a co-rotating twin screw extruder, considering three different screw profiles and different values of the screw rotation speed, and the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the so-obtained materials were investigated. Furthermore, XRD analyses, SEM observations and rheological characterization were exploited to infer the coupled effect of the process parameters and nanoclay presence on the microstructure of the filled blend. Preliminary thermodynamic calculations allowed predicting the preferential localization of the nanoclay in the interfacial region between the polymeric phases. The relaxation mechanism of the particles of the dispersed phase in nanofilled blend processed, by rheological measurements, is not fully completed due to an interaction between polymer ad filler in the interfacial region with a consequent modification of the blend morphology and, specifically, a development of an enhanced microstructure. Therefore, by varying the screw configuration, particularly the presence of backflow and distribution elements in the screw profile, high shear stresses are induced during the processing able to allow a better interaction between polymers and clay. This finding also occurs in the thermo-mechanical properties of material, as an improvement of storage modulus up to 20% in filled blend processed with a specific screw profile. Otherwise, the microstructure of filled blend processed with different screw speed is similar, according to the other characterizations where no remarkable alterations of materials were detected.

ACS Style

Alessandra D’Anna; Rossella Arrigo; Alberto Frache. Rheology, Morphology and Thermal Properties of a PLA/PHB/Clay Blend Nanocomposite: The Influence of Process Parameters. Journal of Polymers and the Environment 2021, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Alessandra D’Anna, Rossella Arrigo, Alberto Frache. Rheology, Morphology and Thermal Properties of a PLA/PHB/Clay Blend Nanocomposite: The Influence of Process Parameters. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 2021; ():1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra D’Anna; Rossella Arrigo; Alberto Frache. 2021. "Rheology, Morphology and Thermal Properties of a PLA/PHB/Clay Blend Nanocomposite: The Influence of Process Parameters." Journal of Polymers and the Environment , no. : 1-12.

Journal article
Published: 13 April 2021 in Polymers
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In this work, three biochars, deriving from soft wood, oil seed rape, and rice husk and differing as far as the ash content is considered (2.3, 23.4, and 47.8 wt.%, respectively), were compounded in an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (vinyl acetate content: 19 wt.%), using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder; three loadings for each biochar were selected, namely 15, 20, and 40 wt.%. The thermal and mechanical properties were thoroughly investigated, as well as the flame retardance of the resulting compounds. In particular, biochar, irrespective of the type, slowed down the crystallization of the copolymer: this effect increased with increasing the filler loading. Besides, despite a very limited effect in flammability tests, the incorporation of biochar at increasing loadings turned out to enhance the forced-combustion behavior of the compounds, as revealed by the remarkable decrease of peak of heat release rate and of total heat release, notwithstanding a significant increase of the residues at the end of the tests. Finally, increasing the biochar loadings promoted an increase of the stiffness of the resulting compounds, as well as a decrease of their ductility with respect to unfilled ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), without impacting too much on the overall mechanical behavior of the copolymer. The obtained results seem to indicate that biochar may represent a possible low environmental impact alternative to the already used flame retardants for EVA, providing a good compromise between enhanced fire resistance and acceptable mechanical properties.

ACS Style

Samuele Matta; Mattia Bartoli; Alberto Frache; Giulio Malucelli. Investigation of Different Types of Biochar on the Thermal Stability and Fire Retardance of Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymers. Polymers 2021, 13, 1256 .

AMA Style

Samuele Matta, Mattia Bartoli, Alberto Frache, Giulio Malucelli. Investigation of Different Types of Biochar on the Thermal Stability and Fire Retardance of Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymers. Polymers. 2021; 13 (8):1256.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samuele Matta; Mattia Bartoli; Alberto Frache; Giulio Malucelli. 2021. "Investigation of Different Types of Biochar on the Thermal Stability and Fire Retardance of Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymers." Polymers 13, no. 8: 1256.

Journal article
Published: 08 March 2021 in Additive Manufacturing
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A polypropylene-based material has been formulated to be suitable for fused deposition modelling (FDM). In fact, the high volumetric shrinkage and the rheological behaviour are main problems whereby polypropylene (PP) is not commonly used as a 3D printing filament. Experimental results have evidenced how material modifications have a strong impact on rheological behaviour, providing critical features that permit and improve material printability. An optimised 20 wt% talc filled heterophasic PP copolymer has been developed. The peculiar properties of the materials have been assessed by thermal characterisation and rheological analysis. Several process parameters (extrusion temperature, screw speed, cooling conditions) have been evaluated in order to obtain a proper filament. Finally, a model part has been printed using different settings to check printing quality by morphological analysis.

ACS Style

M. Bertolino; D. Battegazzore; R. Arrigo; A. Frache. Designing 3D printable polypropylene: Material and process optimisation through rheology. Additive Manufacturing 2021, 40, 101944 .

AMA Style

M. Bertolino, D. Battegazzore, R. Arrigo, A. Frache. Designing 3D printable polypropylene: Material and process optimisation through rheology. Additive Manufacturing. 2021; 40 ():101944.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Bertolino; D. Battegazzore; R. Arrigo; A. Frache. 2021. "Designing 3D printable polypropylene: Material and process optimisation through rheology." Additive Manufacturing 40, no. : 101944.

Journal article
Published: 22 February 2021 in Nanomaterials
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In this paper, we study the correlation between the dielectric behavior of polypropylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PP/MWCNT) nanocomposites and the morphology with regard to the crystalline structure, nanofiller dispersion and injection molding conditions. As a result, in the range of the percolation threshold the dielectric behavior shifts to a more frequency-independent behavior, as the mold temperature increases. Moreover, the position further from the gate appears as the most conductive. This effect has been associated to a modification of the morphology of the MWCNT clusters induced by both the flow of the molten polymer during the processing phase and the variation of the crystalline structure, which is increasingly constituted by γ-phase as the mold temperature increases. The obtained results allow one to understand the effect of tuning the processing condition in the frequency-dependent electrical behavior of PP/MWCNT injection-molded nanocomposites, which can be successfully exploited for an advanced process/product design.

ACS Style

Marco Monti; Marta Zaccone; Alberto Frache; Luigi Torre; Ilaria Armentano. Dielectric Spectroscopy of PP/MWCNT Nanocomposites: Relationship with Crystalline Structure and Injection Molding Condition. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 550 .

AMA Style

Marco Monti, Marta Zaccone, Alberto Frache, Luigi Torre, Ilaria Armentano. Dielectric Spectroscopy of PP/MWCNT Nanocomposites: Relationship with Crystalline Structure and Injection Molding Condition. Nanomaterials. 2021; 11 (2):550.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marco Monti; Marta Zaccone; Alberto Frache; Luigi Torre; Ilaria Armentano. 2021. "Dielectric Spectroscopy of PP/MWCNT Nanocomposites: Relationship with Crystalline Structure and Injection Molding Condition." Nanomaterials 11, no. 2: 550.

Journal article
Published: 06 February 2021 in Polymers
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In this work, fire-retardant systems consisting of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and dispersant agents were designed and applied on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam. Manual deposition from three different liquid solutions was performed in order to create a protective coating on the specimen’s surface. A very low amount of coating, between 1.5 and 3.5 wt%, was chosen for the preparation of coated samples. Flammability, flame penetration, and combustion tests demonstrated the improvement provided to the foam via coating. In particular, specimens with PSS/GNPs coating, compared to neat foam, were able to interrupt the flame during horizontal and vertical flammability tests and led to longer endurance times during the flame penetration test. Furthermore, during cone calorimetry tests, the time to ignition (TTI) increased and the peak of heat release rate (pHRR) was drastically reduced by up to 60% compared to that of the uncoated PET foam. Finally, ageing for 48 and 115 h at 160 °C was performed on coated specimens to evaluate the effect on flammability and combustion behavior. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images proved the morphological effect of the heat treatment on the surface, showing that the coating was uniformly distributed. In this case, fire-retardant properties were enhanced, even if fewer GNPs were used.

ACS Style

Samuele Matta; Laura Rizzi; Alberto Frache. PET Foams Surface Treated with Graphene Nanoplatelets: Evaluation of Thermal Resistance and Flame Retardancy. Polymers 2021, 13, 501 .

AMA Style

Samuele Matta, Laura Rizzi, Alberto Frache. PET Foams Surface Treated with Graphene Nanoplatelets: Evaluation of Thermal Resistance and Flame Retardancy. Polymers. 2021; 13 (4):501.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Samuele Matta; Laura Rizzi; Alberto Frache. 2021. "PET Foams Surface Treated with Graphene Nanoplatelets: Evaluation of Thermal Resistance and Flame Retardancy." Polymers 13, no. 4: 501.

Journal article
Published: 17 November 2020 in Polymers
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In a singular period, such as during a pandemic, the use of personal protective masks can become mandatory for all citizens in many places worldwide. The most used device is the disposable mask that, inevitably, generates a substantial waste flow to send to incineration or landfill. The article examines the most diffused type of disposable face mask and identifies the characteristic of the constituent materials through morphological, chemical, physical, and thermal analyses. Based on these investigations, a mechanical recycling protocol with different approaches is proposed. Advantages and disadvantages of the different recycling solutions are discussed with considerations on necessary separation processes and other treatments. The four solutions investigated lead to a recycling index from 78 to 91% of the starting disposable mask weight. The rheological, mechanical, and thermo-mechanical properties of the final materials obtained from the different recycling approaches are compared with each other and with solutions present on the market resulting in materials potentially industrially exploitable.

ACS Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Fulvia Cravero; Alberto Frache. Is it Possible to Mechanical Recycle the Materials of the Disposable Filtering Masks? Polymers 2020, 12, 2726 .

AMA Style

Daniele Battegazzore, Fulvia Cravero, Alberto Frache. Is it Possible to Mechanical Recycle the Materials of the Disposable Filtering Masks? Polymers. 2020; 12 (11):2726.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Fulvia Cravero; Alberto Frache. 2020. "Is it Possible to Mechanical Recycle the Materials of the Disposable Filtering Masks?" Polymers 12, no. 11: 2726.

Journal article
Published: 14 October 2020 in Polymers
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The purpose of this work was to evaluate and improve the flammability and combustion behavior of the polyethylene-based material obtained from the recycling of Tetra Pak® (PEAL) to widen its use to applications where these properties are required. Firstly, its thermal stability was investigated with thermogravimetric analysis, resulting in an enhancement in the main degradation step temperature (from 385 °C to 421 °C) due to the presence of the aluminum-flakes. Then, to improve the poor flammability (HB in UL-94 test) and combustion behavior (Fire Performance Index of 0.07) of the raw material, two flame retardant approaches were tested: an intumescent system made of ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol, and magnesium hydroxide. In addition, the effectiveness of polyethylene as a charring agent was evaluated. Characterization was made with UL-94, cone calorimeter, and morphologic analysis. For all the materials tested, the temperature of the main weight loss step increased and the flammability rating improved (V2 for intumescent and V0 for magnesium hydroxide reached). Moreover, fire hazard decreased (Fire Performance Index of 0.15 and 0.55; Flame Retardancy Index of 2.6 and 10.0). Referring to the morphology, full compatibility was found in the PEAL–magnesium hydroxide compound, while PEAL-intumescent appeared as a heterogeneous system.

ACS Style

Fulvia Cravero; Alberto Frache. Improving Fire Performances of PEAL: More Second-Life Options for Recycled Tetra Pak®. Polymers 2020, 12, 2357 .

AMA Style

Fulvia Cravero, Alberto Frache. Improving Fire Performances of PEAL: More Second-Life Options for Recycled Tetra Pak®. Polymers. 2020; 12 (10):2357.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fulvia Cravero; Alberto Frache. 2020. "Improving Fire Performances of PEAL: More Second-Life Options for Recycled Tetra Pak®." Polymers 12, no. 10: 2357.

Journal article
Published: 28 July 2020 in Polymers
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Polypropylene (PP) / multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites were prepared by melt-mixing and used to manufacture samples by injection molding. The effect of processing conditions on the crystallinity and electrical resistivity was studied. Accordingly, samples were produced varying the mold temperature and injection rate, and the DC electrical resistivity was measured. The morphology of MWCNT clusters was studied by optical and electron microscopy, while X-ray diffraction was used to study the role of the crystalline structure of PP. As a result, an anisotropic electrical behavior induced by the process was observed, which is further influenced by the injection molding processing condition. It was demonstrated that a reduction of electrical resistivity can be obtained by increasing mold temperature and injection rate, which was associated to the formation of the γ-phase and the related inter-cluster morphology of the MWCNT conductive network.

ACS Style

Marta Zaccone; Ilaria Armentano; Federico Cesano; Domenica Scarano; Alberto Frache; Luigi Torre; Marco Monti. Effect of Injection Molding Conditions on Crystalline Structure and Electrical Resistivity of PP/MWCNT Nanocomposites. Polymers 2020, 12, 1685 .

AMA Style

Marta Zaccone, Ilaria Armentano, Federico Cesano, Domenica Scarano, Alberto Frache, Luigi Torre, Marco Monti. Effect of Injection Molding Conditions on Crystalline Structure and Electrical Resistivity of PP/MWCNT Nanocomposites. Polymers. 2020; 12 (8):1685.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marta Zaccone; Ilaria Armentano; Federico Cesano; Domenica Scarano; Alberto Frache; Luigi Torre; Marco Monti. 2020. "Effect of Injection Molding Conditions on Crystalline Structure and Electrical Resistivity of PP/MWCNT Nanocomposites." Polymers 12, no. 8: 1685.

Journal article
Published: 25 March 2020 in Micromachines
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In this research paper, we reported the synthesis of biochar-based composites using biochar derived from exhausted tea leaves and polypropylene. The resulting materials were deeply characterized investigating mechanical (dynamic mechanical thermal analysis), thermal (thermogravimetrical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry), morphological (field emission scanning microscopy) and electrical properties vs. temperature. Furthermore, electrical conductivity was studied for a wide range of pressures showing an irreversible plastic deformation. An increment of one order of magnitude in the conductivity was observed in the case of 40 wt% biochar loading, reaching a value of 0.2 S/m. The material produced exhibited the properties of an irreversible pressure sensor.

ACS Style

Amir Noori; Mattia Bartoli; Alberto Frache; Erik Piatti; Mauro Giorcelli; Alberto Tagliaferro. Development of Pressure-Responsive PolyPropylene and Biochar-Based Materials. Micromachines 2020, 11, 339 .

AMA Style

Amir Noori, Mattia Bartoli, Alberto Frache, Erik Piatti, Mauro Giorcelli, Alberto Tagliaferro. Development of Pressure-Responsive PolyPropylene and Biochar-Based Materials. Micromachines. 2020; 11 (4):339.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amir Noori; Mattia Bartoli; Alberto Frache; Erik Piatti; Mauro Giorcelli; Alberto Tagliaferro. 2020. "Development of Pressure-Responsive PolyPropylene and Biochar-Based Materials." Micromachines 11, no. 4: 339.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2019 in Polymer Degradation and Stability
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ACS Style

D. Battegazzore; M. Lavaselli; B. Cheng; D. Li; R. Yang; A. Frache; G. Paul; L. Marchese. Reactive extrusion of sol-gel silica as fire retardant synergistic additive in ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) composites. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2019, 167, 259 -268.

AMA Style

D. Battegazzore, M. Lavaselli, B. Cheng, D. Li, R. Yang, A. Frache, G. Paul, L. Marchese. Reactive extrusion of sol-gel silica as fire retardant synergistic additive in ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) composites. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 2019; 167 ():259-268.

Chicago/Turabian Style

D. Battegazzore; M. Lavaselli; B. Cheng; D. Li; R. Yang; A. Frache; G. Paul; L. Marchese. 2019. "Reactive extrusion of sol-gel silica as fire retardant synergistic additive in ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) composites." Polymer Degradation and Stability 167, no. : 259-268.

Journal article
Published: 28 August 2019 in Polymers
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The purpose of this work was to formulate a fully bio-based blend with superior properties, based on two immiscible polymers: polylactic acid (PLA) and poly-hydroxy butyrate (PHB). To improve the miscibility between the polymeric phases, two different kinds of compatibilizers with a different chemical structure were used, namely, an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer in the form of flakes and a mixture of two liquid surfactants with a variable lipophilic–hydrophilic index. The morphology of the blends and their thermal, mechanical, and rheological behavior were evaluated, aiming at assessing the influence of the selected compatibilizers on the microstructure and final properties of the systems. Morphological analyses of the compatibilized blends indicated that the liquid surfactant is more effective than the solid copolymer in inducing morphology refinement, as also suggested by results coming from rheological measurements. Furthermore, thermal analyses demonstrated that the presence of both kinds of compatibilizers induced an enhancement of the crystallinity content of blends. Finally, a remarkable increase of the elastic modulus values was obtained for the compatibilized blends as compared to the pure counterparts, with a consequent significant enhancement of the HDT values.

ACS Style

Alessandra D’Anna; Rossella Arrigo; Alberto Frache; D’ Anna. PLA/PHB Blends: Biocompatibilizer Effects. Polymers 2019, 11, 1416 .

AMA Style

Alessandra D’Anna, Rossella Arrigo, Alberto Frache, D’ Anna. PLA/PHB Blends: Biocompatibilizer Effects. Polymers. 2019; 11 (9):1416.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra D’Anna; Rossella Arrigo; Alberto Frache; D’ Anna. 2019. "PLA/PHB Blends: Biocompatibilizer Effects." Polymers 11, no. 9: 1416.

Journal article
Published: 24 April 2019 in Polymer Degradation and Stability
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A commercial tannin wine seed extract powder (T), a seed polyphenol extract (Sext) and virgin wine seeds wastes (Se) have been mixed with polypropylene (PP) and tested as long-term stabilizers. Their stabilizing activity has been compared with that of a synthetic antioxidant commonly used within PP (Irganox 1010). Each sample has been subject to both UV and thermal aging. The PP-based films photo-oxidation has been followed through the C=O formation over the aging time by FT-IR. The PP-based tensile specimens have been oven aged and the mechanical properties loss have been investigated monitoring the variation of the elongation at break. Melt Flow Index (MFI) measures and Different Scanning Calorimetry analysis have been conducted on thermal aged samples. At the same time, wine derived additives have been characterized in terms of total polyphenol content, FT-IR and UV/VIS spectra meanwhile catechin and gallic acid have been quantified by LC-MS. Experimental results have evidenced the ability of all the wine derived additives to withstand both to thermal and UV long-term degradation. In particular, wine seeds extracts exhibit the best results in terms of stabilization (even better than Irganox 1010) without compromising the PP mechanical, thermal, morphological and rheological properties.

ACS Style

Alessandro Nanni; D. Battegazzore; A. Frache; M. Messori. Thermal and UV aging of polypropylene stabilized by wine seeds wastes and their extracts. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2019, 165, 49 -59.

AMA Style

Alessandro Nanni, D. Battegazzore, A. Frache, M. Messori. Thermal and UV aging of polypropylene stabilized by wine seeds wastes and their extracts. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 2019; 165 ():49-59.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandro Nanni; D. Battegazzore; A. Frache; M. Messori. 2019. "Thermal and UV aging of polypropylene stabilized by wine seeds wastes and their extracts." Polymer Degradation and Stability 165, no. : 49-59.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2019 in Composites Part B: Engineering
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ACS Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Tobias Abt; Maria Lluisa Maspoch; Alberto Frache. Multilayer cotton fabric bio-composites based on PLA and PHB copolymer for industrial load carrying applications. Composites Part B: Engineering 2019, 163, 761 -768.

AMA Style

Daniele Battegazzore, Tobias Abt, Maria Lluisa Maspoch, Alberto Frache. Multilayer cotton fabric bio-composites based on PLA and PHB copolymer for industrial load carrying applications. Composites Part B: Engineering. 2019; 163 ():761-768.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Tobias Abt; Maria Lluisa Maspoch; Alberto Frache. 2019. "Multilayer cotton fabric bio-composites based on PLA and PHB copolymer for industrial load carrying applications." Composites Part B: Engineering 163, no. : 761-768.

Article
Published: 09 January 2019 in Polymer Composites
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The poor thermo‐mechanical and flame‐retardant properties of biopolymers are currently limiting their application and potential exploitation as sustainable polymers. The use of agricultural by‐products as a functional filler for biopolymers is here presented to address the production of environmentally friendly and economically sustainable biocomposites. To this aim, hemp hurd and alfalfa particles were melt‐blended with a poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyhexanoate) (PHB) co‐polymer. The 30 wt% of filler achieves an improvement of 150% in stiffness. The same composites show an increase in the heat deflection temperature over 100°C. Flame‐retardant properties were also evaluated evidencing strong reductions in flame spread rates (−40%) and combustion kinetics (−30%). The achieved performances are compared with those reported in the literature for PHB composites pointing out how these completely renewable materials can compete with other currently studied solutions. The new presented composites show an opportunity for the production of functional and sustainable materials through the valorization of agricultural by‐products. POLYM. COMPOS., 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers

ACS Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Amir Noori; Alberto Frache. Hemp hurd and alfalfa as particle filler to improve the thermo‐mechanical and fire retardant properties of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyhexanoate). Polymer Composites 2019, 40, 3429 -3437.

AMA Style

Daniele Battegazzore, Amir Noori, Alberto Frache. Hemp hurd and alfalfa as particle filler to improve the thermo‐mechanical and fire retardant properties of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyhexanoate). Polymer Composites. 2019; 40 (9):3429-3437.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Amir Noori; Alberto Frache. 2019. "Hemp hurd and alfalfa as particle filler to improve the thermo‐mechanical and fire retardant properties of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyhexanoate)." Polymer Composites 40, no. 9: 3429-3437.

Article
Published: 12 October 2018 in Polymer Composites
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The plastics industry is increasingly oriented towards the use of bio‐based polymers replacing the fossil‐based ones. Bio‐based polyamides (PAs) in the film packaging application are not still used and need enhancement to overcome some drawbacks. In this scenario, fully (PA10.10) and partially (PA6.10) bio‐based PAs were extruded in a laboratory sheet‐casting machine. The materials used to obtain films were previously melt blended with modified clay in a twin‐screw extruder. The resulting films were morphologically investigated through the scanning electron microscope. The magnifications show agglomerated particles and the packed layers are preferentially aligned in the extrusion machine direction. X‐rays confirm that 5 wt% of clay content is difficult to exfoliate in such matrices. The crystallinity was studied by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry. The XRD results show coexisting α and γ phases in the PA6.10 while the presence of only γ in the PA10.10. The presence of clay platelets constrains the crystallites formation, especially in the more polar PA6.10, resulting in changes in the type and the amount of crystals. The mechanical analysis data showed that 5 wt% of clay induced significant improvement in Young's modulus (+68 and + 14%), a slight increase in the tensile yield stress (+21 and + 5%) and only a surprisingly small decrease in the deformation at break (−15 and −24%) for PA10.10 and PA6.10, respectively. Furthermore, the addition of clay gave the best oxygen barrier properties reaching a value of 1.8 ± 0.2 cm3 × mm/m2 × day × atm comparable to a commercial PA6 film used in the packaging field.

ACS Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Angela Sattin; Maria Lluisa Maspoch; Alberto Frache. Mechanical and Barrier Properties Enhancement in Film Extruded Bio‐Polyamides With Modified Nanoclay. Polymer Composites 2018, 40, 2617 -2628.

AMA Style

Daniele Battegazzore, Angela Sattin, Maria Lluisa Maspoch, Alberto Frache. Mechanical and Barrier Properties Enhancement in Film Extruded Bio‐Polyamides With Modified Nanoclay. Polymer Composites. 2018; 40 (7):2617-2628.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Angela Sattin; Maria Lluisa Maspoch; Alberto Frache. 2018. "Mechanical and Barrier Properties Enhancement in Film Extruded Bio‐Polyamides With Modified Nanoclay." Polymer Composites 40, no. 7: 2617-2628.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2018 in Composites Part B: Engineering
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ACS Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Alberto Frache; Tobias Abt; Maria Lluisa Maspoch. Epoxy coupling agent for PLA and PHB copolymer-based cotton fabric bio-composites. Composites Part B: Engineering 2018, 148, 188 -197.

AMA Style

Daniele Battegazzore, Alberto Frache, Tobias Abt, Maria Lluisa Maspoch. Epoxy coupling agent for PLA and PHB copolymer-based cotton fabric bio-composites. Composites Part B: Engineering. 2018; 148 ():188-197.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Alberto Frache; Tobias Abt; Maria Lluisa Maspoch. 2018. "Epoxy coupling agent for PLA and PHB copolymer-based cotton fabric bio-composites." Composites Part B: Engineering 148, no. : 188-197.

Research article
Published: 01 August 2018 in Journal of Composite Materials
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The paper describes the production and the mechanical characteristics of composites made completely of renewable raw materials. Several wastes or by-products from agro-industrial production namely hemp hurd, alfalfa, and grape stem were analyzed with respect to their thermal stability, morphological, and chemical composition in an attempt to validate their use in composites. Such natural particle fillers were used in the range of 10–50 wt% in combination with poly(lactic acid) by melt blending to obtain fully bio-based composites. These fillers were responsible for a noteworthy increase in the storage modulus. Furthermore, two micromechanical models (Voigt and Halpin–Tsai) were used to mathematically fitted the experimental data, and then the unknown moduli were extrapolated and compared with other natural fillers. Finally, the flexural strength of the bio-composites and the adhesion evaluation by exploiting Pukanszky’s model were carried out. As a result, the hemp hurd in the form of chips was the best investigated filler, which showed the highest calculated modulus of 10.5 GPa (Voigt) and the best filler–matrix interaction with “B” (Pukanszky’s coefficient) of 2.10. This information can be useful when comparison and selection of a suitable filler among the natural fillers are required.

ACS Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Amir Noori; Alberto Frache. Natural wastes as particle filler for poly(lactic acid)-based composites. Journal of Composite Materials 2018, 53, 783 -797.

AMA Style

Daniele Battegazzore, Amir Noori, Alberto Frache. Natural wastes as particle filler for poly(lactic acid)-based composites. Journal of Composite Materials. 2018; 53 (6):783-797.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Amir Noori; Alberto Frache. 2018. "Natural wastes as particle filler for poly(lactic acid)-based composites." Journal of Composite Materials 53, no. 6: 783-797.

Research article
Published: 24 July 2018 in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
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Biocomposites encompassing biopolymers and natural fibers represent potential candidates for the replacement of fossil-based polymers in many application fields. However, due to poor matrix/fiber interphase produces insufficient mechanical properties for practical application. In this letter we use the Layer-by-Layer assembly technique in order to modify the surface of natural fibers and produce a nanostructured interphase capable of improving the mechanical properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) / hemp fibers biocomposites. Chitosan and sepiolite nanorods have been selected as interphase constituents. When assembled on hemp fibers this chitosan/sepiolite system conformally coats every fiber yielding a nanostructured coating that subsequently becomes the matrix/fiber interphase during composite preparation. Thanks to the LbL assembled interphase the biocomposites achieve impressive mechanical properties with elastic moduli up to 2.6 GPa which is 70% and 30% better of the neat matrix and the composite prepared with unmodified fibers, respectively. The achieved performances would allow for the use of these LbL engineered biocomposites in load bearing applications thus opening up new opportunities for the exploitation of bio-based resources.

ACS Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Alberto Frache; Federico Carosio. Sustainable and High Performing Biocomposites with Chitosan/Sepiolite Layer-by-Layer Nanoengineered Interphases. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2018, 6, 9601 -9605.

AMA Style

Daniele Battegazzore, Alberto Frache, Federico Carosio. Sustainable and High Performing Biocomposites with Chitosan/Sepiolite Layer-by-Layer Nanoengineered Interphases. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 2018; 6 (8):9601-9605.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Alberto Frache; Federico Carosio. 2018. "Sustainable and High Performing Biocomposites with Chitosan/Sepiolite Layer-by-Layer Nanoengineered Interphases." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 6, no. 8: 9601-9605.

Original paper
Published: 17 May 2018 in Journal of Polymers and the Environment
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The present manuscript deals with the reuse and valorisation of agricultural wastes and by-products (namely, hemp fibres and rice husk particles) to produce fire retardant fibreboards and particleboards for applications in biobuilding. Since fire retardancy is one of the most important challenges, a detailed study on the thermal and flame retardant properties of the above materials assembled using starch as the binder and different ammonium dihydrogen phosphate contents as fire retardant agents, is proposed. The combustion properties have been investigated in developing fire conditions, employing a radiating heat flux of 35 kW/m2 generated by a cone calorimeter. An optimised formulation able to make both fibreboards and particleboards not ignitable has been found and is predicted to be “A2/B” class in the European fire classification for building products. The resultant materials have proven to undergo pyrolysis and not to burn, favouring the formation of a dense and consistent final residue.

ACS Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Jenny Alongi; Donatella Duraccio; Alberto Frache. Reuse and Valorisation of Hemp Fibres and Rice Husk Particles for Fire Resistant Fibreboards and Particleboards. Journal of Polymers and the Environment 2018, 26, 3731 -3744.

AMA Style

Daniele Battegazzore, Jenny Alongi, Donatella Duraccio, Alberto Frache. Reuse and Valorisation of Hemp Fibres and Rice Husk Particles for Fire Resistant Fibreboards and Particleboards. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 2018; 26 (9):3731-3744.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Battegazzore; Jenny Alongi; Donatella Duraccio; Alberto Frache. 2018. "Reuse and Valorisation of Hemp Fibres and Rice Husk Particles for Fire Resistant Fibreboards and Particleboards." Journal of Polymers and the Environment 26, no. 9: 3731-3744.