Green synthesis of ZSM-5 using silica fume and catalytic co-cracking of lignin and plastics for production of monocyclic aromatics

ZSM-5 with hierarchical pore structure was synthesized by a simple two-step hydrothermal crystallization from silica fume without using any organic ammonium templates.The synthesized ZSM-5 were oval shaped particles with a particle size about 2.0 μm and weak acid-dominated with proper Brønsted(B)and Lewis(L)acid sites.The ZSM-5 was used for catalytic co-cracking of n-octane and guaiacol,lowdensity polyethylene(LDPE)and alkali lignin(AL)to enhance the production of benzene,toluene,ethylbenzene and xylene(BTEX).The most significant synergistic effect occurred at n-octane/guaiacol at 1:1 and LDPE/AL at 1:3,under the condition,the achieved BTEX selectivity were 24%and 33%(mass)higher than the calculated values(weighted average).The highest BTEX selectivity reached 88.5%,which was 3.7%and 54.2%higher than those from individual cracking LDPE and AL.The synthesized ZSM-5 exhibited superior catalytic performance compared to the commercial ZSM-5,indicating potential application prospect.

A Unifi ed View of Carbon Neutrality:Solar-Driven Selective Upcycling of Waste Plastics

With the rapid development of plastic production and consumption globally,the amount of post-consumer plastic waste has reached levels that have posed environmental threats.Considering the substantial CO_(2)emissions throughout the plastic lifecycle from material production to its disposal,photocatalysis is considered a promising strategy for eff ective plastic recycling and upcycling.It can upgrade plastics into value-added products under mild conditions using solar energy,realizing zero carbon emissions.In this paper,we explain the basics of photocatalytic plastic reformation and underscores plastic feedstock reformation pathways into high-value-added products,including both degradation into CO_(2)followed by reformation and direct reformation into high-value-added products.Finally,the current applications of transforming plastic waste into fuels,chemicals,and carbon materials and the outlook on upcycling plastic waste by photocatalysis are presented,facilitating the realization of carbon neutrality and zero plastic waste.

Low-Density Microplastics in Recreational Parks of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates: Abundance, Composition, and Potential Effects on Soil Health

Microplastics (MPs) have been an emerging concern due to their harmful effects on the ecosystem and are ubiquitous in various habitats, from marine to terrestrial environments. However, studies on the presence of MPs in recreational areas are limited. One of the previous works has reported that urban recreational parks are considered “sinks” for plastic debris, including MPs. In this study, low-density MPs (LD-MPs) in soil samples collected from recreational parks of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) were isolated by density flotation method. Results showed that these parks have varying levels of LD-MPs caused by various anthropogenic activities, such as sludge use and application of reclaimed water from wastewater treatment facilities in those areas. These plastic particles were isolated in 87% of the soil samples, with an average concentration of 1550 ± 340 MPs/kg. Predominantly, these comprised large LD-MPs (300 - 5000 μm), with red and blue being the most common colors. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified possible synthetic polymers, including polyethylene and polypropylene. Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between LD-MP concentration and soil pH and moisture content, indicating potential adverse effects on soil health. These findings highlight the need for monitoring and managing microplastic pollution in urban recreational areas to mitigate its ecological impacts.

Wax from Pyrolysis of Waste Plastics as a Potential Source of Phase Change Material for Thermal Energy Storage

Over the past half-century, plastic consumption has grown rapidly due to its versatility, low cost, and unrivaled functional properties. Among the diff erent implemented strategies for recycling waste plastics, pyrolysis is deemed the most economical option. Currently, the wax obtained from the pyrolysis of waste plastics is mainly used as a feedstock to manufacture chemicals and fuels or added to asphalt for pavement construction, with no other applications of wax being reported. Herein, the thermal pyrolysis of three common waste polyolefin plastics: high-density polyethylene(HDPE), low-density polyethylene(LDPE), and polypropylene(PP), was conducted at 450 ℃. The waste plastics-derived waxes were characterized and studied for a potential new application: phase change materials(PCMs) for thermal energy storage(TES). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed that paraffin makes up most of the composition of HDPE and LDPE waxes, whereas PP wax contains a mixture of naphthene, isoparaffin, olefin, and paraffin. Diff erential scanning calorimetry(DSC) analysis indicated that HDPE and LDPE waxes have a peak melting temperature of 33.8 ℃ and 40.3 ℃, with a relatively high latent heat of 103.2 J/g and 88.3 J/g, respectively, whereas the PP wax was found to have almost negligible latent heat. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and DSC results revealed good chemical and thermal stability of HDPE and LDPE waxes after 100 cycles of thermal cycling. Performance evaluation of the waxes was also conducted using a thermal storage pad to understand their thermoregulation characteristics for TES applications.

Ni-catalyzed carbon–carbon bonds cleavage of mixed polyolefin plastics waste

The inert carbon–carbon(C–C) bonds cleavage is a main bottleneck in the chemical upcycling of recalcitrant polyolefin plastics waste. Here we develop an efficient strategy to catalyze the complete cleavage of C–C bonds in mixed polyolefin plastics over non-noble metal catalysts under mild conditions. The nickelbased catalyst involving Ni_(2)Al_(3) phase enables the direct transformation of mixed polyolefin plastics into natural gas, and the gas carbon yield reaches up to 89.6%. Reaction pathway investigation reveals that natural gas comes from the stepwise catalytic cleavage of C–C bonds in polypropylene, and the catalyst prefers catalytic cleavage of terminal C–C bond in the side-chain with the low energy barrier.Additionally, our developed approach is evaluated by the technical economic analysis for an economically competitive production process.

Making Plastics Greener and More Useful

Scientists from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)have developed a new way to make plastics to make it possible to be degradable in ambient environment with proper lighting.This move could help reduce plastic pollution.The new approach produces plastics from ethylene gas and carbon monoxide using specialized catalysts.This innovation incorporates two features to make the new-type plastics superior:the ability to degrade under ultraviolet light,and the new hydrophilic surface induced by introduction of new functional groups.The study was published in National Science Review(doi:10.1093/nsr/nwad039).

Javelin Plastics公司达到全球汽车标准

据“www．britishplastics．co．uk”报道，Javelin Plastics公司达到了ISO／TS16949：2009针对汽车部分的全球标准。达到这一标准将会给公司带来新的增长点，未来12个月销售额预计增长10％。自20世纪80年代中期成立以来，Javelin Plastics公司在包括汽车的多个市场领域经历了显著增长，从1997年公司开始按照ISO9001的规定进行生产管理，为客户提供关键安全部件、电子产品和家电等领域产品。

Degradable Plastics Are Vulnerable to Cracks

A plastic may degrade in response to a trigger.The kinetics of degradation have long been characterized by the loss of weight and strength over time.These methods of gross characterization,however,are misleading when plastic degrades heterogeneously.Here,we study heterogeneous degradation in an extreme form:the growth of a crack under the combined action of chemistry and mechanics.An applied load opens the crack,exposes the crack front to chemical attack,and causes the crack to outrun gross degradation.We studied the crack growth in polylactic acid(PLA),a polyester in which ester bonds break by hydrolysis.We cut a crack in a PLA film using scissors,tore it using an apparatus,and recorded the crack growth using a camera through a microscope.In our testing range,the crack velocity was insensitive to load but was sensitive to humidity and pH.These findings will aid the development of degradable plastics for healthcare and sustainability.

DETERMINATION OF EFFECTIVE MODULI FOR FOAM PLASTICS BASED ON THREE PHASE SPHEROIDAL MODEL

The relations of bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus and the Poisson's ratio with porosity of foam plastics are determined by a three phase spheroidal model commonly used in Composite Mechanics. The results are compared with those using differential scheme. It is shown that the material properties derived from the present model normally are larger than those obtained by differential scheme for foam plastics with identical porosity. The differences in shear moduli and Young's moduli obtained by the two methods are small but they are larger for bulk moduli of incompressible matrix and Poisson's ratios. The Young's moduli of high density foam plastics derived by the present model agree better with experimental ones.

Development and Properties of Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics Geogrid

Glass fiber reinforced plastics geogrid has a wide application in the field of soil reinforcement because of its high strength, good toughness, and resistance to environmental stress, creep resistance and strong stability. In order to get high-powered glass fiber reinforced plastics geogrid and its mechanical characteristics, the properties and physical mechanical index of geogrid have been got through the study of its raw material, production process and important quality index. The analysis and study have been made to the geogrid＇s mechanical properties with loading speed, three-axial compression, temperature tensile test and FLAC3D numerical simulation, thus obtain the mechanical parameters of its displacement time curve, breaking strength and elongation at break. Some conclusions can be drawn as follows： （a） Using glass fiber materials, knurling and coated projection process, the f^acture strength and corrosion resistance of geogrid are greatly improved and the interlocking bite capability of soil is enhanced. （b） The fracture strength of geogrid is related to temperature and loading rate. When the surrounding rock pressure is fixed, the strength and anti-deformation ability of reinforced soil are significantly enhanced with increasing reinforced layers. （c） The pullout test shows the positive correlation between geogrid displacement and action time. （d） As a new reinforced material, the glass fiber reinforced plastics geogrid is not mature enough in theoretical research and practical experience, so it has become an urgent problem both in theoretical study and practical innovation.

Improving hydrocarbons production via catalytic co-pyrolysis of torrefied-biomass with plastics and dual catalytic pyrolysis

To increase the low yield and selectivity of aromatic hydrocarbons during the biomass pyrolysis process,we torrefied the biomass and then co-pyrolyzing with plastics such as high-density polyethylene(HDPE),polystyrene(PS),ethylene-vinyl acetate(EVA)and polypropylene(PP)and also single and dual catalyst layouts were investigated by Py-GC/MS.The results showed that non-catalytic fast pyrolysis(CFP)of raw bagasse(RBG)generated no aromatics.After torrefaction non-CFP of torrefied bagasse(TBG)generated low aromatic yield.Indicating that torrefaction would enhance the proportion of aromatics during the pyrolysis process.The CFP of TBG_(200℃)and TBG_(240℃)over ZSM-5 produced the total aromatic yield of 1.96 and 1.88 times higher,respectively,compared to non-CFP of TBG.Furthermore,the addition of plastic could increase H/Ceff ratio of the mixture,consequently,increase the yield of aromatic compounds.Among the various torrefied-bagasse/plastic mixtures,the CFP of TBG/EVA(7:3 ratio)mixture generated the highest the total aromatic yield of 7.7 times more than the CFP of TBG alone.The dual catalyst layout could enhance the yield of aromatics hydrocarbons.The dual-catalytic co-pyrolysis of TBG_(200℃)/plastic(1:1)ratio over USY(ultra-stable Y zeolite)/ZSM-5,improved the total aromatics yield by 4.33 times more than the catalytic pyrolysis of TBG_(200℃)alone over ZSM-5 catalyst.The above results showed that the yield and selectivities of light aromatic hydrocarbons can be improved via catalytic co-pyrolysis and dual catalytic co-pyrolysis of torrefied-biomass with plastics.

VISCO-ELASTIC (PLASTIC) EFFECTS AND FAILURE BEHAVIOR OF PUR FOAMED PLASTICS

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Critical Thrust Force Forecasting for Drilling Exit Delamination of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics

Exit delamination is excessive drilling thrust force.Therefore,it is necessary to investigate the critical thrust force which cause exit delamination when carbon fibre reinforced plastics(CRFP)is drilled.According to the linear elastic fracture mechanics,the mechanics of composite material and the classical thin plate bending theory,a common theoretical model of the critical drilling thrust force for CFRP plates is established.Compared with the experimental data of previous studies,the results show that the theoretical values agree well with the experimental values.This model can be used to forecast the critical thrust force for the drilling-induced delamination of CFRP.

Novel technology of electroless Ni-W-P on plastics and its interface behavior

The electroless Ni-W-P coatings on polyoxymethylene(POM) were prepared. The POM was pretreated by hot spraying Al powder on it. Before the electroless Ni-W-P deposition, the POM with Al coating was flash plated in alkaline bath. The mechanism of Ni-W-P deposition was studied and the technology was optimized. The XRD analysis shows that the "as-deposited" Ni-W-P plating has mixed crystalline structure. The hardness value of deposits is more than HV700. The abrasion resistance of deposits is six times more than that of POM. Bending test was used to determine the cohesion between the deposits and the substrates. SEM was used to study the behavior of surface abrasion and interface bonding condition. The reason for the excellent cohesion was interpreted.

Experimental study on ductility improvement of reinforced concrete rectangular Columns retrofitted with a new fiber reinforced plastics method

Reinforced concrete （RC） columns lacking adequately detailed transverse reinforcement do not possess the necessary ductility to dissipate seismic energy during a major earthquake without severe strength degradation. In this paper, a new retrofit method, which utilized fiber-reinforced plastics （FRP） confinement mechanism and anchorage of embedded bars, was developed aiming to retrofit non-ductile large RC rectangular columns to prevent the damage of the plastic hinges. Carbon FRP （CFRP） sheets and glass FRP （GFRP） bars were used in this test, and five scaled RC columns were tested to examine the function of this new method for improving the ductility of columns. Responses of columns were examined before and after being retrofitted. Test results indicate that this new composite method can be very effective to improve the anti-seismic behavior of non-ductile RC columns compared with normal CFRP sheets retrofitted column.

Interstate Plastics公司开发出用于整形外科的医用级聚丙烯

新近,美国Interstate Plastics公司开发出一种主要应用于整形外科的医用级聚丙烯棒Propylux HS。这种圆形棒料具备生物相容性和耐化学药品腐蚀性,尺寸稳定性很强,即使经过反复高温灭菌也不会变形,可直接接触去污剂和消毒剂，并可保持强度、

Multivariate Analysis of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Discrimination between Explosives and Plastics

A method to distinguish explosives from plastics using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is discussed.A model for classification with cross-validation theory is built based on the partial least-square discriminant analysis method.Seven types of plastics and one explosive are used as samples to test the model.The experimental results demonstrate that laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has the capacity to discriminate explosives from plastics combined with chemometrics methods.The results could be useful for prospective research of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy on the differentiation of explosives and other materials.

Toxicity Tests of Soil Contaminated by Recycling of Scrap Plastics

The present investigation studied the toxicity of soil contaminated by untreated discharge from a factory that recycles used plastics. The nearby agricultural areas and freshwater fish ponds were polluted with high concentrations of Cu, Ni, and Mn. Water extracts from the contaminated soil retarded root growth of Brassica chinensis (Chinese white cabbage) and Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) where their seeds were obtained commercially. The contaminated populations of C. dactylon, Panicum repen (panic grass), and Imperata cylindrica (wooly grass) were able to withstand higher concentrations of Cu. Ni, and Mn, especially C. dactylon, when compared with their uncontaminated counterparts. 1990 Academic Press, Inc.

PRODUCTION OF BIOPLASTICS AND HYDROGEN GAS BY PHOTOSYNTHETIC MICROORGANISMS

Our efforts have been aimed at the technological basis of photosynthetic-microbial pro-duction of materials and an energy carrier. We report here accumulation of poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate)(PHB), a raw material of biodegradable plastics and for production of hydrogen gas, and a renewable en-ergy carrier by photosynthetic microorganisms (tentatively defined as cyanobacteria plus photosynthetic ba-teria, in this report).A thermophilic cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. MA19 that accumulates PHB at more than 20%of cell dry wt under nitrogen-starved conditions was isolated and microbiologically identified. The mecha-nism of PHB accumulation was studied. A mesophilic Synechococcus PCC7942 was transformed with thegenes encoding PHB-synthesizing enzymes from Alcaligenes eutrophus. The transformant accumulated PHBunder nitrogen-starved conditions. The optimal conditions for PHB accumulation by a photosynthetic bac-terium grown on acetate were studied.Hydrogen production by photosynthetic microorganisms was studied. Cyanobacteria can produce hy-drogen gas by nitrogenase or hydrogenase. Hydrogen production mediated by native hydrogenase incyanobacteria was revealed to be in the dark anaerobic degradation of intracellular glycogen. A new sys-tem for light-dependent hydrogen production was targeted. In vitro and in vivo coupling of cyanobacterialferredoxin with a heterologous hydrogenase was shown to produce hydrogen under light conditions. A trialfor genetic trasformation of Synechococcus PCC7942 with the hydrogenase gene from Clostridum pasteuri-anum is going on. The strong hydrogen producers among photosynthetic bacteria were isolated and charac-terized. Co-culture of Rhodobacter and Clostriumdium was applied to produce hydrogen from glucose.Conversely in the case of cyanobacteria, genetic regulation of photosynthtic proteins was intended to im-prove comversion efficiency in hydogen production by the photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobactersphaeroides RV. A mutant acquired by UV irradiation will be characterized for the mutation and for hydro-gen productivity in comparison with the wild type strain. Some basic studies to develop photobioreactorsare also introduced.

日本Polyplastics公司开发出异种树脂强力黏合的双重成型技术

日本高功能树脂生产商Polyplastics公司2014年5月宣布，公司开发出可强力黏合异种树脂的双重成型技术“AKI—Lock”。该技术主要由3道工序构成：1）使用玻璃纤维增强树脂的一次成型品注射成型；2）取出一次成型品后对黏结部表面进行激光加工处理；3）第二次注射成型。其中，最大的特点是激光加工处理工序。