Rheology, Morphology and Thermal Properties of a PLA/PHB/Clay Blend Nanocomposite: The Influence of Process Parameters

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

Recycled PP for 3D Printing: Material and Processing Optimization through Design of Experiment

In this work, blends that were based on first use PP added with talc (PPt) and recycled polypropylene (r-PP) were designed and formulated, aiming at producing filaments that are suitable for 3D printing fused filament fabrication (FFF) processes. A preliminary characterization of PPt/r-PP blends at different weight ratios allowed selecting two systems showing adequate rheological behavior for FFF. The selected blends were melt compounded in a twin-screw extruder, optimizing the processing conditions through a design of experiments approach, involving the use of Taguchi's method. The materials that were prepared with the optimized processing conditions, hence showing the best performance in terms of rheological behavior and thermal characteristics, were then selected for the production of the filament and for the subsequent FFF processing. Finally, the morphology of the filament and the mechanical properties of 3D-printed samples were assessed, demonstrating the achievement of satisfactory results in terms of performances. In general, the obtained results clearly demonstrated that a proper optimization of both material and processing conditions offers the possibility of using recycled PP-based formulations for additive manufacturing processes, hence allowing a remarkable valorization of a low added-value material through its utilization for an innovative and sustainable manufacturing approach

Insights on the Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma-Induced Free-Radical Polymerization of Allyl Ether Cyclic Carbonate Liquid Layers

Plasma-induced free-radical polymerizations rely on the formation of radical species to initiate polymerization, leading to some extent of monomer fragmentation. In this work, the plasma-induced polymerization of an allyl ether-substituted six-membered cyclic carbonate (A6CC) is demonstrated and emphasizes the retention of the cyclic carbonate moieties. Taking advantage of the low polymerization tendency of allyl monomers, the characterization of the oligomeric species is studied to obtain insights into the effect of plasma exposure on inducing free-radical polymerization. In less than 5 min of plasma exposure, a monomer conversion close to 90% is obtained. The molecular analysis of the oligomers by gel permeation chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (GPC-HRMS) further confirms the high preservation of the cyclic structure and, based on the detected end groups, points to hydrogen abstraction as the main contributor to the initiation and termination of polymer chain growth. These results demonstrate that the elaboration of surfaces functionalized with cyclic carbonates could be readily elaborated by atmospheric-pressure plasmas, for instance, by copolymerization

Visualizing Cholesterol in the Brain by On-Tissue Derivatization and Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Despite being a critical molecule in the brain, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) of cholesterol has been under-reported compared to other lipids due to the difficulty in ionizing the sterol molecule. In the present work, we have employed an on-tissue enzyme-assisted derivatization strategy to improve detection of cholesterol in brain tissue sections. We report distribution and levels of cholesterol across specific structures of the mouse brain, in a model of Niemann-Pick type C1 disease, and during brain development. MSI revealed that in the adult mouse, cholesterol is the highest in the pons and medulla and how its distribution changes during development. Cholesterol was significantly reduced in the corpus callosum and other brain regions in the Npc1 null mouse, confirming hypomyelination at the molecular level. Our study demonstrates the potential of MSI to the study of sterols in neuroscience