Polymers and the Environment

This chapter looks at the particular question of polymers and the environment. A book on the science of polymers ought to give some consideration to this issue because of the growing concern about the effect of discarded plastic on the quality of life on Earth. If we are to produce and use polymers in ways that are more environmentally responsible (and society will increasingly demand that we do) then there will be new technical challenges to face. One purpose of this chapter is to indicate what some of these challenges might be. 

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G. Scott, Polymers and the Environment , Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 1999. 

Hoidy, W.H., Al-Mulla, E.A.J., and Al-Janabi, K.W. 2010c. Mechanical and thermal properties of PLLA/PCL modified clay nanocomposites. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 18, 608-616. 

Fig. 22 Respirometry of vegetable oil-based polyurethanes made from the following polyols triolein-met arrowhead), soy-HF (filled square), soy-met 180 (open diamond), soy-met 206 (open circle), and linseed met (open square). Also shown is ESO/BF3 polymer (open triangle) and soybean oil control (filled circle). Temperature was increased from 30°C to 55°C on day 71. Note that hydroxyl number of 180 has the functionality of 3.3 and that of hydroxyl 206 is 4.0. Met refers to polyol made from ESO and methanol HF refers to polyol from hydroformylation and reduced ESO. Reproduced from [152] by permission of Journal of Polymers and the Environment...

Advanced Catalysts, Spurring Markets in Petroleum Refining, Chemicals, Polymers and the Environment, Report D222, Technical Insights, Frost Sullivan, NY, USA 2001. 

Mohanty, A.K., Misra, M., and Drzal, L.T. 2002. Sustainable bio-composites from renewable resources Oppormnities and challenges in the green materials world. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 10 19-26. 

Grima, S., Bellon-Maurel, V., Feuilloley, P. Silvestre, F. (2000). Aerobic biodegradation of polymers in solid-state conditions a review of environmental and physicochemical parameter settings in laboratory simulations. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 8, 183-95. 

COU 11] CouRGNEAU C., Domenek S., Guinault a., et al, Analysis of the structure-properties relationships of different multiphase systems based on plasticized poly(lactic acid) . Journal of Polymers and the Environment, oL 19,no. 2,pp. 362-371,2011. 

SCH 08] ScHWACH E., Six J.L., Averous L., Biodegradable blends based on starch and poly(lactic acid) comparison of different strategies and estimate of compatibilization Journal of Polymers and the Environment, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 286-297,2008. 

The Education Commission therefore organized several meetings between teachers, researchers and industrialists on the theme of Polymers and the environment the impact of polymers on society and the eco-design of plastic materials. What solutions can be proposed for the societal impacts of polymeric materials ... 

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