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In this paper, we investigate the effect of silica nano-coating for interphase bond enhancement on the mechanical performance of Textile Reinforced Mortar (TRM) composite materials aimed at structural rehabilitation and strengthening. Alkali-resistant glass (ARG) and carbon fabric reinforcements are preliminarily treated via sol-gel deposition of SiO 2 coating to promote bond formation capability with the mortar matrix. Optical and electron microscopy provide evidence of interphase bond enhancement. Mechanical performance is assessed both in traction, through uni-axial elongation of prismatic coupons, and in flexure, by three-point bending of laminated masonry bricks. Results are given in terms of mean strength curves, ultimate and design strength and strain values, cracked and uncracked moduli, mean crack spacing, mean crack width and energy dissipation. It is shown that mean absolute performance of silica coating offers a significant improvement over uncoated fabric, yet it is inferior to that of specimens which have been treated with a liquid partially-organic adhesion promoter (polymer coating). However, when design values are considered which incorporate the dispersion of experimental data, silica coating proves superior or at least equivalent to polymer coating, respectively for carbon and ARG fabric. These promising results describe the first application of silica nano-coating to fabric reinforced composite materials.

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Microplastics (MPs), which are small plastic debris of ≤5 mm size, are polluting the oceans with negative consequences for their biota. In this work, visible-light photocatalysis of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MPs in aqueous medium using a mesoporous N–TiO2 coating is proposed as an alternative for fighting MP pollution. Spherical primary HDPE MPs were extracted from commercially available facial scrubs, while film-shaped secondary LDPE MPs were obtained from a plastic bag. For each plastic, two different sizes were tested. Degradation was measured by mass-loss and carbonyl-index (CI) calculation. The results obtained reveal that the photocatalytic degradation of HDPE and LDPE MPs using an N–TiO2 coating was affected by the size and shape of the MPs. Smaller MPs led to higher degradation, while film-shaped MPs led to lower degradation that was related to a poorly illuminated and oxygenated reaction medium. These results set the basis for further investigation on the on the design of more effective photocatalytic-reaction systems for decreasing MP inputs to the environment.

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The topic of sustainability is becoming one of the strongest drivers of change in the marketplace by transforming into an element of competitiveness and an integral part of business strategy. Particularly in the manufacturing sector, a key role is played by technological innovations that allow companies to minimize the impact of their business on the environment and contribute to enhancing the value of the societies in which they operate. Technological process can be a lever to generate sustainable behaviors, confirming how innovation and sustainability constitute an increasingly close pair. However, it emerges that the nature of this relationship is explored by researchers and considered by practitioners almost exclusively in terms of the degree of sustainability of technological solutions. Lacking is an in-depth exploration of how a product or process, in addition to being environmentally and socio-economically sustainable, must or can also be technologically sustainable. This research therefore aims to build a theoretical foundation for technological sustainability seen as a possible fourth dimension of sustainable development.