As concerns around today’s environmental problems increase, there is a growing need for consumers to accelerate their sustainable behaviors relating to product disposal such as product reuse and product life extension. The purpose of this study was to investigate consumers’ value perceptions and their intentions to purchase upcycled products. This study identified the total perceived utility of upcycled products as six values that influence different levels of product attitude, which, in turn, affect purchase intention. In addition, the study examined the moderating role of purchase experience in the relationship between perceived value and product attitude. Survey data from 413 people in the United States were used to test our hypotheses. We found that three values (i.e., green, emotional, aesthetic) had a significantly positive effect on both product attitude and purchase intention. The moderating effect of purchase experience was found only on the paths between green and functional values and product attitude. The findings offer implications for academics, practitioners, and policymakers in designing strategies that encourage people to purchase upcycled products. We conclude that organizations should design strategies that maximize the emotional and aesthetic values of upcycled products using varied and engaging content, such as storytelling, based on each product’s background.

No abstract

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is an amorphous material of interest owing to its high CO 2 affinity and potential usage in CO 2 separation applications. However, amorphous PEG often has a low molecular weight, making it challenging to form into the membrane. The crystalline high average molar mass poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) cannot exhibit CO 2 separation characteristics. Thus, it is crucial to employ low molecular weight PEG in high molecular weight polymers to increase the CO 2 affinity for CO 2 separation membranes. In this work, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/PEG blend membranes with a PEGrich phase were simply fabricated by physical mixing with an ethanol solvent. The carbonyl group of the PAA and the hydroxyl group of the PEG formed a hydrogen bond. Furthermore, the thermal stability, glass transition temperature, and surface hydrophilicity of PAA/PEG blend membranes with various PEG concentrations were further characterized. The PAA/PEG(1:9) blend membrane exhibited an improved CO 2 permeability of 51 Barrer with high selectivities relative to the other gas species (H 2 , N 2 , and CH 4 ; CO 2 /H 2 = 6, CO 2 /N 2 = 63, CO 2 /CH 4 = 21) at 35 °C and 150 psi owing to the enhanced CO 2 affinity with the amorphous PEG-rich phase. These PAA/PEG blend membrane permeation characteristics indicate a promising prospect for CO 2 capture applications.

No abstract

No abstract