Evaluating the Injection Moulding of Plastic Parts Using In Situ Time-Resolved Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Techniques

Bioplastics are one of the possible alternative solutions to the polymers of petrochemical origins. Bioplastics have several advantages over traditional plastics in terms of low carbon footprint, energy efficiency, biodegradability and versatility. Although they have numerous benefits and are revolutionizing many application fields, they also have several weaknesses, such as brittleness, high-water absorption, low crystallization ability and low thermal degradation temperature. These drawbacks can be a limiting factor that prevents their use in many applications. Nonetheless, reinforcements and plasticizers can be added to bioplastic production as a way to overcome such limitations. Bioplastics materials are not yet studied in depth, but it is with great optimism that their industrial use and market scenarios are increasing; such growth can be a positive driver for more research in this field. National and international investments in the bioplastics industry can also promote the green transition. International projects, such as EcoPlast and Animpol, aim to study and develop new polymeric materials made from alternative sources. One of their biggest problems is their waste management; there is no separation process yet to recycle the nonbiodegradable bioplastics, and they are considered contaminants when mixed with other polymers. Some materials use additives, and their impact on the microplastics they leave after breaking apart is subject to debate. For this reason, it is important to consider their life cycle analysis and assess their environmental viability. These are materials that can possibly be processed in various ways, including conventional processes used for petrochemical ones. Those include injection moulding and extrusion, as well as digital manufacturing. This and the possibility to use these materials in several applications is one of their greatest strengths. All these aspects will be discussed in this review.

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“…However, the market price is relatively higher than other polyamides. One of the main PA11 producers is Arkema [ 47 , 49 , 50 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioplastics: Innovation for Green Transition

et al. 2023

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“…The transmission was measured at ~70%, but this thickness was sufficient to withstand the high pressure in the cavity during the injection phase. The window system was described in detail elsewhere [17,27] (Appendix A). The whole system was mounted on a motorized translation stage that enabled the system to be position so that the incident X-ray beam could pass through any of the 6 windows.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They used this system in conjunction with intense flux at the synchrotron beam-time BL19U2 [15] at the Shanghai synchrotron radiation facility to determine the characteristics of the shish kebab structures that were created during crystallization in the micro-injection moulding. However, in the last year, a new major project at the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development (CDRSP) developed an industrially relevant injection moulding system that could be mounted on the NCD-SWEET beam at the ALBA Synchrotron Light Source to perform operando small-angle X-ray scattering measurements [17]. X-ray scattering is a powerful tool for operando experiments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time and Spatially Resolved Operando Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Measurements during Injection Moulding of Plastics

Arioli,

Massano,

da Silva

et al. 2023

JMMP

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We recently introduced the possibility of performing operando small-angle X-ray scattering measurements using a novel industrially relevant injection moulding system for plastics. We show that useful time-resolving measurements can be performed with a time-cycle of 1 s and highlight the possible steps to reduce this to 0.5 s. We show how we can use the transmission measurements to provide a time marker when plastic first enters the mould cavity in the region probed by the incident X-ray beam. We show the opportunities provided by this experimental stage mounted on the NCD-SWEET beamline at ALBA to probe the reproducibility of the injection moulding system on different scales. The design of the equipment allowed for the development of the structure and the morphology to be evaluated in different parts of mould cavity, and we evaluated any differences in a rectangular mould cavity. We identified future prospects for this equipment in terms of novel mould heating and cooling systems and the opportunities for quantitatively evaluating radical approaches to injection moulding technology.

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“…Although it is non-biodegradable, its recycling efficiency rate is high. Compared with polyamides, it is costly [41,43].…”

Section: Other Polymersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manipulating Microbial Cell Morphology for the Sustainable Production of Biopolymers

Kalia,

Patel,

Karthikeyan

et al. 2024

Polymers

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The total rate of plastic production is anticipated to surpass 1.1 billion tons per year by 2050. Plastic waste is non-biodegradable and accumulates in natural ecosystems. In 2020, the total amount of plastic waste was estimated to be 367 million metric tons, leading to unmanageable waste disposal and environmental pollution issues. Plastics are produced from petroleum and natural gases. Given the limited fossil fuel reserves and the need to circumvent pollution problems, the focus has shifted to biodegradable biopolymers, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), polylactic acid, and polycaprolactone. PHAs are gaining importance because diverse bacteria can produce them as intracellular inclusion bodies using biowastes as feed. A critical component in PHA production is the downstream processing procedures of recovery and purification. In this review, different bioengineering approaches targeted at modifying the cell morphology and synchronizing cell lysis with the biosynthetic cycle are presented for product separation and extraction. Complementing genetic engineering strategies with conventional downstream processes, these approaches are expected to produce PHA sustainably.

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Evaluating the Injection Moulding of Plastic Parts Using In Situ Time-Resolved Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Techniques

Cited by 6 publications

References 26 publications

Bioplastics: Innovation for Green Transition

Bioplastics: Innovation for Green Transition

Time and Spatially Resolved Operando Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Measurements during Injection Moulding of Plastics

Manipulating Microbial Cell Morphology for the Sustainable Production of Biopolymers

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