RESUMO
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) based packaging films mostly end up in landfill after single-use as they are not commonly recycled due to their flexible nature, low strength and low cost. Additionally, the necessity to separate and sort different plastic waste streams is the most costly step in plastics recycling, and is a major barrier to increasing recycling rates. This cost can be reduced through using waste mixed plastics (wMP) as a raw material. This research investigates the properties of PE-based wMP coming from film packaging wastes that constitutes different grades of PE with traces of polypropylene (PP). Their properties are compared with segregated individual recycled polyolefins and virgin LDPE. The plastic plaques are produced directly from the wMP shreds as well as after extruding the wMP shreds into a more uniform material. The effect of different material forms and processing conditions on the mechanical properties are investigated. The results of the investigation show that measured properties of the wMP fall well within the range of properties of various grades of virgin polyethylene, indicating the maximum possible variations between different batches. Addition of an intermediate processing step of extrusion before compression moulding is found to have no effect on the tensile properties but results in a noticeably different failure behaviour. The wMP does not show any thermal degradation during processing that was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis. The results give a scientific insight into the adoption of wMP in real world products that can divert them from landfill creating a more circular economy.
RESUMO
PURPOSE: A comparison of dosimetric findings in 33 patients treated with the Contura multilumen balloon (SenoRx Inc., Irvine, CA) (C-MLB) breast brachytherapy catheter vs. 33 patients treated with the MammoSite (Hologic Inc., Bedford, MA) (MS) at a single institution to deliver accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) was performed. METHODS AND MATERIALS: CT-based 3-dimensional planning with dose optimization was completed. APBI treatment of 34Gy in 3.4Gy fractions was delivered. Endpoints analyzed included: (1) The percentage of the prescribed dose (PD) covering the planning target volume (PTV), (2) the maximum skin dose as a percentage of the PD, (3) the maximum rib dose as a percentage of the PD, and (4) the V150 and V200. RESULTS: The C-MLB was placed more frequently in patients with closer skin spacing (<7mm) and rib spacing (<7mm) than in MS patients (45.5% vs. 12.1%, p=0.0057 and 57.6 vs. 33.3, p=0.0131, respectively). Despite closer skin spacing, the overall median skin dose was significantly lower in C-MLB patients (112% of the PD vs. 134%, p=0.0282). No statistically significant differences in the V150 or V200 were observed. In patients with very limited rib spacing (<4mm), the C-MLB delivered significantly lower rib doses than the MS (144% of the PD vs. 191%, p=0.0107). In all clinical scenarios, coverage of the PTV with the C-MLB was either equal to or significantly better than with the MS (p=0.0024). CONCLUSION: The C-MLB catheter produced clinically significant improvements in dosimetric endpoints (e.g., reduced skin and rib doses and improved PTV coverage) in most clinical scenarios.