Influence of shape and size of the particles on jigging separation of plastics mixture.

Plastics are popular for numerous applications due to their high versatility and favourable properties such as endurance, lightness and cheapness. Therefore the generation of plastic waste is constantly increasing, becoming one of the larger categories in municipal solid waste. Almost all plastic materials are recyclable, but for the recycling to be possible it is necessary to separate the different types of plastics. The aim of this research was to evaluate the performance of the jig separation of bi-component plastic mixtures. For this study six granulated plastics had been used: Polystyrene (PS), Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET-S, PET-D) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC-M, PVC-D). Plastics mixtures were subjected to jigging in a laboratorial Denver mineral jig. The results showed that the quality of the jigging separation varies with the mixture, the density differences and with the size and shape of the particles. In the case of particles with more regular shapes the quality of separation of bi-component plastic mixtures improved with the increase of the particle size. For lamellar particles the influence of particle size was minimal. In general, the beneficiation of plastics with similar densities was not effective, since the separation efficiency was lower than 25%. However, in bi-component plastic mixtures that join a low density plastic (PS) with a high density one (PMMA, PET-S, PET-D, PVC-M and PVC-D), the quality of the jigging separation was greatly improved. The PS grade in the sunk was less than 1% for all the plastic mixtures. Jigging proved to be an effective method for the separation of bi-component plastic mixtures. Jigging separation will be enhanced if the less dense plastic, that overflows, has a lamellar shape and if the denser plastic, that sinks, has a regular one.

Separation of linear synthetic polymers in non-aqueous capillary zone electrophoresis using cationic surfactant.

A method for separating water-insoluble and neutral synthetic polymers using non-aqueous capillary zone electrophoresis (NACZE) was developed. The non-aqueous solvent system comprising a mixture of tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, and ethanol containing cetyltrimethylammonium chloride was used for solubilizing and conferring positive charges to the polymers. A mixture of polystyrene (PS, Mn=6500) and polybutadiene (PBD, Mn=5900) was successfully separated by the NACZE method using cationic surfactants. Evaluation of the effect of the molecular weight of the polymers on the electrophoretic behavior demonstrated that PSs with different molecular weights (Mn=6500, 10,200, 19,600, 200,000) were co-eluted as a single peak. That is, the apparent electrophoretic mobility of the PSs was independent of the molecular weight. In contrast, evaluation of PBD and polycarbonate (PC) demonstrated that the solubility of polymers in the medium affected the apparent electrophoretic mobility of the polymers, where low solubility resulted in reduced apparent electrophoretic mobility. Using the proposed method, poly(styrene-co-methylmethacrylate)s with different compositions were successfully separated.

Onflow liquid chromatography at critical conditions coupled to (1)H and (2)H nuclear magnetic resonance as powerful tools for the separation of poly(methylmethacrylate) according to isotopic composition.

The present work addresses a major challenge in polymer chromatography by developing a method to separate and analyze polymers with identical molar masses, chemical structures and tacticities that is solely based on differences in isotope composition. For the first time, liquid chromatography at critical conditions (LCCC) was used to separate PMMA regarding the H and D isotopes. At critical conditions of H-PMMA, D-PMMA eluted in the adsorption mode and vice versa. By online onflow LCCC-NMR, both PMMA species were clearly identified. Different from other detectors, NMR can distinguish between H and D. Onflow LCCC-H/NMR and LCCC-D/NMR measurements were carried out and the H/D-blend components were detected. (1)H and (13)C NMR provided the tacticity of protonated PMMA. Double resonance (13)C{H} and triple resonance (13)C{H,D} provided the tacticity of the deuterated samples. Samples with similar tacticities were used to ensure that separation occurs solely regarding the isotope labeling.

Inertial lift enhanced phase partitioning for continuous microfluidic surface energy based sorting of particles.

A new microfluidics technique that exploits the selectivity of phase partitioning and high-speed focusing capabilities of the inertial effects in flow was developed for continuous label-free sorting of particles and cells. Separations were accomplished by introducing particles at the interface of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran (DEX) phases in rectangular high aspect-ratio microfluidic channels and allowing them to partition to energetically favorable locations within the PEG phase, DEX phase or interface at the center of the microchannel. Separation of partitioned particles was further enhanced via inertial lift forces that develop in high aspect-ratio microchannels that move particles to equilibrium positions close to the outer wall. Combining phase partitioning with inertial focusing ensures selectivity is possible using phase partitioning with sufficient throughput (at least an order of magnitude greater than phase partitioning alone) for application in the clinical and research setting. Using this system we accomplished separation of 15 µm polystyrene (PS) particles from 1-20 µm polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles. Results confirm the feasibility of separation based on phase partitioning and enhancement of separation via inertial focusing. Approximately 86% of PS particles were isolated within the PEG phase whereas 78% of PMMA particles were isolated within the DEX phase. When a binary mixture of PS and PMMA was introduced within the device, ~83% of PS particles were isolated in the PEG phase and ~74% of PMMA particles were isolated in the DEX phase. These results confirm the feasibility of this technique for rapid and reliable separation of particles and potentially cells.

Diblock copolymer of bacterial cellulose and poly(methyl methacrylate) initiated by chain-end-type radicals produced by mechanical scission of glycosidic linkages of bacterial cellulose.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) was mechanically fractured in vacuum at 77 K; this resulted in the scission of the ß-1,4 glycosidic linkages of BC. The chain-end-type radicals (mechanoradicals) generated from the scissions were assigned by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectral analyses. A diblock copolymer of BC and poly(methyl methacrylate) (BC-block-PMMA) was produced by the mechanical fracture of BC with MMA (methyl methacrylate) in vacuum at 77 K. Radical polymerization of MMA was initiated by the mechanoradicals located on the BC surface. The BC surface was fully covered with the PMMA chains of the BC-block-PMMA. Novel modification of the BC surface with the BC-block-PMMA was confirmed by spectral analyses of ESR, Fourier-transform infrared, (1)H NMR, and gel permeation chromatography.

Comprehensive 2-D chromatography of random and block methacrylate copolymers.

A comprehensive 2-D separation method was developed for the characterization of methacrylate copolymers. In both dimensions conditions were employed that give a critical separation for the homopolymer of one of the monomers in the copolymer, and exclusion behaviour for the other. The 2-D separation was realized by using a normal-phase column in one dimension and a reversed phase column in the other, and by precisely tuning the compositions of the two mobile phases employed. In the normal-phase dimension mixtures of THF and n-hexane or n-heptane were used as mobile phase, and in the reversed-phase dimension mixtures of ACN and THF. Moreover, stationary phase particles had to be selected for both columns that gave an exclusion window appropriate for the molecular size of the sample polymers to be characterized. The 2-D critical chromatography principle was tested with a polystyrene (PS)-polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) block copolymer and with block and random polybutylmethacrylate (PBMA)-PMMA copolymers. Ideally, the retention time for a copolymer in both dimensions of this system would depend on the size of only one of the blocks, or on the contribution of only one of the monomers to the size of a random copolymer. However, it was found that the elution of the PS-PMMA block copolymer depended on the size of both blocks, even when the corresponding homopolymer of one of the monomers showed critical elution behaviour. Therefore, the method could not be calibrated for block sizes by using homopolymer standards alone. Still, it was shown that the method can be used to determine differences between samples (PS-PMMA and PBMA-PMMA) with respect to total molecular size or block sizes separately, or to average size and chemical composition for random copolymers. Block and random PBMA-PMMA copolymers showed a distinctly different pattern in the 2-D plots obtained with 2-D critical chromatography. This difference was shown to be related to the different procedures followed in the polymerization process, and the different molecular distributions resulting from these.

Contact killing antimicrobial acrylic bone cements: preparation and characterization.

Novel antimicrobial poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based bone cement was synthesized by co-polymerizing PMMA/MMA with various percentages of quaternary amine dimethacrylate (QADMA) by free radical bulk polymerization technique at room temperature using benzoyl peroxide and N,N-dimethyl-p-toulidine (DMPT) as a redox initiator. The modified bone cement was characterized by FT-IR and 1H-NMR spectral studies. The thermal and physical properties of the bone cements of varying composition of QADMA were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential calorimetry (DSC) and contact angle measurements. Peak exothermic temperature was observed to decrease, while setting time increased with increase in QADMA content in the bone cement formulations. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized bone cement containing quaternary amine dimethacrylate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was studied by zone of inhibition, colony count method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). QADMA containing acrylic bone cement showed a broad spectrum of contact killing antimicrobial properties. Retention of E. coli onto the surface of PMMA bone cement was observed, whereas there was complete prevention of retention of E. coli onto the modified PMMA bone cement with 15% QADMA. The studies were compared with the acrylic bone cement synthesized using 15% N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) in place of QADMA to which iodine was added as an antimicrobial agent during co-polymerization.

Development and characterization of a porous poly(methyl methacrylate) scaffold with controllable modulus and permeability.

Functional restoration following extensive bone injury often requires bone grafting. The primary source of graft material is either autograft or allograft. The use of both material sources is well established, however both suffer limitations. In response, grafting alternatives are being investigated. This manuscript presents the development of a highly porous scaffold with controllable elastic modulus and permeability for use in tissue grafting and tissue engineering applications that is manufactured from FDA approved poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Fifteen protocol variations based on the commonly used porogen leaching technique for porous scaffold fabrication were employed to control scaffold pore size, pore interconnectivity, and structural strength. Scaffolds were tested for porosity, permeability, elastic modulus, cell culture compatibility, and fatigue tested in compression. Scaffold permeability ranged from 6.6 x 10(-16) m(2) to 1.4 x 10(-10) m(2), and elastic modulus was adjustable between 14 and 322 MPa; data similar to cancellous bone specimens from a variety of species and anatomic locations. Fatigue evaluations revealed 65% strength maintenance after 80,000 loading cycles, and in vitro culture with marrow-derived stromal cells show no cytotoxic effects based on Live/Dead assay. The scaffolds detailed herein will help broaden the spectrum of available orthopaedic tissue scaffolds for research in this evolving field. , 2007.

Liquid chromatography of polymers under limiting conditions of adsorption. IV. Sample recovery.

The high performance liquid chromatography of polymers under limiting conditions of adsorption (LC LCA) separates macromolecules, either according to their chemical structure or physical architecture, while molar mass effect is suppressed. A polymer sample is injected into an adsorption-active column flushed with an adsorption promoting eluent. The sample solvent is a strong solvent which prevents sample adsorption. As a result, macromolecules of sample elute within the zone of their original solvent to be discriminated from other, non-adsorbing polymer species, which elute in the exclusion mode. LC LCA sample recovery has been studied in detail for poly (methyl methacrylate)s using a bare silica gel column and an eluent comprised toluene (adsorli) and tetrahydrofuran (desorli). Sample solvent was tetrahydrofuran. It was found that a large part of injected sample may be fully retained within the LC LCA columns. The amount of retained polymer increases with decreasing packing pore size and with higher sample molar masses and, likely, also with the column diameter. The extent of full retention of sample does not depend of sample volume. An additional portion of the injected desorli sample solvent (a tandem injection) does not fully eliminate full retention of the sample fraction and the reduced recovery associated with it. The injected sample is retained along the entire LC LCA column. The reduced sample recovery restricts applicability of many LC LCA systems to oligomers and to discrimination of the non-adsorbing minor macromolecular components of complex polymer mixtures from the adsorbing major component(s). The full retention of sample molecules within columns may also complicate the application of other liquid chromatographic methods, which combine entropic and enthalpic retention mechanisms for separation of macromolecules.