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One of the objectives of the course is the description of theoretical and practical aspects related to the industrial production of polymeric materials, with particular reference to the compounding process, the selection and use of additives, and the testing techniques.
Another objective is the analysis of environmental and sustainability issues concerning polymer technology, including the development of bioplastics, the recycling technology, and the fundamentals of life cycle assessment applied to products and production technologies.
The main topics of the course are:
1) Physico-chemical principles applied to polymer compounding; solubility for polymer-additives binary mixtures, group contribution methods; diffusivity, determination of the coefficient of diffusion, mechanisms of loss of additives; wettability, contact angle, hysteresis, determination of surface tension components, work of adhesion and Young-Duprè equation
2) Principles of mixing, flow analysis; quality of mixtures, intensity and scale of segregation; liquid-liquid miscible mixing, liquid-liquid immiscible mixing, solid-liquid mixing; twin-screw extruder and mechanical mixers, design of mixing elements, analysis of industrial compounding cycles
3) Polymer degradation mechanism and phenomenology; thermal degradation, photochemical degradation, oxidative degradation, hydrolysis; analytical techniques to monitor polymer degradation; selection of thermal and photochemical stabilizers
4) Reaction to fire and polymer combustion; fire retardant additives; intumescent coatings; testing and regulations.
5) Modification of mechanical properties of polymers: plasticizers, fillers, and pigments; theory of colour, colour mixing and colour matching; nanofillers and nanocomposites; applicative examples
6) Biodegradation and bioplastics; polymeric materials from renewable resources, enzymatic degradation; biodegratation testing and regulations
7) Life cycle analysis of products and processes, polymer recycling technology (mechanical, chemical, energetic recovery)
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Inglese