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Publications
Publications (65)
Nowadays, thermoplastic-based composite materials are catching up in many industrial sectors due to their unique features, especially their recyclability, their lower requirements regarding their storage and the fact that may be heated-up and formed into a definitive product. To this end, the thermoforming process appears to be an appealing fabrica...
The paper investigates the environmental and economic benefits of the possible scenario of recovering and reusing a process scrap in closed loop, by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) method. As case study a manufacturing process of a large company based in Portugal was utilized. The company demand is to possibly...
The present work studies the response to hygrothermal ageing of natural fibre composites (NFCs) against synthetic fibre composites when using three different types of polymers as matrices. For ageing, coupons were fully immersed in distilled water at 23, 40, and 60 °C for a total ageing period of 56 days. Flax fibre-reinforced composites, using two...
The components’ lightweighting has been pursued, especially in the transport industry, for greenhouse gas reduction. Topology optimization, being able to allocate the material within a provided design space, is a mathematical method that can support the design of lightweight components, preserving, at the same time, their mechanical performances. I...
This work investigated the long-term performance of unidirectional (UD) flax fibre reinforced recyclable polymer composites (FFRPs), after accelerated weathering for a total of 56 days, in laboratory environment. The employed recyclable polymer matrices were a bio-based epoxy and a liquid thermoplastic acrylic resin. The performance of the develope...
Manufacturing scientists have to find new processes enabling energy and resource efficient circular economy strategies. Solid state recycling processes have proved to be environmentally friendly alternatives to recycle aluminum alloys process scraps like chips. In this paper the environmental characterization of a solid state recycling process name...
There is currently limited work on synchronous forms of hybrid education although it has become the norm in university education. In addition, there is a gab on empirical studies that are focusing on quantitative measures (such as student performance data) in this particular setting. To compensate for this gab in the literature, the paper presents...
The present Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) intends to investigate the environmental benefit of using natural fibres and/or recyclable epoxy resins for future manufacturing of small/medium wind turbine blades to handle thermoset polymer composites that are designed to be recyclable at the end of life”). LCA comparison of a modelled blade based on flax fi...
The life cycle assessment method was applied for the evaluation of the impacts related to the recycling process of carbon-fiber/thermoset composite through solvolysis and the reuse of the recovered carbon fibers in the production of new composite laminates. The avoided impacts were calculated for the case of replacing virgin carbon fibers and virgi...
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a common tool to evaluate the life cycle environmental impact of products and processes. In the field of polymer composites, due to the ever growing environmental concerns, plant fibers such as flax, hemp, jute, kenaf, bamboo, coir, etc., have received great attention from researchers and industry worldwide, to replac...
The usage of flax fibers in the composite industry, among all natural fibers, is predominant. Flax fibers exhibit relatively higher strength and stiffness than other plant fibers. The fibers can potentially replace synthetic fibers in composites for low to medium load-bearing and lightweight structural applications due to their comparable specific...
As the impact of transport on the issue of global warming is considerable, the fleet-wide average emission target for new cars is continuously lowered. Car weight reduction is considered as one of the possible strategies to pursue in the perspective of greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Part design based on the use of new lightweight materials is...
Automated Compliance Checking (ACC) of building/construction projects is one of important applications in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, because it provides the checking processes and results of whether a building design complies with relevant laws, policies and regulations. Currently, Automated Compliance Checking still...
The case study presented in this paper is a follow up of a topic already examined in previous studies relating the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a chemical treatment process used to recycle a specific type of carbon fiber (CF) reinforced thermoset composite. In the present study the LCA is coupled with the life cycle cost (LCC) analysis for the ec...
Epoxy and unsaturated polyester resins are the most used thermosetting polymers. They are commonly used in electronics, construction, marine, automotive and aircraft industries. Moreover , reinforcing both epoxy and unsaturated polyester resins with carbon or glass fibre in a fabric form has enabled them to be used in high-performance applications....
Interaction between industry and environment is crucial for industrial business performance as environmental impacts are constantly increasing pressure on industrial businesses. The creation of eco-industrial parks aims at transforming industrial systems into industrial ecosystems by including some measures like infrastructure and material/energy f...
Generally, building information modelling (BIM) models contain multiple dimensions of building information, including building design data, construction information, and maintenance-related contents, which are related with different engineering stakeholders. Efficient extraction of BIM data is a necessary and vital step for various data analyses an...
The present study reports the development of sandwich panels for building walls having electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding abilities. Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) have started being employed as EMI shielding materials. In this paper we propose the use of a conductive polymer composite flat sheet made of high-density polyethylene (H...
In the present paper, we investigated a sandwich composite as a potential electromagnetic interference shielding wall panel for buildings. The panel was built using a ferrite-particle modified high density polyethylene in a sandwich assembly enabling electromagnetic shielding properties. The life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was employed here to...
This paper reports an experimental investigation on embedded polyurethane (PUR) electrodes into a carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite to enable the dependable use of composites as a piezoresistive sensors, among other uses, and pave the way towards advanced structural health monitoring (SHM). To be able to use polyurethane as electrode...
Among natural fibers, such as cotton, silk, wool, flax, hemp, etc., cotton is the one that takes up the highest percentage in the textile market. Nevertheless, there are obstacles associated with its cultivation; it is restricted to sub-tropical climates, and it is dependent upon high amounts of water, as well as the use of agrochemicals to ensure...
Carbon black derived from end-of-life tires (ELTs) through thermolysis process was studied. The main attraction of this material is the low market price (€450 ton⁻¹) compared with virgin carbon black (about €700 ton⁻¹). Investigation was focused on the vulcanization reaction of rubber with the addition of both types of carbon black, that is, carbon...
An innovative recycling process for thermoset polymer composites developed by Connora Technologies (Hayward, CA, USA) was studied. The process efficacy has already been tested, and it is currently working at the plant level. The main aspect investigated in the present paper was the environmental impact by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) me...
Green composites from polypropylene and lignin-based natural material were manufactured using a melt extrusion process. The lignin-based material used was the so called “liquid wood”. The PP/“Liquid Wood” blends were extruded with “liquid wood” content varying from 20 wt % to 80 wt %. The blends were thoroughly characterized by flexural, impact, an...
The present chapter discusses the application of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to biomass-derived polymers. The chapter first introduces the concept of biopolymers and the main advantages of shifting from traditional petroleum-derived polymers to biomass-derived polymers. LCA methodology is then described as a useful tool to evaluate...
A new commercial amine-based epoxy curing agent, engineered to produce recyclable composites, was studied. Carbon fibre (CF)/epoxy composites were manufactured through high-pressure resin transfer moulding (HP-RTM) and chemically treated in order to recover clean CFs as well as an epoxy thermoplastic polymer, as recycled products. The chemical stru...
Automotive composite applications are increasingly growing due to demand for lightweight structures to comply to the requirements for fuel reduction. HP-RTM is gaining relevance as one of the preferred production technologies for high volume applications. The BMW i3 life module being a notable example of HP-RTM application. The key aspects of HP-RT...
This chapter discusses the utility of applying the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to fibre-reinforced composites. The chapter first introduces the main advantages of shifting from traditional petroleum-derived polymer composites to bio-derived polymer composites. LCA methodology is then described as a useful tool to evaluate the environmen...
The present study is further development of a previous work where an eco-sandwich containing cork, flax fibres and bio-based epoxy resin as natural materials was manufactured and tested in order to evaluate the thermal conductivity. The use of the eco-sandwich in building structure seems to bring several advantages in terms of innovation, good insu...
For buildings applications, an optimum material solution would have the essential structural properties of concrete but with lower thermal conductivity. The reduced thermal conductivity provides a better thermal insulation system that consumes less energy for cooling and heating in the use phase. In the present study, thermal conductivity analysis...
Life cycle assessment methodology was applied as a tool to evaluate the real environmental benefit of using recycled waste tyres in mixture with virgin rubber. Styrene–isoprene–styrene rubber was mixed with different amounts of ground tyre rubber and vulcanised. Thermomechanical analysis (i.e. differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric...
Bio-based materials have come increasingly into focus during the last years, as alternatives to conventional materials such as fossil-based polymers, metals, and glass. The present paper is an application of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in order to explore the possibility of improving the eco efficiency of glass fibre composite materials...
In this study we present results on the environmental impacts associated to the production of an interior side door panel made of hemp fiber and epoxy resin, by using the life cycle assessment method. The composite was manufactured through vacuum bag infusion that improves the fiber-to-resin ratio and results in a lighter product. In this case, the...
The emergy analysis was used to evaluate the sustainability of a village which aims to be ecologically friendly. The choice
of focusing on the use of local resources including agriculture and farm goods, photovoltaic panels, renewable heating and
cooling systems, recycled water from constructed wetlands etc., aims to obtain a sustainable village. I...
This study examines, by using emergy analysis, the production of red orange in Sicily in order to evaluate resource use, productivity, environmental impact and overall sustainability. Four different sicilian farms were studied in order to compare conventional with organic production. Several indices derived from the emergy evaluation were used: the...
In this paper we apply two methodologies to a company that produces aluminium extruded bars: (1) the 'pollutant interaction matrix method', which allows the calculation of a global environmental protection index (Ep) in order to verify the eco-compatibility of the industrial activity, and (2) emergy analysis, a methodology used to evaluate the sust...
Laboratory studies are useful for understanding the behaviour of chemical
contaminants in soil, although such investigations do not always relate directly to
field conditions. This paper reports an application of a model in order to
investigate the migration of nitrates through the soil. The model calibration was
carried out using the experimental...
This study examines and evaluates, by means of the emergy analysis, the use of environmental resources for wastewater treatment in a Sicilian town. A traditional wastewater treatment plant coupled with a surface flow constructed wetland was considered for water purification. The surface area of the wetland was calculated by using a first order plug...
Environmental indicators can be used as a first stage in progress towards comprehensive environmental impact measures [J. Environ. Manage 65/3 (2002) 285]. In this article, we develop a 'pollutant interaction matrix method' that allows calculation of a global environmental protection index (Ep) in order to verify the eco-compatibility of an industr...
The area under our investigation, called "Simeto's Oasis", is located on the east coast of Sicily where the river Simeto (the main Sicilian river) ends. This area was established as a reserve in 1984 and includes the remaining wet zones around the Simeto's river mouth that represents only a little portion of the much wider wetland existing before h...
The present work is a further development of a study already started on modified epoxy/polyester systems /1/. In previous studies, attempts to incorporate covalently bonded phosphorous atoms in epoxy resins were carried out in our laboratory. Neat panels and glass-fibre (GF) reinforced composites were prepared using halogen free flame-retardant (FR...
A study on the possibility of recycling waste materials, such as olive husk, the solid phase derived from an olive oil mill, in blend with thermoplastic polymers to produce new materials for manufacturer of, for example, containers and formworks, has been carried out. The present paper describes the methodology used for the preparation and the char...
A procedure for soil and groundwater vulnerability assessment due to activities like shedding of fertilisers, sprinkling and soil sterilisation in intensive growing, especially in greenhouses, is presented. The relationship between evaluated and expected contaminant concentrations in air, soil and groundwater, transit time, aquifer vulnerability, s...
This article describes a study on flame retardancy conducted on a dual cure thermosetting system consisting of an epoxy resin, blended with an unsaturated polyester. Neat resin panels and glass-fibre reinforced composites were prepared utilising several structurally different flame-retardant (FR) additives. These materials were tested in order to d...
A new ortho-hydroxy-aryl-phosphonate additive was used to improve the flame resistance of an epoxy/anhydride system. Thermal, rheological, L.O.I. and SEM experiments were carried out to show that the P-additive acts not only as a flame retardant but also as a curing agent.
The surface composition of films prepared from blends containing different percentages of pure soluble collagen and poly(acrylic acid) or poly(sodium vinylsulfonate), was analysed by ESCA. The results indicate that the content of collagen on the surface of the blends is higher than expected, and that such enrichment is more evident for the blends c...
Thermogravimetry and on-line flash pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry were used for studying thermal decomposition
processes in filled polyamides deriving from used cars. The thermal decomposition of each polymer begins at about 350 °C and
proceeds with a weight loss of 100% for the non-glass fibres, under nitrogen atmosphere. The analy...
A new alternating block copolymer was synthesized from dihydroxy-terminated poly-(ether ketone sulfone) and bis(dimethylamino)-terminated polydimethylsiloxane oligomers. The chemistry and the thermal properties are discussed. Surface chemical composition of films was analyzed by ESCA. Quantitative calculations showed a noticeable siloxane enrichmen...
Several aromatic polyamides were prepared from 4,4′-[sulfonyl bis(p-benzoyl)(p-phenyleneoxy)]dibenzoic acid with various diamines by the phosphorylation route. The polymers were characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and infra-red analysis. The polyamides, obtained in quantitative yield, p...
Summary In this conceptual paper, some considerations are presented about the utility of carrying quantitative analyses in order to assess the work done by the biosphere to guarantee the ecosystems services which fulfill the basic needs of humankind. Emergy synthesis, energy analysis, exergy analysis, embodied analysis, ecological footprint' etc..,...
Riassunto Il presente studio si pone come duplice obiettivo quello di analizzare, dal punto di vista dello sfruttamento delle risorse e del capitale naturale, l'attuale sistema di gestione dei rifiuti dell'ambito territoriale ATO CT4 e quello di valutare, in relazione alle normative attuali e dal punto di vista della sostenibilità ambientale, come...