Luciano Di Maio

University of Salerno | UNISA · Department of Industrial Engineering (DIIn)

Biobased and biodegradable plastics have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional plastics offering the potential to reduce environmental impacts while promoting sustainability. This study focuses on the production of multilayer blown films with enhanced functional properties suitable for food packaging applications. Films were developed t...

In this work, we have studied the potential application for 3D-printing of a polymer made from combining a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer (i.e., polyhydroxybutyrate, PHB) with natural bio-based fiber (i.e., cellulose). To this end, a masterbatch at 15 wt.% in filler content was prepared by melt-blending, and then this system was “diluted”...

The addition of nanoparticles could allow to upgrade the performances of biopolymers, making them fit to replace petroleum-based plastics. In order to maximize the sustainability benefits of bio-nanocomposites, it is fundamental to opportunely tune their bulk properties by acting on their nanostructure. In particular, in nanocomposite blends the fi...

The emission of off-odors from mechanically recycled plastics severely limits their re-introduction into the market for the production of new objects, for the same use or even for less demanding applications, thus hindering the implementation of an effective circular economy for plastics. The addition of adsorbing agents during the extrusion of pol...

The increase in concrete structures’ durability is a milestone to improve the sustainability of buildings and infrastructures. In order to ensure a prolonged service life, it is necessary to detect the deterioration of materials by means of monitoring systems aimed at evaluating not only the penetration of aggressive substances into concrete but al...

Poly(lactide) (PLA) and poly(butylene‐adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) blends are among the most promising biodegradable materials for flexible packaging applications and the film blowing is one of the most common techniques to make plastic films. In this work, a study on the effect of the cooling air during the production process of blown films ma...

In this work, an upcycling strategy, aimed to upgrade the performances of recyclates deriving from sorting and mechanical recycling of mixed plastic waste recovered from the urban collection (UPW), is explored. To this aim, UPW samples are firstly analyzed to get information on their polymer constituents (type and relative amount), and then they ar...

Utilization of food-waste-derived bioactive compounds with biodegradable polymers is an attractive strategy leading innovation in the food packaging sector and contributing to reduce the environmental concerns of plastic packaging disposal. In this field, this work is aimed to use hazelnut perisperm as an antioxidant agent in the production of biod...

La crescente attenzione alla sostenibilità ambientale ha spinto al superamento del modello economico lineare, in favore dell’adozione di un modello di economia circolare capace di autosostenersi e autorigenerarsi. La valorizzazione degli scarti provenienti da filiere agro-alimentari rientra appieno nell’ottica dell’economia circolare. Tra queste, q...

Heat-shrinkable films, largely made of polyolefins and widely employed in the packaging sector as collation or barrier films, due to their short service life, are held responsible for high environmental impact. One possible strategy for reduction in their carbon footprint can be the use of biodegradable polymers. Thus, this work aimed to develop no...

Currently, plastic packaging represents a global challenge and has become a key point of attention for governments, media and consumers due to the visibility of the waste it generates. Despite their high resource efficiency, the perceived non-recyclability of polymeric films risks precluding them from being a relevant packaging solution in a circul...

In this work, blown films made by blends of poly (lactide) (PLA) and poly (butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) in a 40/60 mass ratio were developed and characterized. Two types of PLA, differing for their viscosities, were employed, in order to evaluate their effect on the morphology and on the mechanical properties of the films. The blends e...

The management of post-consumer plastic waste (PCPW) is a real challenging issue due to difficulties in effectively identifying and sorting the collected plastics and in their mechanical recycling. Indeed, mechanically recycled post-consumer plastic waste usually shows poor performances compared to virgin materials, due to incompatibility between c...

The issue addressed in this study concerns the hygroscopicity of post-consumer mixed recycled polyolefins (PCMP). PCMP commonly incorporate polar contaminants, responsible of their moisture sorption and bad smell; as a consequence, it is necessary to dehumidify the recycled material before processing it. This represents a strong technical limitatio...

This study focuses on the upgrading strategies to make Fil-s (acronym for film-small), a polyolefin-based material coming from the mechanical recycling of post-consumer flexible packaging, fit for re-use in the piping sector. The effects of washing treatments (at cold and hot conditions) and the addition of an experimental compatibilizer on the che...

In this work, eco-sustainable blown films with improved performance, suitable forflexible packaging applications requiring high ductility, were developed and characterized. Filmswere made by blending two bioplastics with complementary properties—the ductile and flexiblepoly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and the rigid and brittle poly(la...

Polypropylene/carbon nanotubes (PP/CNTs) nanocomposites with different CNTs concentrations (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 wt%) were prepared and tested as strain gauges for structures monitoring. Such sensors were embedded in cementitious mortar prisms and tested in 3-point bending mode recording impedance variation at increasing load. First, thermal (dif...

The use of biopolymers can reduce the environmental impact generated by plastic materials. Among biopolymers, blends made of poly(lactide) (PLA) and poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) prove to have adequate performances for food packaging applications. Therefore, the present work deals with the production and the characterization of blo...

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The realization of antimicrobial films through the incorporation of active agents into a polymer matrix is a promising alternative to the direct addition of antimicrobials into the food matrix. To this aim, the goal of this work was to develop a sustainable, food packaging solution with antimicrobial effectiveness and high functional performance, b...

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a promising technology for the rapid tooling and fabrication of complex geometry components. Among all AM techniques, fused filament fabrication (FFF) is the most widely used technique for polymers. However, the consistency and properties control of the FFF product remains a challenging issue. This study aims to inves...

The aim of this work was to improve the performances of Fil-s (film-small), a recycled material obtained from plastic flexible film waste that is made of polyethylene and a minor amount of polypropylene, with traces of polar contaminants (polyamides, maleic anhydride, etc.). The idea was to upgrade the material’s mechanical properties by applying a...

The use of Textile-Reinforced-Matrix (TRM) systems is gaining consensus as a possible technical solution for strengthening masonry structures. In this context, the use of natural fabrics (among which those made of flax) instead of synthetic ones can have a positive impact on several sustainability-related aspects, such as renewability, recyclabilit...

In this study, the possibility of using a layered silicate-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) in additive manufacturing applications was investigated. In particular, the aim of this work was to study the influence of printing temperature in the 3D printing process of PLA/clay nanocomposites. For this reason, two PLA grades (4032D and 2003D, D-isomer...

In recent years, the increasing interest in environmentally friendly materials has brought the attention of material technologists and civil engineers to natural fibres and their potential use in composite materials. Although several research activities have shown the good mechanical properties of these fibres, their use is still limited due to bot...

The aim of this work was to study the influence of printing temperature in the 3D printing process of PLA/clay nanocomposites. For this reason, PLA 4032D was melt compounded in a twin screw extruder with a layered silicate (Cloisite 30B) at 4 wt%. Then, using a single screw extruder, PLA and PLA/clay filaments were produced so as to obtain the requ...

This work is a preliminary study about the use of hemp powder as filler in a biopolymer, i.e. polylactic acid (PLA), and the following use of such composites in the 3D printing via FDM technique. In particular, hemp powder (diameter between 75 and 180 µm) was added via melt-compounding into PLA 4043D at three different volume percentages (1, 3 and...

The aim of this work is to compare the scavenging performance and oxygen absorption kinetics of active food packaging films, produced by adding the same percentage of two different formulations of polymeric oxygen scavengers, both copolyester based and designed for PET packaging. Rheological analyses were conducted to investigate possible differenc...

The aim of this work is to investigate possible solutions to realize antimicrobial-incorporated biodegradable coatings for active food packaging films. At this purpose, the antimicrobial agent (Ethyl-Nα-dodecanoyl-L-arginate, LAE), a cationic surfactant, was added at different percentages to a PLA coating solution, which was spread on a BOPET subst...

This review presents "a state of the art" report on sustainability in construction materials. The authors propose different solutions to make the concrete industry more environmentally friendly in order to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and consumption of non-renewable resources. Part 1-the present paper-focuses on the use of binders alternative...

The paper represents the "state of the art" on sustainability in construction materials. In Part 1 of the paper, issues related to production, microstructures, chemical nature, engineering properties, and durability of mixtures based on binders alternative to Portland cement were presented. This second part of the paper concerns the use of traditio...

Oxygen absorption measurements in continuous regard active multilayer films with different layouts, all incorporating a PET/Oxygen scavenger (OS) layer, operating as active O2 barrier, inserted between two PET inert layers, acting as passive O2 barrier. The data set is related to “Transport properties of multilayer active PET films with different l...

The ability of films with an active layer of nanoporous–crystalline syndiotactic polystyrene (s-PS) to prolong shelf-life, not only of climacteric but also of non-climacteric fruits, is discussed. Studies on oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in the environment of packaged fruits as well as in s-PS active layers have been combined. Reported r...

In the present study, hygro-thermal and durability related properties of a cementitious mortar containing highly porous foamed aggregates obtained from polymeric end-of-waste materials were investigated. The evaluation of capillary water absorption, thermal conductivity, water vapour permeability and sulfate attack resistance of samples where natur...

Flexible plastic packagings are rapidly gaining market share since they offer significant functional benefits. However, they also pose a challenge from a recycling perspective. In fact, due to the presence of different polymeric fractions and to contamination by organic substances and out-of-target materials, such as paper and metals, the mechanica...

The integration of active scavengers inside polymeric films is still facing technological difficulties related to material storage and handling, because of the rapid exhaustion of the scavenger due to the reduced thickness involved. Therefore, the development of multilayer active structures and the optimization of active and inert layers configurat...

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Hygro-thermal and durability properties of a lightweight mortar made with foamed plastic waste aggregates” (Coppola et al., 2018) [1]. This article focuses the attention on thermal conductivity, water vapour permeability and water absorption of a lightweight cementitio...

Oxygen scavenger applications in flexible food packaging are still limited due to the difficulty to ensure scavenging activity during storage and throughout the product shelf life. To avoid fast inactivation of the scavenger, multilayer active structures can be realized by inserting the active layer between two or more inert layers. In this work, a...

In this work, the influence of composition and cold-drawing on nano- and micro-scale morphology and tensile mechanical properties of PE/organoclay nanocomposite fibers was investigated. Nanocomposites were prepared by melt compounding in a twin-screw extruder, using a maleic anhydride grafted linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE–g–MA) and an orga...

The aim of the study was the development of a multi-functional, high-performance, fully biodegradable multi-layer polylactic acid (PLA) film for food packaging applications. In particular, sealable multi-layer PLA/clay nanocomposite systems with different layouts in terms of composition and relative thickness of the layers, all consisting of a PLA/...

Transport, mechanical and global migration data concern multilayer food packaging films with different layout, all incorporating a layered silicate/polyamide nanocomposite as oxygen barrier layer, and a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as moisture resistant layer in direct contact with food. The data are related to “Tuning of co-extrusion processing...

Despite the great potentialities of nanotechnology for food packaging applications, there are still a number of important issues to consider, mainly regarding the safety concerns and the industrial scale-up. A feasible solution to overcome the problem of possible nanoparticles migration can be the use of a functional barrier between the nanomateria...

Microwaveable packaging material should ensure good preservation of the product before cooking/ heating such as high barriers to gases and aromas and adequate control of water vapor transmission. Among the polymers used in flexible packaging, crystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate) (CPET) is characterized by good oxygen barrier properties and quit...

The aim of the work was to test three flexible polyurethane foams for mattress for comfort and durability. In particular, they were investigated the effects of foam composition and cell architecture on some physical-mechanical properties of interest for bedding applications and related to foam comfort levels (i.e. surface firmness, hysteresis loss...

Copolyamide nanocomposites, based on sepiolite needle-like clay, were prepared through melt extrusion at different silicate loadings. The hybrid materials were characterized in terms of both thermal and rheological properties. A fine dispersion of the nanoparticles was evidenced by the dynamic rheological behavior of the composites. Moreover, the p...

In this work a new organosilylated clay was successfully synthesized by functionalization of a natural sodium montmorillonite (MMT) by (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GOPTMS). This organosilylated clay was used as nanofiller for preparation, by solvent casting, of poly(lactic acid) nanocomposite systems. Similar systems, containing as nanofi...

The aim of this work was to study the influence of drawing process on the mechanical properties of polyethylene/clay fibers. To this extent, three different PE/clay blends (3, 5 and 10 wt.%) were prepared by melt compounding in a twin-screw extruder. The investigated clay was a commercial organically modified montmorillonite (Dellite 67G). After co...

There is described a new disordered nanoporous crystalline form of syndiotactic polystyrene, characterized by a specific X-ray diffractrogram, the process for its preparation and various articles comprising this form of s-PS. This disordered nanoporous crystalline form exhibits empty crystalline cavities of nanometric sizes, and in this case perfor...

The functionalization of a natural sodium montmorillonite (MMT) with (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane by a silylation procedure is presented, and its use as nanofiller in the melt compounding of low density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites. In particular, the effects on the thermal stability and flame retardant properties of melt compounded...

The coating technology is a strategic solution to improve the properties of flexible packaging films. Indeed, additional functional layers are often designed and added as coating on the substrate, in order to improve the characteristic of the flexible packaging and to meet the requirements for the desired gas or vapour barrier, for adhesion and sea...

Three commercial flexible polyurethane foams used for mattress have been submitted to chemical-physical analyses, water vapor permeability and compression mechanical tests, in order to understand the relationships among their composition, structure, and some functional properties of interest for bedding applications. The results demonstrated that a...

The blown extrusion of poly(lactic acid) presents several challenges mainly due to its poor elongation properties. This work deals on the possibility to enhance the processabiliy of PLA by film blowing by functionalizing the polymer with nanosilicates. In particular, two types of polylactic acid (PLA 4032D and PLA 4042D) and different types of fill...

In this work we report on the functionalization of a natural sodium montmorillonite (MMT) with (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane by a silylation procedure and on its use as nanofiller in melt compounding of polyethylene nanocomposites. The obtained organosilylated clay showed higher interlayer spacing than the original MMT and higher thermal st...

Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) have been widely used for a variety of applications such as fibers, coating, adhesives, and biomedical items because of their melt processability and versatile properties essentially related to their intrinsic two-phase segmented structure. However, their low stiffness and tensile strength as well as their weak ba...

The barrier performance of multilayer polymeric films for food applications has been significantly improved by incorporating oxygen scavenging materials. The scavenging activity depends on parameters such as diffusion coefficient, solubility, concentration of scavenger loaded and the number of available reactive sites. These parameters influence th...

In recent years, changes in life standards have promoted the diffusion of Ready to Cook (RTC) and Ready to Eat (RTE) products for microwave ovens. However, the main limits in microwave (MW) ovens usage are often related to the proper choice of packaging materials suitable for such technology. In fact, packages for microwaveable RTC and RTE foods sh...

Currently, the growing consumption of polymer products creates large quantities of waste materials resulting in public concern in the environment and people life. The efficient treatment of polymer wastes is still a difficult challenge and the recycling process represents the best way to manage them. Recently, many researchers have tried to develop...

Fiber reinforced cementitious composite (FRCC) materials have been widely used during last decades in order to overcome some of traditional cementitious materials issues: brittle behaviour, fire resistance, cover spalling, impact strength. For composite materials, fiber/matrix bond plays an important role because by increasing fiber/matrix interact...

The coating technology is a strategic solution to improve the properties of flexible packaging films. Indeed, additional functional layers are often designed and added as coating on the substrate, in order to improve the characteristic of the flexible packaging and to meet the requirements for the desired gas or vapour barrier, for adhesion and sea...

In this work three commercial flexible polyurethane foams used for mattress have been submitted to artificial accelerated weathering in a climatic chamber in order to investigate its effect on their structure and some functional properties of interest for bedding applications. FT-IR and colorimetric analyses demonstrated that during weathering all...

This study aims to verify the effectiveness of a biodegradable PLA coating on biaxially oriented poly ethylene terephthalate (BOPET) films substrates in order to develop a biodegradable sealant layer for improving the functional properties of polyester films. In particular, this work focuses on the evaluation of different surface treated BOPET film...

In recent years, consumer demand for environmental sustainability and legislative actions has pushed the plastic packaging industry toward biobased plastics. However, despite the advantages related to their ecofriendly nature, the commercial large-scale application of biobased polymers as substitutes for conventional petroleum-derived plastic as pa...

In this work, a biodegradable oxygen scavenger system, which consists of α-tocopherol-loaded poly(lactic)acid microparticles containing 40 wt% of the natural antioxidant agent, was prepared by an oil in water (O/W) emulsion-solvent evaporation method. The preparation procedure assured high encapsulation efficiency and production yield and gives no...

In this work the relationships between system composition, polymer–organoclay interaction, morphology and rheological response, under shear, and elongational flow, of different melt compounded polylactic acid (PLA)/organoclay nanocomposites are investigated, with the aim to properly select the better organoclay for a well-specified PLA grade and pr...

Polymeric active materials represent an innovative food packaging concept that has been introduced to improve the quality of foods and to enhance their shelf life. In this article, the effect of the inclusion of an oxygen scavenger in a polymeric matrix, realizing multilayer active polyester films by coextrusion process, is analyzed. In particular,...

The aim of the work was to manufacture, using a laboratory-scale film production pilot plant, nanocomposite polylactic acid (PLA) films added with Cloisite 30B clay-derived nanofiller having one nanometric dimension, and to characterize and to assess the migration of the obtained systems, in view of food packaging applications. The study demonstrat...

The present work focuses on the possibility of conveniently tuning materials in PLA based nanocomposites in order to improve their processability in manufacturing processes where extensional flow is mainly involved. Nanocomposites at a constant silicate loading were produced by melt compounding, using a commercial polylactide grade (PLA 4032D) and...

This work deals on the possibility to improve performances of PLA-based nanocomposite films, for packaging applications, through conveniently tuning materials and processing conditions in melt compounding technology. In particular, two types of polylactic acid and different types of filler selected from montmorillonites and bentonites families were...

In this work we report on the preparation and characterization of a biodegradable active PLA film (aPLA), intended for food packaging applications. The film was obtained by cast extrusion blending a commercial PLA matrix with an active system, developed in our laboratory and based on PLA microparticles containing a-tocopherol (aTCP) as natural anti...

A preliminary study on bi-layer virgin/contaminated polypropylene co-extruded films was performed in order to evaluate the possibility to realize an effective functional barrier in PP-based multi-layer systems. In particular, the specific migration in 10% v/v aqueous ethanol of two surrogate contaminants (phenyl-cyclohexane and benzophenone) contai...

Multilayer films of a conventional linear low-density poly(ethylene/a-octene) (LLDPE) and a metallocene linear low-density poly(ethylene/a-hexene) (mLLDPE) copolymers were produced by cast co-extrusion process. Coextruded films were obtained by varying the position and the relative thicknesses of the two polymers. Mechanical (tensile and impact) te...