Physico-Chemical Properties of the Pyrolytic Residue Obtained by Different Treatment Conditions of Meat and Bone Meal.

The depletion of phosphate rock reserves has led to the search for new, alternative and environmentally friendly products and processes. One of the safe and environmentally friendly sources of phosphate is animal bone char (ABC), the residue from the pyrolysis of meat and bone meal (MBM), a slaughterhouse waste material. The presented study investigated the physico-chemical properties of the residues (ABC) obtained from the pyrolysis of MBM under different treatment conditions. Two different end temperatures (600 °C and 1000 °C) and five different heating rates (5 °C min-1, 10 °C min-1, 20 °C min-1, 50 °C min-1 and 100 °C min-1) were used. The ABC samples obtained were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy, elemental CHNS analysis and SEM/EDS analysis. The results showed the strong influence of both the pyrolysis end temperature and the heating rate on the morphology and chemical composition of the final products.

An extensive characterization of various environmentally relevant microplastics - Material properties, leaching and ecotoxicity testing.

Microplastics in the environment occur in different sizes and shapes and are made of various polymers. Therefore, they also considerably differ in their properties and ecotoxicity. However, the majority of microplastics research uses pre-made spherical microplastics, which practically do not exist in the environment. Our work focused on a comprehensive study of six different types of microplastic that were prepared to simulate common microplastics found in the environment. All types of microplastics where chemically and physically characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and laser diffraction analysis. The specific surface area was determined using the BET method. Furthermore, effects of microplastics and microplastic leachates on a common duckweed (Lemna minor) were evaluated. All tested microplastics did not affect specific growth rate and chlorophyll a content in duckweed, while microplastics with a rough surface and sharp edges caused a significant reduction of duckweed root length. Microplastics made of Bakelite also showed an intensive leaching, which increased their ecotoxicity potential. Natural particles used as a control did not have any negative effect on duckweed. Overall, microplastic particles have significantly different ecotoxicity profiles depending on their physico-chemical properties. Therefore, the testing of environmentally relevant particles and their proper characterization, as well as the testing of microplastic leaching properties, is crucial for understanding of microplastics ecotoxicological potential.

Influence of the Prepolymer Type and Synthesis Parameters on Self-Healing Anticorrosion Properties of Composite Coatings Containing Isophorone Diisocyanate-Loaded Polyurethane Microcapsules.

Self-healing anticorrosion composite coatings containing isophorone diisocyanate-loaded polyurethane microcapsules were developed, and comprehensive research on prepolymer and microcapsules synthesis, as well as functional composite coatings preparation and characterization, was performed. The influence of the prepolymer type and the concentration of the stabilizing agent used in the synthesis procedure on the properties of the microcapsules was studied in detail. For this purpose, three different prepolymers were prepared from toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) and either glycerol, 1,4-butanediol, or 1,6-hexanediol, and their chemical properties were investigated. Microcapsules were synthesized from the obtained prepolymers, according to the oil-in-water polymerization method, where 1,6-hexanediol was used as a chain extender, while the concentration of the stabilizing agent in the synthesis procedure was varied. Microcapsules prepared from TDI-glycerol prepolymer, synthesized in the presence of 10 wt% of the stabilizing agent, showed superior chemical, morphological, and thermo-gravimetrical properties; thus, they were incorporated into the coating in the concentration of 20 wt%. The prepared composite coatings demonstrated self-healing and anticorrosion properties, and thus the developed microcapsules show great potential for the incorporation into the composite anticorrosion coatings at critical points where damage can easily occur, providing longer and more efficient anticorrosion protection.

Copper(II) Complexes with Mixed Heterocycle Ligands as Promising Antibacterial and Antitumor Species.

Complexes with mixed ligands [Cu(N-N)2(pmtp)](ClO4)2 ((1) N-N: 2,2'-bipyridine; (2) L: 1,10-phenanthroline and pmpt: 5-phenyl-7-methyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine) were synthesized and structurally and biologically characterized. Compound (1) crystallizes into space group Pa and (2) in P-1. Both complexes display an intermediate stereochemistry between the two five-coordinated ones. The biological tests indicated that the two compounds exhibited superoxide scavenging capacity, intercalative DNA properties, and metallonuclease activity. Tests on various cell systems indicated that the two complexes neither interfere with the proliferation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae or BJ healthy skin cells, nor cause hemolysis in the active concentration range. Nevertheless, the compounds showed antibacterial potential, with complex (2) being significantly more active than complex (1) against all tested bacterial strains, both in planktonic and biofilm growth state. Both complexes exhibited a very good activity against B16 melanoma cells, with a higher specificity being displayed by compound (1). Taken together, the results indicate that complexes (1) and (2) have specific biological relevance, with potential for the development of antitumor or antimicrobial drugs.

Characterization of Polyamide 6/Multilayer Graphene Nanoplatelet Composite Textile Filaments Obtained Via In Situ Polymerization and Melt Spinning.

Studies of the production of fiber-forming polyamide 6 (PA6)/graphene composite material and melt-spun textile fibers are scarce, but research to date reveals that achieving the high dispersion state of graphene is the main challenge to nanocomposite production. Considering the significant progress made in the industrial mass production of graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs), this study explored the feasibility of production of PA6/GnPs composite fibers using the commercially available few-layer GnPs. To this aim, the GnPs were pre-dispersed in molten ε-caprolactam at concentrations equal to 1 and 2 wt %, and incorporated into the PA6 matrix by the in situ water-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactam, which was followed by melt spinning. The results showed that the incorporated GnPs did not markedly influence the melting temperature of PA6 but affected the crystallization temperature, fiber bulk structure, crystallinity, and mechanical properties. Furthermore, GnPs increased the PA6 complex viscosity, which resulted in the need to adjust the parameters of melt spinning to enable continuous filament production. Although the incorporation of GnPs did not provide a reinforcing effect of PA6 fibers and reduced fiber tensile properties, the thermal stability of the PA6 fiber increased. The increased melt viscosity and graphene anti-dripping properties postponed melt dripping in the vertical flame spread test, which consequently prolonged burning within the samples.

Effect of Different Flame-Retardant Bridged DOPO Derivatives on Properties of in Situ Produced Fiber-Forming Polyamide 6.

The production of sustainable and effective flame retardant (FR) polyamide 6 (PA6) fibrous materials requires the establishment of a novel approach for the production of polyamide 6/FR nanodispersed systems. This research work explores the influence of three different flame-retardant bridged 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) derivatives on the comprehensive properties of in situ produced PA6/FR systems. To this end, in situ water-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactam was conducted in the presence of three different bridged DOPO derivatives, e.g., one P-N bond phosphonamidate derivative and two P-C bond phosphinate derivatives. The selected bridged DOPO derivatives mainly act in the gas phase at the temperatures that relatively match the PA6 pyrolysis specifics. The effects of the FRs on the dispersion state, morphological, molecular, structural, melt-rheological, and thermal properties of the in situ synthesized PA6 were evaluated. The specific advantage of this approach is one-step production of PA6 with uniformly distributed nanodispersed FR, which was obtained in the case of all three applied FRs. However, the applied FRs differently interacted with monomer and polymer during the polymerization, which was reflected in the length of PA6 chains, crystalline structure, and melt-rheological properties. The applied FRs provided a comparable effect on the thermal stability of PA6 and stabilization of the PA6/FR systems above 450 °C in the oxygen-assisted pyrolysis. However, only with the specifically designed FR molecule were the comprehensive properties of the fiber-forming PA6 satisfied for the continuous conduction of the melt-spinning process.

Structural and luminescent properties of Eu2+ and Nd3+-doped mixed alkaline earth aluminates prepared by the sol-gel method.

Alkaline earth aluminates with the overall nominal compositions Mg0.5Sr0.5Al2O4 (MSA), Ca0.5Mg0.5Al2O4 (CMA) and Ca0.5Sr0.5Al2O4 (CSA) doped with 0.5 mol% of Eu2+ and 0.25 mol% of Nd3+ ions were obtained by a modified aqueous sol-gel method and annealed in a reducing atmosphere at 900, 1000, 1100 and 1300 °C. The sample structures were investigated by XRD. Solid solubility was only confirmed for the CSA samples. UV-excited luminescence was observed in the blue region (λ = 440 nm) in the samples of CMA containing the monoclinic CaAl2O4 phase and in the green region (λ = 512 nm) in the samples of MSA containing hexagonal or monoclinic phases of SrAl2O4. The CSA samples, besides the blue region, exhibited an extended shoulder in the green region, which proved the existence of some pure strontium phases. Co-doped Nd3+ ions did not affect the wavelength of the emitted light, but the persistent luminescence at room temperature was greatly extended with respect to the aluminates doped with Eu2+ ions only.

Structural and Luminescent Properties of Eu2+-doped Aluminates Prepared by the Sol-gel Method.

Alkaline earth aluminates with the overall nominal compositions Mg0.5Sr0.5Al2O4 (MSA), Ca0.5Sr0.5Al2O4 (CSA) and Ca0.5Mg0.5Al2O4 (CMA) doped with 0.5 or 1 mol% of Eu2+ ions were obtained by a modified aqueous sol-gel method and annealed in a reductive atmosphere at 900, 1000, 1100 and 1300 °C. The sample compositions and their structures were studied by XRD employing the Rietveld method. Solid solubility was confirmed in CSA only, due to the similar ionic radii of Ca2+ and Sr2+. UV excited luminescence was observed in the blue region (λ = 440 nm) in samples of CSA and CMA containing the monoclinic phase of CaAl2O4 and in the green region (λ = 512 nm) in samples of MSA containing hexagonal or monoclinic phases of SrAl2O4.