Polymer Testing最新文献

{"title":"Skin/core fracture toughness of sandwich structures: a comparison of different experimental arrangements","authors":"Amal Alliyankal Vijayakumar ,&nbsp;Muhammad Zahid ,&nbsp;Stefano G. Corvaglia ,&nbsp;Alfonso Maffezzoli","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108904","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108904","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermoplastic sandwich structures are most prominently used due to their intrinsic strength-to-weight ratio, recyclability, damping capabilities, and ease of processing. Nonetheless, skin/core debonding is a critical failure mode, limiting the stress transfer between the skin and core. This research adopts a cost-effective thermoforming approach for simultaneous commingled E-glass/Polypropylene (PP) fabric consolidation and closed-cell PP foam core bonding via a one-stage non-isothermal process. Several test methods have been developed to optimise and evaluate the interfacial bonding, analysing Mode I fracture energy. This study introduces a novel comparative evaluation of different variants of single cantilever beam (SCB) arrangements for measuring the Mode I interfacial fracture toughness of a single polymer (PP) sandwich structure, adopting a fixed and a horizontal sliding constraint for the sandwich panel. A rigid base with a flexible rod for load application was also used. Additionally, the study analyses the effects of skin thickness on testing arrangements and fracture toughness. The SCB with a sliding constraint is considered the most suitable configuration for measuring the Mode I-dominant fracture toughness of sandwich structures with varying skin thicknesses. However, the flexible long-loading rod and roller base configurations yield similar fracture toughness values for sandwich structures with thicker skins. The predominant mix Mode crack propagation at the crack tip limited the applicability of SCB with a rigid base in evaluating the pure Mode I. The skin thickness significantly affects the fracture toughness and debonding paths in sandwich structures. Throughout all Mode I arrangements and skin thicknesses, the crack advanced through densified or undeformed foam cells, indicating skin/core fusion bonding via the one-stage process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108904"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144335771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Europium-labelled nanopolystyrene as model nanoplastics for environmental fate investigations: Synthesis and optimisation","authors":"Rega Permana ,&nbsp;Swati Sharma ,&nbsp;Christopher Stark ,&nbsp;David Price ,&nbsp;Christian Pfrang ,&nbsp;Eugenia Valsami-Jones","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108903","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108903","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanoplastics (NPLs) have emerged as pervasive environmental contaminants, reaching remote regions and even crossing biological barriers such as the human blood-brain barrier. Their biomolecule-like composition, primarily composed of carbon and hydrogen, complicates detection using conventional analytical methods. To overcome this challenge, a tracer-doped plastic matrix was developed to enable rapid and precise detection, tracking, and analysis of NPLs. In this study, europium (Eu), a rare-earth metal, was used to label polystyrene-based NPLs, chosen for their abundance in environmental samples. The NPLs were synthesised through a two-step dispersion polymerisation process involving styrene (monomer), potassium persulfate (initiator), sodium dodecyl sulfate (surfactant), and Eu (dopant). Response Surface Methodology with Central Composite Design (RSM-CCD) was employed to optimise the synthesis parameters, and ANOVA confirmed the model's significance and robustness. The suitability of the labelling technique was confirmed by measuring the Eu-doped NPLs using single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS). The results demonstrated a strong linear relationship between the concentration of Eu dopant, the total mass of the Eu-doped NPLs, and the number of individual Eu-doped NPL particles. Under optimised conditions the NPLs achieved a hydrodynamic size of 121.47 ± 0.89 nm and a dopant concentration of 0.12 wt%. Leaching tests conducted over seven days in deionised water (DIW) and artificial seawater (ASW) showed less than 0.5 % dopant loss, indicating robust encapsulation of Eu within the polymer matrix. This labelling approach provides a reliable method for the quantitative analysis of NPLs, enabling more accurate assessments of their behaviour and toxicity in various environmental contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108903"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144366809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of freezing-microwave assisted alkali treatment on physicochemical and thermomechanical properties of bamboo","authors":"Beilong Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaolan Yin ,&nbsp;Haixia Yu ,&nbsp;Zhiqiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Weilian Qin ,&nbsp;Xiu Hao","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108905","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108905","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high lignin content and longitudinally arranged fibers endow bamboo with high hardness and brittleness, but also make it difficult for bamboo to bend or form during processing. To address the above problem, this study presents a treatment method based on freezing or freezing-microwave assisted alkali — sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or calcium oxide (CaO) — softening bamboo, and enhances bamboo stability by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG-4000). The softened bamboo was characterized using chromaticity analysis, microscopic morphology, X-ray diffraction, dynamic mechanical analysis, and contact angle measurement. The treatment of freezing followed by microwaving effectively promoted the hydrolysis of hemicellulose, reduced the crystallinity of bamboo, and increased the contact angle significantly. Therefore, freezing-microwave treatment could better improve the hydrophobic properties of bamboo. The decrease in storage modulus (E′) is an important index to measure the decline in bamboo rigidity. The E′ of NaOH impregnated bamboo decreased from 5159.45 to 314.80 MPa during the freezing-microwave assisted treatment. In contrast, the E′ of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) impregnated bamboo decreased from 3434.21 to 125.35 MPa. The results indicate the saturation characteristics of the Ca(OH)₂ solution better balance the alkali concentration. This mild alkaline environment caused little damage to the internal structure, and better retained the fiber strength and overall stability of bamboo. Notably, the waste liquid of Ca(OH)₂ can react with carbon dioxide, and its raw material, CaO, has low cost and a simple production process. This advantage promotes the concept of sustainable development of green environmental protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108905"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144480322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlations between micro mechanical analyses and macro-scale mechanical properties of PPS/basalt fiber composites designed from commingled yarns","authors":"I. Castro-Cabrera,&nbsp;B. Gaumond,&nbsp;D. Cieslak,&nbsp;J.F. Gerard,&nbsp;S. Livi,&nbsp;J. Rumeau-Duchet","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108894","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108894","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To reduce the environmental impacts of the transportation while enhancing safety and fuel efficiency, the development of lightweight, high-performance composites is imperative. To meet this challenge, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites reinforced with basalt fibers (BF) are investigated with a focus on advanced manufacturing techniques via commingled yarns (CY). In fact, basalt fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs) are promising candidates across diverse industrial -from automotive to aerospace-owing to their superior mechanical properties and thermal stability. This work bridges the gap between the micro and the macro-mechanical performance of PPS/basalt fiber yarns and their composites by systematically evaluating the key role of fiber-matrix interface. Two different sizing formulations were compared against unsized fiber <em>-</em>one based on polyamide-polyurethane and epoxy-unsaturated polyester. Comprehensive surface characterization including chemical composition analysis, micro-tensile testing, wettability, and morphology assessments, was performed to evaluate micro-scale performance. Pull-out adhesion test quantified improvements in the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) from up to 360 % relative to unsized fibers. At the macro-scale, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) tests established a quantitative relationship with micro-scale phenomena, revealing a 60 % enhancement in mechanical performance when using the optimal film former. Lastly Weibull statistical analyses were performed to examine the role of sizing during CY processing on fiber failure distribution, demonstrating the effective protection provided to fibers during processing and distinguishing major differences between sizing formulation. Collectively, these results provide valuable insights for the design of high-performance composites based on basalt fibers and a PPS matrix.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108894"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low content of modified-SCF in waterborne epoxy: mechanical properties and interfacial microstructure","authors":"Afagh Panahi Moghadam,&nbsp;Kourosh Shirvani","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108881","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108881","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Silanization treatment technology for carbon fiber (CFs) has achieved significant advancements, leading to enhancing the interfacial behavior of polymer matrix. Unfortunately, there has been limited research on the impact of silanized short carbon fiber (SCF) on the mechanical properties of waterborne epoxy (WEP) resin. Herein, to improve the interfacial behavior between SCF and WEP, 3-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy Silane (GPMS) was applied to SCF. To extend the successful surface modification, waste CFs was utilized to produce SCFs and subsequently treated with low amount of GPMS (0.1 g). The appearance of new peaks at 1000-1110 cm⁻¹ in the FTIR spectra confirm the formation of <em>Si</em>-O-C bonds on the surface of SCF, creating a chemical bridge between the epoxy matrix and SCF. EDS analysis shows that adding 0.1 g of silane resulted in a 1.7 at% Si on the SCF surface. Higher silane concentrations increased the SCF diameter and its surface smoothness. The effect of functional groups containing Si, on the mechanical properties of SCF reinforced WEP were investigated. The Raman analysis results indicated that the I_D/I_G ratio of SCF increased from 0.86 to 0.95, while the graphitic structure on the surface of SCF diminished after desizing treatment. The <em>Shore D hardness of silanized-SCF/WEP composite</em> increased from 60 to 80 Shore D compared to other specimens. The tensile strength of WEP reinforced with silanized-SCF increased by about 50 % compared to pure-SCF. The results showed that in presence of silanized-SCF, the distinctive feature in WEP structure is displayed after tensile test. Cross-linking formed from the entanglement between GPMS molecules and WEP lead to improving interfacial adhesion, preventing crack growth and preserve the parabola form in WEP structure. In addition, the results showed that with the same load cell in bending test, WEP containing silanized-SCF did not break at all after applying the load. These findings can be applied to the economically development of WEP composite.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108881"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144312935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on interlayer damage and shear behavior of CFRP twill interlocking and CFRP unidirectional fiber bridging","authors":"Di Gai ,&nbsp;Shengjie Yu ,&nbsp;Lin Huo ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Yao ,&nbsp;Shiyu Yang ,&nbsp;Mingyang Wang ,&nbsp;Xuguang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108883","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108883","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study systematically investigates the interlaminar damage characteristics and shear behavior of unidirectional (UD) and twill (TW) carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabrics through experimental and numerical analyses. The research highlights the differences in crack propagation and damage mechanisms between UD and TW CFRP, as well as the influence of hybrid layering on the mechanical properties of composites. Double cantilever beam (DCB) tests were employed to quantify the fiber bridging phenomenon in UD CFRP and elucidate the crack propagation mechanisms in both UD and TW configurations. Four-point bending tests were conducted to explore the interlaminar strength, energy dissipation characteristics, and failure behavior of UD and TW CFRP. DCB test results revealed that UD specimens exhibited high-frequency, small-amplitude load drops associated with fiber bridging and rupture, whereas TW specimens demonstrated low-frequency, large-amplitude load drops primarily driven by matrix cracking and interfacial debonding. Four-point bending tests indicated that, although the interlaminar strength of TW specimens was comparable to that of UD specimens, their energy dissipation capacity was significantly higher. Additionally, the study examined the interlaminar shear behavior of hybrid UD-TW layups. The results demonstrated that hybrid layering led to a notable reduction in bending beam strength due to increased interlaminar shear stress, resulting in delamination and damage within the UD layers. Microscopic observations confirmed that the damage mechanisms in hybrid layups were governed by the combined effects of fiber shear behavior in UD layers and fiber interlocking in TW layers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108883"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144288724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of printing configuration on the resulting topology and antibacterial effectiveness of PVDF-graphene composites","authors":"Antrea Spanou ,&nbsp;Karin Hjort ,&nbsp;Ken Welch ,&nbsp;Dan I. Andersson ,&nbsp;Cecilia Persson","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108895","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108895","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inherently antibacterial materials could be an effective method to reduce the spread and impact of bacterial infections when incorporated into healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to examine whether additively manufactured PVDF-graphene nanoplatelet composites could confer antibacterial effects. The composites and reference filaments were produced with thermal compounding extrusion, which is a scalable method commonly used in industry, and were successfully printed using fused filament fabrication. The composites reduced bacterial attachment by 21 % and 81 % within the first hour of exposure for <em>Escherichia coli</em> and <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> respectively, when graphene flakes were exposed on the surface of the samples. <em>E. coli</em> strains were also examined for biofilm formation on the developed materials, but no additional antibacterial effect was seen, most likely because of the limited exposure of the graphene nanoplatelets on the surface of the samples. It was found that the surface topology resulting from different printing configurations, as well as the exposure time to bacteria had a significant influence on the biological response to the samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108895"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling and application of temperature-dependent elastic constants in continuous fiber-reinforced shape memory polymer composites","authors":"Jiajun Chen,&nbsp;Chen Du,&nbsp;Wenwu Zhang,&nbsp;Penghui Zhu,&nbsp;Qinghu Wang,&nbsp;Xiongqi Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108882","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108882","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The mechanical properties of continuous fiber-reinforced shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) exhibit a pronounced temperature dependence. However, exiting models for elastic constants are not specifically developed for SMPCs. In this study, analytical models based on a revised Eshelby's inclusion theory are developed to predict the temperature-dependent longitudinal, transverse, and flexural moduli of SMPCs. Experimental data from the literature, covering SMPCs with various fiber volume fractions (4.32 %, 6.36 % and 12.97 %), are used to validate the proposed models. Validation results show high predictive accuracy for flexural modulus across all fiber content systems, while predictions for longitudinal and transverse moduli exhibit limitations at the high fiber contents (12.97 %). To overcome these constraints, a refined Rule of Mixtures for longitudinal modulus and a revised Chamis model for transverse modulus are introduced. Further numerical investigations on several classic micromechanical models reveal that the revised Chamis formulation effectively captures the temperature-dependent evolution of shear modulus. Furthermore, by incorporating the concept of storage strain, these analytical models are implemented into the commercial finite element software ABAQUS via the UMAT subroutine, enabling finite element simulation of SMPC shape memory cycles. The recovery stress under different constraining strain is also numerically investigated. Overall, the results demonstrate the developed model's capability to predict the temperature-dependent elastic constants and shape memory behavior of SMPCs. This framework bridges critical gaps between micromechanical theory and macroscale SMPC performance, providing a robust tool for multi-physics-coupled smart structure design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108882"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sensitivity analysis of process parameters on the properties of carbon fiber reinforced polyether-ether-ketone composites in screw extrusion 3D printing","authors":"Siwei Lu ,&nbsp;Beining Zhang ,&nbsp;Yunze Wang ,&nbsp;Jincang Bai ,&nbsp;Chuncheng Yang ,&nbsp;Changning Sun ,&nbsp;Dichen Li","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Material extrusion based on screw extrusion has garnered increasing attention due to its extensive material processing capabilities and high compatibility. However, the relationship between the process parameters in screw extrusion and the properties of the parts requires further investigation. The study aims to investigate the sensitivity of the mechanical properties of short carbon fiber-reinforced polyether-ether-ketone (SCF/PEEK) printed parts to the process parameters in screw extrusion 3D printing. The effects of varying process parameters on the mechanical properties of the parts were investigated through a combination of numerical simulation and experimental testing. The results indicate that extrusion temperature, speed, and nozzle diameter significantly influence the melt extrusion pressure during the extrusion process. Regarding part strength, the most influential parameters were printing temperature and annealing temperature, followed by filling angle, nozzle diameter, printing layer height, and printing line width, while printing speed and annealing time had relatively minor effects on strength. Under the optimized process parameters, the maximum tensile and flexural strengths of the specimens reached 148.8 MPa and 222.1 MPa, respectively. The process parameters affect the mechanical properties and surface morphology of the specimen by influencing the inter- or intra-layer bonding, porosity, and crystallinity. This research offers a crucial theoretical foundation and practical guidance for enhancing the performance of screw-extruded 3D-printed parts, facilitating further applications in this field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108884"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144290486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving mesophilic anaerobic digestion of compostable packaging through efficient and versatile thermo-alkaline pre-treatment","authors":"Gaël Huet ,&nbsp;Julie Lamarque ,&nbsp;Florian Monlau ,&nbsp;Valentin Puchelle ,&nbsp;Cecilia Sambusiti ,&nbsp;Juliana Catalina Suarez Murcia ,&nbsp;Sandra Domenek ,&nbsp;Florian Pion ,&nbsp;Emmanuelle Gastaldi","doi":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108896","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108896","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the current European regulatory context, which requires its Member States to collect biowaste separately with a view to its organic recovery, the co-processing of compostable food packaging with biowaste by mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) offers the dual opportunity of promoting its conversion into biogas while reducing plastic contamination of the environment. However, most packaging items on the market - particularly those made from poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate (PBS) - show poor biodegradability under mesophilic AD conditions. To overcome this limitation, thermo-alkaline pre-treatments conditions were carried out to hydrolyze the most resistant polymers and improve their digestibility during AD. As PBAT is the most recalcitrant, the pre-treatment conditions were first optimized using pure PBAT, before extending the application to various compostable commercial items, including bags and coffee capsules. Optimal pre-treatment conditions (3 M KOH at 70 °C for 4 h) allowed for the effective solubilization of all the items tested. As a result, Biochemical Methane Potentials (BMP) were significantly increased with improvements ranging from 2 to 3 times for bags and 1.4 to 17 times for coffee capsules, even though they contained PBAT, PLA or PBS. By sufficiently reducing the molecular weight of recalcitrant polymers so that they can be assimilated by microorganisms, this pre-treatment has demonstrated its ability to enable their biodegradation in mesophilic AD. This versatile and universal pre-treatment approach offers a promising solution recovering biowaste with compostable packaging by converting them into methane while improving the quality of AD digestates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20628,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Testing","volume":"150 ","pages":"Article 108896"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}