Syllabus
Introduction to polymers, definitions (polymer, plastic, thermoplastics vs. thermosets, elastomers vs. rubbers, polymers of biological origin, biodegradable, natural and synthetic polymers)
Sources of polymer wastes (technological vs. industrial waste, plastics in a municipal waste, identification and sorting of plastic waste)
Degradation vs. stability of polymers (types of degradation mechanisms, factors affecting degradation, methods of polymer stabilization)
Physical (material) methods of polymer recycling (compatibilization of thermoplastics)
Chemical methods of polymer recycling (types, conditions, examples)
Feedstock recycling and energy recovery
Criteria for the selection of suitable recycling technology (the concept of LCA, etc.)
Plastics with targeted life time, biopolymers and biodegradable plastics (polyesters, polymers based on carbohydrates, vegetable oils, cellulose, lignin, etc.), monitoring and evaluation of biodegradation
The concept of green chemistry for the synthesis of polymers (plastics from renewable resources, enzymatic catalysis, algae as a raw material for synthesis of polymers, etc.)
Annotation
Students will be familiar with the reuse and recycling of conventional plastics and alternative plastic materials with targeted life time (biodegradable plastics) and based on renewable raw materials.