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The Role of Residual Contaminants and Recycling Steps on Rheological Properties of Recycled Polypropylene

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Abstract

Recycling of polymers is one of the alternatives to reduce the impact of polymers presence on the environmental. However, the contaminants, defined as non-intentionally added substances, present in recycled material may migrate into food and also change its molecular structure. This work addresses the extractability/migration of contaminants from polypropylene (PP) samples into food simulants and the influence of these contaminants on the molecular structure of recycled PP. For this PP was contaminated with several substances to simulate a “worst-case” scenario and, then it was submitted to a recycling process. Extractability tests were performed by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy both to evaluate the presence of contaminants in the PP samples and their ability to migrate in food simulants. Additionally, molecular changes of the PP samples were evaluated by oscillatory rheometry. After washing and extrusion of the PP samples the extractability results showed considerable reductions of migrations in the food simulants and indicated, in some cases, compliance with regulations for using recycled polymer in contact with food. The residual contaminants were present in the polymer, the high temperatures and shear rates play an important role in molecular changes. Finally, the results highlight the importance of the use of rheological measurements to detect the influence of contaminants in recycled materials. Their presence result in material with different molar mass, that may be applied in different market applications.

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The data are in public repository at UFSCar: https://repositorio.ufscar.br/

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful for the financial and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for Grants 2017/23659-9 and 2016/25703-2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Department, Center for Exact Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Rodovia Washington Luís, Km 235, 10 SP-310, São Carlos, Brazil

    Robert Paiva, Isabelly Bertochi Veroneze & Sandra Andrea Cruz

  2. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research I3A, CPS-University of Zaragoza, Torres Quevedo Building, María de Luna 3, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain

    Magdalena Wrona & Cristina Nerín

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  1. Robert Paiva
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Correspondence to Sandra Andrea Cruz.

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Paiva, R., Veroneze, I.B., Wrona, M. et al. The Role of Residual Contaminants and Recycling Steps on Rheological Properties of Recycled Polypropylene. J Polym Environ 30, 494–503 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-021-02214-2

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