Release Assessment Methodology for Safe, Sustainable, and Recyclable By-Design Practices for Plastics: The...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Green Chemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Plastics pose risks due to chemical release throughout their lifecycle.
• The green transition necessitates inherently safe and sustainable material development.
• Current plastics often contain hazardous chemical mixtures impacting health and environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design an innovative epoxy-vitrimer composite using the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework.
• To integrate non-releasable fire-retardant functionalities for enhanced safety and sustainability.
• To create safer, sustainable, and recyclable materials for railway applications.

Main Methods:

• Developed a methodology to identify potential chemical release hotspots.
• Conducted experimental simulations to evaluate material release (flame retardants, NIAS, microplastics) at identified hotspots.
• Compared release profiles of a benchmark material against the SSbD alternative.

Main Results:

• The novel epoxy-vitrimer composite demonstrated reduced material release under weathering and abrasion.
• The SSbD approach successfully integrated non-releasable fire-retardant functionalities.
• The developed composite is recyclable and less hazardous compared to benchmark materials.

Conclusions:

• The SSbD framework enables the creation of safer, sustainable, and recyclable polymer composites.
• The innovative epoxy-vitrimer composite offers reduced chemical release, benefiting human health and the environment.
• This approach is suitable for demanding applications like railway components, contributing to a greener industry.