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Processes
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Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Sustainable Plastic Materials
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Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Sustainable Plastic Materials

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 3823

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Stefania Pragliola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, Fisciano, 84084 Salerno, Italy
Interests: stereospecific polymerization; vinyl monomers; OLED devices; fluorescent polymers; microplastic analysis; plastic recycling; photocatalysis; absorption and emission spectroscopy; NMR spectroscopy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Although the large-scale production and use of synthetic polymers have led to a marked improvement in the quality of life for people, their impact on the natural environment has been catastrophic. The continuous increase in non-biodegradable plastic products placed on the market and, above all, their indiscriminate and reckless disposal are slowly drowning our planet in a sea of plastic.

Currently, one of the most important challenges is to guarantee a sustainable future for our planet and for new generations. To achieve this goal, polymer research is developing new and efficient methods for recycling used non-biodegradable plastics and designing new sustainable polymeric materials from renewable resources using green methods.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a global vision of the state of the art and recent research progress in the field of new sustainable polymeric materials.

Research topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Developing new methods for recycling and reusing used plastic.
  • Recent progress on the synthesis and characterization of biodegradable polymers deriving from renewable sources.
  • Designing new sustainable polymeric materials.
  • Applications of new sustainable polymeric materials.

Dr. Stefania Pragliola
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable materials
  • biodegradable polymers
  • plastic recycling
  • microplastic analysis
  • fluorescent polymers
  • renewable resources
  • absorption and emission spectroscopy

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3137 KiB  
Article
Post-Industrial Recycled Polypropylene for Automotive Application: Mechanical Properties After Thermal Ageing
by Matilde Arese, Ilaria Bolliri, Gabriele Ciaccio and Valentina Brunella
Processes 2025, 13(2), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13020315 - 23 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2249
Abstract
The transport sector’s impact on climate change and energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has raised significant concerns, prompting the automotive industry to transition towards greener solutions. This includes producing lighter vehicles with sustainable materials, like recycled plastics. Understanding the behavior of these new [...] Read more.
The transport sector’s impact on climate change and energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has raised significant concerns, prompting the automotive industry to transition towards greener solutions. This includes producing lighter vehicles with sustainable materials, like recycled plastics. Understanding the behavior of these new recycled compounds is crucial, especially regarding their response to ageing and stress conditions throughout a vehicle’s lifecycle. This study aims to investigate the mechanical property variations of virgin and recycled talc-filled polypropylene (PP) compounds used in the automotive industry, emphasizing the effects of thermal ageing after recycling. Polypropylene samples with different talc concentrations and post-industrial recycled content percentages are examined. Thermal (TGA and DSC) and spectral (FT-IR) analysis reveal structural changes due to recycling-induced thermo-mechanical degradation. A multi-axial impact test shows varied ductile and brittle behaviors between virgin and recycled PP, influenced by filler content. Impact strength, tensile, and flexural properties are assessed, highlighting differences between virgin and recycled PP, but maintaining properties over ageing time. Despite thermo-oxidative degradation from recycling and thermal ageing, the mechanical performance of recycled polypropylene materials remains unaffected, making them a viable sustainable alternative for the automotive industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Sustainable Plastic Materials)
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Review

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42 pages, 3564 KiB  
Review
A Review on Sustainable Upcycling of Plastic Waste Through Depolymerization into High-Value Monomer
by Ramkumar Vanaraj, Subburayan Manickavasagam Suresh Kumar, Seong Cheol Kim and Madhappan Santhamoorthy
Processes 2025, 13(8), 2431; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13082431 - 31 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1242
Abstract
Plastic waste accumulation is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the 21st century, owing to the widespread use of synthetic polymers and the limitations of conventional recycling methods. Among available strategies, chemical upcycling via depolymerization has emerged as a promising circular [...] Read more.
Plastic waste accumulation is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the 21st century, owing to the widespread use of synthetic polymers and the limitations of conventional recycling methods. Among available strategies, chemical upcycling via depolymerization has emerged as a promising circular approach that converts plastic waste back into valuable monomers and chemical feedstocks. This article provides an in-depth narrative review of recent progress in the upcycling of major plastic types such as PET, PU, PS, and engineering plastics through thermal, chemical, catalytic, biological, and mechanochemical depolymerization methods. Each method is critically assessed in terms of efficiency, scalability, energy input, and environmental impact. Special attention is given to innovative catalyst systems, such as microsized MgO/SiO2 and Co/CaO composites, and emerging enzymatic systems like engineered PETases and whole-cell biocatalysts that enable low-temperature, selective depolymerization. Furthermore, the conversion pathways of depolymerized products into high-purity monomers such as BHET, TPA, vanillin, and bisphenols are discussed with supporting case studies. The review also examines life cycle assessment (LCA) data, techno-economic analyses, and policy frameworks supporting the adoption of depolymerization-based recycling systems. Collectively, this work outlines the technical viability and sustainability benefits of depolymerization as a core pillar of plastic circularity and monomer recovery, offering a path forward for high-value material recirculation and waste minimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Sustainable Plastic Materials)
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