Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Na reação de desidrogenação oxidativa de propano (ODHP), propano reage com oxigênio da superfície de metais de transição para produzir propeno e água, em temperaturas de 300-700C. Porém, o propeno pode facilmente oxidar, formando CO e CO2. Assim, busca-se catalisadores que promovam a seletividade do propeno. Compostos tipo hidrotalcitas estão sendo apontados como catalisadores de grande potencial para a reação. Portanto, o principal objetivo desse trabalho foi sintetizar precursores tipo hidrotalcitas (contendo íons Ni2+, Mg2+ e Al3+ e tereftalato, heptamolibdato e decavanadato como ânions de compensação) para serem testados na reação de desidrogenação oxidativa de propano. Esses precursores foram sintetizados com uma razão Al/(Al+Ni+Mg)=0,5, variando a razão de Ni/Mg. Além disso, realizou-se a troca iônica do tereftalato (TA) por heptamolibdato (Mo7O24) e decavanadato (V10O28). Esses compostos foram calcinados, obtendo-se assim, óxidos mistos de NiMgAl, NiMgAlMo e NiMgAlV que foram testados como catalisadores na reação de ODHP. Para a determinação das propriedades dos catalisadores foram usadas as técnicas de caracterização: DRX, TGA, volumetria de N2, TPR, Raman e FTIR e ICP. Os resultados indicaram que os materiais tipo hidrotalcita foram obtidos com sucesso. No caso dos precursores preparados por troca iônica a cristalinidade foi menor que os da série NiMgAl-TA. Estes mesmos precursores quando calcinados apresentaram áreas muito altas. Nas três séries, os precursores calcinados são constituídos por óxidos mistos como NiO, NiMoO4, Ni2V2O7 cristalinos e espécies de alumínio e magnésio não detectados na DRX. No teste catalítico de ODHP, observou-se que com o aumento da conversão diminuía a seletividade de propeno, para os óxidos mistos que não continham molibdênio. Os catalisadores da série molibdênio foram os que obtiveram melhor desempenho com altas seletividades, mesmo em altas conversões e a série de cujo precursor foi o tereftalato foi a que exibiu maiores conversões, mas com seletividades menores que da série de Mo / In the reaction of oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP), propane reacts with oxygen in the transition metal surface to produce propylene and water at temperatures of 300-700 C. However, the propylene can easily oxidize, forming CO and CO2. Thus, catalysts that promote the selectivity of propylene are being searched. Hydrotalcites type compounds are identified as potential major catalysts for the reaction. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to synthesize precursors hydrotalcites type (containing Ni2+, Mg 2+ and Al 3+ ions and terephthalate, heptamolybdate and decavanadate as compensation anions) to test in the reaction of oxidative dehydrogenation of propane.These precursors were synthesized with Al/(Ni+Mg+Al) = 0.5 for different ratios of Ni/Mg. In addition, there was the ion exchange terephthalate (TA) by heptamolybdate (Mo7O24) and decavanadate (V10O28). These compounds were calcined, to obtain NiMgAl, NiMgAlMo and NiMgAlV mixed oxides and tested as catalysts in the ODHP reaction.For determining the properties of the catalysts the following characterization techniques were used: XRD, TGA, N2 volumetry, TPR, ICP, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicated that the hydrotalcite-like materials were successfully obtained. In the case of the precursors prepared by ion exchange crystallinity was lower than those of NiMgAl-TA series. These same precursors when calcined had very high areas. In three series, the calcined precursors are comprised by mixed oxides such as crystalline NiO, NiMoO4, Ni2V2O7 and Al an Mg species not detected by XRD. In ODHP catalytic test, it was observed that with increasing conversion the propylene selectivity decreased to the mixed oxides containing no molybdenum. The catalysts of molybdenum series were those who performed better with high selectivity even at high conversions and the terephthalate precursor series shows the highest conversions, but with lower selectivity than Mo series

Nesse trabalho foi analisada a viabilidade da utilização de poli(tereftalato de etileno) reciclado, PET, como agente de contenção de areia, utilizando o PET virgem e o poli(óxido de metileno), POM, para comparação. As amostras recebidas foram caracterizadas utilizando ressonância magnética nuclear de carbono-13 (13C-NMR), calorimetria diferencial de varredura (DSC), análise termogravimétrica (TG), microscopia eletrônica de varredura (SEM) e cromatografia de exclusão por tamanho (SEC). Também foram realizados ensaios mecânicos para avaliação da permeabilidade de um pacote de grãos, segundo as normas API RP 61 e API RP 58. Dessa forma, uma quantidade pré-definida dos polímeros granulados foi confinada separadamente em células cilíndricas metálicas, juntamente com substâncias normalmente utilizadas no tratamento de formações portadoras de hidrocarbonetos (como HCl a 15%, Dietileno-triamino-penta-acetato de potássio a 10 % e mistura de solventes, tais como xileno 45 %, óleo diesel 45 % e butilglicol 10 %) e também a petróleo e água do mar. As amostras foram submetidas a temperatura e pressão constantes, além de agitação por rotação, na temperatura de 70 C e na pressão de 24,1 MPa. Os ensaios duraram de 24 a 96 horas para os produtos químicos mais agressivos e 172 dias para a água do mar e o petróleo. Para os testes mais longos, foram coletadas amostras periodicamente, a fim de se verificar as condições de cada polímero, utilizando as técnicas anteriormente citadas, com exceção de 13C-NMR. A permeabilidade foi analisada ao final do período de exposição previsto. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados com os observados para os polímeros não-expostos, sendo constatada a degradação do POM quando em contato com HCl a 15 %, mas sem observar variações significativas que indicassem a degradação apreciável de qualquer dos tipos de PET nas condições testadas, sendo concluído que a utilização do PET reciclado como agente de contenção de areia é viável. / This work analyses the viability of applying recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, as sand control agent, using virgin PET and poly(methylene oxide), POM, for comparison means. The polymer samples were characterized by carbon-13 magnetic nuclear resonance (13C-NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Also, mechanical experiments were performed, in order to determine the grain pack permeability, according to API RP 61 and API RP 58. In this way, a predefined amount of polymer grains were separately confined into cylindrical metallic cells, with substances commonly used to treat hydrocarbon formations (15 % HCl, 10 % potassium diethylene triamine pentaacetate and a solvent mixture, like xylene 45 %, diesel oil 45 % and EGMBE 10 %) and sea water and petroleum, likewise. The samples were submitted to a temperature of 70oC, a pressure of 24,1 MPa, which were maintained constant. Cell rotational agitation did not varied in the experiments. The exposure time was 24 and 96 hours, for the aggressive chemical products, and 172 days for sea water and oil. During the latter period, samples were periodically collected to test the polymer conditions, using all the above techniques, but the 13C-NMR. The pack permeability was analyzed only by the end of each established exposition period. The test results were compared to those obtained to non-exposed polymers and they have shown that POM was degraded by 15 % HCl. On the other hand, PET samples did not present significant changes under test conditions. Therefore, it has being concluded that the use of recycled PET as sand control agent is viable.

Orientador: Marco-Aurelio De Paoli / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T13:43:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Romao_Wanderson_M.pdf: 3473303 bytes, checksum: 3ef4c09640bf5042dfcbfd4c110e4244 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Atualmente, o Brasil apresenta um dos maiores índices mundiais de reciclagem mecânica do poli (tereftalato de etileno), PET. O sucesso desse termoplástico na indústria de reciclagem deve-se à sua ampla diversidade de aplicações. As embalagens recicladas grau alimentício podem ser misturadas com a resina virgem e reprocessadas. Três metodologias foram estudadas para detectar a presença do PET pós-consumo graugarrafa (PETpc-btg) em PET virgem grau-garrafa (PETv-btg): calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC), espectrometria de massas (MALDI-TOF MS) e Fluorescência de raios-X (XRF). Amostras de PETv-btg de três fabricantes foram analisadas: Braskem, Rhodia e Eastman. Amostras de PETpc-btg submetidas ao processo super-clean® também foram analisadas. Elas apresentam a mesma [h] do PETv-btg e foram fornecidas pela empresa Bahia PET. Amostras de PETv-btg Braskem e PETpc-btg foram misturadas e processadas em nosso laboratório em diversas proporções através de um misturador interno acoplado ao reômetro de torque. Os resultados de DSC mostram que a Tm, Tc, DCp e a cinética de cristalização são as principais propriedades térmicas que servem para diferenciar entre PETv-btg e PETpc-btg. Utilizando a técnica de MALDI-TOF MS aliado ao PCA (Análise Componentes Principais), foi possível distinguir as amostras em vários grupos. Esses grupos eram separados em função de alterações químicas como: variações na viscosidade intrínseca ([h] 0,80 e [h] = 0,65-60); submetidas e não submetidas a algum processo industrial; wt % de PETpc-btg em PETv-btg Braskem; e variação no processo de síntese do polímero (fabricante). A partir desses resultados foi possível construir um modelo de calibração, onde ele consegue distinguir entre uma amostra de PETv-btg e uma amostra de PETpc-btg. As medidas de XRF mostraram que alguns fabricantes utilizam mais de um catalisador para o processo de síntese do PETv-btg. A Braskem utiliza manganês e antimônio. Portanto, o modelo de previsão funciona para prever a wt % PETpc nas misturas que foram utilizadas na construção dele, como é o caso das resinas de PETv-btg Braskem e PETpc-btg. Observamos também, através das medidas de XRF, que o teor de Ferro presente no PET aumenta em função do processo de reciclagem. Esta variável poderá ser utilizada para a construção de um modelo quimiométrico abrangendo uma maior quantidade de variáveis / Abstract: Recently, Brazil recorded mechanical recycling of the poly (ethylene terepththalate), PET, the highest in the world, corresponding to about 53 wt %. This success in the recycling industry is due to the wide range of its applications, from textiles to packaging for the food industry. The recycled food-grade packaging could be mixed with virgin resin and reprocessing. Three methodologies were used to detect the presence of the bottle-grade post-consumption PET (PETpc-btg) in the bottle-grade virgin PET (PETv-btg): differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x-ray fluorescence and matrix assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). PETv-btg samples were supplied by the manufacturers (Braskem, Rhodia and Eastman). Samples from a superclean ® process (Bahia PET Reciclagem) were also analysed. All samples had the same intrinsic viscosity values, [h]. Braskem PETv-btg and PETpc-btg samples were blended and processed in different proportions in our laboratory using a HAAKE mixer system. DSC results show that cristallization kinetics, heat capacity (DCp), melting and crystallization temperature are the principal thermal properties that can be used to distinguish between PETv-btg and PETpc-btg. MALDI-TOF MS results together with PCA (principal component analysis) was used to classify the samples into several groups: intrinsic viscosity changes ([h] 0,80 e [h] = 0,65-60); processed and not submitted to some industrial process; wt % PETpc-btg in the PETv-btg Braskem; synthesis process change (manufacturer). From these results, it was possible to creat a calibration model, that differentiated between PETv-btg and PETpc-btg resins. However, we were not able to forecast the percentage of PETpc-btg in the PETv-btg. A model can be made from processed samples where its Mw could be corrected for solid state polymerization or the super-clean® process. XRF results show that some manufacturers use one or more catalysts for PETv-btg synthesis. The Braskem resin is made using manganese and antimony catalysts. Therefore, the prediction model is valid only when the origin of the studied mixture is known, such as PETv-btg/PETpc-btg processed blends. For other resins, the prediction model does not work. The Braskem resin had characteristics distintct from the others. We observed also that the Fe concentration in PET increase in as a function of the recycling process. Therefore, this variable could be used, in the future work, to create chemometric models incluing a higher number of variables / Mestrado / Físico-Química / Mestre em Química

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-07-26T11:39:23Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - João Paulo Santos Carmo - 2016.pdf: 2412305 bytes, checksum: 19777a4bdead74386cf88a869674700c (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-07-26T11:41:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - João Paulo Santos Carmo - 2016.pdf: 2412305 bytes, checksum: 19777a4bdead74386cf88a869674700c (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-26T11:41:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - João Paulo Santos Carmo - 2016.pdf: 2412305 bytes, checksum: 19777a4bdead74386cf88a869674700c (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / It is possible to observe an increase related research for the synthesis of coordination compounds and crystal lattices using transition metals and organic binders due to their great potential applications. The aim of this study was to synthesize the compounds Phthalate, Isophthalate and Terephthalate of Cobalt and Manganese through the reaction of the metal carbonate in excess with their acids studied. The synthesized compounds are presented in the form of crystalline solids. These compounds were characterized using analytical techniques: Simultaneous Thermogravimetric and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC-TG), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermogravimetry Analysis coupled to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). From the TG-DSC curves was possible to evaluate the thermal stability and the dehydration mechanism as well’as the empirical formula of the compounds as CoFta ∙ 2.5H2O, CoIFta ∙ 5H2O, CoTFta ∙ 4,5H2O for cobalt compounds and MnFta ∙ 0.5H2O, MnIFta ∙ 2.5H2O and MnTfta for manganese compounds. Even through the infrared spectra (FTIR), it was also possible to suggest the metal-ligand coordination mode as bridge for all compounds synthesized. / É possível observar um aumento de trabalhos referentes a compostos de coordenação e de redes cristalinas usando metais de transição e ligantes orgânicos devido aos seus grandes potenciais de aplicação. O objetivo desse trabalho foi sintetizar os compostos de Ftalato, Isoftalato e Tereftalato de Cobalto e Manganês através da reação do carbonato metálico em excesso com os respectivos ácidos estudados. Os compostos sintetizados se apresentaram na forma de sólidos cristalinos e foram caracterizados através das técnicas: Termogravimetria e Calorimetria Exploratória Diferencial simultânea (TG-DSC), Espectroscopia de Infravermelho por Transformada de Fourier (FTIR). Termogravimetria acoplada a Espectroscopia de Infravermelho por Transformada de Fourier (TG-FTIR), Calorimetria Exploratória Diferencial (DSC). A partir das curvas TG-DSC foi possível avaliar a estabilidade térmica e o mecanismo de desidratação, bem como a fórmula mínima dos compostos como sendo CoFta∙2,5H2O, CoIFta∙5H2O, CoTFta∙4,5H2O para os compostos de cobalto e MnFta∙0,5H2O, MnIFta∙2,5H2O e MnTfta para os compostos de manganês. Ainda através dos espectros de infravermelho (FTIR) foi possível sugerir o modo de coordenação entre metal-ligante como em ponte para todos os compostos sintetizados

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The combination of ion track technology and chemical etching as a tool to enhance polymer gas properties such as permeability and selectivity is regarded as an avenue to establish technology commercialization and enhance applicability. Traditionally, permeability and selectivity of polymers have been major challenges especially for gas applications. However, it is important to understand the intrinsic polymer properties in order to be able to predict or identify their possible ion-polymer interactions thus facilitate the reorientation of existing polymer structural configurations. This in turn can enhance the gas permeability and selectivity properties of the polymers. Therefore, the choice of polymer is an important prerequisite. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) belongs to the polyester group of polymers and has been extensively studied within the context of post-synthesis modification techniques using swift heavy ion irradiation and chemical treatment which is generally referred to as ‘track-etching’. The use of track-etched polymers in the form of symmetrical membranes structures to investigate gas permeability and selectivity properties has proved successful. However, the previous studies on track-etched polymers films have been mainly focused on the preparation of symmetrical membrane structure, especially in the case of polyesters such as PET polymer films. Also, polyolefins such as polymethyl pentene (PMP) have not been investigated using swift heavy ions and chemical etching procedures. In addition, the use of ‘shielded’ material on PET and PMP polymer films prior to swift heavy ion irradiation and chemical etching to prepare asymmetrical membrane structure have not been investigated. The gas permeability and selectivity of the asymmetrical membrane prepared from swift heavy ion irradiated etched 'shielded' PET and PMP polymer films have not been determined. These highlighted limitations will be addressed in this study. The overall objective of this study was to prepare asymmetric polymeric membranes with porous surface on dense layer from two classes of polymers; (PET and PMP) in order to improve their gas permeability and selectivity properties. The research approach in this study was to use a simple and novel method to prepare an asymmetric PET and PMP polymer membrane with porous surface and dense layer by mechanical attachment of ‘shielded’ material on the polymer film before swift heavy ion irradiation. This irradiation approach allowed for the control of swift heavy ion penetration depth into the PET and PMP polymer film during irradiation. The procedure used in this study is briefly described. Commercial PET and PMP polymer films were mechanically ‘shielded’ with aluminium and PET foils respectively. The ‘shielded’ PET polymer films were then irradiated with swift heavy ions of Xe source while ‘shielded’ PMP polymer films were irradiated with swift heavy ions Kr. The ion energy and fluence of Xe ions was 1.3 MeV and 106 respectively while the Kr ion energy was 3.57 MeV and ion fluence of 109. After swift heavy ion irradiation of ‘shielded’ PET and PMP polymer films, the attached ‘shielded’ materials were removed from PET and PMP polymer film and the irradiated PET and PMP polymer films were chemically etched in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and acidified chromium trioxide (H2SO4 + CrO3) respectively. The chemical etching conditions of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ PET was performed with 1 M NaOH at 80 ˚C under various etching times of 3, 6, 9 and 12 minutes. As for the swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ PMP polymer film, the chemical etching was performed with 7 M H2SO4 + 3 M CrO3 solution, etching temperature was varied between 40 ˚C and 80 ˚C while the etching time was between 40 minutes to 150 minutes. The SEM (surface and cross-section micrograph) morphology results of the swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET and PMP films showed that asymmetric membranes with a single-sided porous surface and dense layer was prepared and remained unchanged even after 12 minutes of etching with 1 M NaOH solution as in the case of PET and 2 hours 30 minutes of etching with 7 M H2SO4 + 3 M CrO3 as observed for PMP polymer film. Also, the swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET polymer film showed the presence of pores on the polymer film surface within 3 minutes of etching. After 12 minutes chemical etching with 1 M NaOH solution, the dense layer of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET polymer film experienced significant reduction in thickness of about 40 % of the original thickness of as-received PET polymer film. The surface morphology of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET polymer film by SEM analysis revealed finely distributed pores with spherical shapes for the swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET polymer film within 6 minutes of etching with 1 M NaOH solution. Also, after 9 minutes and 12 minutes of etching with 1 M NaOH solution of the swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET polymer film, the pore walls experienced complete collapse with intense surface roughness. Interestingly, the 12 minutes etched swift heavy ion ‘shielded’ irradiated PET did not lose its asymmetrical membrane structure despite the collapse of the pore walls. In the case of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PMP polymer film, SEM morphology analysis showed that the pores retained their shape with the presence of defined pores without intense surface roughness even after extended etching with 7 M H2SO4 + 3 M CrO3 for 2 hours 30 minutes. Also, the pores of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PMP polymer films were observed to be mono dispersed and not agglomerated or overlapped. The SEM cross-section morphology of the swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PMP polymer film showed radially oriented pores with increased pore diameters in the PMP polymer film which indicated that etching was radial instead of lateral, and no through pores were observed showing that the dense asymmetrical structure was retained. The SEM results revealed that the pore morphology i.e. size and shape could be accurately controlled during chemical etching of swift heavy ion ‘shielded’ irradiated PET and PMP polymer films. The XRD results of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET revealed a single diffraction peak for various times of chemical etching in 1 M NaOH solution at 3, 6, 9 and 12 minutes. The diffraction peak of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET was observed to reduce in intensity and marginally shifted to lower angles from 25.95˚ 2 theta to 25.89˚ 2 theta and also became broad in shape. It was considered that the continuous broadening of diffraction peaks due to an increase in etching times could be attributed to disorderliness of the ordered region within the polymer matrix and thus decreases in crystallinity of the swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET polymer film. The XRD analysis of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PMP polymer films indicated the presence of the diffraction peak at 9.75˚ 2 theta with decrease in intensity while the diffraction peaks located at 13.34˚, 16.42˚, 18.54˚ and 21.46˚ 2 theta disappeared after chemical etching in acidified chromium trioxide (H2SO4 + CrO3) after 2 hours 30 minutes. The TGA thermal profile analysis of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET did not show the evolution of volatile species or moisture at lower temperatures even after 12 minutes of etching in 1 M NaOH solution in comparison with commercial PET polymer film. Also, it was observed that the swift heavy ion irradiated layered’ etched PET polymer film started to undergo degradation at a higher temperature than untreated PET which resulted in an approximate increase of 50 ˚C in comparison with the commercial PET polymer film. The TGA results of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PMP polymer film revealed an improvement of about 50 ˚C in thermal stability before thermal degradation even after etching in acidified chromium trioxide for 2 hours 30 minutes at 80 ˚C. Spectroscopy (IR) analysis of the swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET and PMP polymer films showed the presence of characteristic functional groups associated with either PET or PMP structures. The variations of irradiation and chemical etching conditions revealed that the swift heavy ion ‘shielded’ irradiated etched PET polymer film experienced continuous degradation of available functional groups as a function of etching time and also with complete disappearance of some functional groups such as 1105 cm-1 and 1129 cm-1 compared with the as-received PET polymer film which are both associated with the para-substituted position of benzene rings. In the case of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PMP polymer film, spectroscopic (IR) analysis showed significant variations in the susceptibility of associated functional groups within the PMP polymer film with selective attack and emergence of some specific functional groups such as at 1478 cm-1, 1810 cm-1 and 2115 cm-1 which were assigned to methylene, CH3 (asymmetry deformation), CH3 and CH2 respectively Also, the IR results for swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PMP polymer showed that unsaturated olefinic groups were the dominant functional groups that were being attacked by during etching with acidified chromium trioxide (H2SO4+CrO3) which is an aggressive chemical etchant. The gas permeability analysis of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET and PMP polymer films showed that the gas permeability was improved in comparison with the as-received PET and as-received PMP polymer films. The gas permeability of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PET increased as a function of etching time and was found to be highest after 12 minutes of chemical etching in 1 M NaOH at 80 ˚C. In the case of swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ etched PMP, the gas permeability was observed to show the highest gas permeability after 2 hours 30 minutes of etching in H2SO4 + CrO3 solution. The gas permeability analysis for swift heavy ion irradiated ‘shielded’ PET and PMP polymer films was tested for He, CO2 and CH4 and the permeability results showed that helium was most permeable compared with CO2 and CH4 gases. In comparison, the selectivity analysis was performed for He/CO2 and CH4/He and the results showed that the selectivity decreased with increasing in etching time as expected. This study identified some important findings. Firstly, it was observed that the use of ‘shielded’ material on PET and PMP polymer films prior to swift heavy ion irradiation proved successful in the creation of asymmetrical polymer membrane structure. Also, it was also observed that the chemical etching of the ‘shielded’ swift heavy ion irradiated PET and PMP polymer films resulted in the presence of pores on the swift heavy ion irradiated side while the unirradiated sides of the PET and PMP polymer films were unaffected during chemical etching hence the pore depth could be controlled. In addition, the etching experiment showed that the pores geometry can be controlled as well as the gas permeability and selectivity properties of swift heavy ion ‘shielded’ irradiated etched PET and PMP polymer films. The process of polymer bulk and surface properties modification using ion-track technology i.e. swift heavy ion irradiation and subsequent chemical treatment of the irradiated polymer serves to reveal characteristic pore profiles unique to the prevailing ion-polymer interaction and ultimately results in alteration of the polymer characteristics.

Synthetic polymers are widely used in basic day to day activities given the wide range of uses associated with their advantageous material properties. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used synthetic polymer with annual production exceeding 73.39 million tons. Out of all the PET material generated, only 30% PET is recycled because current mechanical and chemical recycling methods are not techno-economically viable. This leads to the accumulation of a large amounts of PET waste in the environment causing significant damage to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. An alternative to recycling is PET upcycling approaches strategize of converting PET waste into high-value products. This development enables a circular material economy for PET. There are several reports of PET upcycling strategies that describe hybrid-chemo biological approaches. However, efficient whole-cell microbial catalysts capable of selectively degrading PET into its original monomers of ethylene glycol (EG) and terephthalic acid (TPA), and simultaneously upcycling these monomers into high-value compounds is yet to be developed. The selection of an appropriate host strain for plastic upcycling is vital in developing industrially applicable whole-cell biocatalysts. Use of non-model organisms in industrial applications has gained attention over the recent years. The work presented here illustrates comprehensive genomic and phenomic investigations suggesting that the metabolic pathways of the newly identified, Erwinia aphidicola LJJL01, is a promising candidate for upcycling PET-degraded substrates. First, we performed a comprehensive phenomic characterization of E. aphidicola LJJL01 including SEM imaging, pH, optimal temperature, toxicity tolerance, antibiotic tolerance, and fatty acid profile. The metabolic capability of the strain was shown using a substrates utilization assay that includes 29 substrates which comprise C-6 sugars, C-5 sugars, sugar alcohols, acids, alcohols. Secondly, we developed an efficient system for plasmid-based expression and secretion of heterologous proteins. We established synthetic microbiology tools, including CRISPR/Cas9-based genomic editing, to engineer the E. aphidicola LJJL01 strain. Thirdly, we demonstrated successful heterologous expression of PET hydrolyzing enzymes such as PETase and MHETase from Ideonella sakaiensis together with their secretion signal peptides in E. aphidicola LJJL01. We assessed the strain's PET hydrolyzing activity using Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET), an intermediate molecule of PET as the model substrate. The strain yields 0.88 ±0.10 mol of TPA/mol of BHET in minimal salt medium within 48 hours and outperforms the commonly used platform organisms such as Pseudomonas putida KT2440. We also successfully expressed the thermostable leaf branch compost cutinase (LCC) in E. aphidicola LJJL01. For the first time we were able to demonstrate the synergistic activity of LCC and MHETase enzymes at 30 °C. Since the developed strains didn't show considerable PET degradation at ambient conditions, we developed a novel process to hydrolyze amorphous and commercial grade PET using cell-free supernatant of secreted LCC enzyme at 72°C (the glass transition temperature of PET). Finally, we further engineered the aromatic catabolism of the strain to demonstrate the potential of upcycling PET-degraded TPA into high-value platform chemicals such as cis, cis-muconate. Taken together, we demonstrated E. aphidicola LJJL01, a promising microbial chassis to develop whole-cell biocatalysts to upcycle PET and enable circular material economy.

Novel poly(ethylene isophthalate) (PEI) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polymers containing terminal units derived from sodio 3-sulfobenzoic acid (SSBA) were synthesized using catalyzed melt polymerization techniques. Various concentrations of the ionic end group, SSBA, were successfully incorporated in a telechelic fashion. For comparison, polyesters containing telechelic alkyl groups with controllable molecular weights were also synthesized. Furthermore, ionic copolymers of dimethyl isophthalate and trans-cyclohexane dicarboxylate, dimethyl isophthalate and dimethyl terephthalate were synthesized to study the influences of polarity and rigidity of the polymer chain backbone on material properties. Novel branched polyester ionomers using trimellitic anhydride were also prepared. In addition to modifying the polymer compositions, PET ionomers were blended with zinc stearate to investigate the effect of plasticizer on the melt processibilty of the ionomers. FTIR spectroscopy, which was used to quantify the sulfonate end groups for all of the ionomers, indicated an absorbance peak for the S-O stretching mode between 600-700 cm⁻¹. ¹H NMR spectroscopy was used to confirm the structure of the ionic and non-ionic polyesters, as well as to verify the presence of the terminal groups. By systematically varying the chemical structure of these ionomer model systems (i.e., altering the contents of ionic functional groups), detailed characterizations were carried out, wherein the ionic interactions/aggregations in the ionomers were found to play an important role in the resulting material properties. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements were performed to study the effects of ionic groups and oligomer composition on the thermal properties of the polyesters. The glass transition temperatures of the ionomers revealed that the ionic interaction helped to maintain the structural integrity of the polymer chains, thus limiting their mobility. The dilute solution viscosity behavior of the ionomers exhibited upward curvature, which is a key characteristic of an ionomer. In PEI ionomers, the ionic aggregates formed at lower temperatures (<150 °C), while at higher temperatures (>150 °C), the ionic aggregations dissociated and behaved similarly to oligomers with lower molecular weights. Dodecanol was used as an effective end-capper to control the molecular weight of the non-ionic polyesters. In addition to telechelic ionic PEI and PET homopolymers, copolymers of poly(ethylene isophthalate-co-trans-1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylate) (PEI-co-trans-CHDC) and poly(ethylene isophthalate-co-terephthalate) (PEIT) telechelic ionomers were also synthesized and characterized. Introducing trans-1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylate into PEI ionomers decreased the polarity and packing regularity of the polymer chains. Also, the kinked-structure of dimethyl isophthalate reduced the regularity of the polymer chains in PET ionomers, thus reducing their propensity for rapid crystallization. Crystallization kinetics were studied for both ionic and alkyl telechelic polyesters, and resulting data revealed that the nature of the endgroup had a dramatic effect on crystallization from the melt state. The catalyst residue in the polymers also affected the crystallization rate for both ionic and non-ionic polyesters. With regard to the ionomers, antimony catalyst interacted with ionic aggregates, further increasing the crystallization rate. Branched PEI and PET ionomers showed an increase in melt strength. After blending with zinc stearate, the melt viscosity of the PET ionomers dropped dramatically. / Master of Science

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.