OVERVIEW

This teaching provides an in-depth overview of circular economy principles with a specific focus on the polymer lifecycle. Key topics include conventional and emerging recycling methods, sustainable design strategies for polymeric materials, and the development of new materials following the principles of green chemistry.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching provides the means for acquiring knowledge and comprehension of diverse Polymer Recycling Technologies. This encompasses a comprehensive examination of conventional methodologies, namely mechanical, chemical, and thermal processes, alongside contemporary innovations, inclusive of sophisticated sorting and purification techniques. Additionally, students will understand the environmental and economic advantages associated with the implementation of a Circular Economy paradigm, specifically within the context of polymer recycling. Furthermore, they will actively engage with industry experts through seminars and presentations. This interactive discourse aims to facilitate the understanding of prevailing trends, challenges, and achievements in polymer recycling. Insights gleaned from Industry representatives will contribute to gain a profound insight into the intricacies inherent in various recycling processes.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching aims to provide fundamental theoretical and practical knowledge of polymer design and end-of-life management. Students will explore how the chemical structure of different polymers affects their recyclability and degradability, and will be introduced to the basic principles for designing sustainable materials. During laboratory sessions, students will gain hands-on experience in correlating polymer structure with end-of-life behaviour.

By the end of the course, students will:

• Understand core concepts of circular economy applied to polymers
• Master basic strategies for sustainable material design
• Gain practical experience in the synthesis, recycling, and degradation of plastics. 

PREREQUISITES

To achieve the teaching goals successfully, a preexisting basic knowledge of polymer science is requested.

TEACHING METHODS

• Lectures (40 hours: lectures and industrial seminars – 5 CFU; attendance at seminar activities is highly recommended)
• Laboratory activities (13 hours – 1 CFU, compulsory attendance - students must attend 75% of the lab activities to be admitted to the exam)

The course includes 40 hours of lectures devoted to the fundamental concepts of sustainability and the circular economy, with particular emphasis on recycling, polymer degradation, and the design of sustainable materials. The lectures will be complemented by seminars delivered by academic and industrial experts, aimed at presenting case studies and practical applications.

During the laboratory activities, students will work in small groups to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during the course. Different approaches for the recycling and synthesis of degradable materials will be employed, together with analyses of their end-of-life behavior. Students will also become familiar with dedicated software tools.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The lectures will introduce the concepts of the circular economy, including the economic and environmental impacts of plastic waste management; treatment of polymer waste, including separation methods, mechanical recycling, and chemical recycling; and biodegradable plastics, with a focus on definitions and degradation mechanisms. Specific polymer classes will also be explored in detail, including polyhydroxyalkanoates, polyesters, cellulose- and lignin-based polymers, chitin and chitosan, as well as the economic aspects of bio-derived and biodegradable plastics.

Laboratory activities and examples:
– characterization techniques for the separation of polymer waste;

– chemical recycling of PET through different approaches and reuse of the resulting monomers (x2);

– use of cellulose-based polymers for the development of textile fibers.

Seminar activities:

The course is complemented by several seminar activities delivered by academic and industrial experts in the field.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The slides of the teaching are made available in the Aulaweb page of the teaching in which other study and in-depth resources are made available as well as guidelines and materials to support laboratory activities. All the course materials will be available to the students. 

·Dimitris I. Collias, Martin I. James, John M. Layman, Circular Economy of Polymers: Topics in Recycling, ACS Symposium Series, Vol. 1391, 2021- DOI: 10.1021/bk-2021-1391

·Michiel Dusselier and Jean-Paul Lange, Biodegradable Polymers in the Circular Plastics Economy, Wiley 2022- SBN: 978-3-527-34761-2

·Stephan Kabasci, Biobased Plastics: Materials and applications, Wiley, 2014 – ISBN 978-1-119-99400-8

·Natalie Rudolph, Raphael Kiesel, Chuanchom Aumnate, Understanding Plastics Recycling: Economic, Ecological, and Technical Aspects of Plastic Waste Handling, Hanser Publications, 2017 - ISBN: 978-1-56990-676-7

·Rezgar Hasanzadeh, Parisa Mojaver, Plastic Waste Treatment and Management: Gasification processes, Springer, 2023, ISBN: 978-3-031-31159-8

·Vincent Voet, Jan Jager, Rudy Folkersma, Plastics in the Circular Economy, De Gruyter, 2021, SBN 978-3-11-066675-5

·Katrina Knauer, Circular Plastics Technologies, De Gruyter, 2024, ISBN 978-1-5015-2328-1

·Zhen Fang, Richard L. Smith Jr, Lujiang Xu, Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Pyrolysis, Springer, 2020, ISBN 978-981-15-2731-9

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

According to the timetable reported here 

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of a written test on the topics covered during the course (20 points) and an oral examination on a topic chosen by the student (10 points).

The written test includes multiple-choice questions (5–10 points) and short open-ended questions (10–15 points).

For the oral examination, students will prepare a short presentation (10–20 minutes) on one of the laboratory activities or one of the seminar activities carried out during the year. The oral examination will focus on the topics selected by the student and on related subjects.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is intended to assess the achievement of the expected learning outcomes. In the event of an unsatisfactory result, the student will be encouraged to further develop their understanding of the course contents with the support of the lecturer and to retake the examination.

During the laboratory activities, the student’s active participation, experimental work, and ability to interpret the results will be evaluated; these aspects will also be assessed through the examination related to the laboratory and seminar activities. The written test will assess the acquisition of knowledge, particularly regarding polymer processing and the relationship between processing conditions and material properties.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Compensatory and dispensatory measures Disability/Invalidity/Specific Learning Disorder

Dispensatory measures and compensatory tools are intended to enable students to achieve the same learning objectives as their fellow students, not to facilitate the examination.

The use of compensatory tools and the application of dispensatory measures must be authorised in advance by the teacher in agreement with the Referee.

To take advantage of the adaptations during the examination, fill in the Adaptation request form; the request will be automatically sent by the system to the teacher in charge of the teaching, to the Contact Person of your School/Area/Department and in copy to the Sector; you will also receive a copy of the request sent by e-mail.

The adjustments available to students are as follows:

• Additional time (+30% DSA)
• Additional time (+50% disability/invalidity)
• Additional time during oral exams to organise the answer
• Calculator (programmable and graphing calculators are not allowed)
• Conceptual Maps
• Tables and/or Forms
• Take the exam in written form
• Take the exam in oral form
• Tutor reader (for written tests only)
• Tutor-writer (for written tests only)

Your request for adaptations must be submitted at least 7 working days before the scheduled exam date.

All information for students with disabilities and DSA is available on the webpage: Services for students with disabilities or DSA | UniGe | University of Genoa

Reference for inclusion: Sergio Di Domizio - sergio.didomizio@unige.it