Plastics degradation and its environmental impact

The objectives of the course entitled "Plastics Degradation and Its Environmental Impact" are to: - describe the degradation phenomena that affect a polymeric material during the different phases of its life cycle, from synthesis, to processing and transformation into plastic, to use (service-life), up to disposal (end-of-life), - explain the degradation mechanisms in different scenarios (due to heat, oxygen, fire, UV-light, ionizing radiations, and mechanical stress), the influence of these phenomena on the physicochemical properties of a specific polymeric material, and the indispensable stabilization strategies, - illustrate the main concepts on the sustainability of plastics achieved through various actions, namely, the circular economy model, the 12 principles of green chemistry, the Life Cycle Assessment, and the European waste management strategy, - clarify the advantages and disadvantages of bioplastics and the environmental implications of the biodegradability and composting of polymers, - illustrate the problem of microplastics in the environment.

Students will be able to: - identify and describe the degradation phenomena that influence the chemical stability and the resulting physical properties of polymeric materials during their life-cycle, - describe and explain the degradation mechanisms in different scenarios due to heat, oxygen, fire, UV-light, ionizing radiations, and mechanical stress, - identify and propose the most suitable stabilization strategy based on the specific degradation level of a polymeric material, - describe and critically discuss the results collected by the main traditional and advanced analytical methods for evaluating the degradation phenomena of polymeric materials, - explain the advantages and disadvantages of fossil-based plastics and bioplastics, - critically discuss the existence of microplastics in the environment and how to address this challenge.