Alessandra Lorenzetti

Structural and Mechanical Characterization of Sustainable Composites Based on Recycled and Stabilized Fly Ash

This paper reports the results on the use of an innovative inert, based on stabilized fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration as a filler for polypropylene. The starting material, which contains large quantities of leachable Pb and Zn, was stabilized by means of an innovative process using rice husk ash as a waste silica source, together with other fly ashes, such as coal fly ash and flue gas desulfurization residues. The use of all waste materials to obtain a new filler makes the proposed technology extremely sustainable and competitive. The new composites, obtained by using the stabilized material as a filler for polypropylene, were characterized and their mechanical properties were also investigated. A comparison with a traditional polypropylene and calcium carbonate based compound was also done. This research activity was realized in the frame of the COSMOS-RICE project, financed by the EU Commission.

Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes

Membranes comprised of randomly oriented fibers ranging from microns to nanometers in diameter combine small pore size with high porosity. This porous structure has been shown to improve performance in many applications including filtration, catalysis, sensing and tissue engineering. The open porous structure of nanofiber membranes plays an essential role in enhancing the performance of the nanofiber-based materials in these applications. The porous structure of nanofiber membranes is also a determining factor in biological sensors, which require wicking of liquid analytes through the membrane to the detection point. The usage of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds for biomedical applications has attracted a great deal of attention in the past several years. For examples, nanofibrous scaffolds have been demonstrated as suitable substrates for tissue engineering, immobilized enzymes and catalyst, wound dressing and artificial blood vessels. They have also been used as barriers for the prevention of postoperative induced adhesion and vehicles for controlled drug delivery [1]. For example, tumortargeting nano-scale carrier from electrospun PLGA membranes through surface modification can convey the radio-active nuclide quantitatively to the tumor tissue by directly embedded at the lesions and can also play an anti-adhesion function at where surgical procedures have been made [2]. Nanofiber membranes are ideal for this application because the highly porous network of interconnected pores provides the necessary pathways for transport of oxygen and nutrients that are crucial for cellular growth, and tissue regeneration [3].