Experimental Validation of the Microplastic Index—Two Approaches to Understanding Microplastic Formation
The Microplastic Index (MPI) was presented in a previous paper as a method to assess the formation of microplastics during the application of impact and wear stresses, based on selected mechanical and physical properties of polymers. In this paper, the experimental validation of the MPI model is pre...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Microplastics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8929/2/4/27 |
| _version_ | 1797337643789320192 |
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| author | Kalouda Grigoriadi Merel G. A. Nooijens Ali Emre Taşlı Max M. C. Vanhouttem Sieger Henke Luke A. Parker Jan Harm Urbanus Arjen Boersma |
| author_facet | Kalouda Grigoriadi Merel G. A. Nooijens Ali Emre Taşlı Max M. C. Vanhouttem Sieger Henke Luke A. Parker Jan Harm Urbanus Arjen Boersma |
| author_sort | Kalouda Grigoriadi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Microplastic Index (MPI) was presented in a previous paper as a method to assess the formation of microplastics during the application of impact and wear stresses, based on selected mechanical and physical properties of polymers. In this paper, the experimental validation of the MPI model is presented. A series of ten polymers was characterized to obtain the relevant parameters for the calculation of the MPI, i.e., the minimum particle size and volume of microplastics formed. The milling (addressing impact stress) and sanding experiments (addressing wear stress) resulted in particle sizes between 3 and 200 μm and 0.3 and 25 μm, respectively. These values were very well predicted by the MPI model, showing smaller particles for brittle polymers and larger ones for ductile polymers. In addition, the experimental-specific wear rates of impact and wear correlated well with the predicted ones, being 0.01–30 mm<sup>3</sup>/Nm for impact and 0.0002–0.012 mm<sup>3</sup>/Nm for wear. These results indicate that the MPI can be very well used to predict the tendency of a material to form microplastics. In the search for understanding and mitigating microplastic formation, the MPI can be used by both producers and end users to choose plastic grades that form fewer microplastics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:16:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d8d05cf26a4a408ab9685990740baa21 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-8929 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:16:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microplastics |
| spelling | doaj.art-d8d05cf26a4a408ab9685990740baa212024-01-31T15:55:56ZengMDPI AGMicroplastics2673-89292023-11-012435037010.3390/microplastics2040027Experimental Validation of the Microplastic Index—Two Approaches to Understanding Microplastic FormationKalouda Grigoriadi0Merel G. A. Nooijens1Ali Emre Taşlı2Max M. C. Vanhouttem3Sieger Henke4Luke A. Parker5Jan Harm Urbanus6Arjen Boersma7TNO, HTC 25, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The NetherlandsTNO, HTC 25, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The NetherlandsTNO, HTC 25, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The NetherlandsTNO, Brightlands Materials Center, Urmonderbaan 22, 6167 RD Geleen, The NetherlandsTNO, Princetonlaan 6-8, 3584 CB Utrecht, The NetherlandsTNO, Princetonlaan 6-8, 3584 CB Utrecht, The NetherlandsTNO, Princetonlaan 6-8, 3584 CB Utrecht, The NetherlandsTNO, HTC 25, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The NetherlandsThe Microplastic Index (MPI) was presented in a previous paper as a method to assess the formation of microplastics during the application of impact and wear stresses, based on selected mechanical and physical properties of polymers. In this paper, the experimental validation of the MPI model is presented. A series of ten polymers was characterized to obtain the relevant parameters for the calculation of the MPI, i.e., the minimum particle size and volume of microplastics formed. The milling (addressing impact stress) and sanding experiments (addressing wear stress) resulted in particle sizes between 3 and 200 μm and 0.3 and 25 μm, respectively. These values were very well predicted by the MPI model, showing smaller particles for brittle polymers and larger ones for ductile polymers. In addition, the experimental-specific wear rates of impact and wear correlated well with the predicted ones, being 0.01–30 mm<sup>3</sup>/Nm for impact and 0.0002–0.012 mm<sup>3</sup>/Nm for wear. These results indicate that the MPI can be very well used to predict the tendency of a material to form microplastics. In the search for understanding and mitigating microplastic formation, the MPI can be used by both producers and end users to choose plastic grades that form fewer microplastics.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8929/2/4/27microplasticspolymer propertiesimpactwearmicroplastic index |
| spellingShingle | Kalouda Grigoriadi Merel G. A. Nooijens Ali Emre Taşlı Max M. C. Vanhouttem Sieger Henke Luke A. Parker Jan Harm Urbanus Arjen Boersma Experimental Validation of the Microplastic Index—Two Approaches to Understanding Microplastic Formation Microplastics microplastics polymer properties impact wear microplastic index |
| title | Experimental Validation of the Microplastic Index—Two Approaches to Understanding Microplastic Formation |
| title_full | Experimental Validation of the Microplastic Index—Two Approaches to Understanding Microplastic Formation |
| title_fullStr | Experimental Validation of the Microplastic Index—Two Approaches to Understanding Microplastic Formation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental Validation of the Microplastic Index—Two Approaches to Understanding Microplastic Formation |
| title_short | Experimental Validation of the Microplastic Index—Two Approaches to Understanding Microplastic Formation |
| title_sort | experimental validation of the microplastic index two approaches to understanding microplastic formation |
| topic | microplastics polymer properties impact wear microplastic index |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8929/2/4/27 |
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