Innovative material testing with large scale research instruments

In the framework of its activities in composite materials and more specifically as part of the research project “Mechanical recycling of polylactide for new applications” (DuraPLA), LIST expert in structural analysis of material conduction visited Elettra Research Centre in Italy (09/2016) and Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland (11/2016) to perform synchrotron testing.

Context

The development of innovative polymers and composites requires an accurate identification of their as-processed physical and chemical structures, and to go further, understanding how these structures withstand thermal and/or mechanical stresses. Materials were generally analyzed with conventional Lab characterization tools, but when attaining Lab resolving limits, it is desirable to analyze material structure at  synchrotron facilities. In particular, this extremely powerful source of X-rays is used by numerous techniques including x-ray diffraction, x-ray scattering, x-ray microtomography, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence… enabling very fast and highly-resolved material structure analysis.

Testing abroad

DuraPLA is a FNR CORE ongoing project that studies at laboratory scale the impact of the number of recycling on the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of polylactic acid (PLA). The possible valorisation of the recycled PLA is also tackled. Frédéric Addiego, with the great help of the Luxembourg contact point for large scale research instruments, Inma Peral (University of Luxembourg), did a proposal to the Elettra Research Centre that was accepted and he had the opportunity to access the Swiss Light Source at the Paul Scherrer Institute for one day. Testing aimed at analysing the original structure of PLA toughened by reactive extrusion (DuraPLA, PhD thesis works of Berit Brüster).

Operating cutting-edge equipments of these two renowned institutes was a great training for Berit Brüster and an excellent opportunity to meet with other fellow researchers. For DuraPLA project, the new obtained data enabled a better understanding of the processing - structure relationships of PLA materials, which will contribute to the develoment of new formulations with improved properties and durability.  

Do not hesitate to contact Frédéric Addiego via email for any further information on this topic.