Laboratoryof bioplastics
Bioplastics – one of very quickly developing sectors of recent market. It is boosted by the endeavour to substitute the petroleum-based-plastics with the materials produced from renewable resources, ideally from waste. Adding essential properties – compostability, degradability in nature and biological compatibility, a plastic of the future is formed.
The use of any plastic has negative effect on the environment and incorrect applications of bioplastics also happen. The work with these materials lasting for some time already and rich experiences on their processing revealed reasonable applications. Applying high-tech instrumentation and laboratory equipment and on the ground of the Faculty of Chemistry BUT we help industrial companies develop and test these materials for applications, which can reduce the burden on the environment.
In the laboratory, we focus on the processing of non-petroleum based biopolymers and supplementary substances into plastics applicable in industry. Our goal is to understand the relationships between the structure and properties of biopolymers and bioplastics and thus to provide qualified support at searching for reasonable solutions for the companies dealing with plastics.
Mgr.
RadekPřikryl
Ph.D.
Head of laboratory; biopolymers and biocomposites for 3D printing, tissue engineering and agrochemistry; fibre structures for tissue engineering; processing of selected polymer wastes, pultrusion of fibre (bio)composites, project management of Czech R&D projects
Ing.
SilvestrFigalla
Ph.D.
Basic organic synthesis, polycondensation and polyaddition chemistry, preparation and modification of biopolymers and bioresins, design and manufacture of laboratory and measuring equipment, construction of equipment and apparatus, electrical engineering, radio engineering and microwave heating, metal machining
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Research group
Ing.
PřemyslMenčík
Ph.D.
3D printing technology of polymers and biocomposite cement pastes; customization of 3D printing technologies; technology of preparation and testing of mechanical properties of polymer materials and polymer composites
Ing.
VeronikaMelčová
Ph.D.
Development of biocomposites for 3D printing for bone tissue engineering; mechanical, thermal and rheological behaviour of biopolymers and their composites, project management of European R&D projects
Ing. Bc.
SoňaKontárová
Ph.D.
3D printing technologies, biodegradable systems with controlled release of active substances, characterization of biopolymer and composite materials, biodegradation tests
Ing.
VojtěchJašek
PhD studies, synthesis of resins for special applications; chemical recycling of biopolymers
Ing.
ŠtěpánKrobot
Doctoral studies, 3D printing of biomaterials for use in tissue engineering, study of biopolymer coatings for controlled release fertilizer systems
Ing.
AlžbetaKecíková
Engineer in Chemistry and Materials Technology, centrifugal softening of biopolymers, mechanical and thermal testing, participation in Techbikom and Application 8
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Research scope
- Biopolymers for 3D printing
- Softening of biopolymers by centrifugal softening technology
- Biopolymers and biocomposites for bone tissue engineering and wound healing
- Bioplastics for gradual release fertilizers
- Synthesis of resins from renewable and waste sources
- Abrasive particles for cosmetics
- Processing and recycling technologies for engineering plastics and bioplastics
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Selected projects
- RecRec – Valorisation of waste from the PE recycling process (within the National Centre of Competence, TAČR) National Centre of Competence in Polymer Materials and technolgies for the 21st Century
- Biosuppack – processing of beer mills into bioplastic packaging and their subsequent chemical recycling BIOSUPPACK
- Profibone
- Filaments and 3D printing in medicine
- 3D print
- Fertilizers
- Other projects
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Selected publications
- High-Pressure Depolymerization of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) Using Bio-Based Solvents: A Way to Produce Alkyl Esters Which Can Be Modified to Polymerizable Monomers
- Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizers with Biodegradable Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Coating: Their Effect on the Growth of Maize and the Dynamics of N Release in Soil
- Evaluation of the Properties of PHB Composite Filled with Kaolin Particles for 3D Printing Applications Using the Design of Experiment
- FDM 3D Printed Composites for Bone Tissue Engineering Based on Plasticized Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(d,l-lactide) Blends
- Printability, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate)-Poly(Lactic Acid)-Plasticizer Blends for Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing
- Techniques for increasing the thermal stability of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] recovered by digestion methods
- Other publications
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Services offered
- Do you have material problems in production? Do you want to compare material from an existing supplier with a new one? Are you testing a new additive or formulation and want to verify the resulting properties? Thanks to the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities of the Faculty of Chemistry at Brno University of Technology, we can help you even with traditional plastics and composites. Contact us for a consultation and we can make an appointment.
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ANALYSIS AND STANDARD TESTS OF PLASTICS
1) Basic polymer material characterisation
- Polymer identification by FTIR
- Content of non-combustible components (fillers, etc.) by TGA
- Molecular weight by SEC-RID
- Determination of melting point and glass transition temperature by DSC (ISO 11357 and ASTM E793)
2) Mechanical properties of plastics and plastic products
- Tensile test (ISO 527 and ASTM D638)
- Bending test (ISO 178 and ASTM D790)
- Pressure test (ISO 604 and ASTM D695)
- Charpy impact and notch toughness (ISO 179) and Charpy notch toughness (ASTM D6110)
- Interlaminar shear strength of composites by SBS (ISO 14130 a ASTM D2344) tvrdost Shore A a D (ISO 868)
3) Thermomechanical properties
- Glass transition temperature by DMA (ISO 6721-11 a ASTM E1640)
- Deflection temperature under load HDT (ISO 75 a ASTM D648)
4) Rheological behaviour
- Determination of viscosity of polymers in dilute solutions by capillary viscometer (ISO 1628-1,2,5)
- Determination of viscosity with a falling ball viscometer (ISO 1205)
- Flow properties of MFI polymer using a plastometer (ISO 1133 a ASTM D1238)
- Rheological properties of a polymer using an oscillating rheometer (ISO 6721-10)
5) Basic analytical methods
- Determination of the acid number of PES and coatings (ISO 2114)
- Determination of epoxy equivalent (ISO 3001)
- Determination of volatile matter content (ČSN 64 0311)
- Determination of pH of aqueous leachate of vinyl chloride polymers (ISO 1264)
- Determination of the density of liquid resins by the pycnometric method (ISO 1675)
6) OTR from 10 cm3/m2/24 h above (setup similar to ASTM D3985) -
3D PRINT (FDM, SLA)
- Design of 3D prototype models
- Custom production of polymer products by 3D printing
- Technology modification and customized material development
- FDM 3D printing of special materials - composites, conductive materials, sensitive biomaterials
- DESIGN OF PRODUCTS AND TESTS TAILORED TO THE APPLICATION
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ANALYSIS AND STANDARD TESTS OF PLASTICS
PARTNERS:
