The crystal-form transition behaviours and morphology changes in a polyamide 6 cyclic dimer

Selective Lanthanide-Organic Catalyzed Depolymerization of Nylon-6 to ϵ-Caprolactam

Nylon-6 is selectively depolymerized to the parent monomer ϵ-caprolactam by the readily accessible and commercially available lanthanide trisamido catalysts Ln(N(TMS)₂ )₃ (Ln=lanthanide). The depolymerization process is solvent-free, near quantitative, highly selective, and operates at the lowest Nylon-6 to ϵ-caprolactam depolymerization temperature reported to date. The catalytic activity of the different lanthanide trisamides scales with the Ln³⁺ ionic radius, and this process is effective with post-consumer Nylon-6 as well as with Nylon-6+polyethylene, polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate mixtures. Experimental kinetic data and theoretical (DFT) mechanistic analyses suggest initial deprotonation of a Nylon terminal amido N-H bond, which covalently binds the catalyst to the polymer, followed by a chain-end back-biting process in which ϵ-caprolactam units are sequentially extruded from the chain end.

Spectral imaging for characterization and detection of plastic substances in branded teabags

The addition of plastic substances in teabags is of increasing concern for conscious consumers due to the harmful effects on the environment and the potential threats to human health. This work introduces an innovative and cost-effective approach to detect and quantify plastic substances in teabags by applying near infrared hyperspectral imaging (951-2496 nm) coupled with multivariate analysis. Teabags from 6 popular brands were investigated and categorized into three classes based on spectral unmixing and target detection results: 1) the plastic teabag primarily made of nylon 6/6; 2) those made of a composite with various polypropylene and cellulose ratios; 3) biodegradable teabags free from any plastic traces. Results demonstrated the presence of numerous plastic particles in the beverage obtained after steeping nylon teabags, but the release of particles was further amplified after microwave treatment. Nevertheless, target detection results obtained from Fourier transform infrared imaging (4000-675 cm^-1) dataset evidenced that a considerable proportion of particle residues detected were the contaminants obtained from tea granules that adsorbed on the teabag. This work highlights the significant importance of performing rigorous spectral analysis for chemical characterization, which is lacking in most published microplastic studies.

A Novel Synthetic Strategy for Preparing Polyamide 6 (PA6)-Based Polymer with Transesterification

In the polymerization of caprolactam, the stoichiometry of carboxyl groups and amine groups in the process of melt polycondensation needs to be balanced, which greatly limits the copolymerization modification of polyamide 6. In this paper, by combining the characteristics of the polyester polymerization process, a simple and flexible synthetic route is proposed. A polyamide 6-based polymer can be prepared by combining caprolactam hydrolysis polymerization with transesterification. First, a carboxyl-terminated polyamide 6-based prepolymer is obtained by a caprolactam hydrolysis polymerization process using a dibasic acid as a blocking agent. Subsequently, ethylene glycol is added for esterification to form a glycol-terminated polyamide 6-based prepolymer. Finally, a transesterification reaction is carried out to prepare a polyamide 6-based polymer. In this paper, a series of polyamide 6-based polymers with different molecular weight blocks were prepared by adjusting the amount and type of dibasic acid added, and the effects of different control methods on the structural properties of the final product are analyzed. The results showed that compared with the traditional polymerization method of polyamide 6, the novel synthetic strategy developed in this paper can flexibly design prepolymers with different molecular weights and end groups to meet different application requirements. In addition, the polyamide 6-based polymer maintains excellent mechanical and hygroscopic properties. Furthermore, the molecular weight increase in the polyamide 6 polymer is no longer dependent on the metering balance of the end groups, providing a new synthetic route for the copolymerization of polyamide 6 copolymer.