Taught in English, for PhD students of the PhD Courses of the Doctoral School of University of Salento, fall semester. (25 hours, 5 CFU)
The well-established worldwide success of polymers in each field of human life is due to a broad variety of good (tailorable as required through a proper process/addition of different compounds) properties (such as: low density, good performances achieved at reasonable costs, insulating capabilities and chemical resistance, inertness, possibility to mix different polymers to combine the properties of each single component). On the other side, their currently widespread use in the most different applications, from domestic and low added value to highly technological products, must deal with their release into the environment once their “end life” is reached, raising up severe concerns regarding their impact in the environment. This issue is particularly alarming in fastest developing Countries. The waste plastics, on the other hand, if properly exploited and valorized, can represent even a source of money. Growing academic and industrial efforts, therefore, are devoting to analyze and supply effective solutions to these problems. This subject, finally, must be analyzed and handled with a multidisciplinary approach, taking into account different technological as well as ethical aspects, and continuously changing local and international legislations. This course would supply a brief panorama of the described issues.

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