Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A Novel Equivalent Method for Computing Mechanical Properties of Random and Ordered Hyperelastic Cellular Materials

This engineering paper develops a computational method for predicting the mechanical properties of cellular foam materials using equivalent structural models. The study is focused on materials engineering and is unrelated to microplastic research.

2023 Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

PET foaming: development of a new class of rheological additives for improved processability

This paper describes development of rheological additives to improve PET foaming for lightweight packaging, as an alternative to hard-to-recycle foamed polystyrene. Replacing polystyrene foam with more recyclable materials is important for reducing ocean microplastic pollution from packaging waste.

2023 Materials research proceedings
Article Tier 2

Polymer Bead Foams: A Review on Foam Preparation, Molding, and Inter-Bead Bonding Mechanism

This review examines the preparation, molding, and inter-bead bonding mechanisms of polymer bead foams, providing a comparative analysis of foam characteristics across distinct polymer types including expanded polypropylene, polyethylene, and polylactic acid. The authors survey traditional molding processes such as steam-chest molding and adhesive-assisted molding alongside emerging techniques like in-mold foaming and microwave sintering, discussing the multi-scale structural features that govern bead foam performance.

2023 Preprints.org 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer Bead Foams: A Review on Foam Preparation, Molding, and Interbead Bonding Mechanism

This paper is not directly about microplastics; it provides a comprehensive review of polymer bead foam materials — including preparation, molding techniques, and inter-bead bonding — with applications in packaging, automotive parts, and insulation.

2023 Macromol—A Journal of Macromolecular Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Properties, Applications and Recent Developments of Cellular Solid Materials: A Review

This review covered the properties, applications, and recent developments of cellular solid materials such as foams and honeycombs, examining their mechanical characteristics, manufacturing methods, and use in engineering applications.

2023 Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-based foams with low density and thermal conductivity through ethyl cellulose and SiO2 stabilized Pickering emulsion templating

Researchers developed fully bio-based foams using ethyl cellulose and SiO2 to stabilize Pickering emulsions as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastic foams that shed microplastics. Optimized curing conditions (80°C, 3h, 3% benzoyl peroxide) produced low-density, low-thermal-conductivity porous foams with potential to replace conventional plastic foams in insulation and packaging.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Acoustic and thermal characterization of a novel sustainable material incorporating recycled microplastic waste

Researchers created a new eco-friendly foam material by embedding recovered marine microplastics into a bio-based matrix, producing an open-cell insulating material with strong acoustic and thermal properties. The innovation offers a potential path to upcycle hard-to-recycle mixed marine plastic waste into useful building and industrial insulation products.

2021 Sustainable materials and technologies 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Interfacial rheology insights: particle texture and Pickering foam stability

Researchers studied the interfacial rheology of particle-laden interfaces stabilized with fumed and spherical colloidal silica particles, finding that particle texture significantly affects interfacial mechanical properties and the resulting stability of Pickering foams.

2023 Journal of Physics Condensed Matter 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of wood pulp to mechanically strong and biodegradable packaging foams by wet foaming process

Researchers developed biodegradable packaging foams from wood pulp and lignin using a wet foaming process, optimizing surfactant concentration and foaming time to achieve densities as low as 0.013 g/cm3 and porosities up to 99.2% as sustainable alternatives to expanded polystyrene.

2024
Article Tier 2

Preparation and application of a polyethylene foam packaging material

This review examines the preparation, modification, and application of polyethylene foam as a packaging material, discussing its lightweight, insulating, and shock-absorbing properties alongside the environmental and recycling challenges its widespread use creates. The authors propose approaches to address sustainability concerns while maintaining the performance characteristics that make polyethylene foam central to the modern packaging industry.

2024 Academic Journal of Materials & Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Thermal and Dielectric Investigations of Polystyrene Nanoparticles as a Viable Platform—Toward the Next Generation of Fillers for Nanocomposites

Researchers synthesized a series of surfactant-free polystyrene nanoparticles using emulsion polymerization with divinylbenzene as a crosslinker and a copolymerizing monomer surfactant, then characterized their thermal and dielectric properties as candidate fillers for polymer nanocomposites. The study demonstrated that these particles offer predictable surface and structural properties suitable for engineering composite materials with tunable dielectric behavior.

2023 Polymers 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of Styrofoam Waste-based Membrane Through Vapor and Liquid-induced Phase Inversion Process

Researchers prepared polymeric membranes from recycled Styrofoam waste using a phase-inversion technique with either immersion or evaporation solidification, finding that the solidification method significantly influenced hydrophobicity, pore configuration, porosity, and thermal stability of the resulting membranes.

2023 Jurnal Kimia Riset 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Fabrication of biodegradable poly (lactic acid)/carbon nanotube nanocomposite foams: Significant improvement on rheological property and foamability

Researchers developed a CO2-based foaming method to fabricate ultra-low-density biodegradable polylactic acid/carbon nanotube nanocomposite foams, finding that even small additions of carbon nanotubes dramatically improved rheological properties and foamability.

2020 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 87 citations
Article Tier 2

The Performance of Carbonate-Modified Nonionic Surfactants in Microplastic Flotation

Researchers evaluated carbonate-modified surfactants for microplastic foam flotation, finding carbonate groups improved biodegradability and flotation over conventional options.

2023 Water 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation and Study of a Waste Corrugated Cardboard Fiber‐Based Foamed Material With Good Hydrophobicity and Flame‐Retardant Properties

Researchers fabricated biomass foams from waste corrugated cardboard fibres using a microwave-assisted foaming technique, investigating the synergistic effects of silane fibre modification and kaolin doping on mechanical, hydrophobic, and flame-retardant properties. The optimised foam achieved a compressive stress of 0.53 MPa at 50% strain, a 20.1% reduction in water absorption, and a 34.7% increase in limiting oxygen index compared to conventional foams, presenting a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based cushioning materials.

2025 Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Article Tier 2

Lightweight carbon foam obtained from post-use polyethylene terephthalate bottles, properties, and potential applications

Researchers synthesized lightweight carbon foam from post-consumer PET plastic bottles via a controlled carbonization process, characterizing the foam's physical and chemical properties and exploring its potential as a value-added material from plastic waste recycling.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of floral foam waste via pyrolysis optimization for enhanced phenols recovery

Researchers optimized pyrolysis conditions for floral foam waste — a phenol formaldehyde foam that generates toxic microplastics — to maximize phenol recovery, finding that floral foam waste had 55.1% higher carbon content than biomass fractions and yielded high calorific value, demonstrating valorization potential for this problematic waste stream.

2022 Chemosphere 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics Impair the Biophysical Function of Pulmonary Surfactant by Forming Heteroaggregates at the Alveolar–Capillary Interface

Scientists found that micro and nanoplastics from common products like foam packaging, lunch boxes, and water bottles can impair the function of pulmonary surfactant, the crucial substance that keeps our lungs from collapsing. Polystyrene foam particles caused the most damage, both in lab tests and in mice, where they triggered lung inflammation. The nanoplastic fraction, though a small part of the total mass, appeared to drive most of the harm by forming clumps with the surfactant at the air-liquid surface in the lungs.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 38 citations
Article Tier 2

A sustainable acoustic customization of open porous materials using recycled plastics

Researchers developed a sustainable foamy acoustic material by incorporating recycled marine microplastic waste — polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) — into a bio-based matrix, characterizing samples of different compositions for sound absorption and thermal insulation properties.

2022 Scientific Reports 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Analisis Sifat Fisis dan Mekanik Biodegradable Foam Berbahan Dasar Selulosa Jerami Padi dan Polivinyl Alcohol

This paper is not about microplastics — it reports on the physical and mechanical properties of biodegradable foam made from rice straw cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol as a potential alternative to styrofoam, focusing on material science rather than microplastic pollution or health impacts.

2023 Jurnal Fisika Unand
Article Tier 2

Morpho-structural and thermo-mechanical characterization of recycled polypropylene and polystyrene from mixed post-consumer plastic waste

Researchers characterized recycled polypropylene and polystyrene recovered from mixed post-consumer plastic waste, assessing their morphological, structural, and thermo-mechanical properties to evaluate suitability for reuse in manufacturing.

2022 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of ionic surfactant contaminants on polystyrene-air bubble interactions for microplastics removal from wastewater

Researchers investigated how ionic surfactants present in municipal and industrial wastewater affect the efficiency of froth flotation for removing polystyrene microplastics. Surfactant type and concentration strongly influenced bubble-particle interactions, with some surfactants dramatically reducing removal efficiency, highlighting a challenge for flotation-based MP removal systems.

2025 Water Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Is froth flotation a potential scheme for microplastics removal? Analysis on flotation kinetics and surface characteristics

This study evaluated froth flotation as a method for removing microplastics from water, finding that surface hydrophobicity governs flotation efficiency and that the technique shows promise as a scalable treatment option for certain polymer types.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of surfactant concentration on the synthesis of hydrogel microbeads using the emulsion polymerization process for acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymers

Researchers examined the effect of surfactant concentration on the synthesis of hydrogel microbeads as biodegradable replacements for the plastic microbeads commonly used in personal care and cosmetic products, optimising formulation parameters to produce spherical particles with properties suitable for exfoliant applications.

2025 E3S Web of Conferences