Daniele Spinelli

Background: This paper presents the development of digital tools created within the BIORADAR European project to improve user access to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results from the project’s use cases and to enable users to upload, benchmark and analyze their own data. The work addresses common challenges in circularity and environmental impact assessment, particularly data availability and expert-assisted self-assessment for users such as small- and medium-sized enterprises. Methods: The LCA data for the project use cases is calculated using the Environmental Footprint methodology. Benchmarking compares bio-approach use cases with traditional approaches across three key sectors selected by the BIORADAR project: fertilizer, textile and packaging. These sectors are recognized by the European Commission as three of the most important sectors in terms of environmental impact. Case impact factor data are normalized using a reference statistic, and a weighting is assigned to each key performance indicator to calculate the global score. Individual impact factor values can also be used for benchmarking. Synthetic data are generated through an advanced statistical decomposition algorithm. Advanced data analytics are provided with clustering and a decision tree algorithm using supervised machine learning. Results: Two examples of decision-oriented case studies are used to illustrate how the platform can support the interpretation and use of already computed LCA results in realistic settings. The web-based expert-assisted self-assessment tool, developed in JavaScript, allows users to input their data, benchmark them against project results and perform multidimensional data analysis. The resulting digital tools provide access to LCA data for each use case, generate realistic synthetic datasets preserving key statistical properties, support benchmarking of both project and user-uploaded cases, and perform data analytics, which complement the benchmarking module with a structural and exploratory interpretation of the data. Conclusions: Overall, the tools integrate use case benchmarking, data processing, advanced analytics and user interfaces to facilitate environmental self-assessment and comparison within the BIORADAR framework.

The recycling of polyamide 6 (PA) and elastane (EL) from post-consumer textiles is increasingly relevant for sustainable materials development. This study investigates blends obtained from a commercial PA fabric containing 16% EL, processed via extrusion under various conditions to evaluate the influence of temperature, screw type, and speed on phase morphology and thermo-mechanical performance. The results demonstrate that processing parameters, particularly temperature, significantly affect melt viscosity and the final mechanical properties of the blends. Enhanced ductility was observed in all recycled samples compared to pure PA, indicating that mechanical recycling is a promising strategy for PA/EL textile waste. These findings support the feasibility of this approach, while highlighting the need for further research into compatibilization techniques and industrial scalability.

Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is a high-performance thermoplastic polymer, commonly used as an interlayer material in laminated safety glass for the automotive and architectural sectors. Currently, there is no end-of-life cycle program for a substantial amount of PVB film, which mainly ends up in landfills. According to a circular approach, PVB can be revalorized after efficient separation and recovery from glass. Thus, the aim of this work was to develop functional coatings for textile applications using recycled PVB (re-PVB), also in combination with an organic UV absorber, to enable the production of UV-protective final coated fabrics. The re-PVB-coated fabrics were obtained through an industrially scalable spraying process (leading to an average weight increase of 20 ± 3 wt.%), and the effectiveness of the application was evaluated according to different characterization techniques, such as FT-IR (Fourier transform–infrared) spectroscopy, SEM (scanning electron microscope), a washing test, a mechanical test, a thermo-physiological test, and the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). Based on the results, the re-PVB-coated fabrics appeared stable upon washing (with a negligible weight loss compared to the average amount of coating) and effective in UV protection (with a final UPF being four times higher and a reduced UVA transmittance from 2.0% to 0.6%).

The escalating environmental concerns associated with petroleum-based adhesives have spurred an urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide, is a promising candidate; however, its limited water resistance hinders broader application. The aim of this study is to develop a new chitosan-based adhesive with improved properties. The polydopamine association with chitosan presents a significant increase in adhesiveness compared to pure chitosan. Polydopamine is synthesized by the enzymatic action of laccase from Trametes versicolor at pH = 4.5, in the absence or presence of chitosan. This pH facilitates chitosan’s solubility and the occurrence of catechol in its reduced form (pH < 5.5), thereby increasing the final adhesive properties. To further enhance the adhesive properties, various crosslinking agents were tested. A multi-technique approach was used for the characterization of formulations. The formulation based on 3% chitosan, 50% polydopamine, and 3% xanthan gum showed a spectacular increase in adhesive properties when tested on glass, cardboard and textile. This formulation increased water resistance, maintaining the adhesion of a sample soaked in water for up to 10 h. For cardboard and textile, material rapture occurred, in mechanical tests, prior to adhesive bond failure. Furthermore, all the samples showed antiflame properties, expanding the benefits of their use. Comparison with commercial glues confirms the remarkable adhesive properties of the new formulation.