FTPO researcher's article published in Polymer Composites journal

The renowned international scientific journal Polymer Composites (Impact Factor: 4.8), published by Wiley, published an article entitled Evaluation of load-carrying and wear resistance of carbon-reinforced composite gears for E-Mobility: Short-term versus long-term performance. Among the co-authors of the article is our researcher, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Matija Hriberšek. The research was conducted in collaboration with the company Podkrižnik, specialna strojna industrija, d.o.o.

The article is accessible on the following link: Evaluation of load‐carrying and wear resistance of carbon‐reinforced composite gears for E‐mobility: Short‐term versus long‐term performance - Hriberšek - 2025 - Polymer Composites - Wiley Online Library

Article summary:

Poly(lactide) (PLA) is the most versatile biopolymer with few possible end-of-life scenarios, like recycling, biodegradation/composting, and incineration. Biodegradation occurs under strictly defined conditions, and ultimately, PLA is landfilled, where it behaves like conventional plastics. To completely utilize the potential of PLA, it is necessary to increase the recycling and upcycling rates. In this work, the influence of 10 cycles of reprocessing PLA pre-consumer industrial waste on the material’s properties was examined. The mechanical milling of the material was followed by injection molding, and after each cycle, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and optical properties were studied. Between the cycles, no virgin PLA or any additives were added to enhance the properties. Results showed a slight decrease in molecular weight, while the thermal properties remained unchanged compared to the starting material.