Identification and Formulation of Polymers: A Challenging Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Chemistry Lab Assignment

Abstract

Prior to the recycling process, raising awareness of plastic waste impact, e.g., polluting oceans worldwide, is undoubtedly a first attempt to tackle this pandemic environmental issue. With this in mind, the presented practical session is an effort to entice an interdisciplinary audience of science undergraduates toward a sustainable future. The associated assignment focuses on a collaboration of undergraduate chemistry students and engineering undergraduates with a minor program in chemistry. Acting on an adequate uncluttered mind map of practical guidelines, the students acquire and exchange multiple "good laboratory practice" skills. By this, engineering undergraduates get acquainted with chemicals, e.g., polymers, while future chemists get an impression of how economics is concerned to maintain a balance between economy and ecology, i.e., a circular economy. In a grand finale, the students present their interdisciplinary communication skills via a poster exhibition: "chemistry meets economics". Moreover, via this interdisciplinary approach the traditional polymer chemistry laboratory session, still a substantial part of the organic chemistry curriculum in the polymer chemistry courses, gets a makeover and will be integrated into a modern, advanced curriculum.

Bibliographic mapping of post-consumer plastic waste based on hierarchical circular principles across the system perspective

“… [ 31 ] X Waste sorting manual vs. technical and health risk for workers [ 36 ] X Psychological driver for market acceptance for bioplastic. [ 45 ] X Bioplastic market review and the latest solution bioplastic packaging materials [ 82 ] X Raising awareness of plastic waste through practical session among interdisciplinary audience. [ 120 ] X Mass flow analysis of plastic & paper for childhood exposure to hazardous chemical in recycled material.…”

“…Rethink (R1) strategy focuses on raising awareness of the research focus on consumers’ perceptions of environmentally sustainable beverage containers and comparing it with LCA [ 18 ]. Raising awareness of plastic waste is undertaken through practical sessions involving interdisciplinary participants [ 82 ].…”

“…Rethinking product design innovation comprises made from waste [ 66 ], flame retardant additive material [ 211 ], and using sharing economy and internet of things concepts to enable CE [ 140 ]. Rethinking consumer behavior encompasses consumer perception of environmentally sustainable beverage containers [ 18 ]; and raising awareness of plastic waste through interdisciplinary study [ 82 ]. Other topics include rethinking organizational behavior towards CE [ 112 ] and cultural paradigm shift and collaboration as means off transitioning to a circular city [ 77 ].…”

Scientific Activities for the Engagement of Undergraduate Students in the Separation and Recycling of Waste

“…In order to recycle plastics (mechanically or chemically), the first thing is to properly separate the different types of plastics according to their classification number or class: 1, polyethylene terephthalate, PET; 2, high-density polyethylene, HDPE; 3, polyvinyl chloride, PVC; 4, low-density polyethylene, LDPE; 5, polypropylene, PP; 6, polystyrene, PS; 7, others, O. , The students learned how the separation of different plastics is possible due to the floatability in water, glycerin, alcohol, and vegetable oil, as well as their identification by means of physicochemical properties (see the SI). − …”

Zooming in on Polymer Chemistry and Designing Synthesis of High Sulfur-Content Polymers for Virtual Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

“…Designing laboratory experiments on polymers can connect students with real-world applications, spark and promote students’ interests in science, and help students visualize some fundamental concepts in chemistry. , Several in-person lab experiments on synthesis, characterization, analysis, and applications of polymers were previously covered in the Journal of Chemical Education − and recently (2017) published in the Journal of Chemical Education Special Issue on Polymer Concepts across the Curriculum . − Specifically, polymer syntheses using different polymerization techniques such as radical polymerization (e.g., free-radical, controlled/living: ATRP − and RAFT , ), ring-opening polymerization (ROP) ,− and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), , and photopolymerization , were modified to design experiments for undergraduate (UG) laboratories; however, they were all designed for in-person experiments. Contrarily, many lab activities were envisioned, designed, and implemented for remote education even before pandemic time, − and several new studies have also been published in 2020, particularly in the Special Issue: Insights Gained While Teaching Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19 . − Despite the breadth of the literature on distance learning, new virtual laboratory experiments incorporating polymers are missing and can be beneficial.…”