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Grant TED2021-130820B-C21 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the "European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR".

Analysis of institutional authors

Juan, RafaelAuthorParedes, BeatrizAuthorGarcia-Munoz, Rafael ACorresponding Author

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Article

Advancing polypropylene quantification in recycled HDPE: A comparative study of FTIR, DSC, TREF, and TGIC for enhanced plastic circularity

Publicated to:Polymer Testing. 149 108855- - 2025-08-01 149(), DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108855

Authors: Blanco, Aymara; Juan, Rafael; Paredes, Beatriz; Dominguez, Carlos; Garcia-Munoz, Rafael A

Affiliations

Rey Juan Carlos Univ, GIQA, Grp Environm & Chem Engn, ESCET, Tulipan St, Madrid 28933, Spain - Author
Rey Juan Carlos Univ, Inst Invest Tecnol Sostenibil, Tulipan St, Madrid 28933, Spain - Author
Rey Juan Carlos Univ, Polymer Technol Lab, LATEP, Tulipan St, Madrid 28933, Spain - Author

Abstract

The exponential growth in the production and demand for plastic materials has given rise to significant environmental concerns, highlighting the need for effective recycling strategies to reduce plastic waste and give these materials a new life. Nevertheless, recycling plastic materials present a significant challenge. For instance, even trace amounts of polypropylene (PP) in recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) can significantly affect its physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. It is therefore imperative to precisely determine the levels of PP contamination, which is the principal objective of this study, to ensure the quality of recycled materials and compliance with regulatory standards in a range of countries. An alternative analytical technique based on a chromatographic method involving the adsorption of the polymer chains in a support, namely Temperature Gradient Interaction Chromatography (TGIC) is evaluated. To ascertain the efficacy of the proposed method, it has been benchmarked against other established techniques within the recycling industry, such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) as well as recently published alternative method, Temperature Rising Elution Fractionation (TREF). This study offers an examination of the advantages and challenges associated with each of these techniques, with the objective of facilitating the selection of an optimal PP quantification method in recycled PE that can enhance the sustainability and quality control of recycled materials.

Keywords

BlendsCircular economyCrystallinitFourierHdpe/pp blendsPolyethylenePolymersPost-consumer recyclate (pcr)Pp quantificationRecycled hdpeSpectroscopyTemperatureThermal gradient interaction chromatography (tgic)Transformed infrared spectroscopy (ftirTransformed infrared spectroscopy (ftir)

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Polymer Testing due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 14/95, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Polymer Science.

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-06-30:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 11 (PlumX).

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author () and Last Author (García Muñoz, Rafael Ángel).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been García Muñoz, Rafael Ángel.