Polymer materials technology
Alicja Szymańska
Institute of Technical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznań University of Technology, Polandhttps://orcid.org/0009-0009-5888-5861
Grzegorz M. Szymański
Institute of Transport, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Transport, Poznań University of Technology, Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2784-9149
Bogdan Wyrwas
Institute of Technical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznań University of Technology, Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4791-5318
Abstract
Polymer materials are among the most widely used engineering materials, but their mass production generates growing volumes of waste that hinder the transition to a circular economy. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an integrated overview of polymer materials technology that links the structure of polymers with their synthesis, processing, applications and end-of-life management. The review is based on peer-reviewed literature indexed mainly in the Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect databases, supplemented by IUPAC recommendations, monographs, standards and EU legal acts; of the 136 sources cited, 82% were published in 2022–2026. The covered areas include: polymer structure, morphology and thermomechanical properties; chain-growth and step-growth polymerization, their kinetics, catalysts and industrial polymerization techniques; methods of polymer characterization; cross-linking and vulcanization; the classification of plastics and antimicrobial additives; processing methods; the main groups of polymers and their applications; and mechanical recycling, feedstock (chemical) recycling and energy recovery. Comparative tables summarize the main technological options together with their advantages and limitations. The review shows that the properties and recyclability of plastic products are largely predetermined at the stages of molecular design, formulation and processing. Mechanical recycling remains the preferred route for clean, homogeneous thermoplastic streams, depolymerization is most effective for polymers with cleavable main chains (e.g., PET, polyamides), thermochemical processes are suited to mixed polyolefin waste, and energy recovery should be limited to residual fractions. The main research gaps concern the quality of recyclates, the recycling of thermosets and multilayer materials, the influence of additives on recyclability and safety, and the lack of comparable life cycle and techno-economic data.
Keywords:
polymers, plastics, polymerization, processing, recycling, circular economyReferences
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Institute of Technical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznań University of Technology, Poland
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5888-5861
Institute of Transport, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Transport, Poznań University of Technology, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2784-9149
Institute of Technical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznań University of Technology, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4791-5318
