Ricerc@Sapienza

Hydrogels are an important class of biomaterials that can absorb large quantities of water. In this study, changes in hydration of natural hydrogels (agar, chitosan, gelatin, starch, and blends of each with chitosan) during storage and rehydration were studied by using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI). Moisture content was calculated based on changes in sample weight during hydration. The NIR-HSI data were acquired by using a push-broom system operating in diffuse reflectance in the wavelength range 943 to 1650 nm.

The amount of flat monitors from televisions, notebooks and tablets dramatically increased in the last years, thus originating a corresponding growth in Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). This fact is linked to the production of more and more high performance electronic devices. Some parts of spent flat panel screens are made of thermoplastic polymers such as polycarbonate (PC), that has flame retardant properties, and/or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) usually used for its optical clarity, high light transmission, toughness and high impact resistance.