VERSALIS S.P.A.

A process for preparing a styrene-butadiene rubber includes micronized recycled rubber powder and includes the following steps: preparing a suspension having micronized recycled rubber powder, water and at least one surfactant; mixing the suspension from step (a) with at least one styrene-butadiene latex to obtain a styrene-butadiene latex having micronized recycled rubber powder; and subjecting the latex from step (b) to coagulation to obtain a coagulated styrene-butadiene rubber having micronized recycled rubber powder. In step (a), the particle size of the micronized recycled rubber powder ranges from 0.05 mm to 0.8 mm; the at least one surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 0.5% by weight to 3% by weight, with respect to total weight of the micronized recycled rubber powder; and the micronized recycled rubber powder has a concentration in water ranging from 1% by weight to 50% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the water.

A plastic composition includes a plastic material with a halogen content less than or equal to 0.5% by mass with respect to the plastic material, oligomers derived from the plastic contained in the plastic material, halogenated salts, and hydrocarbon. A related process for producing a composition of plastic material includes the steps of forming a composition; bringing the composition at a temperature between 150° C. and 450° C., and keeping the composition obtained in the temperature range for a time between 10 seconds and 30 minutes to form a final composition. The inerting agent is added during the process in an amount such that the ratio between the sum of the moles of the alkali metals belonging to group IA and the sum of the moles of halogen contained in the plastic material is at most 20:1.

A method for preparing amidines or derivatives thereof includes the step of subjecting N-(amino-alkyl) lactams to dehydration in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst chosen from a Lewis acid, Lewis acids with Bronsted acid or Bronsted acid components such as cerium oxide catalysts; boron phosphates, cerium, zirconium; other zirconium salts; modified zirconium oxides; and phosphotungstic acid.

A process for preparing a composition from graphite material by contacting the graphite material with a main solvent comprising at least 10% by weight, with respect to a total weight of the main solvent, of a vinyl aromatic monomer alone or in a mixture up to 50% by weight with additional copolymerizable monomers, thereby forming a starting composition; subjecting to an ultrasound treatment with a frequency spectrum ranging between 18 kHz and 1000 kHz, at a pressure equal to or higher than 2 bar absolute and in a container or sonication chamber wherein no separated phase of fluid at the gaseous phase contacts said composition; and polymerizing at least 1% of the vinyl aromatic monomer present in the main solvent, wherein the composition is at least partially polymerized and contains graphene and graphene nanoplatelets durably dispersed in the solvent, and the composition is without any evident formations of deposits or separated phases for at least 30 days.

A process for recovering and purifying polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from a fermentation broth deriving from the fermentation of microorganisms includes the following steps: (a) subjecting the fermentation broth as such to heat treatment in the presence of at least one acid; (b) subjecting the fermentation broth obtained in step (a), directly or after storage, to separation obtaining an aqueous suspension of cellular biomass having polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and an aqueous phase having fermentation residues; (c) subjecting the aqueous suspension of cellular biomass having polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) obtained in step (b) to extraction, purification and drying; wherein step (a) is carried out at a pH between 4 and 6, at a temperature between 50° C. and 70° C., for a time between 5 minutes and 30 minutes. The aforementioned polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) can be advantageously used in various applications, in particular in the medical, pharmacological, cosmetic, agricultural, engineering and food packaging fields.

A Method for the synthesis of ω-amino acids or derivatives thereof, includes the following steps synthesis of an ω-oxoester/linear acid by hydroformylation by CO/H 2 mixture of at least one monounsaturated acid/ester, the monounsaturated acid/ester preferably resulting from a reaction of metathesis of oils/fats from renewable sources; synthesis of a linear ω-amino acid/ester and/or ω-aminoamide, subjecting the aforementioned ω-oxoester/linear acid to reductive amination; and possible synthesis of a linear ω-amino acid, subjecting the aforementioned linear ω-aminoester and/or ω-aminoamide to hydrolysis.

A process for preparing a styrene-butadiene rubber includes micronized recycled rubber powder and includes the following steps: preparing a suspension having micronized recycled rubber powder, water and at least one surfactant; mixing the suspension from step (a) with at least one styrene-butadiene latex to obtain a styrene-butadiene latex having micronized recycled rubber powder; and subjecting the latex from step (b) to coagulation to obtain a coagulated styrene-butadiene rubber having micronized recycled rubber powder. In step (a), the particle size of the micronized recycled rubber powder ranges from 0.05 mm to 0.8 mm; the at least one surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 0.5% by weight to 3% by weight, with respect to total weight of the micronized recycled rubber powder; and the micronized recycled rubber powder has a concentration in water ranging from 1% by weight to 50% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the water.

There is a random butadiene-isoprene copolymer having a high content of cis-1,4 units having the following characteristics: cis-1,4-butadiene units content greater than or equal to 92%; cis-1,4-isoprene units content greater than or equal to 92%; isoprene randomization index (R.I.) calculated according to the following equation: R.I.=[(BI+IB)/2]/total moles of bound isoprene. BI and IB are the amounts of butadiene-isoprene and isoprene-butadiene dyad, respectively, present in the random butadiene-isoprene copolymer having a high content of cis-1,4 units, of between 0.5 and 1. The weight ratio (% by weight) between bound butadiene and bound isoprene of between 99:1 and 40:60. The single glass transition temperature value (Tg), an indicator of the actual randomization of both comonomers, is between −107° C. to −65° C. The Mooney viscosity (ML1+4@100° C.) is between 30 and 70. The molecular weight distribution is between 2.0 and 3.2.

A fermentation process for the production of lipids in the presence of at least one oleaginous yeast includes the steps of: growing the oleaginous cell biomass wherein the respiratory quotient of the at least one oleaginous yeast is kept at a constant value between 0.85 and 1.2, preferably between 0.9 and 1.15, and more preferably equal to 1.1; and a further step of lipid production wherein the respiratory quotient of the at least one oleaginous yeast is kept at a constant value between 1.2 and 2.6, preferably between 1.3 and 2.55, and more preferably equal to 1.4. The lipids thus obtained are advantageously used in the production of biofuels which can be used as such, or mixed with other fuels in diesel engines for automotive or aviation.

A Method for the synthesis of ω-amino acids or derivatives thereof, includes the following steps synthesis of an ω-oxoester/linear acid by hydroformylation by CO/H 2 mixture of at least one monounsaturated acid/ester, the monounsaturated acid/ester preferably resulting from a reaction of metathesis of oils/fats from renewable sources; synthesis of a linear ω-amino acid/ester and/or ω-aminoamide, subjecting the aforementioned ω-oxoester/linear acid to reductive amination; and possible synthesis of a linear ω-amino acid, subjecting the aforementioned linear ω-aminoester and/or ω-aminoamide to hydrolysis.