Valorization of Unused, Expired Surgical Masks in Polymer-Modified Bitumens Using Maleic Anhydride as a Compatibilizer.

Paola Scarfato, Sabino De Gisi, Annalisa Apicella, Marinella Levi, Nadka Tz Dintcheva, Loredana Incarnato

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Polymers, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Closing the Loop on Personal Protective Equipment: Collection, Polymer Recovery, and Circular Pathways for Post-Consumer PPE.Polymers · 2026
Review

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Paola ScarfatoDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2890-4477

Sabino De GisiDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7264-4241

Annalisa ApicellaDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2619-7991

Marinella LeviDepartment of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, MI, Italy.

Nadka Tz DintchevaDepartment of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, PA, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3557-340X

Loredana IncarnatoDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy.

Funding

Ministero dell'università e della ricerca 20229BHA75

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In this study, polypropylene (PP) recovered from unused, expired surgical masks was evaluated as a substitute for virgin PP in polymer-modified bitumen (PMB). Unlike previous studies that incorporated whole masks or mixed polymer residues into bitumen, this work focuses specifically on recovering and functionalizing the polypropylene layers of surgical masks to directly replace virgin PP in PMB formulations. To improve the compatibility between PP and the bituminous matrix, maleic anhydride (MAH) and a maleic anhydride-grafted compatibilizer (AUS) were incorporated through different blending strategies. Five PMB formulations (0.5-5 wt.% polymer content) were prepared from B

Indexed as

infrared spectroscopymaleic anhydridematerialistic characterizationmaterial substitutionpenetration forcesoftening measurementsviscosity

Identifiers

PMID41374796

DOI10.3390/polym17233110

PMCPMC12693888

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.