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Microplastic pollution constitutes a substantially detrimental type of environmental contamination and poses threats to human health. Among the sources of airborne and marine microplastics, evidence indicates that non-exhaust emissions resulting from tire abrasion and other organic materials have emerged as a notable contributor. However, the mechanistic understanding of abrasion emission of organic materials has remained elusive. To fill the gap, we here develop a multi-scale abrasion mechanics model using the principles of linear elastic fracture mechanics. Macroscopically, material wear and tear can be viewed as a process of macro-crack propagation associated with the fatigue fracture. Microscopically, we consider the effect of microcracks propagating under cyclic loading on the material modulus and energy release rate during fatigue fracture. This framework leads to an evaluation of the effective energy release rate for the abrasion-induced emission of particulate matter, thus leading to a calculation of the concentration of the emitted particulate matter with varied sizes. The theory is validated by corresponding experiments and high consistency is exhibited between the theoretical and experimental results. This research constructs a quantitative relationship between fracture mechanics and abrasion emissions. This research not only paves the way for a mechanistic understanding of particulate matter pollution from a solid mechanics perspective but also offers rational guidance for modern society to alleviate airborne particulate matter and marine microplastic abrasion emissions.
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Unveiling the mechanism secret of abrasion emissions of particulate matter and microplastics
Recent research highlights that non-exhaust emissions from the abrasion of tires and other organic materials have emerged as a substantial source of airborne particulate matter and marine microplastics. Despite their growing impact, the underlying mechanisms driving these abrasion emissions have remained largely unexplored. In this study, we uncover that abrasion emissions from organic materials are fundamentally governed by a fatigue fracture process, wherein particles are progressively detached from the material surface under cyclic abrasion loads. Our findings demonstrate that these emissions increase significantly only when the applied abrasion loads surpass the material’s toughness threshold. We establish a scaling relationship between the concentration of emitted particulate matter and the measurable crack propagation rate of the organic material, offering a robust quantitative method to estimate abrasion emissions. This work not only introduces a novel mechanistic framework for understanding particulate matter pollution from organic material abrasion but also provides a scientific basis for developing strategies to mitigate emissions of airborne particulates and marine microplastics.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1943598
- PAR ID:
- 10592458
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Nature
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-74137-6
