Alicia Mujica-Garcia^1,2, Iván Navarro-Baena¹, José Maria Kenny^1,2, Laura Peponi^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 23-34, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634130

Abstract The main aim of this research is the production of different biopolymeric fi bers by electrospinning and the determination of the optimum working parameters for each polymer analyzed. In particular, three different biopolymers have been studied: poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and a synthesized poly(ester-urethane) based on a synthesized PLA-b-PCL-b-PLA tri-block copolymer. This research is focused on the analysis of the infl uence of the processing parameters, such as the concentration and fl ow-rate of the polymer solution and the applied voltage, as well as the physico-chemical properties of the polymers used, on the fi ber formation and crystallization behavior.… More >

L. Poussard^1,*, A. Mecheri¹, J. Mariage¹, I. Barakat¹, L. Bonnaud¹, J.-M. Raquez^1,2, P. Dubois^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 13-22, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634132

Abstract Biobased oligo(butylene succinate)-based thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) were prepared following a twostep polymerization process: condensation of succinic acid and butanediol and the chain extension of resulting hydroxyl-terminated butylene succinate oligomers (OBS) in the presence of butanediol as chain extender and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) as coupling agent. Mechanical and thermal properties of the elaborated TPUs were evaluated in terms of hard segment and compared with those of commercial polybutylene succinate (PBS), Bionolle 1001. Whatever the compositions, the ultimate tensile properties of OBS-based TPUs and Bionolle 1001 were found to exhibit similar values (ε_r ≈ 400%, σ_r ≈ 40 MPa), which can be… More >

Talita M. Lacerda^1,2,*, Alessandro Gandini^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 2-12, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634127

Abstract The inevitable future scarcity of fossil resources, coupled with sustainability considerations, have stimulated the use of renewable resources for material synthesis, and highly effi cient polymerization methods that meet the requirements of green chemistry have drawn attention to fatty acid-based polymers. Additionally, the polymerization of furan monomers and the exploitation of some of the chemical peculiarities of the furan heterocycle have generated a wide diversity of macromolecular materials. A novel approach is reviewed here, calling upon the combined use of both vegetable oils and their derivatives together with furans, as a promising technique to obtain new materials from two renewable… More >

Alfonso Jiménez

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 1-1, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634102

Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

Rosana Moriana^1,2,*, Emma Strömberg¹, Amparo Ribes², Sigbritt Karlsson^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 145-156, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634103

Abstract The purpose of this work was to study the effect of hydrothermal, biological and photo degradation on natural fi bres reinforced biodegradable starch-based (Mater-BiKE) composites to characterize the structural changes occurring under exposure to different environments. The composites water-uptake rate was hindered by the interfacial interactions between matrix and fi bres. Thermal, structural and morphological analysis provided useful information about the irreversible changes in the properties of the composites caused by degradation in soil and photodegradation, and their synergetic effects. The effects due to the photo-oxidation and degradation in soil on the composites depended on the different chemical composition of… More >

Kristine Koch^1,*, Daniel Johansson², Kalle Johansson³, Karin Svegmark⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 134-144, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634110

Abstract Properties of starch triacetate fi lms from different botanical origins were evaluated. Tensile and barrier properties, glass transition temperatures and moisture uptake were measured, and the molecular structure was characterised. High-amylose starches were good fi lm formers, normal potato starch formed continuous but brittle fi lms and potato amylopectin formed very brittle fi lms even after plasticisation. Barley amylopectin did not form continuous fi lms. Different plasticisers were studied and diacetin was shown to perform better than the standard plasticiser triacetin. All fi lms were water resistant, and the best fi lms gave water vapour barriers in the range of… More >

Nicolas Bordenave^1,2,3,*, Diana Kemmer⁴, Sonja Smolic⁴, Roland Franz⁴, Florence Girard⁵, Veronique Coma^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 123-133, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634105

Abstract Aroma and oxygen-barrier properties of chitosan-coated papers were measured in order to evaluate the potential of these materials as biodegradable materials for food packaging. Firstly, two chitosans (Chi- 244 and Chi-652) were studied according to their ultimate biodegradability. Chi-652 showed the best fi nal biodegradation rate and was then used for subsequent tests in association with papers. Then, oxygen-barrier and aroma-barrier properties of papers, Chi-652 fi lms and Chi-652-coated papers were investigated. The Chi-652 fi lms exhibited oxygen-barrier at low relative humidity and aroma-barrier comparable to synthetic materials already used in the packaged food industry. Both papers exhibited poor barrier… More >

Antonio J. F. Carvalho

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 118-122, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634108

Abstract Two nanocelluloses from eucalyptus, namely microfi brillated cellulose (MFC) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), were prepared and compared by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The MFC fi bers are 20–30 nm wide and are composed of very homogeneous bundles of aligned regular elementary fi brils of 3–5 nm diameter. They show long straight portions and short fl exible zones, attributed to crystalline and amorphous zones, respectively. The needle-shaped CNC was approximately 200 nm long and 10 nm wide in the wider portion. A model for the MFC structure, whose fl exible zones are formed by alignment of the amorphous portion of the… More >

Marta Martínez-Sanz, Amparo López-Rubio, Maria José Fabra, José M. Lagaron^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 107-117, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634106

Abstract Due to their high crystallinity and aspect ratio, bacterial cellulose nanowhiskers (BCNW) represent an appealing choice for the development of fully biobased nanocomposite materials with high barrier performance. However, their strong tendency to self-associate, together with their highly hydrophilic character, has restricted the production of nanocomposites containing cellulose nanowhiskers by industrial processing techniques such as melt compounding. Th is article presents an overview of the latest published results carried out within our group and also in other relevant literature, which have led to the development of an effi cient strategy for the incorporation of highly dispersed BCNW by melt compounding… More >

Fengwei Xie^1,*, Paul Luckman¹, John Milne¹, Lachlan McDonald¹, Conor Young¹, Chen Yang Tu¹, Teo Di Pasquale¹, Reinhard Faveere¹, Peter J. Halley^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 95-106, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634104

Abstract Starch is a biopolymer that is widely available from agriculture/nature and thus is renewable and cheap. In addition, starch-based materials are biodegradable, offering a great advantage over traditional nonbiodegradable synthetic polymers. However, the poor processibility and product performance of starch have greatly impeded the wide application of starch in real applications. This paper reviews the current developments of the production of thermoplastic starch as a commodity renewable material. The biological origins of the feedstock, formulation development, processing requirements, as well as the important aspects that need to be addressed when designing a product from starch are discussed. It is hoped… More >