Shuang Zhao¹, Shenglan Chen², Shuan Ren¹, Gang Li³, Ke Song^1,4, Jie Guo^1,4, Shima Liu^1,4, Jian He^1,4, Xianwu Zhou^1,4,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.6, pp. 2531-2553, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.026066

Abstract Petroleum-based materials, such as plastic, are characterized by adverse environmental pollution; as a result, researchers have sought alternative degradable plastics that are environmentally friendly, such as polylactic acid (PLA). PLA has shown great potential to replace petroleum-based plastics. In this study, seven different samples of unmodified Pueraria lobata root powder (PRP) with different contents (i.e., 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt%) and three different modified PRPs (i.e., treated with NaOH, NaOH-KH-550, and Formic) were used to reinforce polylactic acid (PLA) via solution casting process. These prepared PRP/PLA composite films were characterized using SEM,… More > Graphic Abstract

Galia Moreno, Karla Ramirez, Marianelly Esquivel, Guillermo Jimenez*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.1, pp. 9-20, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.00017

Abstract Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composite films reinforced with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) extracted from pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) were prepared by a solution casting procedure. In an attempt to improve the interaction between PLA and cellulose, two approaches were adopted; first, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was used as a surfactant, and second, the cellulosic fibers were pre-treated using tert-butanol (TBA). Lignocellulosic and cellulosic substrates were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA). MCC from PALF showed good thermal stability, left few residues after decomposing, and exhibited high crystallinity index. Mechanical, thermal More >