B. BRAILSON MANSINGH¹, K. L. NARASIMHAMU², K. C. VARAPRASAD³, J. S. BINOJ^4,*, A. RADHAKRISHNAN⁵, ALAMRY ALI⁶

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.40, No.1-2, pp. 71-82, 2023, DOI:10.32381/JPM.2023.40.1-2.6

Abstract Several agro-wastes are rich in natural fibers and finds scope to be used as reinforcement in composite industry. These natural fibers have some advantages over man-made fibers, including low cost, light weight, renewable nature, high specific strength and modulus, and availability in various forms worldwide. In this paper, the effect of surface modification of leaf sheath coconut fiber (LSF) (an agro-waste) reinforced in phenol formaldehyde matrix composites with silicon carbide (SiC) nano particles as filler material were investigated for its mechanical characteristics. The investigation portrays that coconut LSF (CLSF) modified with potassium permanganate reinforced polymer More >

XINGMIN XU¹, QINGQING SUN², AIRONG XU², XINBAO GUO²

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.39, No.1-2, pp. 167-181, 2022, DOI:10.32381/JPM.2022.39.1-2.11

Abstract Silk fibroin (SF) with renewability, biocompatibility and biodegradability shows potential application in various fields including biomedicine, tissue engineering, and wearable electronic devices. Herein, SF is used to exert effective reinforcement of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite film to further improve its practicability. As such, PVA/SF composite films were prepared for the first time using a facile approach. The films were characterized to investigate possible interaction of PVA with SF. Meanwhile, systematic investigations have also been completed to explore the influences of PVA/SF mass ratio on the mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break), biodegradability and biocompatibility, More >

Meifeng Wang^1,2, Wubliker Dessie², Hui Li^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.12, pp. 2119-2128, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.016811 - 22 June 2021

Abstract Lignin is the most abundant heteropolymer based on aromatic subunits in nature. Large quantities of lignin are annually produced from pulping processes and biorefinery industries. Its unclearly defined structure and difficult biodegradation mainly limit its utilization. This work focused on the effect of hydroxylation of lignin on its microbial degradation. Butyloxy carbonyl-modified lignin, and hydroxylated-lignin were synthesized with di-tert-butyl dicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide, respectively, using lignin as raw material. The degradation of the modifiedlignins both by P. chrysosporium and B. subtilis were analyzed using UV-vis spectroscopy. Results revealed that the lignin degradation velocity raises with the increase More > Graphic Abstract

Yottha Srithep^1,*, Onpreeya Veang-in¹, Dutchanee Pholharn², Lih-Sheng Turng³, John Morris⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.7, pp. 1267-1281, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.015604 - 18 March 2021

Abstract A low-molecular-weight polylactide-poly(butylene succinate) (PLA-PBS) copolymer was synthesized and incorporated into polylactide (PLA) as a novel toughening agent by solvent casting. The copolymer had the same chemical structure and function as PLA and it was used as a plasticizer to PLA. The copolymer was blended with PLA at a weight ratio from 2 to 10 wt%. Phase separation between PLA and PLA-PBS was not observed from their scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and the crystal structure of PLA almost remained unchanged based on the X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. The melt flow index (MFI) of the… More >

HULYA SEMA KOKER¹, HÜLYA YAVUZ ERSAN¹, AYSE AYTAC^2,3,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.37, No.3-4, pp. 165-177, 2020, DOI:10.32381/JPM.2020.37.3-4.4

Abstract Chitosan (CH) and low-density polyethylene (PE) blend films were produced by a twin-screw extruder and heat press with different plasticizers glycerol (GLY), sorbitol (SOR) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The tensile strength decreased and elongation at break increased with the incorporation of plasticizer for blends with 10 wt% of CH. The thermal stability of the films was slightly higher for films containing GLY and PEG as compared to SOR. Contact angles reduced from CH-PE film to the films containing PEG, SOR and GLY in decreasing order, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed no interactions between CH More >

Monica Puccini^*1, Eleonora Stefanelli¹, Maurizia Seggiani¹, Elena Balestri², Sandra Vitolo¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, Suppl.1, pp. 117-123, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634138

Abstract In this study, blends of low-density polyethylene (PE) containing 20 wt% of hydrolyzed collagen (HC) from the leather industry were processed by the film blowing technique. A biodegradation study of these innovative materials was performed by two different biodegradation tests, one in terrestrial environment, the other one under aquatic conditions. Degradation rates were determined for both systems and an environmental degradability parameter was calculated. The results proved the positive influence of hydrolyzed collagen on degradation of polyethylene, but also showed a relatively low biological degradability of PE/HC blends under the applied test conditions. More >

Isabel Patrícia Fernandes¹, Mariana Barbosa¹, Joana Soares Amaral², Vera Pinto³, José Luís Rodrigues³, Maria José Ferreira³, Maria Filomena Barreiro^1*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 47-56, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634126

Abstract Among the wide variety of materials employed in the manufacture of shoes, thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are one of the most widely used. Given its widespread use, and associated waste management problems, the development of more biodegradable and evironmentally compatible solutions is needed. In this work, a polyester-based TPU used in the footwear industry for outsoles production was modifi ed by compounding with lignin, starch and cellulose at content of 4% (w/w). The biodegradability was evaluated by using agar plate tests with the fungi Aspergillus niger ATCC16404, the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027 and an association More >

Vu Thanh Phuong^1,2, Steven Verstichel³, Patrizia Cinelli^1,4, Irene Anguillesi¹, Maria-Beatrice Coltelli¹, Andrea Lazzeri^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 35-41, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634136

Abstract Cellulose acetate (CDA) cannot be processed as raw material because it starts to decompose before melting. Triacetin and diacetin were tested to improve CDA processing versus conventional phthalate as environmentally sustainable plasticizers, because of their low toxicity and fast biodegradability. The addition of triacetin and diacetin allowed melt processing of CDA and the results of tensile tests outlined their effect as plasticizers. The values of mechanical properties were compatible with the requirements for applications in rigid packaging. From the results of biodegradation tests it can be concluded that for pure cellulose acetate, complete biodegradation was 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. More >

M. Tazi¹, F. Erchiqui^1,*, F.Godard¹, H. Kaddami²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.4, pp. 258-263, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634120

Abstract This article evaluates the mechanical properties and biodegradability of wood-plastic composite materials made from sawdust and thermoplastic polymer (HDPE). For the preparation of the composites, sawdust in different proportions with Maleic Anhydride grafted Polyethylene (MAPE) as the coupling agent was used. The mechanical properties and biodegradability of the biocomposites were successively characterized. The results indicate that adding sawdust particles to a polymer matrix improves the mechanical strength and stiffness of composites. The tensile strength of a composite with 3% coupling agent was improved by 13%, 34% and 54% respectively when 20%, 30% and 40% wood… More >