Jia Yan Lim^1,2, Siti Madiha Muhammad Amir³, Roslan Yahya³, Marta Peña Fernández², Tze Chuen Yap^1,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.2, pp. 1-19, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.070707 - 09 December 2025

Abstract Additive Manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has transformed conventional manufacturing by building objects layer by layer, with material extrusion or fused deposition modeling standing out as particularly popular. However, due to its manufacturing process and thermal nature, internal voids and pores are formed within the thermoplastic materials being fabricated, potentially leading to a decrease in mechanical properties. This paper discussed the effect of printing parameters on the porosity and the mechanical properties of the 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) through micro-computed tomography (microCT), computational image analysis, and Charpy impact testing. The results for both… More >

Tingqiang Yan, Xiaodong Wang^*, Yingjie Qiao^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.13, No.8, pp. 1587-1604, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2025.02025-0075 - 22 August 2025

Abstract Polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable polymer, exhibits superior mechanical strength and processability. However, its broader adoption is hindered by inherent brittleness, low hydrophilicity, and sluggish crystallization kinetics. Chitosan (CS), a natural polysaccharide renowned for its biocompatibility and biodegradability, offers potential to address these limitations. While both materials have garnered significant attention in materials science, research on their integration via melt blending and the resulting performance enhancements for food-contact plastics remains understudied. This research comprehensively explores how different levels of CS content, from 0% to 10%, impact the characteristics of chitosan/polylactic acid (CS/PLA) composites. It specifically… More >

Tetyana Pokynbroda¹, Ihor Semeniuk^1,2, Agnieszka Gąszczak³, Elbieta Szczyrba³, Nataliya Semenyuk², Volodymyr Skorokhoda², Serhiy Pyshyev^4,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.13, No.7, pp. 1439-1458, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2025.02025-0030 - 22 July 2025

Abstract The selection of carbon sources and the biosynthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by the Azotobacter vinelandii N-15 strain using renewable raw materials were investigated. Among the tested substrates (starch, sucrose, molasses, bran), molasses as the carbon source yielded the highest PHB production. The maximum polymer yield (26% of dry biomass) was achieved at a molasses concentration of 40 g/L. PHB formation was confirmed via thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Composite films based on PHB, polylactic acid (PLA), and their blends were fabricated using the solvent casting. The biodegradation of these films was studied More > Graphic Abstract

Prashanth K P^1,*, Rudresh M², Venkatesh N³, Poornima Gubbi Shivarathri⁴, Shwetha Rajappa⁵

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.12, pp. 2115-2134, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.055437 - 20 December 2024

Abstract This study explores the mechanical properties of a novel composite material, blending polylactic acid (PLA) with sea shells, through a comprehensive tensile test analysis. The tensile test results offer valuable insights into the material’s behavior under axial loading, shedding light on its strength, stiffness, and deformation characteristics. The results suggest that the incorporation of sea shells decrease the tensile strength of 14.55% and increase the modulus of 27.44% for 15 wt% SSP (sea shell powder) into PLA, emphasizing the reinforcing potential of the mineral-rich sea shell particles. However, a potential trade-off between decreased strength and… More >

Jiazhao Huang¹, Xiaoying Qi¹, Chu Long Tham¹, Hang Li Seet¹, Sharon Mui Ling Nai¹, David William Rosen^1,2,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.31, No.3, pp. 1-2, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.012040

Abstract The emergence of 4D printing introduces stimuli-responsive, shape-changing capabilities through additive manufacturing (AM) and smart materials, has advanced the field of soft robotics. However, there are currently lack of methods or tools that capable of aiding in the generative design of 4D AM structures. The current generative design procedure for 4D AM structures often lacks transferability among various structures due to limited understanding of shape memory material behaviors for soft robotics. To develop such a digital library, investigation of fundamental elements, such as material properties of shape memory materials, geometry parameters of design primitives, and… More >

Selwin Maria Sekar¹, Rajini Nagarajan^1,*, Ponsuriyaprakash Selvakumar², Ismail Sikiru Oluwarotimi³, Kumar Krishnan⁴, Faruq Mohammad⁵, Mohammed Rafi Shaik⁵, Nadir Ayrilmis^6,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.8, pp. 1455-1474, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.052952 - 06 September 2024

Abstract An innovative microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) natural fibre powder-reinforced PLA biocomposite was investigated using the hand lay-up technique. The polymer matrix composite (PMC) samples were prepared by varying the weight percentages (wt.%) of both PLA matrix and MCC reinforcement: pure PLA/100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50 wt.%, respectively. From the results obtained, MCC powder, with its impressive aspect ratio, proved to be an ideal reinforcement for the PLA, exhibiting exceptional mechanical properties. It was evident that the 80:20 wt.% biocomposite sample exhibited the maximum improvement in the tensile, flexural, notched impact, compressive strength and hardness… More >

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 - 27 April 2023

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

A. MADHAN KUMAR¹, K. JAYAKUMAR^2,*, M. SHALINI³

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.39, No.3-4, pp. 269-281, 2022, DOI:10.32381/JPM.2022.39.3-4.7

Abstract Polylactic acid (PLA) is the most popular thermoplastic biopolymer providing a stiffness and strength alternative to fossil-based plastics. It is also the most promising biodegradable polymer on the market right now, thus gaining a substitute for conservative artificial polymers. Therefore, the current research focuses on synthesizing and mechanical characterization of particlereinforced PLA composites. The hot compression molding technique was used to fabricate PLA-based composites with 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 weight % of sawdust, rice husk, and bagasse particle reinforcements to enhance the performance of the PLA. The pellets of PLA matrix were taken with… More >

Chaodong Liu, Yutong Yang, Boyu Cui, Weihong Wang^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.11, pp. 2961-2972, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.019761 - 29 June 2022

Abstract Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is often added to polylactic acid (PLA) matrixes as a reinforcing filler to obtain fully-biodegradable composites with improved mechanical properties. However, the incompatibility between MFC and the PLA matrix limits the mechanical performance of MFC-reinforced PLA composites. In this paper, DL-lactic acid-grafted-MFC (MFC-g-DL) was used to improve the compatibility with PLA. Reinforced composites were prepared by melt extrusion and hot-cold pressing. The tensile strength of the PLA/MFC-g-DL composite increased by 22.1% compared with that of PLA after adding 1% MFC-g-DL. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA) were… More > Graphic Abstract

Ping Zhang, Siyu Gan, Lin Chen^*, Hao Chen, Chunhui Jia, Yingke Fu, Ying Xiong^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.11, pp. 2937-2947, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.019590 - 29 June 2022

Abstract Nano filler synergistic intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system is an effective way to improve the flame retardant properties of polymer. In this study, the effects of montmorillonite (MMT) on the flame retardant properties of polylactic acid/layered double hydroxides (PLA/LDH) and PLA/IFR/LDH were investigated. The results show that both LDH and LDH/IFR can reduce the peak heat release rate (HRR) of PLA and prolong the combustion time of PLA; When a proportionate MMT is introduced into PLA/LDH and PLA/IFR/LDH systems, respectively, MMT will not only affect the degradation process of PLA composites during combustion, but also More >