Development and Characterization of Sustainable Bio-Resins from Agricultural Waste for Eco-Friendly Lightweight Industrial Applications ^†

Natural flora and fauna, especially in the seas and marine life, as well as human health and global warming, are all significantly impacted by the environmental effects of petroleum-based plastics. Growing environmental concerns and sustainability needs have made bio-based resins a possible substitute for fossil-based resins in the composite manufacturing industries. Bioplastics are becoming increasingly popular as a substitute for commercially used matrices due to their nontoxicity, renewability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. This research focused on developing bio-resins from Acacia gum, frankincense gum, and orange fruit waste peel for lightweight structural applications. The gums and peels were extracted, washed, dried, and crushed into powder form for bio-resin preparations with respective combination ratios. In line with the tenets of the circular economy, these wastes can be used as secondary raw materials to produce value-added, lab-made bio-resin. The FTIR spectra of acacia and frankincense gums showed that the O-H groups were observed at absorption bands of 3300 cm⁻¹ & 3440 cm⁻¹, respectively. This phenomenon revealed that lab-made bio-resin had a hygroscopic nature, and this problem was significantly reduced by incorporating the fruit waste peels as a plasticizer. This study helps the composite manufacturing sector transition to more sustainable and green manufacturing methods for lightweight structural components by establishing the framework for maximizing the use of new renewable materials in the production of eco-friendly matrix, especially for non-load-bearing applications.