Biopolymer Composites 2019

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, academic and industrial research on polymers is strongly oriented towards the study and development of bio-based alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, aimed at saving the environment with improved sustainability, and even producing materials with enhanced properties for advanced applications.

Bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers (biopolymers) represent an important response to this request, although generally they present poor mechanical properties, restricted processing conditions, and limited end-use applications. In order to overcome these drawbacks, reinforcement with fillers or nanofillers has been widely utilized and investigated.

Biocomposites are a special class of composite materials, obtained by blending biopolymers with natural fibers and/or agro-food by-products and wastes. Biocomposites represent an ecological and low-cost alternative to conventional petroleum-derived materials, offering an additional wide variety of advantages, such as renewability, low density, and biodegradability.

This Special Issue aims to collect original full papers and/or reviews covering all the aspects related to the preparation and processing of biopolymer composites, including physical and chemical treatments utilized to improve the final performances of the materials, such as, for example, compatibilization, functionalization, and coating. In addition, topics of primary interest include the study of the physical, thermal, mechanical, viscoelastic, and morphological properties of biopolymer composites, as well as investigations of biodegradation kinetics and the analysis of possible applications.

Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Righetti
Prof. Dr. Patrizia Cinell
Guest Editor

Related Special Issue "Synthesis and Applications of Biopolymer Composites"

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/special_issues/Biopolymer_Composites

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