Functional Additives for Bio-Based Advanced Composites

A special issue of Journal of Composites Science (ISSN 2504-477X). This special issue belongs to the section "Biocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 2866

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Engineering and Ceramics, CICECO Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: nanostructures; nanomaterials; functional fillers; compatibility; nanocomposites; additives
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The creation of biodegradable and biobased polymers is crucial for a smooth transition to a circular materials economy. In contrast to synthetic polymers, these materials have poor mechanical and barrier qualities. Therefore, research on functional additives (fillers) that are capable of improving the mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties of bio-based materials without compromising their biodegradability is being driven by demands for sustainable bio-based polymeric materials, with higher or comparable performance as conventional materials, for consumer and advanced applications.

The objective of this Special Issue is to provide an update on the recent research on cutting-edge high-performance biopolymer nanocomposites for the production of functional materials for consumer and advanced applications with improved properties, while exerting a noticeably smaller environmental impact, being sustainable, and being non-toxic when compared to non-bio-based materials.

Original full-length papers and review articles that enhance the development of bionanocomposite materials will be included in this Special Issue. This will be a scholarly platform where academics may share their findings on various biocomposite materials, with nanoscale fillers, in engineering and biomedical applications, among other fields of study.

Dr. Cristina Neves
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • nanocomposite
  • functional fillers
  • intercalation
  • additives
  • bio-based polymers
  • exfoliation
  • circular economy

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 9307 KiB  
Article
The Possibilities of Using Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) PHBV in the Production of Wood–Polymer Composites
by Wiesław Frącz, Grzegorz Janowski and Łukasz Bąk
J. Compos. Sci. 2023, 7(12), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs7120509 - 05 Dec 2023
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Abstract
In this study, polymer biocomposites based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) PHBV biopolymers with Arbocel C350 SR wood fiber filler with mass contents of 15%, 30%, and 45% were described. Samples for testing were produced using the injection molding process. The shrinkage of the produced composites [...] Read more.
In this study, polymer biocomposites based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) PHBV biopolymers with Arbocel C350 SR wood fiber filler with mass contents of 15%, 30%, and 45% were described. Samples for testing were produced using the injection molding process. The shrinkage of the produced composites was determined, as well as the basic mechanical properties on the basis of the uniaxial static tensile test, hardness, and impact tensile test. The dimensional stability of samples was subject to temperature and humidity in the water absorption test. This research was carried out in terms of the problems with composite processing and use of products. This paper contains many remarks and conclusions regarding the processing and exploitation of the tested products, which can be extended to a larger range of cellulose fillers. It was found that it was possible to produce the tested type of composites with a content of up to 45 wt. of filler. However, the mechanical properties of the tested composites made it possible to use them for the production of selected products. These conclusions allow for conducting future research toward the effective use of WPC composites with a PHBV matrix and fibrous fillers of natural origin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Additives for Bio-Based Advanced Composites)
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14 pages, 7380 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Characterization of Piezoelectric PEO/SF/BaTiO3 Scaffolds for Cardiac Tissue Engineering
by Abdelrahman K. A. Khalil, Hassan Fouad, Abdalla Abdal-hay, Nasser M. Abd El-salam and Khalil Abdelrazek Khalil
J. Compos. Sci. 2023, 7(5), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs7050200 - 16 May 2023
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Abstract
The existence of an intrinsic electrical platform responsible for the formation and transmission of impulses is essential, especially in cardiac tissue. However, most cardiac tissue made from biodegradable polymeric materials lacks conductive characteristics; this delays regional conduction, potentially causing arrhythmias. This study proposes [...] Read more.
The existence of an intrinsic electrical platform responsible for the formation and transmission of impulses is essential, especially in cardiac tissue. However, most cardiac tissue made from biodegradable polymeric materials lacks conductive characteristics; this delays regional conduction, potentially causing arrhythmias. This study proposes a conductive polyethylene oxide (PEO)/silk fibroin (SF)-based material conjugated with conductive nanoparticles as a cardiac patch to fix any infarcted heart part. A new composite of PEO/15 wt%SF/0.2 wt%BaTiO3 was prepared and characterized in vitro. The obtained patches were characterized by conventional Bragg-platinum-conductive action (XRD), FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectra, and thermogravimetric analysis. A PiezoTester device was used to evaluate the piezoelectric properties. The produced samples of 500 μm thickness were assessed in tapping mode. The applied load was selected to be as low as possible, and the frequencies were adjusted to simulate the heartbeats, ranging from 10 to 100 Hz. The results showed that a maximum of around 1100 mV was obtained at a load of 20 N. A maximum of about 80 mV was received at an applied force of 1 N and a frequency of 100 Hz, which matches the electricity generated by the human heart. The cytotoxicity effect of prepared films was tested against AC16 cells using microculture tetrazolium assay (MTT). The pristine PEO cell viability either was not affected by adding SF or slightly decreased. However, the cell viability dramatically increased by adding BaTiO3 to the PEO/SF composites. The confocal microscope images proved that the cells showed a spread morphology. The cells adhered to the PEO membranes and demonstrated a well-spread morphology. Overall, our study suggests that the PEO/SF/BaTiO3 composite can be a promising cardiac patch material for repairing infarcted heart tissue, as it is conductive, has good mechanical properties, and is biocompatible. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Additives for Bio-Based Advanced Composites)
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