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Polymers
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Biomass-Based Polymer Materials: Preparation, Properties and Applications
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Biomass-Based Polymer Materials: Preparation, Properties and Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 1657

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Agnė Kairytė

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Thermal Insulating Materials, Institute of Building Materials, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Linkmenu ̨Str. 28, LT-08217 Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: environmental impact assessment; environment; waste management; environmental science; sustainability; polyurethane; composites; microstructure; composite material; materials; nanomaterials; material characterization; mechanical properties; compressive strength; advanced materials; material characteristics; materials processing; metals; polymers; materials testing; powders; ceramics; SEM analysis; melt spinning; mechanical testing; mechanical behavior of materials; X-ray diffraction; building materials; thermal conductivity; building; cement; polymer composites; tensile strength
Dr. Makowska Sylwia

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Guest Editor
Institute of Polymer and Dye Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Stefanowskiego 12/16, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Interests: thermal conductivity; material characterization; materials; aerogel; nanomaterials; polymers; polyurethane

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bio-based materials made from natural polymers represent renewable and environmentally friendly alternatives to widely used polymeric materials made from nonrenewable fossil resources. Some of the reasons for the increasing interest in bio-based products lay in their benefits in relation to the depletion of resources and climate change. Bio-based materials could provide additional product functionalities, less resource intensive production, and efficient use of all natural resources. As they are derived from renewable raw materials such as plants, bio-based materials can help reduce CO2 and offer other advantages such as lower toxicity or novel product characteristics (e.g., biodegradable plastic materials).

This Special Issue is dedicated to the latest research on advanced bio-based materials, which includes, for example, adhesives, building materials and composites, fibers, packaging, lubricants and functional fluids, plastics and paints and coatings.

Manuscripts related to the following topics are of interest for this Special Issue:

  • Bio-based materials from natural raw materials;
  • New materials from natural raw materials and processed waste and industrial by-products;
  • Synthesis, preparation and application of developed bio-based materials;
  • Characterization, properties and potential of new biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials;
  • Durability and biodegradability testing under different conditions and environments;
  • Life cycle assessment of new materials;
  • Modification of bio-fillers used in the synthesis of new bio-based materials.

Original research papers, review articles, case studies and research papers related to the development with new green eco-friendly raw materials focusing on synthesis and properties are accepted. Articles focusing on topics such as sustainability, the circular economy and cost-effective technologies for various applications are also welcome.

Dr. Agnė Kairytė
Dr. Makowska Sylwia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bio-based materials
  • circular economy
  • sustainability
  • waste products
  • raw materials

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 9953 KiB  
Article
Impact of Steam-Exploded Feather Incorporation on the Biodegradation Performance of Renewable Biocomposites
by Julen Vadillo, Sarah Montes, Hans-Jürgen Grande, Eveline Beeckman, Steven Verstichel and Jonna Almqvist
Polymers 2025, 17(7), 910; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17070910 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 412
Abstract
The increasing environmental concerns regarding plastic waste, especially in agriculture, have driven the search for sustainable alternatives. Agricultural plastics, such as mulching films and greenhouse covers, are heavily reliant on petrochemical-derived materials, which persist in the environment and contribute to long-term pollution. This [...] Read more.
The increasing environmental concerns regarding plastic waste, especially in agriculture, have driven the search for sustainable alternatives. Agricultural plastics, such as mulching films and greenhouse covers, are heavily reliant on petrochemical-derived materials, which persist in the environment and contribute to long-term pollution. This study explores the use of biodegradable biocomposites made from steam explosion-treated chicken feathers and various polymer matrices to address these issues. Chicken feathers, a waste by-product of the poultry industry, present an excellent biodegradability as a result of the steam explosion treatment and contain nitrogen, potentially enhancing soil fertility. The biocomposites were characterized by thermal stability, mechanical properties, and biodegradability, and ecotoxicity assessments were carried out studying the incorporation of feathers into the soil. Results showed that the incorporation of treated chicken feathers increased the water absorption capacity of the composites, promoting faster disintegration and biodegradation. In particular, biocomposites made with polyhydroxyalkanoates and Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) exhibited a significant increase in degradation rates, from 3–10% in the first month for pure matrices to 40–50% when reinforced with treated feathers. Meanwhile, those made from polylactic acid showed slower degradation. Furthermore, the addition of feathers positively influenced crop growth at low concentrations, acting as a slow-release fertilizer. However, high concentrations of feathers negatively affect plant growth due to excess nitrogen. These findings highlight the potential of poultry feathers as a valuable, sustainable filler for agricultural bioplastics, contributing to waste valorization and environmentally friendly farming practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Based Polymer Materials: Preparation, Properties and Applications)
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21 pages, 4491 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Reinforcing Effect of Hazelnut Shells and Hydrotalcite on Properties of Rigid Polyurethane Foam Composites
by Sylwia Makowska, Karolina Miedzińska, Agnė Kairytė and Krzysztof Strzelec
Polymers 2024, 16(21), 2968; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16212968 - 23 Oct 2024
Viewed by 945
Abstract
Recently, the development of composite materials from agricultural and forestry waste has become an attractive area of research. The use of bio-waste is beneficial for economic and environmental reasons, adapting it to cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability. In the presented study, the possibility [...] Read more.
Recently, the development of composite materials from agricultural and forestry waste has become an attractive area of research. The use of bio-waste is beneficial for economic and environmental reasons, adapting it to cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability. In the presented study, the possibility of using hazelnut shell (HS) and hydrotalcite (HT) mineral filler was investigated. The effects of fillers in the amount of 10 wt.% on selected properties of polyurethane composites, such as rheological properties (dynamic viscosity, processing times), mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, hardness), insulating properties (thermal conductivity), and flame-retardant properties (e.g., ignition time, limiting oxygen index, peak heat release), were investigated. Polyurethane foams containing fillers have been shown to have better performance properties compared to unmodified polyurethane foams. For example, the addition of 10 wt% of hydrotalcite filler leads to PU composite foams with improved compression strength (improvement by ~20%), higher flexural strength (increase of ~38%), and comparable thermal conductivity (0.03055 W m–1 K–1 at 20 °C). Moreover, the incorporation of organic fillers has a positive effect on the fire resistance of PU materials. For example, the results from the cone calorimeter test showed that the incorporation of 10 wt% of hydrotalcite filler significantly reduced the peak of the heat release rate (pHRR) by ca. 30% compared with that of unmodified PU foam, and increased the value of the limiting oxygen index from 19.8% to 21.7%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomass-Based Polymer Materials: Preparation, Properties and Applications)
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