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Towards Green Polymers Through Biomass Conversion and Utilization

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Sustainable Polymer Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 506

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: biomass conversion; biomass-derived materials; lignin; collagen-based materials; nanostructured materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 4th National Symposium on Cellulose and Biomass, organized by the Chinese Chemical Society, will focus on advancing research in cellulose science, biomass conversion, and sustainable material innovation. This symposium aims to bridge fundamental research with industrial applications, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations to address global challenges in renewable resource utilization. Key themes include the following:

  • Biomass valorization for high-value chemicals and functional materials;
  • Advanced characterization of cellulose-based composites;
  • Catalytic technologies for green synthesis and energy efficiency;
  • Bio-based materials for environmental and energy

Dr. Zhicheng Jiang
Guest Editor

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.

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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

  • cellulose
  • lignin
  • fine chemicals
  • functional materials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 3360 KiB  
Article
Natural Fiber-Reinforced Foamed Rubber Composites: A Sustainable Approach to Achieving Lightweight and Structural Stability in Sole Materials
by Yi Jin, Shen Chen, Jinlan Xie, Weixing Xu, Yunhang Zeng and Bi Shi
Polymers 2025, 17(15), 2043; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17152043 - 26 Jul 2025
Viewed by 277
Abstract
Lightweightness and durability are key consumer demands for footwear. To address the issues of deformation and poor durability in foamed sole materials, this study integrates natural fibers into the formulation of foamed rubber. The effects of natural fiber incorporation on density, mechanical properties, [...] Read more.
Lightweightness and durability are key consumer demands for footwear. To address the issues of deformation and poor durability in foamed sole materials, this study integrates natural fibers into the formulation of foamed rubber. The effects of natural fiber incorporation on density, mechanical properties, creep behavior, anti-slip performance, and aging resistance were comprehensively analyzed. Additionally, the study explored the mechanisms underlying the improved performance of the modified rubber materials. The results revealed that natural fiber integration significantly enhanced the structural stability, strength, and aging resistance of natural rubber (NR). Among the fibers compared, collagen fibers (CF) proved to be the most effective modifier for foamed NR. The density, tensile strength, tear strength, and coefficient of friction of CF-modified foamed NR (CF-NR) were found to be 0.72 g/cm3, 10.1 MPa, 48.0 N/mm, and 1.105, respectively, meeting the standard requirements for sole materials. Furthermore, CF-NR demonstrated a recoverable deformation of 4.58% and a negligible irreversible deformation of 0.10%, indicating a successful balance between comfort and durability. This performance enhancement can be attributed to the supportive role of CF in the pore structure, along with its inherent flexibility and recoverability. This work presents a novel approach for the development of high-quality, lightweight footwear in the sole material industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Green Polymers Through Biomass Conversion and Utilization)
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