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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 January 2023) | Viewed by 17860

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Antoine Rouilly

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Guest Editor

Laboratoire de Chimie Agro-industrielle (LCA), Université de Toulouse, INRAE, INPT, Toulouse, France
Interests: Biopolymer processing;starch, cellulose;proteins; injection-molding; uniaxial compression; twin-screw extrusion

Dr. Johan Verbeek

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Guest Editor

Plastics Centre of Excellence, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Interests: biopolymers; extrusions; reactive extrusion; polymer blends; proteins
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Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

The end-of-life of synthetic polymers has proved to be a significant environmental issue and the time has come to improve the processing of biopolymers and extend their industrial use as viable alternatives to synthetic polymers.

The main objective of this Special Issue is to give an overview of the wide possibilities offered by these natural polymers and to emphasize their environmental advantages.

This Special Issue will focus on biopolymers’ physical-chemical properties, wet and dry processes for their formation, as well as their characterization and properties. All types of biopolymers (carbohydrates, proteins, lignin, PHAs), purified or not, and all types of materials (molded, extruded, foamed, dried) are considered. Natural materials that are home-compostable are preferred, but green chemical modification of biopolymer and composite structures including a synthetic polymer will also be considered.

Dr. Antoine Rouilly
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Johan Verbeek
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

biopolymer
biodegradable
packaging–processing–fibers–glass transition

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2989 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extraction of Corn Bract Cellulose by the Ammonia-Coordinated Bio-Enzymatic Method

by Xushuo Yuan, Jiaxin Zhao, Xiaoxiao Wu, Wentao Yao, Haiyang Guo, Decai Ji, Qingkai Yu, Liwen Luo, Xiaoping Li and Lianpeng Zhang

Polymers 2023, 15(1), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15010206 - 31 Dec 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3025

Abstract

This study explored a green and efficient method for cellulose extraction from corn bract. The cellulose extraction by the CHB (CH₃COOH/H₂O₂/Bio-enzyme) method and the N-CHB (NH₃·H₂O-CH₃COOH/H₂O₂/Bio-enzyme) method were compared and analyzed. The effect of ammonia pretreatment on cellulose extraction by bio-enzymatic methods was discussed. The results showed that ammonia promoted the subsequent bio-enzymatic reaction and had a positive effect on the extraction of cellulose. Sample microstructure images (SEM) showed that the cellulose extracted by this method was in the form of fibrous bundles with smooth surfaces. The effect of different pretreatment times of ammonia on cellulose was further explored, and cellulose was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The results showed that the N3h-CHB (NH₃·H₂O 50 °C 3 h, CH₃COOH/H₂O₂ 70 °C 11 h, Bio-enzyme 50 °C 4 h) method was the best way to extract cellulose in this study. FTIR showed that most of the lignin and hemicellulose were removed. XRD showed that all the cellulose extracted in this study was type I cellulose. TG analysis showed that the cellulose was significantly more thermally stable, with a maximum degradation temperature of 338.9 °C, close to that of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). This study provides a reference for the utilization of corn bract and offers a new technical route for cellulose extraction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-polymer Based Materials)

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20 pages, 3115 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dope Dyeing of Regenerated Cellulose Fibres with Leucoindigo as Base for Circularity of Denim

by Avinash P. Manian, Sophia Müller, Doris E. Braun, Tung Pham and Thomas Bechtold

Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5280; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235280 - 2 Dec 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3927

Abstract

Circularity of cellulose-based pre- and post-consumer wastes requires an integrated approach which has to consider the characteristics of the fibre polymer and the presence of dyes and additives from textile chemical processing as well. Fibre-to-fibre recycling is a condition to avoid downcycling of recycled material. For cellulose fibres regeneration via production of regenerated cellulose fibres is the most promising approach. Textile wastes contain dyes and additives, thus a recycling technique has to be robust enough to process such material. In an ideal case the reuse of colorants can be achieved as well. At present nearly 80% of the regenerated cellulose fibre production utilises the viscose process, therefore this technique was chosen to investigate the recycling of dyed material including the reuse of the colorant. In this work, for the first time, a compilation of all required process steps to a complete circular concept is presented and discussed as a model. Indigo-dyed viscose fibres were used as a model to study cellulose recycling via production of regenerated cellulose fibres to avoid downcycling. Indigo was found compatible to the alkalisation and xanthogenation steps in the viscose process and blue coloured cellulose regenerates were recovered from indigo-dyed cellulose. A supplemental addition of reduced indigo to the cellulose solution was also found feasible to adjust colour depth in the regenerated cellulose to the level required for use as warp material in denim production. By combination of fibre recycling and indigo dyeing the conventional yarn dyeing in denim production can be omitted. Model calculations for the savings in water and chemical consumption demonstrate the potential of the process. The proportion of the substitution will depend on the collection rate of denim wastes and on the efficiency of the fibre regeneration process. Estimates indicate that a substitution of more than 70% of the cotton fibres by regenerated cellulose fibres could be achieved when 80% of the pre- and post-consumer denim wastes are collected. Therefore, the introduction of fibre recycling via regenerated cellulose fibres will also make a substantial impact on the cotton consumption for jeans production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-polymer Based Materials)

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10 pages, 1954 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Raman Spectroscopic Characterization of Polymerization Kinetics of Cyanoacrylate Embolic Glues for Vascular Embolization

by Yongjiang Li, Lei Xiao, Zian Wang, Kejie Chen, Chundong Xue, Miao Yu, Yu Wang, Fanyi Kong, Kun Liu and Kairong Qin

Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3362; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13193362 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2314

Abstract

Endovascular glue embolization is a minimally invasive technique used to selectively reduce or block the blood supply to specific targeted vessels. Cyanoacrylate glues, mixed with radiopaque iodized oil, have been widely used for vascular embolization owing to their rapid polymerization rate, good penetration ability and low tissue toxicity. Nevertheless, in clinical practice, the selection of the glue–oil proportion and the manual injection process of mixtures are mostly based on empirical knowledge of operators, as the crucial physicochemical effect of polymerization kinetics has rarely been quantitatively investigated. In this study, the Raman spectroscopy is used for studying the polymerization kinetics of n-butyl-cyanoacrylate-based glues mixed with an iodized oil. To simulate the polymerization process during embolization, glue–oil mixtures upon contact with a protein ionic solution mimicking blood plasma are manually constructed and their polymerization kinetics are systematically characterized by Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrate the feasibility of Raman spectroscopy in the characterization of polymerization kinetics of cyanoacrylate-based embolic glues. The polymerization process of cyanoacrylate-based mixtures consists of a fast polymerization phase followed by a slow phase. The propagation velocity and polymerization time primarily depend on the glue concentrations. The commonly used 50% mixture polymerizes 1 mm over ∼21.8 s, while it takes ∼51 min to extend to 5 mm. The results provide essential information for interventional radiologists to help them understand the polymerization kinetics of embolic glues and thus regulate the polymerization rate for effective embolization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-polymer Based Materials)

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Review

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15 pages, 1516 KiB

Open AccessReview

Magnetic Bacterial Cellulose Biopolymers: Production and Potential Applications in the Electronics Sector

by Thaís Cavalcante de Souza, Julia Didier Pedrosa de Amorim, Claudio José Galdino da Silva Junior, Alexandre D’Lamare Maia de Medeiros, Andréa Fernanda de Santana Costa, Gloria Maria Vinhas and Leonie Asfora Sarubbo

Polymers 2023, 15(4), 853; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040853 - 9 Feb 2023

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3212

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biopolymer that has been widely investigated due to its useful characteristics, such as nanometric structure, simple production and biocompatibility, enabling the creation of novel materials made from additive BC in situ and/or ex situ. The literature also describes the magnetization of BC biopolymers by the addition of particles such as magnetite and ferrites. The processing of BC with these materials can be performed in different ways to adapt to the availability of materials and the objectives of a given application. There is considerable interest in the electronics field for novel materials and devices as well as non-polluting, sustainable solutions. This sector influences the development of others, including the production and optimization of new equipment, medical devices, sensors, transformers and motors. Thus, magnetic BC has considerable potential in applied research, such as the production of materials for biotechnological electronic devices. Magnetic BC also enables a reduction in the use of polluting materials commonly found in electronic devices. This review article highlights the production of this biomaterial and its applications in the field of electronics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-polymer Based Materials)

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17 pages, 2838 KiB

Open AccessReview

In Vitro Degradation and Cytotoxicity of Eggshell-Based Hydroxyapatite: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Rohmadi Rohmadi, Widyanita Harwijayanti, Ubaidillah Ubaidillah, Joko Triyono, Kuncoro Diharjo and Pamudji Utomo

Polymers 2021, 13(19), 3223; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13193223 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3894

Abstract

Objective: This review focuses on the in vitro degradation of eggshell-based hydroxyapatite for analyzing the weight loss of hydroxyapatite when applied in the human body. Cytotoxicity tests were used to observe cell growth and morphological effects. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to observe the weight loss and viable cells of hydroxyapatite when used for implants. Method: Based on the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) strategy, the articles used for literature review were published in English on SCOPUS, PubMed, and Google Scholar from 1 January 2012 to 22 May 2021. Data regarding existing experiments in the literature articles the in vitro degradation and cytotoxicity testing of eggshell-based hydroxyapatite determined the biocompatibility of the materials. A meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the mean difference between the solutions and soaking times used for degradation and the stem cells used for cytotoxicity. Results: From 231 relevant studies, 71 were chosen for full-text analysis, out of which 33 articles met the inclusion criteria for degradation and cytotoxicity analysis. A manual search of the field of study resulted in three additional articles. Thus, 36 articles were included in this systematic review. Significance: The aim of this study was to highlight the importance of the biocompatibility of eggshell-based hydroxyapatite. The weight loss and viability cells of eggshell-based hydroxyapatite showed optimum results for viable cells requirements above 70%, and there is a weight loss of eggshell-based hydroxyapatite for a material implant. The meta-analysis indicated significant differences in the weight loss of eggshell-based hydroxyapatite materials with different soaking times and solutions used. The various kinds of stem cells for incubation of cultured cells in contact with a device, either directly or through diffusions with various kinds of stem cells from animals and humans, yielded viability cells above 70%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-polymer Based Materials)

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