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Polymers
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Derived Polymers from Biomass and Wastes
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Derived Polymers from Biomass and Wastes

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 3142

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Niyi Olaiya

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plastics Engineering, Francis College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
Interests: biopolymer; biodegradable composite; biodegradable films compostable; plastics engineering
Dr. Chrysanthos Maraveas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Farm Structures Lab, Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: polymer recycling; sustainable materials; polymers from agricultural waste; polymers from microbial biomass; biodegradability; eco-toxicity; machine learning; 3D/4D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on developing sustainable polymers synthesized from biomass, industrial/agricultural waste materials, and their applications. It will highlight novel strategies for converting lignocellulosic residues, food waste, and biogenic feedstocks into biopolymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), cellulose, starch, lignin, etc., and their composites. Emphasis will be placed on green processing technologies, material characterization, and the environmental advantages of bio-derived polymers over petrochemical alternatives. Notable applications include packaging, biomedical devices, and structural composites, which will also be discussed.

Dr. Niyi Olaiya
Dr. Chrysanthos Maraveas
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • biopolymers
  • biomass-derived polymers
  • waste valorization
  • sustainability
  • green chemistry
  • circular economy
  • biodegradable materials
  • renewable feedstocks

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1908 KB  
Article
Strength and Degradation Characteristics of Zein Biopolymer-Treated Sands Under Wetting–Drying Cycles
by Quadri Olakunle Babatunde, Woonjae Yeo and Yong-Hoon Byun
Polymers 2026, 18(7), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18070888 - 5 Apr 2026
Viewed by 324
Abstract
Repeated wetting–drying cycles accelerate scouring and deteriorate soil structure by increasing pore-water pressure. This study examines the durability of sand treated with zein biopolymers subjected to wetting–drying cycles and compares its uncycled condition with that of xanthan gum (XG). The treated specimens are [...] Read more.
Repeated wetting–drying cycles accelerate scouring and deteriorate soil structure by increasing pore-water pressure. This study examines the durability of sand treated with zein biopolymers subjected to wetting–drying cycles and compares its uncycled condition with that of xanthan gum (XG). The treated specimens are prepared with biopolymer contents of 1% and 3% by mass of sand. The specimens are cured for an initial period of 7 days under atmospheric conditions, whereafter they are subjected to a series of wetting–drying cycles. Subsequently, the dimensions and mass of the specimens are measured to evaluate bulk density-related changes during the cycles. The strength and degradation characteristics of the specimens are evaluated through unconfined compression tests after being subjected to different numbers of cycles. The bulk unit weight after the drying phase remains nearly constant, whereas that after the wetting phase increases with both the number of cycles and biopolymer content. Overall, specimens with higher biopolymer content exhibit lower bulk unit weights. The XG-treated specimens show earlier strength improvement than the zein-treated specimens due to the faster curing-related strength development associated with water-based gelation. Moreover, the XG-treated sand rapidly fails after the first wetting phase, while the compressive strength of the cycled zein-treated specimens is lower than that of the uncycled specimens. Zein-treated sand with 3% biopolymer content shows a higher durability index after 10 cycles than sand treated with 1% biopolymer content. Therefore, a higher zein content can be used to enhance the durability of sand subject to frequent wetting and drying cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Derived Polymers from Biomass and Wastes)
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27 pages, 2698 KB  
Article
Exploring Lemon Industry By-Products for Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production: Comparative Performances of Haloferax mediterranei PHBV vs. Commercial PHBV
by Salvador García-Chumillas, María Nicolás-Liza, Fuensanta Monzó, Pablo-Manuel Martínez-Rubio, Alejandro Arribas, Rosa María Martínez-Espinosa and Ramón Pamies
Polymers 2026, 18(3), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18030340 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 657
Abstract
This study investigates the valorisation of lemon industry by-products as carbon sources to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) using the halophilic archaeon Haloferax mediterranei. The resulting polymer (HFX PHBV) was supplemented with nucleating agents (orotic acid, boron nitride, and theobromine) and compared with a [...] Read more.
This study investigates the valorisation of lemon industry by-products as carbon sources to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) using the halophilic archaeon Haloferax mediterranei. The resulting polymer (HFX PHBV) was supplemented with nucleating agents (orotic acid, boron nitride, and theobromine) and compared with a commercial PHBV grade (Enmat Y1000) under identical conditions. Fermentation strategies were optimised by varying the lemon by-product concentration, inoculum size, and nutrient stoichiometry (C:N:P ratios), followed by scaleup in a 2 L bioreactor. A 11% (v/v) lemon by-product combined with a 5% (v/v) inoculum yielded the highest productivity under minimal medium conditions (2.127 g/L PHBV), while enriched media further enhanced the polymer accumulation (up to 3.250 g/L PHBV). A comparative characterisation of HFX PHBV and Enmat Y1000, using NMR, TGA, MFR, DSC, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, and DMA, revealed that HFX PHBV exhibited lower crystallinity, increased flexibility, and a high hydroxyvalerate content (27.4%), which conferred improved ductility. Investigation of nucleating agents demonstrated that orotic acid was the most effective at enhancing the crystallisation kinetics. Overall, this study demonstrates an efficient PHBV production process based on waste valorisation, yielding a biopolymer with competitive physicochemical properties relative to a commercial standard, and provides integrated solutions to the global challenges of plastic pollution and food waste. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Derived Polymers from Biomass and Wastes)
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Review

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35 pages, 4178 KB  
Review
Nanomaterials from Textile Waste for Purification and Environmental Applications
by Niyi Gideon Olaiya, Md. Al-Amin, Kaifur Rashed and Chrysanthos Maraveas
Polymers 2025, 17(23), 3098; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17233098 - 21 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1714
Abstract
The growing scarcity of natural renewable resources has accelerated interest in producing nanomaterials from waste streams. Nanomaterials offer exceptional reinforcement capabilities for advanced composites, driving the need for sustainable and scalable production routes. While prior reviews have broadly examined nanomaterial synthesis from biomass [...] Read more.
The growing scarcity of natural renewable resources has accelerated interest in producing nanomaterials from waste streams. Nanomaterials offer exceptional reinforcement capabilities for advanced composites, driving the need for sustainable and scalable production routes. While prior reviews have broadly examined nanomaterial synthesis from biomass or industrial residues, they often overlook textile waste as a strategic feedstock. This review uniquely focuses on the upcycling of textile waste—one of the most abundant yet underutilized waste streams—into high-value nanomaterials, thereby advancing circular economy principles. Unlike earlier studies that primarily discuss energy recovery or generic recycling, this work systematically explores mechanical, chemical, and thermal conversion routes tailored for textiles, leading to the production of cellulose nanofibers, cellulose nanocrystals, and carbon nanoparticles, which represent a significant class of biodegradable nanomaterials. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the physicochemical properties of the nanomaterials and their emerging applications in water purification and environmental remediation is provided. An alternative pathway for nanomaterial synthesis from waste rather than renewable sources, providing information on the effective extraction of nanomaterials from mixed fiber compositions and dye residues present in textile waste, is also highlighted. By addressing current challenges and outlining future research directions, this review establishes a roadmap for sustainable textile waste valorization, marking a critical step toward eco-friendly nanomaterial production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Derived Polymers from Biomass and Wastes)
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