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Polymers
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Recent Advances in Biopolymer Materials: Preparation and Application
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Recent Advances in Biopolymer Materials: Preparation and Application

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 November 2023) | Viewed by 7184

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Andrés Gerardo Salvay

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
Interests: biopolymer materials; microbial biomass-based materials; polysaccharides; exopolysaccharides; hydrophilic films; bioactive materials; hydration; water transport; diffusion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The serious environmental problem caused by the indiscriminate use of non-biodegradable petroleum-based polymers has promoted in recent years the research and the development of new materials that are more sustainable and biodegradable. Particularly, there is a growing interest in renewable and/or biodegradable materials obtained from biopolymers such as polysaccharides and proteins. In this regard, the study of new materials is principally focused on these biopolymers and on the physical–chemical or biotechnological processes to convert these components to materials. The great challenge ahead is obtaining biodegradable biopolymers materials with functional capacities comparable to those of materials obtained from petroleum-derived polymers. This Special Issue will cover research related to advances in the development of new bio-based materials, characterization of their physical–chemical and functional properties, biodegradability, and application in packaging and smart functions.

Prof. Dr. Andrés Gerardo Salvay
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.

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 development
  • biopolymer food packaging materials
  • bioactive films
  • biocomposites
  • biopolymer materials applications

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 4607 KiB  
Article
Extensive Characterization of Alginate, Chitosan and Microfibrillated Cellulose Cast Films to Assess their Suitability as Barrier Coating for Paper and Board
by Anna Mayrhofer, Samir Kopacic and Wolfgang Bauer
Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3336; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163336 - 08 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1305
Abstract
The vast amount of synthetic polymers used in packaging is putting a strain on the environment and is depleting finite, non-renewable raw materials. Abundantly available biopolymers such as alginate, chitosan and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) have frequently been suggested in the literature to replace [...] Read more.
The vast amount of synthetic polymers used in packaging is putting a strain on the environment and is depleting finite, non-renewable raw materials. Abundantly available biopolymers such as alginate, chitosan and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) have frequently been suggested in the literature to replace synthetic polymers and their barrier properties have been investigated in detail. Many studies aim to improve the properties of standalone biopolymer films. Some studies apply these biopolymers as barrier coatings on paper, but the solids content in most of these studies is quite low, which in turn would result in a high energy demand in industrial drying processes. The aim of this study is to suggest a laboratory procedure to investigate the suitability of these biopolymers at higher and such more industrially relevant solids content as potential coating materials for paper and board in order to improve their barrier properties. First, biopolymer solutions are prepared at a high solids content at which the viscosity at industrially relevant higher shear rates of 50,000 s−1 (1000 s−1 for MFC) is in the same range as a synthetic reference material (in this case ethylene vinyl alcohol EVOH) at 10 wt%. These solutions are analyzed regarding properties such as rheology and surface tension that are relevant for their coatability in industrial coating processes. Then, free-standing films are cast, and the films are characterized regarding important properties for packaging applications such as different surface, mechanical and barrier properties. Based on these results suitable biopolymers for future coating trials can be easily identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biopolymer Materials: Preparation and Application)
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17 pages, 4398 KiB  
Article
Multi-Component Biodegradable Materials Based on Water Kefir Grains and Yeast Biomasses: Effect of the Mixing Ratio on the Properties of the Films
by Agustina Lago, Juan F. Delgado, Guillermo D. Rezzani, Celeste Cottet, Yuly A. Ramírez Tapias, Mercedes A. Peltzer and Andrés G. Salvay
Polymers 2023, 15(12), 2594; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15122594 - 07 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1204
Abstract
The use of biopolymeric materials is restricted for some applications due to their deficient properties in comparison to synthetic polymers. Blending different biopolymers is an alternative approach to overcome these limitations. In this study, we developed new biopolymeric blend materials based on the [...] Read more.
The use of biopolymeric materials is restricted for some applications due to their deficient properties in comparison to synthetic polymers. Blending different biopolymers is an alternative approach to overcome these limitations. In this study, we developed new biopolymeric blend materials based on the entire biomasses of water kefir grains and yeast. Film-forming dispersions with varying ratios of water kefir to yeast (100/0, 75/25, 50/50 25/75 and 0/100) underwent ultrasonic homogenisation and thermal treatment, resulting in homogeneous dispersions with pseudoplastic behaviour and interaction between both biomasses. Films obtained by casting had a continuous microstructure without cracks or phase separation. Infrared spectroscopy revealed the interaction between the blend components, leading to a homogeneous matrix. As the water kefir content in the film increased, transparency, thermal stability, glass transition temperature and elongation at break also increased. The thermogravimetric analyses and the mechanical tests showed that the combination of water kefir and yeast biomasses resulted in stronger interpolymeric interactions compared to single biomass films. The ratio of the components did not drastically alter hydration and water transport. Our results revealed that blending water kefir grains and yeast biomasses enhanced thermal and mechanical properties. These studies provided evidence that the developed materials are suitable candidates for food packaging applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biopolymer Materials: Preparation and Application)
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20 pages, 7604 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Particle Size Distribution and Moisture Variation on Mechanical Strength of Biopolymer-Treated Soil
by Hadi Fatehi, Dominic E. L. Ong, Jimmy Yu and Ilhan Chang
Polymers 2023, 15(6), 1549; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15061549 - 21 Mar 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2083
Abstract
Biopolymers have recently shown great potential to replace traditional binding materials in geotechnical engineering; however, more research is required to reach a deeper understanding of biopolymer-treated soil behavior. The objective of this study was to investigate the most important parameters that affect the [...] Read more.
Biopolymers have recently shown great potential to replace traditional binding materials in geotechnical engineering; however, more research is required to reach a deeper understanding of biopolymer-treated soil behavior. The objective of this study was to investigate the most important parameters that affect the behavior of biopolymer-treated soil, including biopolymer content, dehydration time, soil type effect, and durability. Sodium alginate and agar biopolymers were used due to their stability under severe conditions and the reasonable costs to study these parameters. A broad range of soil particle sizes was used to optimize the kaolinite-sand combination. As one of the main concerns in the behavior of biotreated soils, durability was investigated under five cycles of wetting and drying. In addition, a comprehensive microstructural study was performed by FTIR analysis and SEM images, as well as chemical interaction analysis. The results indicated that the optimized biopolymer content was in the range of 0.5–1% (to soil weight) and the dehydration time was 14 days. A soil combination of 25% kaolinite and 75% sand provided the highest compressive strength. Under wetting and drying conditions, biopolymers significantly increased soil resistance against strength reduction and soil mass loss. This study provides an understanding how agar and sodium alginate changes the behavior of the soil and can be used as a reference for further studies in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biopolymer Materials: Preparation and Application)
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Review

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26 pages, 878 KiB  
Review
A Novel Approach about Edible Packaging Materials Based on Oilcakes—A Review
by Ancuţa Petraru and Sonia Amariei
Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3431; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163431 - 17 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1848
Abstract
Due to the growing global population and subsequent environment degradation, as well as changes in the climate, changing consumers’ dietary habits is necessary to create strategies for the most efficient use of natural resources to eliminate waste in the food supply chain. The [...] Read more.
Due to the growing global population and subsequent environment degradation, as well as changes in the climate, changing consumers’ dietary habits is necessary to create strategies for the most efficient use of natural resources to eliminate waste in the food supply chain. The packaging of food is essential to preserve the food’s properties, extend its shelf life and offer nutritional information. Food products are packaged in various materials of which the most used are plastics, but they have a negative impact on the environment. Various efforts have been made to address this situation, but unfortunately, this includes recycling rather than replacing them with sustainable solutions. There is a trend toward edible packaging materials with more additional functions (antioxidant, antimicrobial and nutritional properties). Edible packaging is also a sustainable solution to avoid food waste and environment pollution. Oilcakes are the principal by-products obtained from the oil extraction process. These by-products are currently underused as animal feed, landfilling or compost. Because they contain large amounts of valuable compounds and are low-cost ingredients, they can be used to produce materials suitable for food packaging. This review covers the recent developments in oilcake-based packaging materials. Special emphasis is placed on the study of materials and technologies that can be used to make edible film in order to research the most suitable ways of developing oilcake-based film that can be consumed simultaneously with the product. These types of materials do not exist on the market. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biopolymer Materials: Preparation and Application)
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