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Special Issue "Biodegradable Polymers and Biocomposites: Their Impact in the Circular Economy"

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Special Issue Editors

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Guest Editor

National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Polymers Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB-CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
Interests: biobased polymers; biodegradable polymers; biomaterials; biopolymers; biocomposites; circular economy; polymers biodegradation; biobased additives; antioxidants; biowastes; byproducts; renewable feedstocks; pecan nutshell; lignin

Dr. Margarita del Rosario Salazar Sánchez

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Guest Editor

Departament of Engineering, Programa of Agroindustrial Science, Universidad Popular del Cesar Seccional Aguachica, Cesar, Colombia
Interests: biodegradation; polymers; biopolymers; ecology; biomolecules; renewable feedstocks; biogenerated polymers

Dr. Gennaro Scarinzi

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Guest Editor

National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Polymers Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB-CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
Interests: biodegradation; polymers; biopolymers; sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the discovery of synthetic polymers in 1869, plastic materials have been considered a practical and economical solution for several applications. Their popularity is largely due to their processability, physical properties, and ready availability. However, due to their negative environmental impact, fuel-based polymers are often considered an additional economic and environmental cost rather than an added value.

To surpass this problem, biobased materials and biodegradable plastics are a potential solution for reducing environmental concerns. These materials provide a wide range of advantages, including similar mechanical properties to their counterparts, biocompatibility, and most importantly, biodegradability.

It is precisely the search for new technologies and sustainable materials that highlighted the lack of a circular economy in the market for plastic materials. This philosophy substitutes the linear economy (take-make-dispose), emphasizes the circular character of materials and resource flows, and coins a wider procedure: reduce, reuse, recover, and recycle. Following this conception, a circular economy allows us to increase physical and economic value and at the same time reduce resource inputs and waste production. In this scenario, biopolymers play an important role due to their renewable nature and the potential benefits of large-scale production.

Within this frame, we are pleased to release this Special Issue focusing on the incursion of biodegradable polymers and biocomposites in the circular economy. Original research papers and reviews on this topic are very welcome.

Dr. Sarai Agustin-Salazar
Dr. Margarita del Rosario Salazar Sánchez
Dr. Gennaro Scarinzi
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

biobased polymers
biodegradable polymers
biomaterials
biopolymers
biocomposites
life cycle assessment
sustainability
circular economy

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Reactive Blending of Modified Thermoplastic Starch Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Poly(butylene succinate) Blending with Epoxy Compatibilizer

Nanthicha Thajai

Pornchai Rachtanapun

Sarinthip Thanakkasaranee

Winita Punyodom

Patnarin Worajittiphon

Yuthana Phimolsiripol

Noppol Leksawasdi

Sukunya Ross

Pensak Jantrawut

and

Kittisak Jantanasakulwong

Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3487; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163487 - 21 Aug 2023

Viewed by 370

Abstract

Biodegradable starch-based polymers were developed by melt-blending modified thermoplastic starch (MTPS) with poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) blended with epoxy resin (Er). A modified thermoplastic starch blend with chlorhexidine gluconate (MTPSCh) was prepared by melt-blending cassava starch with glycerol and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) 1.0% wt. The Er was melt-blended with PBS (PBSE) at concentrations of 0.50%, 1.0%, 2.5%, and 5.0% (wt%/wt%). The mechanical properties, water resistance, and morphology of the MTPSCh/PBSE blends were investigated. The MTPSCh/PBSE2.5% blend showed an improvement in tensile strength (8.1 MPa) and elongation at break (86%) compared to the TPSCh/PBS blend (2.6 MPa and 53%, respectively). In addition, water contact angle measurements indicated an increase in the hydrophobicity of the MTPSCh/PBSE blends. Thermogravimetric analysis showed an improvement in thermal stability when PBS was added to the MTPSCh blends. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data confirmed a new reaction between the amino groups of CHG in MTPSCh and the epoxy groups of Er in PBSE, which improved the interfacial adhesion of the MTPSCh/PBSE blends. This reaction improved the mechanical properties, water resistance, morphology, and thermal stability of the TPSCh/PBSE blends. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable Polymers and Biocomposites: Their Impact in the Circular Economy)

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Open AccessArticle

Property Improvements of Silica-Filled Styrene Butadiene Rubber/Butadiene Rubber Blend Incorporated with Fatty-Acid-Containing Palm Oil

Siwarote Boonrasri

Parichat Thipchai

Pongdhorn Sae-Oui

Sarinthip Thanakkasaranee

Kittisak Jantanasakulwong

and

Pornchai Rachtanapun

Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3429; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163429 - 17 Aug 2023

Viewed by 583

Abstract

Using vegetable oils as a plasticizer or processing aid in green rubber products is becoming popular due to environmental concerns. However, differences in vegetable oil processing result in varying amounts of low-molecular-weight (low-MW) free fatty acids (FFAs) in their composition, which range from 2% to 30%. This research investigated how the properties of silica-filled styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and butadiene rubber (BR) blends were affected by the presence of FFAs in palm oil (PO). The rubber compounds containing a 70/30 SBR/BR blend, 30 phr of silica, and 2 phr of bis-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) tetrasulfide (TESPT), and the vulcanizing agents were prepared and tested. The PO content was kept constant at 20 phr, while the number of FFAs, i.e., lauric acid (LA), palmitic acid (PA), and oleic acid (OA), in PO varied from 10–30%. The viscosity, dynamic mechanical properties, morphology, cure characteristics, and mechanical properties of the rubber blend were then measured. Regardless of the FFA types, increasing FFA content in PO decreased scorch time, cure time, minimum torque, and viscosity. As the FFA content increased, the torque difference and crosslink density also increased, which led to higher hardness, modulus, tensile strength, and abrasion resistance. The FFA types had a slight effect on the vulcanizate properties, even though LA showed slightly better mechanical properties than PA and OA. The results reveal that FFAs in PO not only improve processability but also function as a co-activator in silica-filled sulfur-vulcanized SBR/BR blend compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable Polymers and Biocomposites: Their Impact in the Circular Economy)

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Special Issue "Biodegradable Polymers and Biocomposites: Their Impact in the Circular Economy"

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