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Special Issue "Bio-Based Polymer: Design, Property, and Application"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 3089

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiaobing Cao

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Guest Editor

School of Art and Design, Bamboo Research Institute, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, China
Interests: biomass; thermochemical conversion; biochar; organic solid waste; CO₂ capture

Dr. Xiefei Zhu

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Guest Editor

Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei 230026, China
Interests: biomass; thermochemical conversion; biochar; organic solid waste; CO₂ capture

Dr. Haizhou Gong
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Co-Guest Editor

College of Animal Science and Technology • College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, China
Interests: biopolymer; biological macromolecule; environment and animal; biopolymer and public health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last few years, issues related to environmental pollution, health and safety have been pushing the global research community to find effective carbon-negative technologies capable of replacing petroleum-based materials and solve the related problems. In this context, biopolymers have gradually gained popularity in several application, such as manufacturing, biomedical engineering, the food industry, packaging, the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, agriculture, the energy sector, green nanotechnology and recycling, by attracting the interest of industry, which is increasingly being forced to comply with environmental and health protection constraints. This Special Issue invites the research community to contribute their expertise, enthusiasm and scientific research to expand the boundaries of our knowledge and address new challenges. In particular, we welcome work proposing new environmentally sustainable, biopolymer-based composites capable of outperforming traditional synthetic materials.

This Special Issue will publish innovative research (articles, reviews, research reports, etc.) related to the development, processing, characterization and application of biopolymer-based composites.

Dr. Xiaobing Cao
Dr. Xiefei Zhu
Dr. Haizhou Gong
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

gel material design
biomass resource utilization and design
engineered biomaterials
energy device design
bamboo and wood composite design
waste resource utilization design
biopolymer
negative carbon design

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Development of Biodegradable Thermosetting Plastic Using Dialdehyde Pineapple Stem Starch

Wasan Tessanan

Pranee Phinyocheep

and

Taweechai Amornsakchai

Polymers 2023, 15(18), 3832; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15183832 - 20 Sep 2023

Viewed by 573

Abstract

Starch extracted from pineapple stem waste underwent an environmentally friendly modification process characterized by low-energy consumption. This process resulted in the creation of dialdehyde pineapple stem starch featuring varying aldehyde contents ranging from 10% to 90%. Leveraging these dialdehyde starches, thermosetting plastics were meticulously developed by incorporating glycerol as a plasticizer. Concurrently, unmodified pineapple stem starch was employed as a control to produce thermoplastic material under identical conditions. The objective of streamlining the processing steps was pursued by adopting a direct hot compression molding technique. This enabled the transformation of starch powders into plastic sheets without the need for water-based gelatinization. Consequently, the dialdehyde starch-based thermosetting plastics exhibited exceptional mechanical properties, boasting a modulus within the range of 1862 MPa to 2000 MPa and a strength of 15 MPa to 42 MPa. Notably, their stretchability remained relatively modest, spanning from 0.8% to 2.4%. Comparatively, these properties significantly outperformed the thermoplastic counterpart derived from unmodified starch. Tailoring the mechanical performance of the thermosetting plastics was achieved by manipulating the glycerol content, ranging from 30% to 50%. Phase morphologies of the thermoset starch unveiled a uniformly distributed microstructure without any observable starch particles. This stood in contrast to the heterogeneous structure exhibited by the thermoplastic derived from unmodified starch. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated the absence of a crystalline structure within the thermosets, likely attributed to the establishment of a crosslinked structure. The resultant network formation in the thermosets directly correlated with enhanced water resistance. Remarkably, the thermosetting starch originating from pineapple stem starch demonstrated continued biodegradability following a soil burial test, albeit at a notably slower rate when compared to its thermoplastic counterpart. These findings hold the potential to pave the way for the utilization of starch-based products, thereby replacing non-biodegradable petroleum-based materials and contributing to the creation of more enduring and sustainable commodities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Polymer: Design, Property, and Application)

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Open AccessArticle

Highly Enhanced Mechanical, Thermal, and Crystallization Performance of PLA/PBS Composite by Glass Fiber Coupling Agent Modification

and

Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3164; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153164 - 26 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 439

Abstract

To improve the toughness and heat resistance of polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS) was sufficiently blended with PLA as the base matrix, and the glass fiber (GF) that was modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KF-GF) was added as the reinforcement. The results demonstrated a noteworthy boost in both mechanical and heat resistance properties when employing KH-GF, in comparison to pristine GF. When the content of KH-GF reached 20%, the tensile, flexural, and IZOD impact strength of the composites were 65.53 MPa, 83.43 MPa, and 7.45 kJ/m², respectively, which were improved by 123%, 107%, and 189% compared to the base matrix, respectively. This enhancement was primarily attributed to the stronger interfacial adhesion between KH-GF and the PLA/PBS matrix. Furthermore, the Vicat softening temperature of the composites reached 128.7 °C, which was a result of increased crystallinity. In summary, the incorporation of KH-GF into PLA/PBS composites resulted in notable enhancements in their mechanical properties, crystallinity, and thermal characteristics. The high performance KH-GF-reinforced PLA/PBS composite showed a broad application potential in the field of biodegradable packaging, biodegradable textiles, and biodegradable plastic bags. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Polymer: Design, Property, and Application)

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Open AccessArticle

Development of Biodegradable Rigid Foams from Pineapple Field Waste

Atitiya Namphonsane

Taweechai Amornsakchai

Chin Hua Chia

Kheng Lim Goh

Sombat Thanawan

Rungtiwa Wongsagonsup

and

Siwaporn Meejoo Smith

Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2895; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132895 - 29 Jun 2023

Viewed by 876

Abstract

Pineapple materials sourced from agricultural waste have been employed to process novel bio-degradable rigid composite foams. The matrix for the foam consisted of starch extracted from pineapple stem, known for its high amylose content, while the filler comprised non-fibrous cellulosic materials sourced from pineapple leaf. In contrast to traditional methods that involve preparing a batter, this study adopted a unique approach where the starch gel containing glycerol were first formed using a household microwave oven, followed by blending the filler into the gel using a two-roll mill. The resulting mixture was then foamed at 160 °C using a compression molding machine. The foams displayed densities ranging from 0.43–0.51 g/cm³ and exhibited a highly amorphous structure. Notably, the foams demonstrated an equilibrium moisture content of approximately 8–10% and the ability to absorb 150–200% of their own weight without disintegration. Flexural strengths ranged from 1.5–4.5 MPa, varying with the filler and glycerol contents. Biodegradability tests using a soil burial method revealed complete disintegration of the foam into particles measuring 1 mm or smaller within 15 days. Moreover, to showcase practical applications, an environmentally friendly single-use foam tray was fabricated. This novel method, involving gel formation followed by filler blending, sets it apart from previous works. The findings highlight the potential of pineapple waste materials for producing sustainable bio-degradable foams with desirable properties and contribute to the field of sustainable materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Polymer: Design, Property, and Application)

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Open AccessArticle

Insulin-Loaded Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor-Chitosan Nanoparticles: Preparation, Characterization, and Protective Effect Evaluation

and

Polymers 2023, 15(12), 2648; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15122648 - 11 Jun 2023

Viewed by 727

Abstract

The aim of this work was to prepare insulin-loaded nanoparticles using soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) and chitosan (CS) as a potential coating. The nanoparticles were prepared by complex coacervation, and characterized for their particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and encapsulation efficiency. In addition, the insulin release and enzymatic degradation of nanoparticles in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) were evaluated. The results showed that the optimal conditions for preparing insulin-loaded soybean trypsin inhibitor-chitosan (INs-STI-CS) nanoparticles were as follows: CS concentration of 2.0 mg/mL, STI concentration of 1.0 mg/mL, and pH 6.0. The INs-STI-CS nanoparticles prepared at this condition had a high insulin encapsulation efficiency of 85.07%, the particle diameter size was 350 ± 5 nm, and the PDI value was 0.13. The results of the in vitro evaluation of simulated gastrointestinal digestion showed that the prepared nanoparticles could improve the stability of insulin in the gastrointestinal tract. Compared with free insulin, the insulin loaded in INs-STI-CS nanoparticles was retained at 27.71% after 10 h of digestion in the intestinal tract, while free insulin was completely digested. These findings will provide a theoretical basis for improving the stability of oral insulin in the gastrointestinal tract. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Based Polymer: Design, Property, and Application)

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Special Issue "Bio-Based Polymer: Design, Property, and Application"

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