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Polymers
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Biopolymers and Biopolymer Based Composites: Processing, Properties, Durability
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Biopolymers and Biopolymer Based Composites: Processing, Properties, Durability (Closed)

A topical collection in Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This collection belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Roberto Scaffaro

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: polymeric materials; nanocomposites; green composites; polymer blends; polymer engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrea Maio

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: synthesis; modification; characterization of graphene and its derivatives; nanocellulose and nanostructured hybrids; preparation of multifunctional nanocomposites and bionanocomposites using conventional and advanced techniques; development of porous materials (biopolymeric functionally graded scaffolds, aerogels) for advanced applications; biolaminates; interphase study and modellization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is to present a collection of papers regarding processing, properties, durability of biopolymers including microcomposites, nanocomposites, and blends.

There is a growing interest toward the development and applications of polymeric materials, derived from oil or from natural resources, which display specific characteristics such as biodegradability, compostability, and biocompatibility. It has been demonstrated that such polymers may be used as valid and more environmentally friendly alternatives of “traditional” polymers, with new uses reported daily.

As well as other polymeric systems, adding a second phase, rigid or flexible, may improve some specific properties (e.g., mechanical properties in the case of rigid fillers) or provide the material with new ones (e.g., by adding functional additives).

The aim of this collection is to explore the often unknown relationships between processing variables, the macro–micro–nanomorphology of the materials prepared, and their final properties.

The durability of biopolymers is one of the weak spots of these materials. Therefore, contributions dealing with this aspect, including thermomechanical, environmental, photooxidative degradation, and the related stabilization strategies are more than welcome.

Prof. Dr. Roberto Scaffaro
Dr. Andrea Maio
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 collection 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

  • Biopolymers
  • Biodegradable polymers
  • Compostable polymers
  • Bioplastics
  • Processing
  • Structure–morphology–properties relationships
  • Durability
  • Degradation
  • Stabilization

Published Papers (4 papers)

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2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021

17 pages, 8625 KiB  
Article
Effect of a New Additive Based on Textile Fibres from End-of-Life Tyres (ELT) on the Mechanical Properties of Stone Mastic Asphalt
by Gonzalo Valdés-Vidal, Alejandra Calabi-Floody, Cristian Mignolet-Garrido and Cristian Díaz-Montecinos
Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1705; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071705 - 29 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1193
Abstract
Stone Mastic Asphalts (SMA) are asphalt mixes with discontinuous granulometry and a high content of asphalt binder. In order to prevent draindown of the asphalt binder and ensure good performance, these mixes must be strengthened with cellulose or mineral fibres and/or polymer additives. [...] Read more.
Stone Mastic Asphalts (SMA) are asphalt mixes with discontinuous granulometry and a high content of asphalt binder. In order to prevent draindown of the asphalt binder and ensure good performance, these mixes must be strengthened with cellulose or mineral fibres and/or polymer additives. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of a granular additive based on waste tyre textile fibres (WTTF), developed as a replacement for cellulose commercial additives in SMA mixes. Use of the WTTF-based additive will encourage the development of sustainable mixes by recycling a by-product of end-of-life tyres (ELT), which currently constitute a major environmental problem around the world. To this end, in the present experimental study we evaluated the replacement of cellulose-based commercial fibre with different percentages of WTTF-based additive (0%, 50%, 75%, 100%) in an SMA asphalt mix. The following design and performance properties were evaluated: resistance to cracking, stiffness modulus, sensitivity to moisture, and resistance to permanent deformation. The results indicated that replacing 100% of the cellulose commercial additive in the SMA mix by the WTTF-based additive allowed the mix to meet its design properties and showed good performance in the mechanical properties evaluated, with behaviour similar to that of the reference SMA mix. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021

15 pages, 4273 KiB  
Article
Nucleating Agents to Enhance Poly(l-Lactide) Fiber Crystallization during Industrial-Scale Melt Spinning
by Stefan Siebert, Johannes Berghaus and Gunnar Seide
Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071395 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2118
Abstract
The nucleating agent N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-terephthalamide (BHET) has promising effects on poly(l-lactide) (PLA) under quiescent conditions and for injection molding applications, but its suitability for industrial-scale fiber melt spinning is unclear. We therefore determined the effects of 1% and 2% [...] Read more.
The nucleating agent N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-terephthalamide (BHET) has promising effects on poly(l-lactide) (PLA) under quiescent conditions and for injection molding applications, but its suitability for industrial-scale fiber melt spinning is unclear. We therefore determined the effects of 1% and 2% (w/w) BHET on the crystallinity, tenacity, and elongation at break of PLA fibers compared to pure PLA and PLA plus talc as a reference nucleating agent. Fibers were spun at take-up velocities of 800, 1400 and 2000 m/min and at drawing at ratios of 1.1–4.0, reaching a final winding speed of 3600 m/min. The fibers were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, gel permeation chromatography and tensile testing. Statistical analysis of variance was used to determine the combined effects of the spin-line parameters on the material properties. We found that the fiber draw ratio and take-up velocity were the most important factors affecting tenacity and elongation, but the addition of BHET reduced the mechanical performance of the fibers. The self-organizing properties of BHET were not expressed due to the rapid quenching of the fibers, leading to the formation of α′-crystals. Understanding the behavior of BHET in the PLA matrix provides information on the performance of nucleation agents during high-speed processing that will allow processing improvements in the future. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022

16 pages, 8496 KiB  
Article
Additive Manufacturing of Wood Flour/PHA Composites Using Micro-Screw Extrusion: Effect of Device and Process Parameters on Performance
by Jing Tian, Run Zhang, Jiayuan Yang, Weimin Chou, Ping Xue and Yun Ding
Polymers 2021, 13(7), 1107; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13071107 - 31 Mar 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2263
Abstract
Based on additive manufacturing of wood flour and polyhydroxyalkanoates composites using micro-screw extrusion, device and process parameters were evaluated to achieve a reliable printing. The results show that the anisotropy of samples printed by micro-screw extrusion is less obvious than that of filament [...] Read more.
Based on additive manufacturing of wood flour and polyhydroxyalkanoates composites using micro-screw extrusion, device and process parameters were evaluated to achieve a reliable printing. The results show that the anisotropy of samples printed by micro-screw extrusion is less obvious than that of filament extrusion fused deposition modeling. The type of micro-screw, printing speed, layer thickness, and nozzle diameter have significant effects on the performance of printed samples. The linear relationship between the influencing parameters and the screw speed is established, therefore, the performance of printed products can be controlled by the extrusion flow rate related to screw speed. Full article
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15 pages, 10884 KiB  
Article
Extruded PLA Nanocomposites Modified by Graphene Oxide and Ionic Liquid
by Cristian Sánchez-Rodríguez, María-Dolores Avilés, Ramón Pamies, Francisco-José Carrión-Vilches, José Sanes and María-Dolores Bermúdez
Polymers 2021, 13(4), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13040655 - 22 Feb 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3350
Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA)-based nanocomposites were prepared by twin-screw extrusion. Graphene oxide (GO) and an ionic liquid (IL) were used as additives separately and simultaneously. The characterization of the samples was carried out by means of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies, thermogravimetric [...] Read more.
Polylactic acid (PLA)-based nanocomposites were prepared by twin-screw extrusion. Graphene oxide (GO) and an ionic liquid (IL) were used as additives separately and simultaneously. The characterization of the samples was carried out by means of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The viscoelastic behavior was determined using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and rheological measurements. IL acted as internal lubricant increasing the mobility of PLA chains in the solid and rubbery states; however, the effect was less dominant when the composites were melted. When GO and IL were included, the viscosity of the nanocomposites at high temperatures presented a quasi-Newtonian behavior and, therefore, the processability of PLA was highly improved. Full article
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