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Sustainability
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Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials
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Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 29952

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Prateek Saxena

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi 175005, India
Interests: sustainable manufacturing, sustainable products and processes, paper-based packaging products, advanced casting science and technologies; composites; Industry 4.0; manufacturing systems; tooling and tooling process chains; additive manufacturing
Prof. Dr. Giuliano Bissacco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet, Building 425, room 207, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
Interests: tooling; micro-manufacturing; sustainable manufacturing; paper packaging; precision engineering; metal cutting
Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Salonitis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sustainable Manufacturing Systems Centre, School of Aerospace Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK
Interests: sustainable manufacturing systems; green manufacturing; environmental impact assessment; simulation; modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The trend in recent years has shifted from the use of conventional raw materials to green materials in all the industrial sectors. Green materials are eco-friendly, recyclable, and nontoxic materials. Such materials are claimed to have a minimal negative environmental impact when compared to their peers. The synthesis of green materials and their conversion to eco-friendly products is the central theme of this Special Issue. The Special Issue is aligned with goal 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and aims at highlighting responsible consumption and production.

The Special Issue further focuses on the three main aspects of green materials.

Synthesis: Techniques, properties, and characterization of green materials, and new eco-friendly and recyclable bio-based materials;

Environmental Impact: Life-cycle assessment, eco-efficiency, recycling, and sustainability 4.0;

Industrial applications: Design and manufacturing of sustainable products, development of equipment, and process for conversion of green materials into green products; case studies highlighting innovative industrial applications, such as sustainable packaging.

We thus invite the submission of original research articles, design studies, review articles, experimental, and/or numerical investigations on the aforementioned topics.

Dr. Prateek Saxena
Prof. Dr. Giuliano Bissacco
Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Salonitis
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • Novel bio-based/recyclable/eco-friendly materials
  • Green composites
  • Synthesis of green materials
  • Properties of green materials
  • Design and manufacturing of green products
  • Paper-based packaging products
  • Design of equipment, tools and processes for the manufacturing of green products
  • Characterization techniques
  • Life cycle assessment
  • Case studies on industrial applications of green materials as consumer products

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2908 KiB  
Article
Effect of Low Concentration of SiO2 Nanoparticles on Grape Seed Essential Oil/PBAT Composite Films for Sustainable Food Packaging Application
by Soundhar Arumugam, Jayakrishna Kandasamy, Thendral Thiyaku and Prateek Saxena
Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8073; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14138073 - 01 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2629
Abstract
Active packaging material has been used in the food industry to maintain the quality of packaged foods. The use of conventional polymers has serious environmental consequences due to improper disposal or recycling methods. Therefore, active packaging films based on biopolymers have been developed [...] Read more.
Active packaging material has been used in the food industry to maintain the quality of packaged foods. The use of conventional polymers has serious environmental consequences due to improper disposal or recycling methods. Therefore, active packaging films based on biopolymers have been developed due to their excellent biocompatibility, degradability, and eco-friendliness. Amongst all essential oils, grape seed oil is considered to be a promising antimicrobial agent. It comprises large quantities of flavonoids, tocopherols, and other antimicrobial compounds. Grape seed essential oil has good antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. As a film, it is used to preserve food items such as poultry products, fish, and tomatoes. This work aimed to develop a polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) biocomposite film incorporated with natural grape seed essential oil (GEO) in addition to silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) using the solution casting process. To achieve the desired packaging properties of the prepared PBAT-based film, the concentrations of grape seed essential oil as a plasticizer and nanosilica as a filler material were varied. The optical, physical, barrier, mechanical, surface hydrophobicity, and antibacterial properties of the PBAT/GEO/SiO2NP films were assessed. The FT-IR and XRD results indicated that GEO had effective miscibility with the PBAT/SiO2NP matrix. The addition of GEO increased the film flexibility, opacity, and antimicrobial activity, but the incorporation of SiO2NPs in the PBAT/GEO blend increased the tensile strength, thermal stability, and antimicrobial activities. The PBAT/GEO/SiO2NP films exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against food spoilage microorganisms. Finally, due to improved antimicrobial activities, film flexibility, optical, and heat resistance properties, the PBAT/GEO/NP nanocomposite films were found to have high potential for usage in active food packaging applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials)
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17 pages, 18092 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Assignment of Egyptian Ornamental Stones for Interior and Exterior Building Finishes Using the AHP-TOPSIS Technique
by Ahmed M. A. Shohda, Mahrous A. M. Ali, Gaofeng Ren, Jong-Gwan Kim, Ahmed M. Abdo, Wael R. Abdellah and Abbas M. Hassan
Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2453; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042453 - 21 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2463
Abstract
The ornamental stones industry has grown progressively in Egypt as the demand has increased for Egyptian decorative stones in indoor and outdoor building spaces. Choosing the most suitable ornamental stone for each purpose and taking the right decisions related to aesthetic and practical [...] Read more.
The ornamental stones industry has grown progressively in Egypt as the demand has increased for Egyptian decorative stones in indoor and outdoor building spaces. Choosing the most suitable ornamental stone for each purpose and taking the right decisions related to aesthetic and practical performance can be a challenge causing a lot of confusion for homeowners and contractors. Thus, there is a need to define what decorative style you are trying to achieve in order to properly choose the most suitable decorative stone. In this research, some Egyptian ornamental stones were evaluated by combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The optimized AHP–TOPSIS comprehensive decision model was implemented on natural materials relevant to ornaments and the finishing purposes of indoor and outdoor buildings. Ten rock types from four Egyptian sites were studied, examined, and analyzed. According to the quality index scheme, grey granite is an ideal ornamental stone that meets indoor and outdoor purposes. Grey granite and black marble have a performance score (Pi) of 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Serpentine and pink granite were ranked third with a Pi = 0.68. These results provide stakeholders with strategic indicators to select different natural ornamental stones based on the total points assigned to all rock specifications and costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials)
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24 pages, 10889 KiB  
Article
Expanded (Black) Cork for the Development of an Eco-Friendly Surfboard: Environmental Impact and Mechanical Properties
by José M. D. Correia, Gabriel F. Serra, Ricardo J. Alves de Sousa, António B. Pereira and Fábio A. O. Fernandes
Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020668 - 07 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5112
Abstract
Based on global needs for sustainable development, finding new sustainable materials that can replace oil-based ones for mass products is crucial nowadays. This paper focuses on employing an expanded cork-based composite to produce a surfboard. To evaluate the mechanical properties, uniaxial tensile and [...] Read more.
Based on global needs for sustainable development, finding new sustainable materials that can replace oil-based ones for mass products is crucial nowadays. This paper focuses on employing an expanded cork-based composite to produce a surfboard. To evaluate the mechanical properties, uniaxial tensile and compression tests were performed on the skin and core materials, respectively. Bending tests were performed on the entire representative composite structure. Numerical models of the tests were arranged and validated from experimental results. From that, a surfboard prototype model was used to simulate some experimental conditions, permitting us to draw promising conclusions. An actual prototype was also produced. It was found that expanded cork performs very well when sandwiched between wood and polyester resin/glass fibre, being able to hold substantial loads and at the same time reduce weight and the environmental footprint of the composite by 62.8%. It can be concluded that expanded cork is an excellent candidate to replace oil-based foams in surfboard manufacturing. Despite a slight increase in weight, this sustainable material aligns with all the philosophies of surf practice worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials)
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17 pages, 3243 KiB  
Article
Influence of Stiffeners for Improving the Compressive Strength of Ventilated Corrugated Packages Using Finite Element Modelling Technique
by Nilotpal Kalita, Prateek Saxena and Mohammad Talha
Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13926; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413926 - 16 Dec 2021
Viewed by 2007
Abstract
The aim of this research is to optimize the corrugated fibreboard (CFB) boxes recommended by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for packaging apples and suggest improvements for the same with the help of finite element modelling technique. The motivation for the current [...] Read more.
The aim of this research is to optimize the corrugated fibreboard (CFB) boxes recommended by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for packaging apples and suggest improvements for the same with the help of finite element modelling technique. The motivation for the current study grew with the advent of the multipurpose use of corrugated fibreboard as a structural material, particularly for packaging boxes. A standard double walled (DW) panel box is considered for improvements in terms of ventilation slot configuration and reduction in material utilization for manufacturing through the implementation of a single walled (SW) panel box design. In order to maintain the structural integrity upon reduction in box construction material, the concept of stiffener has been introduced as a load-bearing enhancement feature. These enhancements will help establish a rationale and enable the corrugated fibreboard manufacturers and consumers to improve the understanding of the behaviour of such structures and help to check for the cost utilization, avoid overdesign and further mitigate the failures in practical applications. Full depth vertical rectangular slot was found to generate the least stresses and found to be suitable as ventilation slots. With the replacement with SW panel box, a saving in material consumption can be realized amounting to more than 34%. It was found that a 3-ply box configuration with a full-depth ventilation slot with panel stiffener can serve as a potential candidate for the replacement of the current box constituting of 5-ply panels recommended in the context of Indian standards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials)
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22 pages, 2715 KiB  
Article
Green Coalescent Synthesis Based on the Design for Environment (DfE) Principles: Brazilian Experience
by Isadora Luiza Climaco Cunha, Fábio Rosa and Luiz Kulay
Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12802; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212802 - 19 Nov 2021
Viewed by 2290
Abstract
Coalescents are compounds with a high potential for generating tropospheric ozone, which causes adverse effects on humans and their surroundings. This study designed a coalescent for decorative paints that reached technical levels equivalent to those obtained by StC, a product on the market, [...] Read more.
Coalescents are compounds with a high potential for generating tropospheric ozone, which causes adverse effects on humans and their surroundings. This study designed a coalescent for decorative paints that reached technical levels equivalent to those obtained by StC, a product on the market, but with better environmental and economic performance. The strategy adopted in creating the green coalescent (GrC) improved film formation and reduced the product’s atmospheric emission rate. Regarding the environmental performance, GrC outperformed StC in terms of water consumption, global warming potential, and human toxicity by 30%, 35%, and 91%, but had a high smog formation potential even with a reduced loss to the air. The redesign of the molecule gave rise to AGrC, which achieved a more homogeneous environmental performance. The results of an economic analysis indicated that the procedures adopted to reduce environmental impacts could also make the coalescent more competitive if the lowest market prices were practiced. On the other hand, if the products are sold at high prices, the paint industry tends to privilege the economic dimension and disregard environmental performance for decision purposes. This research succeeded in reconciling technical functions and aspects related to sustainability to design more competitive products in the Brazilian market. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials)
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Review

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17 pages, 696 KiB  
Review
Salinity Stress: Toward Sustainable Plant Strategies and Using Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Encapsulation for Reducing It
by Roohallah Saberi Riseh, Marzieh Ebrahimi-Zarandi, Elahe Tamanadar, Mojde Moradi Pour and Vijay Kumar Thakur
Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12758; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212758 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4932
Abstract
Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that influences plant growth and productivity worldwide. Salinity affects plant growth by ionic toxicity, osmotic stress, hormonal imbalance, nutrient mobilization reduction, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). To survive in saline soils, plants have developed [...] Read more.
Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that influences plant growth and productivity worldwide. Salinity affects plant growth by ionic toxicity, osmotic stress, hormonal imbalance, nutrient mobilization reduction, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). To survive in saline soils, plants have developed various physiological and biochemical strategies such as ion exchange, activation of antioxidant enzymes, and hormonal stimulation. In addition to plant adaption mechanisms, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can enhance salt tolerance in plants via ion homeostasis, production of antioxidants, ACC deaminase, phytohormones, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), volatile organic compounds, accumulation of osmolytes, activation of plant antioxidative enzymes, and improvement of nutrients uptake. One of the important issues in microbial biotechnology is establishing a link between the beneficial strains screened in the laboratory with industry and the consumer. Therefore, in the development of biocontrol agents, it is necessary to study the optimization of conditions for mass reproduction and the selection of a suitable carrier for their final formulation. Toward sustainable agriculture, the use of appropriate formulations of bacterial agents as high-performance biofertilizers, including microbial biocapsules, is necessary to improve salt tolerance and crop productivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials)
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32 pages, 5542 KiB  
Review
4D Printing: Materials, Technologies, and Future Applications in the Biomedical Field
by Ankur Bajpai, Anna Baigent, Sakshika Raghav, Conchúr Ó. Brádaigh, Vasileios Koutsos and Norbert Radacsi
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10628; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410628 - 19 Dec 2020
Cited by 51 | Viewed by 8895
Abstract
4D printing can be defined as the fabrication of structures using smart materials that allow the final object to change its shape, properties, or function in response to an external stimulus such as light, heat, or moisture. The available technologies, materials, and applications [...] Read more.
4D printing can be defined as the fabrication of structures using smart materials that allow the final object to change its shape, properties, or function in response to an external stimulus such as light, heat, or moisture. The available technologies, materials, and applications have evolved significantly since their first development in 2013, with prospective applications within the aerospace, manufacturing, and soft robotic industries. This review focuses on the printing technologies and smart materials currently available for fabricating these structures. The applications of 4D printing within biomedicine are explored with a focus on tissue engineering, drug delivery, and artificial organs. Finally, some ideas for potential uses are proposed. 4D printing is making its mark with seemingly unlimited potential applications, however, its use in mainstream medical treatments relies on further developments and extensive research investments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis, Design and Environmental Impact of Green Materials)
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