Search results for "bioplastic"
showing 10 items of 20 documents
Impact of nanoparticles on the environmental sustainability of polymer nanocomposites based on bioplastics or recycled plastics – A review of life-cy…
2022
Adding nanoparticles to a host polymer can lead to performance improvements that can be twice as beneficial to the environment: first, sustainable nanocomposites based on bioplastics or recycled plastics could replace ubiquitous petroleum-based polymers; second, substantial plastic saving could be achieved by profiting from the superior specific properties of the nanocomposites. Nevertheless, the inherent environmental burden of nanoparticles can compromise the expected benefits. Here we address the controversial issue of the environmental sustainability of “green” polymer nanocomposites based on bioplastics and recycled plastics. A critical review of life-cycle assessment studies regarding…
Recycling of a Biodegradable Polymer Blend
2020
Mechanical recycling is one of the possible ways to enhance the value of postconsumer plastic materials. However, the final performance of the recycled material will strongly depend on the quality of the selection made on the recycled product and on the degradation of the properties. In this context, the present study examines the effect of reprocessing for five successive extrusion cycles on the rheological, mechanical and thermal properties of a poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)-based blend on samples reprocessed in both dry and wet conditions. The results showed that when the sample was processed after drying, degradation of the material was less than when it was processed i…
Coffee grounds as filler for pectin: Green composites with competitive performances dependent on the UV irradiation.
2017
Novel composite bioplastics were successfully prepared by filling pectin matrix with treated coffee grounds. The amount of coffee dispersed into the pectin was changed within a wide filler range. The morphology of the pectin/coffee hybrid films was studied by microscopic techniques in order to investigate their mesoscopic structure as well as the sizes distribution of the particles dispersed into the matrix. The micrographs showed that the coffee grounds are uniformly dispersed within the polymeric matrix. The morphological characteristics of the biocomposite films were correlated to their properties, such as wettability, water uptake, thermal behavior and mechanical performances. Dynamic m…
RADIATION-CLEAVABLE MICROPARTICLE CHAPERONES FOR DURABILITY-CONTROLLED NANOCOMPOSITE BIOPLASTICS
2012
Polysaccharide micro/nanoparticles, incorporating stabilizers (natural antioxidants), prodegrading agents (such as enzymes or metal oxide nanoparticles) or other active ingredients, can be considered ideal chaperones to introduce various and heterogeneous substances into polysaccharide films in virtue of their structural affinity. The possibility of obtaining biodegradable and colloidally stable nanoparticles from xyloglucan has been here investigated. Xyloglucans are a major class of structural polysaccharides found in the primary cell walls of higher plants. They are particularly interesting raw materials for their excellent film forming properties, thermal stability and hydroxyl rich, hi…
Microbes and Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Marine Environment
2020
Marine pollution has increased reaching the entire marine environment, from the surface to the deepest sediment, and has become more concerning in the last 70 years. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a fraction of ocean waste that includes, among the others, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and plastic polymers. These chemicals have an extremely long half-life, and (bio)accumulate and damage the marine flora and fauna, and, ultimately, human health. Some organisms have evolved enzymes to attack POPs in the environment and transform them into biomass and CO2. Several microorganisms degrade many POPs in relatively short time. A wide variety of bacteria has been isolated with dif…
A Review of Bioplastics and Their Adoption in the Circular Economy
2021
The European Union is working towards the 2050 net-zero emissions goal and tackling the ever-growing environmental and sustainability crisis by implementing the European Green Deal. The shift towards a more sustainable society is intertwined with the production, use, and disposal of plastic in the European economy. Emissions generated by plastic production, plastic waste, littering and leakage in nature, insufficient recycling, are some of the issues addressed by the European Commission. Adoption of bioplastics–plastics that are biodegradable, bio-based, or both–is under assessment as one way to decouple society from the use of fossil resources, and to mitigate specific environmental risks …
Fennel waste-based films suitable for protecting cultivations.
2007
Biodegradable, flexible, and moisture-resistant films were obtained by recycling fennel waste and adding to fennel homogenates the bean protein phaseolin that was modified or not modified by the enzyme transglutaminase. All films were analyzed for their morphology, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and susceptibility to biodegradation under soil-like conditions. Our experiments showed that transglutaminase treatment of the phaseolin-containing fennel waste homogenates allowed us to obtain films comparable in their mechanical properties and water vapor permeability to the commercial films Ecoflex and Mater-Bi. Furthermore, biodegradability tests demonstrated that the presence …
Opakowania z biotworzyw –przyszłość? Czy w przyszłości nowy problem środowiskowy?
2020
Problem odpadów opakowaniowych z tworzyw sztucznych wciąż wymaga poszukiwania skutecznych rozwiązań. W artykule przedstawiono wytyczne Komisji Europejskie z marca 2019 roku w zakresie działań ograniczających składowanie zużytych opakowań na wysypiskach śmieci. Najwięcej uwagi poświęcono biotworzywom, stosowanym w produkcji opakowań, które -zgodnie z zapewnieniami ich producentów –mogą być składowane z odpadami organicznymi i ulegać wraz z nimi procesom biodegradacji lub kompostowania. Dzięki temu ich stosowanie mogłaby istotnie wpłynąć na zmniejszenie ilości odpadów opakowaniowych odprowadzanych na składowiska śmieci, jak równieżprzyczynić się do nie zalegania ich wśrodowisku naturalnym tak…
Novel Polycaprolactone Nanocomposites Containing Thymol of Interest in Antimicrobial Film and Coating Applications
2008
It is well-known that the nanocomposites technology can significantly enhance, among others, the thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties of plastics. It is also known that most bioplastics, including the thermoplastic biopolymers, have lower than desired levels for certain properties which makes their use in certain packaging applications problematic. The combination of active technologies such as antimicrobials and nanotechnologies such as nanocomposites can synergistically lead to bioplastic formulations with balanced properties and functionalities for their implementation in packaging applications. The present work presents the development and characterization of novel nanocomposite…
Effect of an organoclay on the photochemical transformations of a PBAT/PLA blend and morpho-chemical features of crosslinked networks
2021
Abstract In this work, we report the effect of an organoclay on the photochemical weathering of nanocomposites based on a poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blend. The evolution of physicochemical properties was monitored by integrating spectroscopic, mechanical, and morphological analyses. A robust relationship was found between the molecular transformations of the polymer macromolecules and the morpho-mechanical properties of irradiated films. Moreover, the analysis of insoluble fractions extracted from nanocomposites pointed out that free-standing, porous structures, displaying an unprecedented thickness as great as 100 µm, were formed, thus unambiguou…