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Environmental issues are the most critical and urgent factor for the increasing use of biopolymers in broader applications. Research on chitosan as a bioplastic material opens vast opportunities to improve its weak mechanical properties. These include blending with biopolymer/synthetic polymers as a matrix or incorporating with nanofillers. The use of organic solvents in dissolving chitosan is also interesting for further research. In this study, we synthesized a chitosan/PVA-based biofilm composite in five different ratios (100/0, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 0/100) in acetic acid and citric acid with the addition of 10% weight glycerol to get the optimum composition of mechanical properties. This optimum film would be conducted with SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and Cellulose Nano Crystals (CNCs) to evaluate the reinforcement effects. Various properties, including surface morphology, functional, mechanical properties, and thermal behavior, were characterized. The experimental result showed that the tensile strength of the composite film in acetic acid was higher than in citric acid. With the addition of 2.5% w/w of SiO2 NPs, the tensile strength of the composite film got its maximum value, 21.01 MPa, and the maximum of 25.77 MPa with 10% w/w of CNCs, which was 115,7% higher than with of the pure chitosan/PVA film in the ratio of 80/20 which was the optimum. The effect of adding CNC and SiO2 NPS has the opposite effect. The addition of filler CNCs will improve mechanical properties, while SiO2 NPs tend to decrease mechanical properties. All film characterizations demonstrated that the physicochemical interaction between CNCs and chitosan/PVA molecules improved their mechanical and thermal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biomaterial is a substance which is designed to interact with the living system without giving any side-effect. Petrochemical plastics are in use for more than a century. Plastics have found use in different forms in various industries like food, cosmetics, textiles, medical sciences, engineering, and agriculture. Synthetic plastics take millions of years to degrade hence economies have switched to the production of biodegradable plastics. Present methods of synthesizing biomaterials use biological methods like microbial fermentations, which makes biomaterial synthesis and production, cost-effective and eco-friendly. The aim of this research article is to analyse the present state of research in large-scale biomaterial production and its safety for mankind and the environment. This review provides insight into the literature concerning the use of various bacteria-derived polymers and their use in the medical, healthcare, and food industry. This review will also consider the unique abilities of bacteria in using industrial waste and by-products of industries as substrate and their utilization as carbon and nitrogen source. The review will list the literature mentioning the barriers in present research based on microbial production of biomaterials and future directions to improve the production of biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural polymers are expected to be used as raw materials for biodegradable plastics production to replace synthetic plastics, which are known as not eco-friendly due to their difficulty to degrade microorganisms. Among modified cellulose derivatives, cellulose acetate can be used as raw material for biodegradable plastics. Cellulose can be obtained from lignocellulose material such as fiber waste of sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) trunk. This research aims to produce cellulose acetate with the degree of substitution value that meets a standard plastic raw material. Cellulose acetate was prepared through several processes such as extraction, delignification, bleaching, and acetylation. The experimental factor was a variation of the reaction time of delignification (15, 30, and 60 min) followed by acetylation (30, 60, 120, 240, and 360 min). The delignification process was carried out under pressurized conditions by using NaOH 10%, at 50 °C for 60 minutes, producing pulp with 0.24% of lignin, 10.87% of hemicellulose, and 88.49% of cellulose. The bleaching was done by using 10% hydrogen peroxide at pH 9 with a reaction temperature of 70 °C for 5 hours, yielding white pulp containing lignin was 0.01%, hemicellulose of 9.95%, and cellulose content of 90.01%. The cellulose acetate was obtained through the acetylation process by using acetic anhydride, and iodine as a catalyst for 30 minutes of generated cellulose acetate with a degree of substitution of 1.60+0.005. Cellulose acetate product has met the requirements as a biodegradable plastic raw material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratin is a high-potential biopolymer as raw material for bioplastic to overcome environmental problems due to plastic waste. In this research, keratin was extracted from chicken feathers using the acid method. Extract keratin was blended with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and various amount of glycerol as a plasticizer to produce bioplastics. Analysis of mechanical properties and surface morphology was used to determine the best synthesis result. The best bioplastic was produced from the ratio of 5/1 for CMC/keratin with 25% w/w of glycerol. These keratin-based bioplastics might be further studied as an eco-friendly biomaterial for further application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastics that are renewable and biodegradable have become increasingly popular in the quest for greener and more sustainable food packages. These so-called bioplastics are designed to replace traditional petrochemical polymers with renewable natural resources. To be a viable alternative to these oil-based resources the material must be successfully integrated into existing mass-manufacturing processes that transform material sheets into three-dimensional products. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of process parameters, particularly moulding temperatures, on the 3D-formability of bioplastics during thermoforming. A numerical/visual comparison was conducted between thermoformed tray packages and reference packages made of petrochemical polymers focusing primarily on product geometry and stiffness. Three bioplastic materials were selected based on their availability and suitability for the process: Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Cellulose Acetate Propionate (CAP). The sample materials were formed to specimen trays using a custom-designed sheet-forming chamber on a commercial Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) thermoforming line. Material changes necessitated separate optimizations of the process parameters for each material. It was found that the material properties of bioplastics set certain limits to the formed geometric shapes, but these limits can be addressed during the packaging design phase, making bioplastics a viable material for environmentally friendly yet economically feasible packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable plastics can be produced from mixing synthetic plastic waste with natural polymers. In this research, biodegradable plastic from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) waste and starch from palm oil empty fruit bunch was made. The HDPE wastes used were modified with 1% maleic anhydride as crosslinking agent with the help of 1% benzoyl peroxide as initiator. The method of mixing the material was done with two different methods, namely the reflux method and the melt blending method with variation of the ingredients added with a fixed ratio of HDPE-g-MA: Starch (60:40). Conclusion from the analysis of the mechanical properties, thermal properties and morphological properties, biodegradable plastic with rheomix method has advantages over reflux method where the tensile strength value is 15.970 N/m2 and 3.518% elongation value. The thermal properties can be seen from the melting point at a temperature of 128.3° C, decomposition point at 488.23° C and carbon residue from Thermal Gravimetry Analysis (TGA) test is 2.537%. From the analysis of morphological properties as can be seen in SEM observation showed biodegradable plastic made by melt blending method have a more even mixture that minimizes the pores on biodegradable plastic produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adverse environmental degradation created by various plastics produced from petroleum products is a major concern for the world nations. The developed and developing nations have adopted various strategies on the production and usage of highly hazardous conventional plastics. Various research works have been undertaken to formulate a sustainable alternative for the conventional plastics. In this regard, an effort was made to synthesis a biodegradable polymer for large scale commercial usage in packaging applications. Biodegradable polymers can be produced from various resources. The study involves the production of bio-plastic from Banana peel and Prosopis juliflora. Cellulose, a major component required for biopolymer synthesis was extracted from Prosopis juliflora which then combined and processed with dried banana peel. Additives and preservatives that contributes to the polymer characteristics were added in suitable proportions and processed under defined conditions. The mixture was then dried at a temperature of 130℃ to yield the final product. The biopolymers thus produced were tested for its water absorption capacity, thermal resistance, tensile strength, biodegradability and microbial attacks. It was observed that water absorption capacity of the biopolymer was lower for lesser starch and higher cellulose concentrations. The tensile strength was found to be 0.67 N/mm² which was due to the addition of zinc oxide. No microbial attack was observed during storage and it was also found that the biopolymer was able to withstand high temperature up to 130℃ during its usage [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the increasing use of plastics, stringent environmental issues and the awareness of the progressive reduction of available petrochemical resources have ever more guided the research interest towards the investigation and development of innovative materials intrinsically biodegradable or derived from renewable sources, and generally known as bio-based polymers. Amongst the biobased and biodegradable polymers, many investigations were reported in literature about a family of polyesters known as poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs), one of whose most prevalent is poly(3- hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). In this context, here we report the results of a photo-degradation study performed on biodegradable blown film samples based on a commercial grade PHBV/PBAT formulation. The films, subjected to photo-oxidative weathering in a climatic chamber under UV exposure, were systematically analysed in order to check the chemico-physical changes induced by the aging protocol, taking the as-produced films as the reference materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we introduce the possibility to use a low cost, biodegradable material for temporary energy storage devices. Here, we report the use of biologically derived organic electrodes composed of gelatin ad graphene. The graphene was obtained by mild sonication in a mixture of volatile solvents of natural graphite flakes and subsequent centrifugation. The presence of exfoliated graphene sheets was detected by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. The homogeneous dispersion in gelatin demonstrates a good compatibility between the gelatin molecules and the graphene particles. The electrical characterization of the resulting nanocomposites suggests the possible applications as materials for transient, low cost energy storage device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the increasing use of plastics, stringent environmental issues and the awareness of the progressive reduction of available petrochemical resources have ever more guided the research interest towards the investigation and development of innovative materials intrinsically biodegradable or derived from renewable sources, and generally known as bio-based polymers. Amongst the biobased and biodegradable polymers, many investigations were reported in literature about a family of polyesters known as poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs), one of whose most prevalent is poly(3- hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). In this context, here we report the results of a photo-degradation study performed on biodegradable blown film samples based on a commercial grade PHBV/PBAT formulation. The films, subjected to photo-oxidative weathering in a climatic chamber under UV exposure, were systematically analysed in order to check the chemico-physical changes induced by the aging protocol, taking the as-produced films as the reference materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a polyphenol-containing extract from winery bio-waste (EP) has been used as additive to tailor Mater-Bi properties. EP was able to efficiently modulate both polymer processing and mechanical, thermal and biodegradation properties. EP decreased the melt viscosity, behaved as a Mater-Bi plasticizer and delayed the Mater-Bi crosslinking process occurring upon thermal aging. Finally, the biodisintegration rate of doped Mater-Bi decreased, thus indicating that EP interfered with the microbial digestion of the polymer films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]