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Edible oils are vulnerable to oxidation-induced degradation, leading to off-flavors, carcinogenic products, and reduced nutritional content. This work aimed to prepare a blended oil (BO) from indigenous mustard and sesame seeds to extend the oil’s shelf life and boost its nutritional value. Four blends were formulated with sesame oil (SO) and mustard oil (MO) in the ratios of SO50:MO50, SO60:MO40, SO70:MO30 and SO80:MO20. GCMS analyses showed that the SO80:MO20 blend had an erucic acid content of 4.22 %, which is below the internationally accepted limit of 5 %, and an ideal fatty acid ratio of 1:1.3:1; saturated fatty acid (SFA): monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA): polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), close to the WHO/FAO permissible limit. The blend SO80:MO20 was then assessed and related to single oil. The physicochemical properties of the blended oil were superior to those of the individual oils. BO exhibited higher levels of lignan (48.96 %) and tocopherol (13.58 %) than SO (48.89 % and 12.74 %) and MO (0.24 % and 6.22 %). Additionally, BO’s sterol content was 18.7 %, surpassing SO’s 14.7 % but falling short of MO’s 21.13 %. Moreover, BO’s flash point (318 °C) closely resembled that of SO (320 °C) and MO (316 °C). Aflatoxin and trace metal levels were detected and found to be well below than permitted ranges. The blend had a total antioxidant capacity of 95 % with an IC50 value of 0.575 mg/mL, which was higher than that of the individual oils and comparable to standards. Over 180 days of storage at room temperature, the moisture content, refractive index, free fatty acids, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, saponification value, iodine value, and totox value of the BO showed a slower increase compared to the individual oils. The estimated fatty acid ratio and enriched antioxidant in the blended oil enhanced its stability and nutritional potency over the individual oils. The results of this work may represent Bangladesh’s first unique oil blend composition.

The combination of well-balanced mechanical performance, high transparency and appealing eco-friendly attributes endows poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with significantly potential for wide-ranging applications in high-value packaging sectors. However, effectively toughening PLA without compromising its transparency and stiffness remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we synthesized a series of graft copolymers by incorporating hydroxyl-functionalized linear low density polyethylene (LLDPEOH) and copolymers of cycloolefin (COCOH) as the main chain and PLA as the side chain, which were subsequently employed as novel toughening agents for commercial PLA. The achievement of high-performance PLA blends with a balanced combination of toughness, strength, and transparency can be realized through meticulous tuning of the structure and mass fraction of the blended graft copolymers. The maximum elongation at break for the PLA blends increased by about 50 times that of neat PLA, reaching up to 300 %. Furthermore, these materials retained their high strength (54 MPa) and excellent transparency (light transmittance up to 90 %). The excellent properties of PLA blends could be ascribed to the well-designed chain structure of the graft copolymer which leaded to and excellent compatibility with the PLA matrix and unique phase morphology. This work is significant in guiding the design and synthesis of graft copolymers as toughening agents for PLA, thereby expanding its application range in areas where high transparency and toughness are required.

This study addresses the critical issue of removing copper(II) ions from water using an eco-friendly approach with natural biomaterials. Alginate, a natural polysaccharide, is employed as the primary adsorption material. The study involves the conversion of alginate into nanoparticles, and a ternary blend is prepared by mixing alginate nanoparticles with carboxymethyl cellulose and polyethylene glycol (AL-NPs/CMC/PEG). The blend's morphological and structural transformations have been comprehensively investigated using techniques such as DLS, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, and SEM. Batch experiments were conducted systematically to investigate crucial parameters, such as contact time (60–300 min), initial copper concentration (62.5 ppm–1000 ppm), solution pH (2–8), and adsorbent dosage (1–5 g). The results obtained are highly encouraging, revealing an impressive 80.9 % efficiency in the removal of copper ions. The acquired experimental data were then subjected to analysis with Langmuir and Freundlich, isotherm, as well as pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order kinetics studies. The outcomes from these isotherm and kinetics models indicated a favorable fit with the Freundlich isotherm, suggesting a strong affinity between the adsorbent and the metal ions. Furthermore, the kinetic studies revealed that the adsorption process closely adheres to pseudo-second-order kinetics, underlining the efficiency and reliability of the adsorption process. From desorption studies, 0.1 M HCl was an extremely effective eluant when compared to HNO3 and EDTA. It could be reused three time with appreciate efficiency. The research underscores the potential for an environmentally sustainable solution to address the persistent environmental challenge posed by copper ion contamination.

Isotactic polybutene-1 (PB)/isotactic polypropylene (PP) blends, typical crystalline/crystalline polymer blends with low-melting-temperature (Tm) PB and high-Tm PP, exhibit complicated interactions between their components in both molten and solid states. However, the intrinsic influences of PP component on crystallization of PB form II, form II-I transformation, and the dependence of these phase transitions on PP content are unclear. In this work, the influences of PP content ranged from 5 wt% to 40 wt% on PB crystallization were investigated. It was found that the content of PP played significant roles on the phase morphologies of the blends in molten state and then the subsequent crystallization of PB whatever in form II or form I. The PP components with ≤20 wt% addition acting as heterogeneous nucleation sites promoted crystallization nucleation, increased the crystallinity and lamellar thickness of PB, accelerated PB form II-I transformation and increased transformation degree with the increase in PP content. Whereas, the PP components with ≥30 wt% incorporation reduced the crystallinity and lamellar thickness of PB, retarded PB form II-I transformation and transformation degree with the increase in PP content. Interestingly, the PB/PP (80/20) blend presented the fastest II-I transformation rate as well as the highest transformation degree of PB. The dependence of crystallization and crystal structures of PB form II, form I, and form II-I transformation kinetics on PP concentration was discussed. PB form I′ was not observed in the present study. This work provides a theoretical and practical guide for the preparation of novel PB materials with desired structures and excellent performance, especially with anxiously accelerated crystal-crystal transition and transition degree of PB.

In this study, we utilized and modified ISO 14855-2, an industrial composting test, as a basis for conducting biodegradation tests on the poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA)/amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (aPHA) blends under different conditions. Based on the obtained results, our objective was to investigate the reasons behind the biodegradability of PLLA under home composting conditions when blended with other materials. The compatibility of aPHA with PLLA in the blend interferes with the crystallization of PLLA via microphase separation, ultimately resulting in a dominantly amorphous PLLA structure. Additionally, the microphase separation of the two polymers created microfluidic channels by aPHA, which increased the surface area accessible to microorganisms in the compost, facilitating the biodegradation of both polymers. Furthermore, low-molecular-weight acids generated from aPHA contribute to the autocatalytic effect, further promoting biodegradation. Therefore, blending PLLA with aPHA has the potential to improve the biodegradability of PLLA and widen its range of applications.

Nano gadolinium oxide doped polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene glycol blend (PVA/PEG) was prepared by sol–gel and casting methods. Rietveld refinement method was used for structural and microstructural investigation. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques were applied to study the formation of nano Gd2O3 doped PVA/PEG-blend. Differential scanning calorimetry technique (DSC) was utilized to investigate the glass transition, the melting and degradation temperatures of undoped and doped PVA/PEG blends. The melting temperature was increased slightly while the degradation temperature was reduced upon doping with nano Gd2O3. The behavior of the absorbance and other different optical parameters were studied in detail using UV-spectrophotometer. A variation in the optical bandgap of the PVA/PEG blend was observed while the values of refractive index and extinction coefficient were enhanced as the amount of Gd2O3 increased in the blend. The influence of nano Gd2O3 doping on the different dispersion parameters was examined using Wemple and DiDomenico approximation model. The nature of electronic transitions of different samples was examined by comparing the optical band gap obtained from Tauc’s relation and dielectric loss parameter.

Biodiesel can serve as an alternative to petroleum-based fuels. It has been shown that standard biodiesel cannot be mixed to improve efficiency and emissions characteristics. It has a major effect on emissions but has a limited capacity to mix with co-feed at varying temperatures and different ratios. In this study, 63 tertiary blends and three binary blends were mixed to create a stable fuel. Biodiesel was stable after having blended with amphipathioic liquor of a broad range of compatibility for a period of 168 h is recorded. Four samples were chosen for reproducibility, and 2 were selected for higher than average ethanol content in ethanol. These can be defined as one-observed, inferred, and derived in the three-layer, double-blurred, double-layer, two-blurred, one-blurred ring formation, and a single-blurred double-layer format. Even at 27.2 °C, biodiesel micelles could not shape micelles were used. The fuel blend, which has a wider range of miscibility, suitable for transportation and stability, causes more aromatic emissions when used in a ternary formulation than a micro formulation. The blend properties were found to be within tolerable limits.

In this work, a polymeric blend of polyaniline (PAni) and chitosan (Chi), modified with Sucrose Octaacetate (SOA), was synthesized and characterized using different techniques. The blend was used as an adsorbent to remove Remazol Black (RB) dye from aqueous solutions. The blend was synthesized using the chemical oxidation method with ammonium persulfate as the oxidizing agent. Characterization was carried out using SEM, FT-IR, UV-Vis, BET, TGA, Conductivity, and PZc techniques. The blend structure appeared as clusters, providing a favorable surface area for adsorption. The results showed that SOA improved the conductivity of the blend without altering the structure and oxidative state of PAni. The study investigated the adsorption of RB, considering the influence of adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, pH, and temperature. Kinetic and equilibrium studies, thermodynamic analysis, synthetic effluent testing, and adsorbent reuse tests were conducted. The optimal adsorption conditions, within the studied range, were adsorbent dosage of 0.25 g L -1 , dye concentration of 60 mg L -1 , pH range of 2 to 7, and temperature of 30 °C. Equilibrium results indicated that the Langmuir model was the most representative, with a maximum adsorption capacity of q max  = 285.23 mg g -1 and R L  = 0.01, indicating favorable adsorption. The kinetic study revealed an equilibrium constant of K eq  = 0.421 L mg -1 and a process order 0.63. The adsorption process followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics, demonstrating rapid adsorption on the adsorbent surface. The adsorption was physical, endothermic, and spontaneous, showing increased randomness with temperature. RB removal from synthetic effluent was effective within the pH range of 2-7, with the dye removal efficiency from the aqueous phase remaining above 74 % for up to 4 cycles of adsorption-desorption. The results support the hypothesis that the PAni-SOA@Chi blend is a promising alternative for removing this dye from the waste., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plasticized PLA plastic films are being increasingly used in, among others, packaging and agriculture sectors in an attempt to address the rapid growth of municipal waste. The present paper aims to review the recent progress and the state-of-the-art in the field of fully bio-renewable tough blends of PLA with green plasticizers aimed at developing flexible packaging films. The different classes of green substances, derived from completely bio-renewable resources, used as potential plasticizers for PLA resins are reviewed. The effectiveness of these additives for PLA plasticization is discussed by describing their effects on different properties of PLA. The performance of these blends is primarily determined by the solvent power, compatibility, efficiency, and permanence of plasticizer present in the PLA matrix of resulting films. The various chemical modification strategies employed to tailor the phase interactions, dispersion level and morphology, plasticization efficiency, and permanence, including functionalization, oligomerization, polymerization and self-crosslinking, grafting and copolymerization, and dynamic vulcanization are demonstrated. Sometimes a third component has also been added to the plasticized binary blends as compatibilizer to further promote dispersion and interfacial adhesion. The impact of chemical structure, size and molecular weight, chemical functionalities, polarity, concentration, topology as well as molecular architectures of the plasticizers on the plasticizer performance and the overall characteristics of resulting plasticized PLA materials is discussed. The morphological features and toughening mechanisms for PLA/plasticizer blends are also presented. The different green liquids employed show varying degree of plasticization. Some are more useful for semi-rigid applications, while some others can be used for very flexible products. There is an optimum level of plasticizer in PLA matrices above which the tensile ductility deteriorates. Esters-derivatives of bio-based plasticizers have been shown to be very promising additives for PLA modification. Some plasticizers impart additional functions such as antioxidation and antibacterial activity to the resulting PLA materials, or compatibilization in PLA-based blends. While the primary objective of plasticization is to boost the processability, flexibility, and toughness over wider practical conditions, the bio-degradability, permeability and long-term stability of microstructure (and thereby properties) of the plasticized films against light, weathering, thermal aging, and oxidation deserve further investigations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

High-performance poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blend-based composites were fabricated with a poly(ether-block-amide) (PEBA) elastomer acting as the blend counterpart. It was confirmed that a compatibilizer (ADR) enhanced the interaction between PLA and PEBA. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and organoclay (30B) were added individually and simultaneously into the blend to produce bionanocomposites. Morphological results showed that CNTs were mainly dispersed in PEBA domains, whereas 30B was mainly localized at the interfacial region of PLA and PEBA phases. The selective localization of added CNTs and 30B led to significant modification of the properties of the compatibilized PLA/PEBA blend. The brittleness and flammability of PLA were evidently improved after forming the bionanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry results revealed that CNTs and 30B assisted the crystallization of both PLA and PEBA in the composites, with CNTs providing superior nucleation efficiency to 30B. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed the thermal stability enhancement of the blend after adding CNTs and/or 30B, with up to 16 °C increase at 20 wt% loss with inclusion of 2 phr 30B. Addition of CNTs and/or 30B improved the blend's anti-dripping performance during burning tests, and CNT exhibited better anti-dripping efficiency. Ductility of PLA was drastically improved after forming the compatibilized blend, and further improved with incorporation of CNTs and/or 30B (increased from 9 % for neat PLA to 252 % for the hybrid composite containing CNT/30B). The impact strength of 1 phr CNTs-added composite was about 3 times that of PLA. Rheological properties indicated the (pseudo)network formation of added filler(s), leading to a significant reduction in electrical resistivity, up to six orders of magnitude with addition of 3 phr CNTs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Polymer dielectric materials operating at high temperatures are widely needed for advanced electrical and electronic systems. However, currently commercial polymer dielectrics are limited to relatively low operating temperatures. Here, a series of polyether ether ketone (PEEK)-based blends with self-crosslinkable polyetherimide (c-PEI) has been prepared as high temperature dielectrics by melt blending. The obtained polymer blends maintain stable dielectric properties over a wide frequency and temperature range. At 160 °C，the dissipation factor of the blend film is only 0.0019 which is only 14% of the pristine PEEK. Crosslinked networks in polymer blends could efficiently restrict the movement of polymer segments which suppress the dielectric loss and enhance high temperature performance. Furthermore, the introducing of Al2O3 improve the dielectric constant of the polymer blend, which compensated for the decreased dielectric constant due to crosslinking. In addition, the c-PEI/PEEK blends could be produced by industrial-grade continuous production process. This work presents a feasible strategy to large-scale fabrication of high-temperature dielectric materials by melt blending with self-crosslinkable polymers.

Purely cotton fabric lacks different functional and physical properties than cotton-flax blends fabric. The experimental part of the present study is to investigate the influence of flax fibres content in cotton-flax blended yarn quality. Five ring yarn samples of the same count, 16/1Ne but from different blend ratios (100C, 80C:20F, 70C:30F, 45C:55F, and 100F) were produced from the same spinning preparatory conditions. The primary outcome was measured by analyzing test results obtained from different testing instruments (Uster Evenness tester, Mesdan Tensile Tester, and Instron Lea strength tester). The secondary outcome was measured by statistical analysis. Evenness properties were better for 80:20 blends in CVm% (17.13), IPI (1346), and H (6.89). 100% cotton yarn possessed the richest evenness quality CVm% (13.23), IPI (168.4), and H (7.97) in contrast to the poorest result of 100% flax yarn. On the other hand, the highest strength (CSP 4631, RKM 30.22) and the lowest elongation, 2.29%, were both achieved for 100% flax yarn. Evenness properties and elongation deteriorated with the gradual increase in flax content. In terms of strength, tenacity and CSP both decreased with an increase in flax content, but 100% flax yarn exhibited the highest performance.

Carbon fibres are one of the newer, emerging materials with multiple engineering applications, from automobiles to space vehicles. Carbon fibres have high mechanical strength, are lighter than metals with better chemical resistance.There have been reports on the use of polyethylene and pitch precursors for the production of carbon fibres, but there are few reports of how these blends could be used for carbon fibre preparation. Bearing in mind the myriad of benefits that using carbon fibres could bring, this paper reviews recent advances published in the literature on how mesophase pitch and polyethylene could be suitable precursors for carbon fibres. It also provides an introduction to the development of precursor blends that allow the properties of carbon fibres to be tailored to specific applications, including processing techniques, fibre parameters, fibre properties and fibre structure.

Nowadays, various plastic products plays an important and indispensable role in our daily life. However, plastic cannot be essentially decomposed in the nature and thus led to inevitable damage to the environment. The study aims to recycle thermoplastic materials to attain the purposes of recycling, reuse, and sustainability. Polypropylene (PP) and toughening thermoplastic polyurethane (TTPU) are melt-blended for two cycles, which a small amount of compatibilizer (i.e. polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride, PP-g-MA) is added during the process. The morphology and mechanical properties of the PP/MA/TTPU blends are then measured and investigated. SEM images show that without the compatibilizer, TTPU particles demonstrate a dispersive phase in PP matrix. The presence of compatilizer improves the incompatible situation between TTPU and PP. The impact test results have proven that the incorporation of 20 wt% of TTPU and 5 wt% of compatibilizer helps to improve the interphase problem, thereby yielding the impact strength of 63.01 J/g. The tensile strength test results show that the presence of PP compensates for the insufficient rigidity and high production cost of TTPU. The flexural strength test results show that PP with high stiffness synergizes to the softness and flexural performance of TTPU. It is expected that using the secondary recovery process obtains the added value and sustainable use of plastic products, which is helpful to the sustainable development of the earth.

In this study, a one-step extrusion method is proposed to prepare blended polylactic acid (PLA)/thermoplastic starch (TPS) using a novel plant-derived compatibilizer, pyrogallic acid (PGA), to enhance the PLA/TPS compatibility. The effects of PGA on the mechanical behavior, fractured cross-section morphology, thermal and dynamic mechanical performance, and water resistance of PLA/TPS blends were systematically studied. Results demonstrate that the addition of PGA effectively improves the compatibility between TPS and PLA, resulting in enhanced tensile strength, crystallinity, elongation at break, thermal stability, and hydrophobicity of the blends. Specifically, incorporating 1.5 phr of PGA into the blend system yields the highest values for tensile strength (23.38 MPa) and elongation at break (16.96 %), which are 24.7 % and 233.2 %, respectively, higher than those observed for pure PLA/TPS blends. Furthermore, other properties exhibit obvious improvements upon incorporation of PGA into the blends. This approach provides a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of PLA/TPS blends and expanding their applications in food packaging, agricultural film, etc., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Retail teas are blends of different tea grades in different proportions with varying quality and characteristics. Since there is not any available alternative, the ratio of stock teas in a blend is determined by expert tasters and sometimes supported by expensive chemical analyses. Instead of this relatively subjective expert dependant method, in this study, we present a novel and very economic approach to determine tea blending proportions. The approach is based on chemometric analysis of the data produced by spectral scanning of simple tea infusions (only prepared using boiling water as extraction solvent). For this purpose, UV–Vis spectra of 21 different stock tea samples were obtained and the data was processed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The blending proportions to produce a target tea mixture were calculated by a custom-developed algorithm, named TeaPot, with an easy-to-use graphical interface. In brief, a similar blend to the target is calculated from inversely proportioned Euclidean distances of tea samples’ PCA scores. These PCA scores were weighted with the associative variance explanation proportion of principal components. According to the validation results, over 90% similarity to the target is achieved from TeaPot's estimations. This proposed methodology and algorithm provide a simpler, faster, and affordable solution for tea manufacturers to avoid the effects of seasonal changes, process variables, and species-dependant differences in rental teas. As a result, TeaPot makes it possible to ensure product quality with very little expense and requiring no expertise.

The immiscible poly(methyl methacrylate)/polystyrene (PMMA/PS) blends with three composition ratios (80/20, 70/30, and 60/40 w/w) are prepared using water-assisted mixing extrusion (WAME). The injected high-pressure water during extrusion facilitates to significantly refine the phase domains without adding compatibilizer. Compared with the counterpart blend samples prepared without injecting water, the mean diameter of the PS droplet is decreased by approximately 50% for the PMMA/PS (80/20) sample; the co-continuous structure is obviously finer for the PMMA/PS (60/40) sample. The PS phase sizes in the PMMA/PS blends prepared by WAME in this work are smaller than those reported in relevant references. The mechanism is analyzed for promoting the phase domain refinement in the PMMA/PS blends during WAME based on high-pressure rheological tests. The phase domain refinement can improve the anti-creep property of the PMMA/PS blends, and simultaneously enhance their tensile strengths and elongations at break. This work gives a guidance for refining the phase domain of immiscible polymer blends by facilely injecting high-pressure water during extrusion instead of adding compatibilizer (e.g. block or graft copolymer, and fillers).

Stereocomplexation is utilized to improve and control the mechanical and thermal properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) where enantiomeric polymers poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(d-lactic acid) (PDLA) form stereocomplexation. This research reports the effects of minor amounts of PDLA on the properties of PLLA/microcryslalline cellulose (MCC)/PDLA blends. Blends of PLLA/MCC/PDLA are prepared with constant percentage of MCC and different percentage of PLLA and PDLA by solution casting methods and are characterized by FTIR for the confirmation of blends compatibility, WAXS and SEM for the analysis of morphology, TGA and DTA for thermal properties measurement. Shifting of peaks of FTIR profiles observe in blends with and without PDLA due to hydrogen bonding which helps to have compatibility of blends component. XRD analysis show three new peaks after adding PDLA in PLLA/MCC blends confirm the formation of stereocomplex (SC) crystalline structure. TGA and DTG results indicate that PDLA can improve the heat resistivity of the PLLA/MCC blends by increasing its degradation temperature. DTA peaks profile also ensure the development of thermal properties. Image of SEM show the improvement of surface morphology.

Polymer blending strategy has demonstrated to be efficient in enhancing the capacitive performance of dielectric polymers represented by poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). Special attention is paid to the polymeric reinforcements which are miscible with PVDF. Immiscible polymeric reinforcements for PVDF based blends are rarely reported because of the interfacial compatibility issue. In this work, we aimed to explore the possibility of immiscible component polypropylene (PP) in modulating the capacitive performance of PVDF. A two-step fabrication process and polydopamine compatibilizer were developed to improve the interfacial compatibility between two components. The resultant binary blend demonstrated to perform suppressed dielectric loss, improved polarization level and consequently enhanced capacitive performance. With an optimized addition of 10 wt% PP, a maximum discharge energy density of 12.1 J/cm3 and discharge efficiency of 69.3% can be obtained in blends under 350 MV/m, while those of pure PVDF were 5.7 J/cm3 and 45.6%, respectively.

The blending of polymers provides a method of obtaining materials with improved property from the parent compounds. This review focused on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) blends, its applications, the recycling possibility of PAN and its environmental impact. The review is also intended to shed insight into rPAN materials recycling possibility for domestic, industrial and manufacturing applications. It will also assist in the understanding and production of PAN and rPAN based products.

Polylactide/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PLA/PBAT) blends were compatibilized using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and poly(ethylene glycol) 600 diacrylate (PEG600DA) through a one-step melt-blending process. The compatibility and performance of these blends were subsequently characterized. The results showed that grafts formed "in situ" effectively improved the compatibility and interfacial adhesion between PLA and PBAT phases. Melt viscosity and elasticity of both the PLA/PBAT/DCP and PLA/PBAT/DCP/PEG600DA blends evinced significant increases. Compared to PLA alone, both cold and melt crystallization abilities of the PLA/PBAT/DCP/PEG600DA blends were enhanced, with crystallinities increasing by 5 % - 10 %. Furthermore, the thermal stability, as well as hydrophobicity and oleophobicity of the compatibilized blends improved. In comparison with PLA, the elongation at break and notched impact strength for the PLA/PBAT/DCP/PEG600DA (60/40/0.1/4) blend achieved increases of 290 % and 44.23 kJ/m 2 , corresponding to improvements of 279 % and 1457 %, respectively. The toughening effect was substantially influenced by the ductile matrix (either a co-continuous phase or a flexible PBAT matrix) in addition to the strong interfacial adhesion and fine phase domain. These eco-friendly blends exhibit considerable potential for packaging articles and 3D printing products owing to their excellent mechanical properties and enhanced melt rheology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Blends of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber/high density polyethylene (NBR/HDPE) compatibilized by Chloroprene rubber (CR) were prepared. A fixed quantity of industrial waste such as marble waste (MW, 40 phr) was also included. The effect of the blend ratio and CR on cure characteristics, mechanical and swelling properties of MW-filled NBR/HDPE blends was investigated. The results showed that the MW-filled NBR/HDPE blends revealed an increase in tensile strength, tear, modulus, hardness and cross-link density for increasing weight ratio of HDPE. The minimum torque (ML) and maximum torque (MH) of blends increased with increasing weight ratio of HDPE while scorch time (ts2) cure time (tc90), compression set and abrasion loss of blends decreased with increasing weight ratio of HDPE. The blends also showed a continuous reduction in elongation at break as well as swelling coefficient with increasing HDPE amount in blends. MW filled blends based on CR provided the most encouraging balance values of overall properties.

Polymer blends have replaced a variety of pristine polymers in different sectors due to their desired synergetic properties such as durability, heat resistance, reduced wear & tear, flexibility, chemical resistance and longer shelf life that can be achieved by making minor alterations in their compositions. The modification of polymer blends by using sustainable resource based polymers can not only fulfil our ecological but also our economic and social needs. The present work reports the compatibility studies of oil derived epoxy and polyesteramide blends with polymethacrylic acid (PMA). The aim is to highlight the role of rheology in predicting the compatibility of these blends in the solution and solid phases which is a crucial parameter that decides the processibility and viability of these materials for commercialization.

Cellulose acetate (CA), polyethylene oxide (PEO) copolymer blend was prepared using γ-rays as initiator. PEO as an additive was added with different concentrations (0 – 5%) based on cellulose acetate. As the PEO is water soluble, some portions of them were extracted into aqueous solution. To overcome this, the PEO additives were crosslinked with N,N′Methylene bis-acrylamide (MBAAm) to be stably entrapped in the CA matrix. The efficiency was calculated to be 100%. Morphological changes using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the bulk properties such as water sorption, electrical conductivity, and chemical stability were investigated. The thermal stability of the developed copolymer blend has also been studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Different variations of the copolymerization were studied such as crosslinker concentration and ratio of PEO to cellulose acetate. It was observed that the addition of small amounts of PEO 3 weight % as an additive resulted in a considerable change of the thermal characteristics.

Polylactide (PLA) is one of the most attractive bioplastics as it can be produced from nontoxic renewable feedstock. However, its inherently poor toughness greatly limits its large-scale application. Cost-effectively toughening PLA without sacrificing its transparency remains a big challenge. We herein prepared an imidazolium-based poly(ionic liquid)-b-PLA copolymer (ILA) and ionomers as toughening agent for PLA through an integrative approach including continuous-monomer-feeding copolymerization, quaternization reaction, ion exchange and inter-ionomers blending. By blending PLA with the ILA and ionomers, we successfully obtained PLA materials with combined features including high toughness, good transparency and antibacterial properties. The effects of regulated ionomer composition and ILA compatibilizer on phase morphology, mechanical properties and transparency of the blends were systematically studied. The optimum formulation (PLA/E12/ILA 60/40/5) shows an impressive transmittance of 89-93 %, high impact strength of 45 kJ/m 2 and elongation at break at 170 %, which are about 17 and 24 times that of pure PLA, respectively. More interestingly, the presence of imidazolium cation and anion groups endows the blends with attractive antibacterial properties. Ion exchange between ILA copolymer and the imidazolium-containing ionomeric system leads to a synergistic effect of compatibilization and efficient toughening, providing a new strategy for develop high performance PLA materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities are important characteristics of active film packaging designed to extend food preservation. In this study, functional bio-based films were produced using different concentrations of antioxidant poly(β-pinene) bio-oligomer synthesized via organocatalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (O-ATRP) and blended with chitosan of different molecular weights. The structural, mechanical, thermal, solubility, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of the films were investigated. The poly(β-pinene)-chitosan blends presented significant pores and irregularities with the increase of poly(β-pinene) concentration over 30%. Chitosan molecular weight did not show any important influence in the physical properties of the blends. Poly(β-pinene) load decreased the materials' tensile strength and melting temperature, exhibiting a plasticizing effect on chitosan chains. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the films were improved by poly(β-pinene) incorporation and mainly depended on its concentration. Therefore, the incorporation of poly(β-pinene) in chitosan films can be an alternative for active packaging production., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Eight-armed A 4 B 4 -type hetero-arm star-shaped PCL-PLA polymers ((PCL) 4 -POSS-(PLA) 4 , SPLA30) with POSS core were successfully prepared via combination of the "arm-first" approach utilizing ring-opening polymerization (ROP) and click chemistry techniques. Firstly, alkyne-functional PLA and PCL polymers having arms with 30 repeating units were synthesized via ROP with utilizing propargyl alcohol as initiator and stannous octoate (Sn(Oct) 2 ) as catalyst. Then, the obtained hetero-armed star-shaped polymers were prepared by Cu(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction between alkyne functional polymers (1:1 PCL:PLA) and azido functional polyhedral oligomeric silsesquoxane (POSS-(N 3 ) 8 ) molecules. Finally, these obtained star-shaped SPLA30 was blended with neat PLA at different PLA/SPLA30 ratios (95/5 and 90/10 wt%) via melt blending by utilizing micro-compounder (a lab-scale) to enhance thermal, morphological, and mechanical properties of neat PLA. Also, different diisocyanates (1,4-phenylene diisocyanate (PDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), and toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI)) at constant ratio (1 wt%) were used as a chain extender bonding terminal group of polymers. It was found that addition of SPLA30 and SPLA30+ diisocyanates provided improvements in mechanical properties (especially in elongation at break and impact strength) of neat PLA. When the thermal properties were examined, it was seen that the decomposition temperatures of the blends decreased significantly compared to neat PLA and that there was a significant increment in the T g and T m values. In addition, it has been found that especially the diisocyanates added to provide good interfacial adhesion with polymer blends and show a homogeneous distribution on the surface., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

One way to obtain more benefit from coconut waste is to utilise coir fibre (CF) as reinforcement in biodegradable plastics. The current work aims to study the effect of CF on the performance of a thermoplastic starch (TPS)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blend. TPS/PLA/CF biocomposites with a constant TPS: PLA ratio of 60:40 by weight and various concentrations of CF (2.7, 5.5, 8.2, and 10.9 wt%) were fabricated using a twin-screw extruder and then injection moulded into dumbbell-shaped specimens for property testing. The obtained TPS/PLA/CF biocomposites exhibited improved stiffness and hardness, corresponding to the stronger hydrogen bond interaction between starch and PLA and/or starch and CF and the increased PLA crystallinity. Due to the reinforcing effect, the biocomposites also exhibited lower extensibility, tensile strength and impact strength compared to the TPS/PLA blend. Incorporating CF enhanced compatibility between the TPS and PLA phases; however, it also caused reduced melt flow ability, increased shear viscosity, and a decreased shear thinning effect of the blend. The resulting TPS/PLA/CF biocomposites could potentially be used to produce bio-based and biodegradable injection-moulded products., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Among biopolymers, polylactide (PLA) is considered as the most appropriate substitute for the petroleum-based polymers which are widely used in various commodity and engineering applications. PLA, however, also suffers from series of shortcomings such as slow crystallization rate and low melt strength which result in poor processability, formability and foamability which substantially limit its production and usage. Recently, the use of biobased/biodegradable cellulose nanoparticles such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), cellulose nanofibers (CNF), and bacterial nanocellulose (BC) have been proposed to manufacture fully green PLA-based biocomposites while they could resolve some of the noted drawbacks of PLA. However, due to their high hydrophilicity and the presence of hydrogen bonding cellulose nanoparticles are not compatible with hydrophobic polymers. Therefore, the dispersion of these nanoparticles in thermoplastics still remains as the main challenge to process/develop their nanocomposites. This article reviews the studies conducted on these challenges of developing PLA cellulose-based nanocomposites including the difficulties of their processing and possible enhancements of their rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties. The investigations that have been conducted on PLA-CNC, PLA-CNF, and PLA-BC nanocomposites are separately discussed in this review article, while the studies on the development of PLA-nanocellulose blend nanocomposites and PLA-nanocellulose microcellular foams are also highlighted., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Poly (lactic acid) or polylactide (PLA) is a commercial biobased, biodegradable, biocompatible, compostable and non-toxic polymer that has competitive material and processing costs and desirable mechanical properties. Thereby, it can be considered favorably for biomedical applications and as the most promising substitute for petroleum-based polymers in a wide range of commodity and engineering applications. However, PLA has some significant shortcomings such as low melt strength, slow crystallization rate, poor processability, high brittleness, low toughness, and low service temperature, which limit its applications. To overcome these limitations, blending PLA with other polymers is an inexpensive approach that could also tailor the final properties of PLA-based products. During the last two decades, researchers investigated the synthesis, processing, properties, and development of various PLA-based blend systems including miscible blends of poly l-lactide (PLLA) and poly d-lactide (PDLA), which generate stereocomplex crystals, binary immiscible/miscible blends of PLA with other thermoplastics, multifunctional ternary blends using a third polymer or fillers such as nanoparticles, as well as PLA-based blend foam systems. This article reviews all these investigations and compares the syntheses/processing-morphology-properties interrelationships in PLA-based blends developed so far for various applications., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)