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The increasing concern about diminishing fossil resources and the impacts of the global warming is driving the growth of the new bioeconomy. Bioplastics, thermoplastic biopolymers that are either biodegradable or at least partly bio-based, are one of the fastest growing markets. The average growth rates over the past years have constantly been doub...
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Simultaneous bioproduction of hydrogen and ethanol from cheaper waste feedstock has the potential for the development of a more cost-effective biofuel generation process. Crude glycerol (CG), a by-product of the biodiesel industry, is a renewable resource, abundant, sold at low prices and available worldwide. However, the main CG limitations in fer...
The increase of CO 2 emissions due to human activity is one of the preeminent reasons for the present climate crisis. In addition, considering the increasing demand for renewable resources, the upcycling of CO 2 as a feedstock gains an extensive importance to establish CO 2 -neutral or CO 2 -negative industrial processes independent of agricultural...
Polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer produced from renewable resources, has been widely used as a nanoparticulate platform for antigen and drug delivery. Despite generally regarded as safe, its immunotoxicological profile, when used as a polymeric nanoparticle (NP), is not well-documented. Thus, this study intends to add...
![Figure 1. Proposed process to produce PLA from SCGs [61-69].](publication/373859472/figure/fig1/AS:11431281188218856@1694535281543/Proposed-process-to-produce-PLA-from-SCGs-61-69_Q320.jpg)
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Annual coffee consumption continues to increase, but at the same time, it generates a large amount of spent coffee grounds from the brewing process that give rise to environmental problems. An appropriate solution to manage these spent coffee grounds (SCGs) becomes crucial. Our project aims...
Lactic acid (LA) has broad applications in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. LA production demand rises due to the increasing demand for polylactic acid since LA is a precursor for polylactic acid production. Fermentative LA production using renewable resources, such as lignocellulosic materials, reduces greenhouse gas e...
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... Additionally, the marine animals and birds that consume this waste, such as whales, sea turtles, albatrosses, and others, die. Additionally, it seriously endangers the ecology by forming waste islands and patches [43]. These polyesters are made by a number of bacterial strains that consume uncooked vegetable sources. ...
Over the last few decades, there has been a significant awareness established to accept the idea of biotechnology in the field of construction. This growth in awareness has occurred tremendously. In today's world, the development of new building materials and processes that make use of biobased components, such as microorganisms and materials that are mediated by microbes, is an example of developing scientific technology. In general, building materials that are produced through the use of biotechnology, such as cement and grout, are seen as being environmentally benign, affordable, and sustainable. In contrast to traditional cementitious materials, bio-based cementitious materials has the potential to considerably contribute to a large role in reducing the negative impact that the building sector has on the surrounding environment. The purpose of this review work is to present a contemporary evaluation of biotechnology and biobased materials to assess existing developments and suggest new prospective routes for the advancement of construction biotechnology. Based on this study, it was observed that the inclusion of biotechnology can significantly increase the engineering behaviour of cement concrete and weak foundation soil. Hence, its was recommened to implement the idea of biotechnology as effectively in the building industry to obtain the major environmental and economic benefits it offers.
... This implies that materials sourced from renewable feedstocks could have a higher environmental footprint. Moreover, despite containing some biological content, many biomaterials are nonbiodegradable, such as Bio-PET, which has approximately 20-30% biological content but is not biodegradable, and also contains components of fossil origin in its polymeric structure (Storz and Vorlop 2013). The production process of these materials often involves a mixture of different feedstocks and can be illustrated through several synthesis routes, such as polymerisation and fermentation, which are widely employed in the chemical and biochemical modifications (Hannover 2021; Storz and Vorlop 2013). ...
... Moreover, despite containing some biological content, many biomaterials are nonbiodegradable, such as Bio-PET, which has approximately 20-30% biological content but is not biodegradable, and also contains components of fossil origin in its polymeric structure (Storz and Vorlop 2013). The production process of these materials often involves a mixture of different feedstocks and can be illustrated through several synthesis routes, such as polymerisation and fermentation, which are widely employed in the chemical and biochemical modifications (Hannover 2021; Storz and Vorlop 2013). Moreover, bio-PET is more expensive than PET from fossil raw materials (Carus et al. 2014). ...
The article endeavours to establish improved design practices in the development of textile products and explore the utilisation of sustainable materials in the future. Through a comprehensive literature review, valuable information and data were gathered to reflect upon and gain essential knowledge about textile biomaterials. The study aims to address the question of what new skills designers need to acquire in order to effectively select these materials for their projects. Subsequently, by studying and characterising various materials such as biopolymers from the polyester group, natural fibres and next-generation materials, a broader, more robust and clearer understanding of this emerging materiality was achieved. In conjunction with the principles of Design for Sustainability, the study further integrates the concepts of circular economy and bioeconomy, encompassing the extended product life cycle, material flows, dematerialization (recycling and reuse) and judicious use of raw materials. This research has identified critical linkages between material attributes that can significantly influence material selection in the design of a product development process. These insights are pivotal in guiding designers towards informed and pragmatic decision-making, facilitating sustainable and forward-thinking design practices for textile biomaterials. Overall, this article offers valuable insights and practical guidance for designers seeking to incorporate sustainable biomaterials in their projects, thus fostering a more environmentally conscious and innovative approach to textile product development.
... Being of natural origin, it is environmentally friendly in terms of sourcing and disposal, and its lightweight nature can contribute to cost savings [5]. These properties position abaca as an excellent candidate for the development of eco-friendly composite materials that combine natural reinforcements with bio-based plastics as matrices [6][7][8]. ...
There is growing emphasis on developing green composites as a substitute for oil-based materials. In the pursuit of studying and enhancing the mechanical properties of these composites, tensile tests are predominantly employed, often overlooking the flexural properties. This study focuses on researching the flexural properties of abaca-fiber-reinforced bio-based high-density polyethylene (BioPE) composites. Specifically, composites containing 30 wt% of abaca fiber (AF) were treated with a coupling agent based on polyethylene functionalized with maleic acid (MAPE). The test results indicate that incorporating 8 wt% of the coupling agent significantly improved the flexural strength of the composites. Thereafter, composites with AF content ranging from 20 to 50 wt% were produced and subjected to flexural testing. It was observed that flexural strength was positively correlated with AF content. A micromechanics analysis was conducted to evaluate the contributions of the phases. This analysis involved assessing the mechanical properties of both the reinforcement and matrix to facilitate the modeling of flexural strength. The findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility of replacing oil-based matrices, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), with fully bio-based composites that exhibit comparable flexural properties to their oil-based counterparts.
... A plastic compound or polymeric compounbd is formed, on the other hand, by a polymeric matrix with physical-chemical properties altered by the introduction of specific additives at low concentrations [7]. From ISO 472, a plastic compound is formed by the intimate mixture of a polymer or polymers with other ingredients such as fillers, plasticizers, catalysts and colorants [15]. Precisely based on their properties, polymers classification involves four broad categories [8]: i) Thermoplastics, that can be moulded and remoulded by heating. ...
... Pellet is sent to the production plants (with a high risk of combustion) in which it is heated (thermoplastics), shaped and added with some other additives, depending on the final product desired. During this process, the compounds are subjected to extreme conditions (temperatures greater than 190°C and high mechanical stresses) that, eventually, can alter properties such as chemical resistance and durability [15]. At the developing and disseminating point, there are uncountable amounts of legislation regulating both the type of compound and the additives that the product contains. ...
... In particular, the use of renewable materials implies an increase in the energy cost of fabrication or reprocessing. Finally, due to high prices and the lack of essential properties required for main applications, the third argument refers to the fact that the bio-based materials with improved properties have yet to be developed [15]. For example, the mechanical integrity of a paper bag could not replace that of a plastic bag, limiting its applications. ...
Based on recent scientific-technical developments referring to the transformation and biodegradation mechanisms of plastic compounds, progress has been made both in the conceptualization of relevant definitions and in the development of technical standards that allow determining, in a more precise
and reproducible way, the ratio of biodegradability of a determined material. From these advances, they have developed, furthermore, the so-called oxo-biodegradable plastics, in which pro-oxidant additives are added to the raw polymer in such a way that allow a optimal abiotic transformation process
(photo/thermo oxidation), producing the fragmentation of the material under suitable conditions for its simultaneous or successive biotic degradation (enzymatic oxidation). Although, currently, oxobiodegradable plastics are widely used in different applications such as, for example, in agriculture and
single-use plastics, until very recently a technical standard was developed that allows determining the relative degradation ratio of different types of plastics under abiotic and biotic conditions. This process implies that for producers to be able to use specific terms of bio-degradation and oxo-biodegradation
for advertising purposes that claim to offer an environmentally friendly product, the relevant entities
must carry out metrological tests in light of the new definitions and technical standards. Furthermore, a large amount of specialized literature has been generated in which the bio-degradation ratio of oxobiodegradable plastics is determined in very specific environments and conditions. This review gives
a detailed account of the different definitions and scientific concepts involved in oxo-/bio- degradation and shows how these concepts have evolved over time. It also shows the evolution of the technical standards, which, in general, are adapted to the new scientific and technical developments in the field of
plastics. Finally, a detailed analysis of results reported in the scientific literature shows the dependence of oxo-biodegradation on different parameters (UV radiation, temperature, exposure time, type of enzymes), specific environments (soil, composting, waste, recycling, etc.), different types of plastics
(LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE, pro-oxidant additives) and, finally, on different analytical techniques used (FTIR, DSC, TGA, SEM, tensile test).
... 26 However, many of these biodegradable polymers have challenges blocking further adoption; for example, they are more expensive than oilbased materials. 27 Cellulose is a potential alternative, being one of the world's most abundant materials, accounting for 80% of biomass and is primarily derived from timber and cotton. 28 The authors have recently demonstrated that cellulose can be used for the controlled delivery of micronutrients to plant roots from soil. ...
The controlled delivery of micronutrients to soil and plants is essential to increase agricultural yields. However, this is today achieved using fossil fuel-derived plastic carriers, posing environmental risks and contributing to global carbon emissions. In this work, a novel and efficient way to prepare biodegradable zinc-impregnated cellulose acetate beads for use as controlled release fertilizers is presented. Cellulose acetate solutions in DMSO were dropped into aqueous antisolvent solutions of different zinc salts. The droplets underwent phase inversion, forming solid cellulose acetate beads containing zinc, as a function of zinc salt type and concentration. Even higher values of zinc uptake (up to 15.5%) were obtained when zinc acetate was added to the cellulose acetate-DMSO solution, prior to dropping in aqueous zinc salt antisolvent solutions. The release profile in water of the beads prepared using the different solvents was linked to the properties of the counter-ions via the Hofmeister series. Studies in soil showed the potential for longer release times, up to 130 days for zinc sulfate beads. These results, together with the efficient bead production method, demonstrate the potential of zinc-impregnated cellulose acetate beads to replace the plastic-based controlled delivery products used today, contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions and potential environmental impacts due to the uptake of plastic in plants and animals.
... Plastic manufacturing represents a major revolution for humankind. Bakelite was the first plastic commercialized elsewhere; since then, many plastics have been produced and made accessible for consumption [1]. Most of the plastics are produced from petroleum-derived compounds and a vast amount are impossible to biodegrade [2,3]. ...
Polylactic acid (PLA) has been used in fused deposition method (FDM) based 3D printing for many years. Alkali lignin is an undervalued industrial by-product that could upgrade PLA's poor mechanical properties. This work presents a biotechnological approach consisting of a partial degradation of alkali lignin using Bacillus ligniniphilus laccase (Lacc) L1 for its use as a nucleating agent in a polylactic acid/thermoplastic polyurethane (PLA/TPU) blend. Results showed that adding enzymatically modified lignin (EL) increased the elasticity modulus to a maximum of 2.5-fold than the control and conferred a maximum biodegradability rate of 15 % after 6 months under the soil burial method. Furthermore, the printing quality rendered satisfactory smooth surfaces, geometries and a tunable addition of a woody color. These findings open a new door for using laccase as a tool to upgrade lignin's properties and its use as a scaffold in manufacturing more environmentally sustainable filaments with improved mechanical properties for 3D printing.
... The excitement surrounding green polymers lies not only in their renewability, biodegradability, and relatively low cost 1 but also in their eco-friendly character, which is capable of preventing the buildup of waste. 2,3 Proteins and polysaccharides are examples of natural (therefore, green) polymers commonly used in materials science for the most varied applications like food coatings, 4 hydrogels, 5 scaffolds, 6 wound dressings, 7 and so on. ...
Chemical modification reactions are viable alternatives for improving the properties of starch because they allow the insertion of molecules that change the original behavior of the polymer. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) is an example of a vinylic molecule added to starch to decrease its hydrophilicity and improve mechanical properties. This modification reaction is affected by parameters like the volume of the modifier, time, and temperature. Furthermore, the correlation between these parameters might change the response of an individual parameter on the degree of substitution (DS), crystallinity (Xc), and molecular-weight-related parameters. This work evaluated how these effects and their correlations would affect the DS, Xc, molecular weight, and the polydispersity index (PDI) of starch. The results suggested that, while higher volumes of GMA and temperatures decreased the DS and Xc, the correlation between them increased the DS by 2.47, and Xc by 1.25. On the other hand, higher temperatures also favored the occurrence of hydrolysis. Also, although none of the parameter correlations had a significant effect on the assessed properties (at 95%), the statistical analysis confirmed that the correlation between two parameters changed the effect of individual parameters.
... For this reason, efforts are being made worldwide to enhance waste management, strengthen plastic reduction policies and include innovative research on the development of sustainable and green plastics solutions [7]. In this context, bio-based/biodegradable polymers (e.g., polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polylactic acid (PLA), thermoplastic starch (TPS), and polybutylene succinate (PBS)) as well bio-based/non-biodegradable conventional plastics (bio-PE, bio-PET) have received considerable attention as substitutions of petro-plastics [8]. In particular, interest in production of eco-friendly bioplastics has increased due to its similar properties compared to traditional plastics [9] with high carbon emissions reduction capacities [10]. ...
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), green alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, possess desired features that make them preferred for various applications. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), one of the most known representative of PHAs, could be synthesized by haloarchaeal species but their production amounts are relatively low compared to those of poly(3-hydroxybu-tyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) obtained by haloarchaea. This is the first report describing an overproduction of PHB by a wild-type halophilic archaeon isolated from southern Tunisia, Chott El Jerid. According to the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the isolate CEJ40-10 was affiliated with the species of the genus Haloarcula (97.5% similarity). Regarding the phylogeny based on the amino acid sequences of the PHA synthase subunits encoded by phaC and phaE, their identities to those from Haloarcula quadrata were 99% and 100%, respectively. This strain could accumulate maximum PHA using 1% (w/v) starch at pH 6, after incubation for 72 h at 37 °C with high salt content (30% NaCl). The replacement of starch with glucose or sugar wastewater lowered the polymer yield. Four extraction methods were performed in order to achieve the maximum efficiency of polymer recovery. Hypochlorite digestion of biomass gave a high recovery yield, reaching 72.8% of its total dry mass. Furthermore, analytical methods such as the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography (GC), and UV-visible spectrophotometry indicated that the composition of the polymer was a homopolymer PHB. Our findings showed that Haloarcula sp. strain CEJ40-10 was a potential PHB-candidate for industrial scale production using starchy substrates.
... The resulting plastics are also called thermoplastic starch (TPS) and can be tailored to specific needs by adjusting the amount of the additives. Addition of plasticizers can create biodegradable polymers with sufficient mechanical strength, flexibility and water barrier properties suitable for commercial packaging and consumer production (Avella et al., 2005;Storz & Vorlop, 2013). ...
... Classification of bio-based polymers based on their production routes (Source: modified fromBrodin et al., 2017;Storz & Vorlop, 2013). ...
Marine Plastics Abatement Volume 2 focusses on abatement strategies and up-to-date technological innovations against marine plastic pollution such as resource recovery, plastics-to-values, co-processing, dumpsite recovery, etc. With an understanding of technological solutions and proper management practices, this volume suggests ways to develop businesses from plastic wastes with several cases from developed and developing countries. Furthermore, business case studies are presented along with recent scientific information, and practical exercises together with discussions on future trends such as introduction of biodegradable, or decomposable plastics; product designs for recycling/upcycling; etc.
ISBN: 9781789063431 (print)
ISBN: 9781789063448 (eBook)
ISBN: 9781789063448 (ePUB)
... Despite of their origin, bioplastics can also be referred based on how they can be degraded by different organisms namely, bacteria, fungi and algae (Rutkowska et al., 2002). Polysaccharides, namely, cellulose and starch, and various polyesters like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bioplastics that can be the potential and most promising source of environmentally safe polymers (Storz and Vorlop, 2013). ...
With the aim to alleviate the increasing plastic burden and carbon footprint on Earth, the role of certain microbes that are capable of capturing and sequestering excess carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by various anthropogenic means was studied. Cyanobacteria, which are photosynthetic prokaryotes, are promising alternative for carbon sequestration as well as biofuel and bioplastic production because of their minimal growth requirements, higher efficiency of photosynthesis and growth rates, presence of considerable amounts of lipids in thylakoid membranes, and cosmopolitan nature. These microbes could prove beneficial to future generations in achieving sustainable environmental goals. Their role in the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) as a source of intracellular energy and carbon sink is being utilized for bioplastic production. PHAs have emerged as well-suited alternatives for conventional plastics and are a parallel competitor to petrochemical-based plastics. Although a lot of studies have been conducted where plants and crops are used as sources of energy and bioplastics, cyanobacteria have been reported to have a more efficient photosynthetic process strongly responsible for increased production with limited land input along with an acceptable cost. The biodiesel production from cyanobacteria is an unconventional choice for a sustainable future as it curtails toxic sulfur release and checks the addition of aromatic hydrocarbons having efficient oxygen content, with promising combustion potential, thus making them a better choice. Here, we aim at reporting the application of cyanobacteria for biofuel production and their competent biotechnological potential, along with achievements and constraints in its pathway toward commercial benefits. This review article also highlights the role of various cyanobacterial species that are a source of green and clean energy along with their high potential in the production of biodegradable plastics.
