Eduardo Robles

Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour | UPPA · Institute of Interdisciplinary Research on Environment and Materials (IPREM)

Three-layered composite materials consisting in wood-chips bonded by a resin (particleboard) were successfully produced from two by-products: plum and apple tree branches, waste biomass produced after orchard pruning; a third particleboard was made from an industrial softwood blend as a reference. After collecting the branches, the raw materials we...

Two organosolv lignins from different origin, namely almond shells and maritime pine, were modified by using a nanoclay and a nanosilicate. Prior to modification, they were activated via glyoxalation to enhance the reactivity of the lignins and thus ease the introduction of the nanoparticles into their structure. The lignins were characterized by s...

In this work, an effective sequential organic solvent extraction of kraft and organosolv lignins was carried out to separate lignin into more homogeneous fractions with specific properties. The selected solvents were ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, and acetone in that order. Fractions were analysed in terms of their yield, molecular weight, S/G r...

The present work deals with the production of cellulose nanoparticles through sonochemistry in various organic acidic media. The use of such organic acids represents low-environmental harm for the process. In contrast, the use of induced cavitation during chemical reaction balances the low effectiveness associated with the hydrolysis that uses orga...

The present work proposes a cascading approach to fractionate thermally treated wood after life service and untreated wood and their unweathered counterparts. The fractioning of wood was implemented, focusing on the current trends in environmentally friendly processing and processes with a noteworthy yield and purity. Resulting streams: cellulose,...

Global poultry waste production is substantial, with billions of poultry raised annually for meat and egg production, resulting in significant feather waste. Conventional poultry waste disposal methods are restricted due to environmental concerns. Meanwhile, wood-composite panel industries face raw material shortages, emphasizing the need for susta...

Kraft lignin (KL) was treated by employing mild oxidation conditions enhanced by ultrasound irradiation (US) for obtaining more functionalized particles, avoiding the undesired side reactions of degradation and depolymerization.

A comprehensive characterization of the physical and chemical properties of whole duck feathers from French mulard species, including their various categories and fractions (barbs, rachis, and calamus), was conducted to explore potential ways for utilizing this waste product. This analysis aimed to identify opportunities for valorizing these feathe...

Microwave-assisted synthetic pathway was explored for the sustainable esterification of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) using an aromatic amine compound. For this purpose, nanofibers were isolated from unbleached and bleached eucalyptus pulp through the homogenization process. The chemical composition, the structural properties, the morphology, and the...

In this study, layered composites were produced with different biopolymer adhesive layers, including biopolymer polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and biopolymer blends of PLA + polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) (75:25 w/w ratio) with the addition of 25, 50% microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and 3% triethyl Citrate (TEC) for these blends, which...

In this work, different lignins were obtained from two different extraction methods (kraft and organosolv) but from the same raw material (Eucalyptus globulus sp.). They were subsequently fractionated to determine the differences of each extraction method and their corresponding physicochemical properties found in fractionation sequence and obtaine...

This research aimed to confirm the ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by novel composite production using plantation waste on the example of lignocellulosic particles of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.). Furthermore, to characterize the particles produced by re-milled particleboards made...

The industrial market depends intensely on wood-based composites for buildings, furniture, and construction, involving significant developments in wood glues since 80% of wood-based products use adhesives. Although biobased glues have been used for many years, notably proteins, they were replaced by synthetic ones at the beginning of the 20th centu...

In this research, the assessment of the impact of natural biopolymer binders on selected mechanical and physical properties of lignocellulosic composites manufactured with different resination (12%, 15%, 20%). Different mechanical and physical properties were determined: modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, internal bonding strength, thicknes...

Chitosan films lack various important physicochemical properties and need to be supplemented with reinforcing agents to bridge the gap. Herein, we have produced chitosan composite films supplemented with copolymerized (with polyacrylonitrile monomers) cellulose nanofibers and diatomite nanocomposite at different concentrations. The incorporation of...

The growing production of wood-based panels and the linked consumption result in a need for substituting standard wooden raw materials. The shortage of wood availability, as well as the increasing prices and a trend towards more environmentally friendly materials and processes, have encouraged the producers of wood-based products to consider extend...

Cellulose and lignocellulose nanofibrils were extracted from pistachio shells utilizing environmentally friendly pulping and totally chlorine-free bleaching. The extracted nanofibers were used to elaborate nanopaper, a continuous film made by gravimetric entanglement of the nanofibers and hot-pressed to enhance intramolecular bonding. The elaborate...

The sizeable global production of wood-based products requires new sources of raw material, but also creates large quantities of wastes or composites that do not comply with requirements. In this study, the influence of different shares of recovered high-density fiberboards (HDF-r), reversed into the production, on industrial HDF properties, has be...

Wood quality depends on many circumstances, as it is sensitive to changing properties, depending on the environment. This work evaluates the influence of moisture content of selected wood-based composites on their basic mechanical properties, i.e., modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity. The selected panels were divided by application in cons...

In this study, carbon fibers were added as a reinforcement layer between wood veneers bonded with melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) resin to improve properties of standard wood laminated composite. Two different fiber orientations were tested, being parallel and perpendicular to the veneers. In addition, two different locations were evaluated. Inter...

The forestry industry in the Basque Country has experienced an abandonment of small-sized forests in which native and introduced species tend to regrow if unattended; thus, requiring an intervention under which proper forest management is implemented. This paper evaluates the potential fractionation of lignin and cellulose from six tree species com...

The use of formaldehyde-based adhesives in the wood-based composite industry represents a healthcare concern due to its toxic volatile compounds. For this reason, this work presents the use of a formaldehyde barrier layer based on cellulose nanofibers (CNF) obtained from Manila hemp (Musa textilis) fibers. The elaborated CNF films were firstly eval...

Multilayered wood composites were manufactured by introducing a cyclic pressing manufacturing method in which plies were added subsequently between each cycle as an alternative to the conventional single-cycle method based on a continual pressing of an entire set of veneers. The goal of the proposed cyclic method was to reduce the pressing time of...

Cellulose nanofibrils and poly(lactic acid) microfibrils, two bio-based polymers were used to elaborate composite films, and their properties were evaluated. Cellulose nanofibrils were obtained from organic pulping with total chlorine-free bleaching and were manufactured using high-pressure homogenization; while poly(lactic acid) microfibrils were...

The motivation of the present work was the preparation of bio-based thin film nanocomposites with improved dielectric properties using modified nanocellulose and chitosan, both materials known to derive from industrial waste. Cyanoethylation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) was achieved through a “green” method for the first time. Then, modified CNC...

Nine different surface modifications of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (ATS) by using three different solvent systems (water, ethanol, and a mixture of both) were investigated. The effect of reaction conditions, such as silane to cellulose ratio and solvent type were evaluated to determine their contribution to the e...

Thermal modification processes significant affect the chemical configuration of the wood matrix improving moisture-related properties and material durability. In addition, the distinctive dark tones of heat-treated timber increase the economic value of several light-colored species. However, these treatments alter the substrates and it could influe...

Tequila elaboration leaves two main byproducts that are undervalued (bagasse and leaves). Organosolv pulping and Total Chlorine Free bleaching were integrated to obtain cellulose fibers from agricultural waste which consisted of blue agave bagasse and leaf fibers; together they represent a green process which valorizes biomass waste. The obtained c...

These data and analyses support the research article “Production of cellulose nanoparticles from blue agave waste treated with environmentally friendly processes” Robles et al. [1]. The data and analyses presented here include fitted curves for selected carbons of the ¹³C CP-MAS NMR analysis; SEM images of the raw and bleached fibers, graphics with...

The winemaking industry generates high amounts of underutilized by-products worldwide, which represent a significant economic potential and a great challenge. The main by-product of winemaking is grape marc, consisting of the stalks, skin, pulp (pomace), and seeds that remain after pressing the grapes. Other grape processing by-products include vin...

Nanocellulose, either as cellulose nanocrystals or cellulose nanofibrils, is being used as reinforcement for different types of composites because of its high specific area, low density, biodegradability, and natural origin. But there are still some key aspects that represent an important challenge in the elaboration of composites or other products...

In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were obtained from flax fibers by an acid hydrolysis assisted by sonochemistry in order to reduce reaction times. The cavitation inducted during hydrolysis resulted in CNC with uniform shapes, and thus further pretreatments into the cellulose are not required. The obtained CNC exhibited a homogeneous morp...

Structural composites based on lignocellulosic fibers have gained attention because of their stress-transfer within the matrix. The composition of these types of materials presents challenges as the traditional resins used to bond the fibers contain phenol and formaldehyde components that can be hazardous for humans. Therefore, methods that substit...

Spruce and eucalyptus lignins isolated by an organosolv process and lauroyl chloride were used as raw material for the synthesis of lignin-ester derivatives. The obtained products presented new and interesting properties suitable for use as thermoplastic materials. Esterification of the lignins was confirmed by FTIR, GPC, DSC and contact angle meas...

Five pulping methods using different reagents were used for the delignification of almond shells: sodium hydroxide 7.5% v/v for 24 h at 60ºC, potassium hydroxide 7.5% v/v for 24 h at 60ºC, formic acid/water 90/10 v/v, organosolv with ethanol/water 60/40 v/v and sodium hydroxide 15% v/v in an autoclave for 90 min at 120ºC. The resulting cellulose pu...