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Polymers
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Polymers and Biopolymers for Sustainable Life and Applications
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Polymers and Biopolymers for Sustainable Life and Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Circular and Green Polymer Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 8797

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nadka T. Dintcheva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: structure/processing/properties relationships in polymers; biopolymers; micro- and nano- composites; polymers and biopolymers degradation and stabilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, we face important environmental problems such as global warming and growing carbon dioxide emissions, partly due to the burning of polymer waste. To address these environmental impacts and to have a more sustainable life, appropriate polymer and biopolymer production, use/reuse and end-of-life management of these materials must be designed and implemented. Therefore, biodegradable polymers are being developed to be used as an alternative to non-biodegradable polymer materials in a variety of applications. Additionally, for biodegradable materials, correct waste management (for example, separation from non-biodegradable polymers, treatments and the biodegradation process) needs to be applied. Moreover, the applications of circular principles for both polymer and biopolymer materials (degradable and non-degradable) need to be investigated and understood. 

Dr. Nadka T. Dintcheva
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymers and biopolymers
  • sustainable applications
  • naturally occurring additives
  • less environmental impact
  • processing and performance

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 3334 KiB  
Article
Polyvinylimidazole-Based Cryogel as an Efficient Tool for the Capture and Release of Oleuropein in Aqueous Media
by Valentina Giglio, Chiara Zagni, Emanuela Teresa Agata Spina, Francesca Cunsolo and Sabrina Carola Carroccio
Polymers 2024, 16(16), 2339; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16162339 - 18 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 894
Abstract
A polyvinylimidazole-based cryogel is presented as a pioneering solution for efficient extraction and release of partially water-soluble polyphenols from olive byproducts. Specifically, oleuropein was used as model molecule to evaluate its recovery from water. The material merges the properties of interconnected cryogel structure [...] Read more.
A polyvinylimidazole-based cryogel is presented as a pioneering solution for efficient extraction and release of partially water-soluble polyphenols from olive byproducts. Specifically, oleuropein was used as model molecule to evaluate its recovery from water. The material merges the properties of interconnected cryogel structure in adsorbing molecules via fast diffusion flux, with the strong electrostatic interactions acted by imidazole moiety. Such cryogel achieves effective oleuropein binding likely through hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions. Comprehensive assessments of static adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and desorption kinetics underscore the cryogel’s efficacy in oleuropein extraction and release, highlighting its pivotal role in valorizing olive wastewater through sustainable biotechnological applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Biopolymers for Sustainable Life and Applications)
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15 pages, 6006 KiB  
Article
Recycling of Commercially Available Biobased Thermoset Polyurethane Using Covalent Adaptable Network Mechanisms
by Edoardo Miravalle, Gabriele Viada, Matteo Bonomo, Claudia Barolo, Pierangiola Bracco and Marco Zanetti
Polymers 2024, 16(15), 2217; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16152217 - 3 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1081
Abstract
Until recently, recycling thermoset polyurethanes (PUs) was limited to degrading methods. The development of covalent adaptable networks (CANs), to which PUs can be assigned, has opened novel possibilities for actual recycling. Most efforts in this area have been directed toward inventing new materials [...] Read more.
Until recently, recycling thermoset polyurethanes (PUs) was limited to degrading methods. The development of covalent adaptable networks (CANs), to which PUs can be assigned, has opened novel possibilities for actual recycling. Most efforts in this area have been directed toward inventing new materials that can benefit from CAN theory; presently, little or nothing has been applied to industrially producible materials. In this study, both an industrially available polyol (Sovermol780®) and isocyanate (Tolonate X FLO 100®) with percentages of bioderived components were employed, resulting in a potentially scalable and industrially producible material. The resultant network could be reworked up to three times, maintaining the crosslinked structure without significantly changing the thermal properties. Improvements in mechanical parameters were observed when comparing the pristine material to the material exposed to three rework processes, with gains of roughly 50% in elongation at break and 20% in tensile strength despite a 25% decrease in Young’s modulus and crosslink density. Thus, it was demonstrated that theory may be profitably applied even to materials that are not designed including additional bonds but instead rely just on the dynamic urethane bond that is naturally present in the network. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Biopolymers for Sustainable Life and Applications)
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16 pages, 5975 KiB  
Article
Mechanical and Physical Changes in Bio-Polybutylene-Succinate Induced by UVC Ray Photodegradation
by Cristina Scolaro, Salim Brahimi, Aurora Falcone, Valentina Beghetto and Annamaria Visco
Polymers 2024, 16(9), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16091288 - 4 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1817
Abstract
Bio-polybutylene succinate (PBS) is a biodegradable polymer obtained from renewable feedstock having physical–mechanical properties like traditional low-density polyethylene (LDPE). PBS is employed by many manufacturing sectors, from biomedical to agri-food and cosmetics. Although some studies have already evaluated the resistance of PBS to [...] Read more.
Bio-polybutylene succinate (PBS) is a biodegradable polymer obtained from renewable feedstock having physical–mechanical properties like traditional low-density polyethylene (LDPE). PBS is employed by many manufacturing sectors, from biomedical to agri-food and cosmetics. Although some studies have already evaluated the resistance of PBS to photodegradation caused by natural outdoor solar exposure (UVA-UVB), a systematic study on the resistance to degradation caused by exposure to UVC rays, which is the subject of this study, has not yet been carried out. PBS was exposed to UVC either neat or filled with 2% carbon black (CB). Mechanical and physical characterization (tensile, hardness, calorimetry, contact angle, morphology, and surface roughness analyses) indicates that the bulk and surface properties of the polymer matrix changes after exposure to UVC radiations, due to a severe degradation. However, the presence of carbon black compensates for the degradation phenomenon. Because UVC rays are used for the sterilization process, necessary in applications such as biomedical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food, and other products, a comparison of the protocol used in this paper with the literature’s data has been reported and discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Biopolymers for Sustainable Life and Applications)
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18 pages, 8869 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Effects of Adding Metal Oxides to Polylactic Acid and Polylactic Acid Blends on Mechanical and Rheological Behaviour, Wettability, and Photo-Oxidation Resistance
by Elisabetta Morici, Giuseppe Pecoraro, Sabrina Carola Carroccio, Elena Bruno, Paola Scarfato, Giovanni Filippone and Nadka Tz. Dintcheva
Polymers 2024, 16(7), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16070922 - 27 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1408
Abstract
Biopolymers are of growing interest, but to improve some of their poor properties and performance, the formulation of bio-based blends and/or adding of nanoparticles is required. For this purpose, in this work, two different metal oxides, namely zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide [...] Read more.
Biopolymers are of growing interest, but to improve some of their poor properties and performance, the formulation of bio-based blends and/or adding of nanoparticles is required. For this purpose, in this work, two different metal oxides, namely zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2), at different concentrations (0.5, 1, and 2%wt.) were added in polylactic acid (PLA) and polylactic acid/polyamide 11 (PLA/PA11) blends to establish their effects on solid-state properties, morphology, melt behaviour, and photo-oxidation resistance. It seems that the addition of ZnO in PLA leads to a significant reduction in its rigidity, probably due to an inefficient dispersion in the melt state, while the addition of TiO2 does not penalize PLA rigidity. Interestingly, the addition of both ZnO and TiO2 in the PLA/PA11 blend has a positive effect on the rigidity because of blend morphology refinement and leads to a slight increase in film hydrophobicity. The photo-oxidation resistance of the neat PLA and PLA/PA11 blend is significantly reduced due to the presence of both metal oxides, and this must be considered when designing potential applications. The last results suggest that both metal oxides could be considered photo-sensitive degradant agents for biopolymer and biopolymer blends. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Biopolymers for Sustainable Life and Applications)
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13 pages, 3464 KiB  
Article
A New Microwave-Assisted Protocol for Cellulose Extraction from Eucalyptus and Pine Tree Wood Waste
by Silvia Vinhas, Mafalda Sarraguça, Tânia Moniz, Salette Reis and Maria Rangel
Polymers 2024, 16(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16010020 - 20 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2221
Abstract
An enormous interest in the development of efficient protocols for cellulose extraction has been demonstrated in the last few years, although usually based on non-sustainable chemical and thermal approaches. In this work, we propose a new and more sustainable method for cellulose extraction [...] Read more.
An enormous interest in the development of efficient protocols for cellulose extraction has been demonstrated in the last few years, although usually based on non-sustainable chemical and thermal approaches. In this work, we propose a new and more sustainable method for cellulose extraction from eucalyptus and pine tree wood waste products exclusively performed using microwave-assisted radiation. The methodology includes three main steps: (i) alkaline treatment; (ii) bleaching I, using H2O2; and (iii) bleaching II, an acidic treatment. Samples obtained in each step were characterized by Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results were compared with the structural and thermal profile of the starting materials, a commercially available microcrystalline cellulose and with an industrial paper pulp sample. Results confirmed that for both types of wood wastes, cellulose was retained during the extraction procedures and that the removal of hemicellulose and lignin was mainly achieved in the last step, as seen by the FTIR spectra and TGA curves. The developed protocol is innovative, as it constitutes an easy and quick approach for extracting cellulose from eucalyptus and pine tree wood waste. Mild chemical and thermal conditions are used during the three extraction steps (microwave irradiation, aqueous solutions, maximum of 120 °C in a total of 3 h). Moreover, environmentally friendly purification steps are applied based on the use of water and ethanol. This approach offers the possibility of a future scale-up study to potentially apply the developed protocol to the extraction of cellulose on an industrial scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Biopolymers for Sustainable Life and Applications)
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