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Polymers
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Advances in Biodegradable Polymeric Materials with Applications in the Food...
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Advances in Biodegradable Polymeric Materials with Applications in the Food Industry II

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2025 | Viewed by 8122

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina Mihaela Nicolescu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Science Technology, Valahia University of Targoviste, 13 Sinaia Alley, 130004 Targoviste, Romania
Interests: applied chemistry; analytical instrumental analysis; food analysis; advanced materials with ecological footprint; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marius Bumbac

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sciences and Advanced Technologies Department, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Valahia University of Targoviste, 13 Sinaia Alley, 130004 Targoviste, Romania
Interests: chemistry; analytical chemistry; nanomaterials; bio based materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Applications of polymers in the food industry are diverse, and could refer to food packaging, food processing, or other activities within this production chain. In recent decades, the use of petroleum-based plastics has led to a number of environmental problems due to the low recycling–reuse of these polymer materials, as well as their long half-life.

Alternatives to fossil-based polymers that are currently under research and innovation include bio-based polymers that can degrade much more easily after use. According to their composition, they may be classified into the following categories: (i) polymers incorporating biomass; (ii) polymers synthesized from bio-derived monomers; and (iii) biopolymers produced by living organisms.

There is a close relationship between the global efforts to create new polymeric materials for the high demand of the food industry and the attempt to maintain and/or improve the quality within the field. In this respect, restrictive regulations translate into the need for physical, thermal, mechanical, and chemical convenient properties which must be characterized through advanced instrumental techniques in order to correlate the obtained values towards the optimal design and production within the circularity frameworks of sustainable industries.

Dr. Cristina Mihaela Nicolescu
Dr. Marius Bumbac
Guest Editors

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

  • biopolymers
  • food packaging
  • bio-based composites
  • biodegradability
  • advanced techniques for polymeric material characterization

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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15 pages, 4988 KiB  
Article
Mechanical, Thermal and Morphological Study of Bio-Based PLA Composites Reinforced with Lignin-Rich Agri-Food Wastes for Their Valorization in Industry
by Belén Soriano-Cuadrado, Mᵃ Ángeles Fontecha-Cámara, María Mañas-Villar, Irene Delgado-Blanca and María Dolores Ramírez-Rodríguez
Polymers 2024, 16(17), 2462; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16172462 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1407
Abstract
This study investigates the performance of different poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites incorporating agri-food waste additives and commercial lignin, comparing their properties with those of virgin PLA. The following composites were prepared using a single-screw extruder: PLA with 20% rice husk, PLA with 20% [...] Read more.
This study investigates the performance of different poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites incorporating agri-food waste additives and commercial lignin, comparing their properties with those of virgin PLA. The following composites were prepared using a single-screw extruder: PLA with 20% rice husk, PLA with 20% wheat straw and PLA with 20% olive pit. Additionally, PLA was blended with commercial lignin at the maximum feasible proportion using the same methodology. The resulting composites were injection-molded into specimens for analysis of their mechanical, thermal and morphological behavior. The primary objectives were to assess the dispersion of the additives within the PLA matrix and to evaluate the mechanical properties of the composites. The results indicate that the addition of high percentages of agricultural residues does not significantly compromise the mechanical properties of the composites. Notably, in the case of the PLA with 20% rice husk composite, the elastic modulus surpassed that of virgin PLA, despite the evident heterogeneity in filler particle sizes. It was feasible to incorporate a higher percentage of agricultural residues compared to commercial lignin, attributed to the larger volume occupied by the latter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradable Polymeric Materials with Applications in the Food Industry II)
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19 pages, 1691 KiB  
Article
Extraction and Depolymerization of Lignin from Different Agricultural and Forestry Wastes to Obtain Building Blocks in a Circular Economy Framework
by María Ángeles Fontecha-Cámara, Irene Delgado-Blanca, María Mañas-Villar, Francisco José Orriach-Fernández and Belén Soriano-Cuadrado
Polymers 2024, 16(14), 1981; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16141981 - 11 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1943
Abstract
Large amounts of agri-food waste are generated and discarded annually, but they have the potential to become highly profitable sources of value-added compounds. Many of these are lignin-rich residues. Lignin, one of the most abundant biopolymers in nature, offers numerous possibilities as a [...] Read more.
Large amounts of agri-food waste are generated and discarded annually, but they have the potential to become highly profitable sources of value-added compounds. Many of these are lignin-rich residues. Lignin, one of the most abundant biopolymers in nature, offers numerous possibilities as a raw material or renewable resource for the production of chemical products. This study aims to explore the potential revalorization of agricultural by-products through the extraction of lignin and subsequent depolymerization. Different residues were studied; river cane, rice husks, broccoli stems, wheat straw, and olive stone are investigated (all local wastes that are typically incinerated). Traditional soda extraction, enhanced by ultrasound, is applied, comparing two different sonication methods. The extraction yields from different residues were as follows: river cane (28.21%), rice husks (24.27%), broccoli (6.48%), wheat straw (17.66%), and olive stones (24.29%). Once lignin is extracted, depolymerization is performed by three different methods: high-pressure reactor, ultrasound-assisted solvent depolymerization, and microwave solvolysis. As a result, a new microwave depolymerization method has been developed and patented, using for the first time graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as new promising carbonaceous catalyst, achieving a 90.89% depolymerization rate of river cane lignin and yielding several building blocks, including guaiacol, vanillin, ferulic acid, or acetovanillone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradable Polymeric Materials with Applications in the Food Industry II)
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15 pages, 4131 KiB  
Article
Eco-Friendly Poly (Butylene Adipate-co-Terephthalate) Coated Bi-Layered Films: An Approach to Enhance Mechanical and Barrier Properties
by Raja Venkatesan, Krishnapandi Alagumalai, Alexandre A. Vetcher, Bandar Ali Al-Asbahi and Seong-Cheol Kim
Polymers 2024, 16(9), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16091283 - 3 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1570
Abstract
In this research work, a coated paper was prepared with poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) film to explore its use in eco-friendly food packaging. The paper was coated with PBAT film for packaging using hot pressing, a production method currently employed in the packaging [...] Read more.
In this research work, a coated paper was prepared with poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) film to explore its use in eco-friendly food packaging. The paper was coated with PBAT film for packaging using hot pressing, a production method currently employed in the packaging industry. The coated papers were evaluated for their structural, mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties. The structural morphology and chemical analysis of the coated paper confirmed the consistent formation of PBAT bi-layered on paper surfaces. Surface coating with PBAT film increased the water resistance of the paper samples, as demonstrated by tests of barrier characteristics, including the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), oxygen transmission rate (OTR), and water contact angle (WCA) of water drops. The transmission rate of the clean paper was 2010.40 cc m−2 per 24 h for OTR and 110.24 g m−2 per 24 h for WVTR. If the PBAT-film was coated, the value decreased to 91.79 g m−2 per 24 h and 992.86 cc m−2 per 24 h. The hydrophobic nature of PBAT, confirmed by WCA measurements, contributed to the enhanced water resistance of PBAT-coated paper. This result presents an improved PBAT-coated paper material, eliminating the need for adhesives and allowing for the fabrication of bi-layered packaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradable Polymeric Materials with Applications in the Food Industry II)
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22 pages, 5039 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Water-Dispersible Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Its Potential Application in the Paper Coating Industry as an Alternative for PFAS-Coated Paper and Single-Use Plastics
by Syeda Shamila Hamdani, Hazem M. Elkholy, Alexandra Alford, Kang Jackson, Muhammad Naveed, Ian Wyman, Yun Wang, Kecheng Li, Syed W. Haider and Muhammad Rabnawaz
Polymers 2024, 16(7), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16071006 - 7 Apr 2024
Viewed by 2329
Abstract
Polyethylene-, polyvinylidene chloride-, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance-coated paper generate microplastics or fluorochemicals in the environment. Here, we report an approach for the development of oil-resistant papers using an environmentally friendly, fluorine-free, water-dispersible poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating on kraft paper. Carboxylic-functionalized PDMS (PDMS-COOH) was [...] Read more.
Polyethylene-, polyvinylidene chloride-, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance-coated paper generate microplastics or fluorochemicals in the environment. Here, we report an approach for the development of oil-resistant papers using an environmentally friendly, fluorine-free, water-dispersible poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating on kraft paper. Carboxylic-functionalized PDMS (PDMS-COOH) was synthesized and subsequently neutralized with ammonium bicarbonate to obtain a waterborne emulsion, which was then coated onto kraft paper. The water resistance of the coated paper was determined via Cobb60 measurements. The Cobb60 value was reduced to 2.70 ± 0.14 g/m2 as compared to 87.6 ± 5.1 g/m2 for uncoated paper, suggesting a remarkable improvement in water resistance. Similarly, oil resistance was found to be 12/12 on the kit test scale versus 0/12 for uncoated paper. In addition, the coated paper retained 70–90% of its inherent mechanical properties, and more importantly, the coated paper was recycled via pulp recovery using a standard protocol with a 91.1% yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradable Polymeric Materials with Applications in the Food Industry II)
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