Explore the vast range of titles available.

Environmental impacts and consumer concerns have necessitated the study of bio-based materials as alternatives to petrochemicals for packaging applications. The purpose of this review is to summarize synthetic and non-synthetic materials feasible for packaging and textile applications, routes of upscaling, (industrial) applications, evaluation of sustainability, and end-of-life options. The outlined bio-based materials include polylactic acid, polyethylene furanoate, polybutylene succinate, and non-synthetically produced polymers such as polyhydrodyalkanoate, cellulose, starch, proteins, lipids, and waxes. Further emphasis is placed on modification techniques (coating and surface modification), biocomposites, multilayers, and additives used to adjust properties especially for barriers to gas and moisture and to tune their biodegradability. Overall, this review provides a holistic view of bio-based packaging material including processing, and an evaluation of the sustainability of and options for recycling. Thus, this review contributes to increasing the knowledge of available sustainable bio-based packaging material and enhancing the transfer of scientific results into applications.

Two different raw hydrolyzed collagens (HCs), by-products of the Tannery industry, were investigated in blends with a bioplastic, as poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA), for the production of thermoplastic items for possible applications in agriculture. Chemical characterization of selected PBSA/HC blends and phytotoxicity assays on garden cress seeds (Lepidium sativum L.), used as spy species, were carried out; in addition, biodegradation and disintegration of specimens were assessed under controlled composting conditions at different temperature (58 and 25 °C). Although one of the HC investigated released sodium chloride in the aqueous extract, all PBSA/HC blends, up to 20 wt.% HC, resulted no-phytotoxic and showed considerable amounts of macro- and micro- nutrients for plants (mainly nitrogen). Regardless the amount added, HCs enhanced the biodegradation rate of PBSA/HC blends in compost at 58 °C compared to pure PBSA; lowering the temperature at 25 °C, as expected, biodegradation rate slightly lowered using the same compost. Most disintegration tests, performed on dog bone samples, corroborated the results of the biodegradation tests, thus suggesting that plastic mixtures could reasonably end their life cycle in a composting facility without decreasing the quality and the safety of the resulting compost. The outcomes achieved encourage the use of raw collagen hydrolysates from tanning industry in the production of PBSA-based thermoplastic blends to produce compostable items (mulching films and/or plant pots) for more sustainable uses in agriculture and/or plant nurseries. In addition, the use of these low-cost by-products can lower the cost of final product and give it fertilizing properties for plants given the presence of organic nitrogen in the hydrolysates.

In this study, blends of a biodegradable thermoplastic polyester, poly (butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) with two different raw hydrolyzed collagens (HCs), derived from the tannery industry, were investigated in terms of processability, rheological, thermal and mechanical properties. HCs, obtained by alkaline (HCa) and enzymatic (HCe) hydrolysis of the solid wastes generated during the shaving of the tanned leather, were used in PBSA/HC blends, up to 20 wt% of HC, produced by melting extrusion and processed by injection molding. All the blends up to 20 wt% HCs resulted suitable for the injection molding obtaining flexible molded specimens with good tensile properties. The different secondary structure of the two HCs influenced the rheology, morphology and mechanical properties of the produced blends. In particular, HCa, due its higher content of oligopeptides and free amino-acids, showed a good compatibility with the polymeric matrix acting as a plasticizer with consequent reduction of melt viscosity with increasing its loading. The molded dog-bones specimens containing 20 wt% HCa showed a value of elongation at break of 810%. While, HCe, due its higher presence of b-sheet structures, behaved as organic filler, showing a poor interfacial interaction with PBSA with consequent decrease of the tensile properties with increasing its loading. The good processability and satisfactory mechanical properties obtained encourage the use of both investigated collagen hydrolysates in the production of thermoplastic blends and relative molded products for applications in agriculture and plant nurseries, such as pots or small containers with fertilizing properties, due the presence of HCs.

In this work poly(lactic) acid (PLA)/poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) biobased binary blends were investigated. PLA/PBSA mixtures with different compositions of PBSA (from 15 up to 40 wt.%) were produced by twin screw-extrusion. A first screening study was performed on these blends that were characterized from the melt fluidity, morphological and thermo-mechanical point of view. Starting from the obtained results, the effect of an epoxy oligomer (EO) (added at 2 wt.%) was further investigated. In this case a novel approach was introduced studying the micromechanical deformation processes by dilatometric uniaxial tensile tests, carried out with a videoextensometer. The characterization was then completed adopting the elasto-plastic fracture approach, by the measurement of the capability of the selected blends to absorb energy at a slow rate. The obtained results showed that EO acts as a good compatibilizer, improving the compatibility of the rubber phase into the PLA matrix. Dilatometric results showed different micromechanical responses for the 80–20 and 60–40 blends (probably linked to the different morphology). The 80–20 showed a cavitational behavior while the 60–40 a deviatoric one. It has been observed that while the addition of EO does not alter the micromechanical response of the 60–40 blend, it profoundly changes the response of the 80–20, that passed to a deviatoric behavior with the EO addition.

Consumer awareness about the damages that plastic packaging waste cause to the environment, coupled with bio-economy and circular economy policies, are pushing plastic packaging versus the use of bio-based and biodegradable materials. In this contest, even cosmetic packaging is looking for sustainable solutions, and research is focusing on modifying bio-based and biodegradable polymers to meet the challenging requirements for cosmetic preservation, while maintaining sustainability and biodegradability. Several bio-based and biodegradable polymers such as poly(lactic acid), polyhydroxyalkanoates, polysaccharides, etc., are available, and some first solutions for both rigid and flexible packaging are already present on the market, while many others are under study and optimization. A fruitful cooperation among researchers and industries will drive the cosmetic sector toward being more ecological and contributing to save our environment.

The world is confronted with the depletion of natural resources due to their unsustainable use and the increasing size of populations. In this context, the efficient use of by-products, residues and wastes generated from agro-industrial and food processing opens the perspective for a wide range of benefits. In particular, legume residues are produced yearly in very large amounts and may represent an interesting source of plant proteins that contribute to satisfying the steadily increasing global protein demand. Innovative biorefinery extraction cascades may also enable the recovery of further bioactive molecules and fibers from these insufficiently tapped biomass streams. This review article gives a summary of the potential for the valorization of legume residual streams resulting from agro-industrial processing and more particularly for pea, green bean and chickpea by-products/wastes. Valuable information on the annual production volumes, geographical origin and state-of-the-art technologies for the extraction of proteins, fibers and other bioactive molecules from this source of biomass, is exhaustively listed and discussed. Finally, promising applications, already using the recovered fractions from pea, bean and chickpea residues for the formulation of feed, food, cosmetic and packaging products, are listed and discussed.

In this work, biocomposites based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and short flax fibers (10–40 wt.%) were produced by extrusion and characterized in terms of thermal, mechanical, morphological, and thermo-mechanical properties. Analytical models were adopted to predict the tensile properties (stress at break and elastic modulus) of the composites, and to assess the matrix/fiber interface adhesion. The resulting composites were easily processable by extrusion and injection molding up to 40 wt.% of flax fibers. It was observed that despite any superficial treatment of fibers, the matrix/fiber adhesion was found to be sufficiently strong to ensure an efficient load transfer between the two components obtaining composites with good mechanical properties. The best mechanical performance, in terms of break stress (66 MPa), was obtained with 20 wt.% of flax fibers. The flax fiber acted also as nucleating agent for PLA, leading to an increment of the composite stiffness and, at 40 wt.% of flax fibers, improving the elastic modulus decay near the PLA glass transition temperature.

In an effort to reduce global dependence on fossil-based polymers and advance toward a more sustainable materials industry, research over recent decades has increasingly focused on the development of bio-based polymers and broadening their potential applications. Within this context, the present study investigates nanocomposites based on poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA), reinforced with two types of nanofillers: silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). The main objective of this work is to examine how the morphology, geometry, and chemical nature of the nanofillers influence the thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties of PBSA, as well as its biodegradability. For each nanofiller, three formulations were prepared, containing 1, 2, and 5 wt% of filler, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed good dispersion and minimal aggregation in the SiO2-based systems, whereas marked aggregation was observed in the CNF-based samples. Thermal analysis indicated that the intrinsic thermal properties of neat PBSA were largely preserved. Mechanical testing revealed improvements in both the elastic modulus and elongation at break for most nanocomposite samples. In particular, CNFs provided the most consistent reinforcing effect, with enhancements of approximately 40% in the elastic modulus (495.4 vs. 356.4 GPa in neat PBSA) and 52% in elongation at the break (185.1 vs. 122.0% in neat PBSA) with 5 wt% loading. Additionally, the incorporation of nanofillers did not alter the surface hydrophilicity, but it did improve the oxygen barrier performance and enhanced disintegration under composting conditions. Overall, these findings demonstrate the promising potential of PBSA-based nanocomposites for sustainable rigid packaging applications.

Poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate‐co‐adipate) (PLA/PBSA) blends are found promising for film packaging applications because of their flexibility, resistance, and compostability. Industrially extruded granules and films based on PLA and containing different amounts of PBSA are reprocessed through mini‐extrusion, to simulate recycling, and tested in terms of their melt flow rate as a function of PBSA content. Moreover, pure PLA commercial granules and the film produced extruding the PLA/PBSA 60/40 blend are reprocessed several times by injection molding and characterized in terms of melt flow rate, mechanical properties, thermal properties, and color as a function of injection molding cycles. The variation in melt fluidity and thermo‐mechanical properties is negligible up to 3 injection molding cycles for both pure PLA granules and PLA/PBSA blend. In the case of blend the change in color (yellowing and darkening) is more evident and slight local compositional change in injection molded items can be evidenced as well as a slight decrease in PBS crystallinity as a function of injection molding cycles. Nevertheless, in applications where these aspects are not critical, these materials can be recycled by extrusion or injection molding before being composted, thus prolonging their life cycle and storing carbon in them as longer as possible. The mechanical recyclability of Poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate‐co‐adipate) (PLA/PBSA) blends, which are found promising for film packaging applications, is investigated by extrusion or repeated injection molding. Despite some evidences of chain scission and yellowing, the results evidenced that these blends can be mechanically recycled before being composted, thus prolonging their life cycle and storing carbon in them as longer as possible.

In this paper the production of biopolymeric blends of poly(butylene succinate) PBS and plasticized whey protein (PWP), obtained from a natural by-product from cheese manufacturing, has been investigated for the production of films and/or sheets. In order to add the highest possible whey protein content, different formulations (from 30 to 50 wt.%) were studied. It was found that by increasing the amount of PWP added to PBS, the mechanical properties were worsened accordingly. This trend was attributed to the low compatibility between PWP and PBS. Consequently, the effect of the addition of soy lecithin and glycerol monostearate (GMS) as compatibilizers was investigated and compared to the use of whey protein modified with oleate and laurate groups obtained by Schotten-Baumann reaction. Soy lecithin and the Schotten-Baumann modified whey were effective in compatibilizing the PWP/PBS blend. In fact, a significant increase in elastic modulus, tensile strength and elongation at break with respect to the not compatibilized blend was observed and the length of aliphatic chains as well as the degree of modification of the Schotten–Baumann proteins affected the results. Moreover, thanks to DSC investigations, these compatibilizers were also found effective in increasing the PBS crystallinity.