Starch-fibers composites, a study of all-polysaccharide foams from microwave foaming to biodegradation.

Sustainable composite foams based on rice starch and cellulosic long fibers were successfully fabricated using microwave irradiation. They were presented as a promising method to recycle some of the textile industry waste. A deep study of the processability and functionality of the composites revealed the performance improvement of starch with the addition of long cellulosic fibers, especially with 6 wt% of Arbocel®, in terms of foamability, water, and mechanical resistance features. Moreover, sodium bicarbonate, which acted as a blowing and pulping agent, led to a lower density and better fiber distribution that resulted in an improvement of the foams' functionalities. The range of the study is new in the domain of long fiber foam composites in terms of the foaming capability, and mechanical, thermal, and water resistance properties. Furthermore, all foams showed excellent biodegradability properties against a fungus commonly found in the environment; for example, values around 60 % weight loss after 33 days. Finally, the assessment of the CO2 emission during the process underlines the environmental benefits of the method employed.

Recent Advances on the Development of Protein-Based Adhesives for Wood Composite Materials-A Review.

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 century, mainly due to their better moisture resistance. Currently, most wood adhesives are based on petroleum-derived products, especially formaldehyde resins commonly used in the particleboard industry due to their high adhesive performance. However, formaldehyde has been subjected to strong regulation, and projections aim for further restrictions within wood-based panels from the European market, due to its harmful emissions. From this perspective, concerns about environmental footprint and the toxicity of these formulations have prompted researchers to re-investigate the utilization of biobased materials to formulate safer alternatives. In this regard, proteins have sparked a new and growing interest in the potential development of industrial adhesives for wood due to their advantages, such as lower toxicity, renewable sourcing, and reduced environmental footprint. This work presents the recent developments in the use of proteins to formulate new wood adhesives. Herein, it includes the historical development of wood adhesives, adhesion mechanism, and the current hotspots and recent progress of potential proteinaceous feedstock resources for adhesive preparation.

Comparison of the performances of handheld and benchtop near infrared spectrometers: Application on the quantification of chemical components in maritime pine (Pinus Pinaster) resin.

The aim of this study was to set up a chemometric procedure using near infrared spectra acquired with a low-cost handheld spectrometer (SCiO), to quantify the main chemical components of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) resin, in view of using the SCiO as a quality control tool for the tapping industry. This study was carried out on samples of resin harvested during the summer of 2018, in Biscarosse, France. Spectral data were collected using both an SCiO, and a benchtop spectrometer (MultiPurpose Analyzer I) for baseline reference . The rates of turpentine and rosin were quantified by gas chromatography (turpentine composition), liquid chromatography (rosin composition), and a ventilated oven . The chemometric procedure involved spectra preprocessing and relevant subset selection with the DUPLEX algorithm. Lastly, Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression was used to calibrate the models. The quantitative predictive ability of the resulting PLS regression models was evaluated via Ratio of standard error of Performance to standard Deviation (RPD) statistics. The results show that spectra preprocessing enhanced the quantitative predictive ability. For MPA I, RPD > 3.5, which expresses some very good to excellent quantitative predictions of the models. For SCiO, RPD > 2.5, which expresses a good quantitative predictive ability for quality control purposes. Thus, RPD statistics confirm that an SCiO could be used as a quality control tool.

The condensed tannins of Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana Pierre): A molecular structure and thermal stability study.

In order to promote convenient strategies for the valorization of Aucoumea klaineana Pierre (Okoume) plywood and sawmill wastes industry in the fields of adhesives and composites, the total phenolic content of Okoume bark, sapwood and heartwood was measured. The molecular structure of tannins extracted from the bark was determined by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight (Maldi-ToF) mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The total phenolic content displayed significant difference (p = 0.001) between the bark, sapwood and heartwood which decreased as follows: 6 ± 0.4, 2 ± 0.8 and 0.7 ± 0.1% respectively. The pro-anthocyanidins content was also significantly different (p = 0.01) among the three wood wastes, and the bark was the richest in condensed tannins (4.2 ± 0.4%) compared to the sapwood (0.5 ± 0.1%) and heartwood (0.2 ± 0.2%). Liquid chromatography coupled mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) and Maldi-ToF analysis of the bark showed for the first time that Okoume condensed tannins are fisetinidin, gallocatechin and trihydroxyflavan based monomers and complex polymers obtained with glycosylated units. No free catechin or robitinidin units were detected, whereas distinctive dihydroxy or trihydroxyflavan-3-benzoate dimers were observed in the investigated condensed tannin extracts. FTIR analysis showed the occurrence of glucan- and mannan-like sugars in the condensed tannins, and Maldi-ToF highlighted that these sugars should account for ten glycosylated units chemically bonded with two fisetinidins and one gallocatechin trimer. The condensation of these polyphenols with formaldehyde led to Stiasny numbers of 83.3, 73.3 and 53.3% for the bark, sapwood and heartwood, respectively.