Synthesis and Applications of Biopolymer Composites.

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for a clean and pollution-free environment and an evident target to minimizing fossil fuel [...].

Design and development of low cost polyurethane biopolymer based on castor oil and glycerol for biomedical applications.

In the current study, we present the synthesis of novel low cost bio-polyurethane compositions with variable mechanical properties based on castor oil and glycerol for biomedical applications. A detailed investigation of the physicochemical properties of the polymer was carried out by using mechanical testing, ATR-FTIR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Polymers were also tested in short term in-vitro cell culture with human mesenchymal stem cells to evaluate their biocompatibility for potential applications as biomaterial. FTIR analysis confirmed the synthesis of castor oil and glycerol based PU polymers. FTIR also showed that the addition of glycerol as co-polyol increases crosslinking within the polymer backbone hence enhancing the bulk mechanical properties of the polymer. XPS data showed that glycerol incorporation leads to an enrichment of oxidized organic species on the surface of the polymers. Preliminary investigation into in vitro biocompatibility showed that serum protein adsorption can be controlled by varying the glycerol content with polymer backbone. An alamar blue assay looking at the metabolic activity of the cells indicated that castor oil based PU and its variants containing glycerol are non-toxic to the cells. This study opens an avenue for using low cost bio-polyurethane based on castor oil and glycerol for biomedical applications.

Economic assessment of flash co-pyrolysis of short rotation coppice and biopolymer waste streams.

The disposal problem associated with phytoextraction of farmland polluted with heavy metals by means of willow requires a biomass conversion technique which meets both ecological and economical needs. Combustion and gasification of willow require special and costly flue gas treatment to avoid re-emission of the metals in the atmosphere, whereas flash pyrolysis mainly results in the production of (almost) metal free bio-oil with a relatively high water content. Flash co-pyrolysis of biomass and waste of biopolymers synergistically improves the characteristics of the pyrolysis process: e.g. reduction of the water content of the bio-oil, more bio-oil and less char production and an increase of the HHV of the oil. This research paper investigates the economic consequences of the synergistic effects of flash co-pyrolysis of 1:1 w/w ratio blends of willow and different biopolymer waste streams via cost-benefit analysis and Monte Carlo simulations taking into account uncertainties. In all cases economic opportunities of flash co-pyrolysis of biomass with biopolymer waste are improved compared to flash pyrolysis of pure willow. Of all the biopolymers under investigation, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the most promising, followed by Eastar, Biopearls, potato starch, polylactic acid (PLA), corn starch and Solanyl in order of decreasing profits. Taking into account uncertainties, flash co-pyrolysis is expected to be cheaper than composting biopolymer waste streams, except for corn starch. If uncertainty increases, composting also becomes more interesting than flash co-pyrolysis for waste of Solanyl. If the investment expenditure is 15% higher in practice than estimated, the preference for flash co-pyrolysis compared to composting biopolymer waste becomes less clear. Only when the system of green current certificates is dismissed, composting clearly is a much cheaper processing technique for disposing of biopolymer waste.

Bacterial biopolymer (polyhydroxyalkanoate) production from low-cost sustainable sources.

Twenty-six different bacterial strains were isolated from samples taken from different locations Dammam, Saudi Arabia, for screening of their polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production capability. The initial screening was conducted by staining with Sudan Black B and Nile Red, followed by examination under fluorescence and electron microscopes to characterize PHA granule formation. The PHA-producing bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene analyses; the most potent bacterial strain was identified as Pseudomonas sp. strain-P(16). The PHA production capability of this strain in the presence of different low-cost carbon sources, such as rice bran, dates, and soy molasses, was analyzed. PHA production in the presence of rice bran, dates, and soy molasses was 90.9%, 82.6%, and 91.6%, respectively.

Second-generation functionalized medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates: the gateway to high-value bioplastic applications.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable biocompatible polyesters, which accumulate as granules in the cytoplasm of many bacteria under unbalanced growth conditions. Medium-chain-length PHAs (mcl-PHAs), characterized by C6-C14 branched monomer chains and typically produced by Pseudomonas species, are promising thermoelastomers, as they can be further modified by introducing functional groups in the side chains. Functionalized PHAs are obtained either by feeding structurally related substrates processed through the beta-oxidation pathway, or using specific strains able to transform sugars or glycerol into unsaturated PHA by de novo fatty-acid biosynthesis. Functionalized mcl-PHAs provide modified mechanical and thermal properties, and consequently have new processing requirements and highly diverse potential applications in emergent fields such as biomedicine. However, process development and sample availability are limited due to the toxicity of some precursors and still low productivity, which hinder investigation. Conversely, improved mutant strains designed through systems biology approaches and cofeeding with low-cost substrates may contribute to the widespread application of these biopolymers. This review focuses on recent developments in the production of functionalized mcl-PHAs, placing particular emphasis on strain and bioprocess design for cost-effective production.

Applications and societal benefits of plastics.

This article explains the history, from 1600 BC to 2008, of materials that are today termed 'plastics'. It includes production volumes and current consumption patterns of five main commodity plastics: polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate. The use of additives to modify the properties of these plastics and any associated safety, in use, issues for the resulting polymeric materials are described. A comparison is made with the thermal and barrier properties of other materials to demonstrate the versatility of plastics. Societal benefits for health, safety, energy saving and material conservation are described, and the particular advantages of plastics in society are outlined. Concerns relating to littering and trends in recycling of plastics are also described. Finally, we give predictions for some of the potential applications of plastic over the next 20 years.

New developments and prospective applications for beta (1,3) glucans.

Publications and patents relative to newly observed functions of beta-(1,3)-D-glucans have notably increased in the last few years with the exploitation of their biological activities. The term beta-(1,3)-D-glucans includes a very large number of polysaccharides from bacterial, fungal and vegetable sources. Their structures have a common backbone of beta-(1,3) linked glucopyranosyl residues but the polysaccharidic chain can be beta-(1,6) branched with glucose or integrate some beta-(1,4) linked glucopyranosyl residues in the main chain. Except for the curdlan, a bacterial linear beta-(1,3)-D-glucans, and for the scleroglucan produced by Sclerotium rolfsii, the main drawback limiting the development of these polysaccharides is the lack of efficient processes for their extraction and purification and their cost. However new applications in agronomy, foods, cosmetic and therapeutic could in a next future accentuate the effort of research for their development. So this review focuses on these beta-(1,3)-D-glucans with the objective to detail the strategies employed for their extraction and the relation structure-functions identified when they induce biological activities.

Applications of biopolymers and other biotechnological products in building materials.

Bio admixtures are functional molecules used in building products to optimize material properties. They include natural or modified biopolymers, biotechnological and biodegradable products. Concrete and dry-mix mortars (e.g. wall plasters or tile adhesives) represent two major applications for bio admixtures. Examples of bio products used in concrete are lignosulfonate, sodium gluconate, pine root extract, protein hydrolysates and Welan gum; and in dry-mix mortar methyl hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl starch, guar gum, tartaric acid, casein, succinoglycan and Xanthan gum. In a number of applications, bio admixtures compete well with synthetic admixtures. Sometimes, they are indispensable in the formulation of certain building products. Their market share is expected to increase because of technological advances, particularly in the field of microbial biopolymers, and because of the growing trend to use naturally based or biodegradable products in building materials.