Ingrid Souza Vieira da Silva¹, Natália Soares Prado¹, Patrícia Gontijo de Melo², Danilo Campion Arantes³, Mara Zeni Andrade⁴, Harumi Otaguro¹, Daniel Pasquini^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.1, pp. 73-87, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.00042

Abstract In this work, nine different types of edible coating based on pectin, cellulose nanocrystals, glycerol, and essential oil of lemongrass were prepared and used to coat strawberries with a film formed directly on the surface of the coated fruit. The effects of the different edible coatings on refrigerated fruits in terms of weight loss, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, pH, and anthocyanin content was evaluated after 2 days, 4 days, 6 days, and 8 days of storage. Application of the edible coatings reduced the weight loss of the coated strawberries and the anthocyanin content. The total soluble solids content of… More >

Weijun Yang^1†, Xiaomin Zhao^2†, Elena Fortunati¹, Franco Dominici¹, Jose M. Kenny¹, Debora Puglia^1*, De-Yi Wang^2*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.5, pp. 423-434, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634146

Abstract Presented herein is a deep investigation of the fire, mechanical and thermal performances of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based nanocomposites, which were obtained by combining cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with various contents of N,N’-diallyl-phenylphosphoricdiamide (P-AA) via a two-steps masterbatch melt extrusion process (glycidyl methacrylate grafting on PLA and CNC premixing with PLA). Results have shown that the value of the limiting oxygen index (LOI) increased to 28.8% and a V-0 rating in UL94 test was obtained when 2 wt% of P-AA was added in the presence of cellulose nanocrystals (3 wt%). The incorporation of CNC induced a decrease of both PHRR and THR… More >

F. Luzi¹, E. Fortunati^1*, A. Jiménez², D. Puglia¹, A. Chiralt², L. Torre¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.2, pp. 103-115, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634135

Abstract Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) based nanocomposites reinforced with 1 wt% of surfactant-modified cellulose nanocrystals (s-CNC) extracted from Posidonia oceanica plant waste and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) at different concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 wt%) were prepared by solvent casting process. Their thermal, morphological, optical, mechanical and water vapor permeability properties were investigated. Tensile testing showed increased values for strength and deformation at break in PLA based formulations reinforced with s-CNC and ZnO NPs as a consequence of better nanofiller dispersion compared to binary films reinforced only with ZnO NPs. Moreover, the effect of s-CNC and ZnO NPs provoked an improvement of… More >

Jose Luis Orellana, Michael Mauhar, Christopher L. Kitchens^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.5, pp. 340-350, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634126

Abstract Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most widely used biodegradable polymers due to the ability to synthesize it economically at industrial scale and its favorable properties for many consumer products. However, the rigid nature of PLA is not desirable for specific applications, requiring the incorporation of effective bioderived additives in order to enhance the PLA toughness and broaden applications. In this work, PLA was modified by graft polymerization of polyacrylic acid (PLA-g-PAA) to increase the hydrophilicity to promote compatibilization of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) or high molecular polyethylene glycol (PEG). CNCs were found to act as a nucleating agent for… More >

Craig Clemons

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.5, pp. 327-339, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634112

Abstract Continuous fibers are commonly manufactured for a wide variety of uses such as filters, textiles, and composites. For example, most fibrous reinforcements (e.g., carbon fiber, glass fiber) for advanced composites are continuous fibers or yarns, fabrics, and preforms made from them. This allows broad flexibility in design and manufacturing approaches by controlling fiber orientation and architecture. However, there has been growing interest in preparing continuous fibers from biobased materials such as plants. Of particular recent interest are nanocelluloses, which are projected to be less expensive than many other nanomaterials and have the potential to be produced in large volumes. They… More >

Nicole M. Stark

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.5, pp. 313-326, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634115

Abstract Performance requirements for packaging films may include barrier properties, transparency, flexibility, and tensile strength. Conventional packaging materials, such as plastic films and laminates, are typically made from petroleum-based polymers. Currently, there is a drive to develop sustainable packaging materials. These alternative materials must be able to be manufactured economically and on a commercial scale, exhibit barrier properties and transparency, and provide adequate mechanical performance. As a biobased, renewable material, cellulose nanomaterials (CNs) are ideally suited to be used in sustainable packaging applications. CNs include cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and each can provide benefit to packaging films. Manufactured… More >

Ronald Sabo^1*, Aleksey Yermakov², Chiu Tai Law³, Rani Elhajjar⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.5, pp. 297-312, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634114

Abstract Cellulose nanomaterials have a number of interesting and unique properties that make them well-suited for use in electronics applications such as energy harvesting devices, actuators and sensors. Cellulose nanofibrils and nanocrystals have good mechanical properties, high transparency, and low coefficient of thermal expansion, among other properties that facilitate both active and inactive roles in electronics and related devices. For example, these nanomaterials have been demonstrated to operate as substrates for flexible electronics and displays, to improve the efficiency of photovoltaics, to work as a component of magnetostrictive composites and to act as a suitable lithium ion battery separator membrane. A… More >

F. Luzi, E. Fortunati^*, D. Puglia, R. Petrucci, J.M. Kenny, L. Torre

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.3, pp. 190-198, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634134

Abstract In this research, the revalorization of Posidonia oceanica leaf sea waste was studied and the acid hydrolysis processing times were modulated in order to optimize the extraction of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). The obtained CNCs were deeply investigated. A two-step treatment was applied to extract cellulose nanocrystals from Posidonia oceanica leaves. First, a chemical treatment leads to the removal of lignin and production of holocellulose, while the second chemical process of acid hydrolysis allows the obtainment of cellulose nanocrystals in aqueous suspension. The unbleached and bleached leaves and cellulose nanocrystals were characterized by using thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy and morphological investigation;… More >