Sudhakar Muniyasamy^1,2, Osei Ofosu^1,2, Maya Jacob John^1,2, Rajesh D. Anandjiwala^1,2*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.2, pp. 133-145, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634104

Abstract The present study investigates the mineralization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-covalerate) (PHBV), and PLA/PHBV blend in compost and soil burial environments. The mineralization was assayed on the basis of carbon dioxide (CO2) release from the test materials incubated in compost and soil for a period of 200 days. The degradation was followed by means of fragmentation, thermogravimetric (TGA), FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The results showed that PLA, PHBV and blend of PLA/PHBV achieved almost 90% biodegradation under composting conditions, while PHBV, PLA/PHBV blend and PLA respectively achieved only 35%, 32% More >

Estefanía Lidón Sánchez-Safont¹, Jennifer González-Ausejo¹, José Gámez-Pérez¹, José María Lagarón², Luis Cabedo^1*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.2, pp. 123-132, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634127

Abstract Novel biodegradable composites based on poly(3-hydroxybutirate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and different contents of purifi ed alpha-cellulose fi bers (3, 10, 25 and 45%) were prepared by melt blending and characterized. The composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) experiments, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanic analysis (DMA) and Shore D hardness measurements. Disintegrability under composting conditions was studied according to the ISO 20200 standard. Morphological results showed that high dispersion of the fi bers was achieved during mixing. Good adhesion on the fi ber-matrix interface was also detected by More >

Estela Krause Sammartino^1,2,3†, María Marta Reboredo⁴, Mirta I. Aranguren^*,4

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.2, pp. 101-112, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634144

Abstract Composites made from polypropylene (PP) and local South American fibers traditionally used in yarnderived craftsmanships, Caranday Palm, were studied regarding the effect of fiber addition, concentration and characteristics of the coupling agent (molecular weight and percentage of grafted maleic anhydride), as well as type of processing. A laboratory-scale intensive mixing followed by compression, and pilot plant twin extrusion followed by injection, were the two processes investigated. The use of the first one allowed the selection of processable formulations with high fiber concentration and a percentage of coupling agent below the surface fiber saturation. In fact,… More >

M. Kirpluks^1*, U. Cabulis¹, A. Ivdre¹, M. Kuranska², M. Zieleniewska³, M. Auguscik³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 86-100, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634132

Abstract The most common sustainable solution for polyurethane (PU) materials is their production using renewable resources. Polyols derived from biomass and recycled polymers are the most promising way to do that. This study compares five different sustainable polyols as a possible raw material for production of highdensity rigid PU foams for automotive application. The goal of our study was to show that biobased polyols are a suitable replacement for polyols derived from petrochemical products. The influence of the chemical structure of polyols on the PU polymer matrix and foam properties was investigated. Two sources of PU… More >

Aleksander Prociak^*, Elźbieta Malewska, Szymon Bąk

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 78-85, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634129

Abstract In this article, the results of the foaming process analysis of fl exible polyurethane with different isocyanate indexes are presented. Two types of flexible polyurethane foams (FPURF) were obtained: (1) by using petrochemical components and a rapeseed-oil-based polyol (used in the amount of 20 wt%), (2) by using petrochemical components and cellulose as a natural fi ller in the amount of 3 php (per hundred parts of polyol). The characteristic parameters of the foaming process, such as the foam’s growth velocity, the core temperature and dielectric polarization, were measured using a Foamat device. Moreover, the More >

Mary Isabel Lopretti^1,2*, Natalia Irene Baldyga³, Maria Gonzalez¹, Laura Beatriz Olazabal³, Marina Graciela Torres³, Fernando Resquin⁴, Leonidas Carrasco⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 66-71, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634133

Abstract Nowadays, there is a great interest in using lignocellulosic materials as substrate for the production of biorefi nery products. Eucalypti are good options to use as crops to obtain different kinds of biofuels and derivatives, since their plantations show high adaptation potential to soil and weather conditions in Uruguay. The basic process steps involved in the obtainment of biorefi nery materials are: pretreatment, hydrolysis, fermentation and products separation. As delignifi cation is an important process to obtain biorefi nery products, in this context the evaluation of the biological (BT) and hydrothermal (TT) pretreatment of different More >

Isabel Patrícia Fernandes¹, Mariana Barbosa¹, Joana Soares Amaral², Vera Pinto³, José Luís Rodrigues³, Maria José Ferreira³, Maria Filomena Barreiro^1*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 47-56, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634126

Abstract Among the wide variety of materials employed in the manufacture of shoes, thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are one of the most widely used. Given its widespread use, and associated waste management problems, the development of more biodegradable and evironmentally compatible solutions is needed. In this work, a polyester-based TPU used in the footwear industry for outsoles production was modifi ed by compounding with lignin, starch and cellulose at content of 4% (w/w). The biodegradability was evaluated by using agar plate tests with the fungi Aspergillus niger ATCC16404, the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027 and an association More >

Flávio Pereira¹, João Pereira², Nádia Paiva³, João Ferra³, Jorge Manuel Martins^1,4, Fernão D. Magalhães¹, and Luísa Carvalho^1,4*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 41-46, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634128

Abstract This work studies the use of soy protein as a natural formaldehyde scavenger in wood particleboard production. The protein is incorporated in two forms: a) as a powder, during the blending process of wood particles with urea-formaldehyde binder resin, and b) as an aqueous solution, added at different times during resin synthesis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the signifi cance level of two effects (amount of added soy and time of addition) on internal bond strength, thickness swelling, and formaldehyde content of the resulting panels. The results showed that soy protein can More >

Dragomir Vassilev^1*, Nadezhda Petkova², Milena Koleva¹, Panteley Denev²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 24-30, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634125

Abstract This article presents the results obtained by the ultrasound-assisted synthesis of sucrose and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) esters with fatty acids (palmitic and 10-undecylenic), the identifi cation of the products and the study of their possible application as plasticizers in plastics processing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹³C NMR) spectroscopy were used to identify the synthesized carbohydrate esters. The plasticizing effect of the sucrose palmitate applied in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was evaluated by the glass transition temperatures; the decrease of the T_g with the increase of the ester content could be accepted as… More >

Szczepan Bednarz^*, Angelika Wesołowska, Magdalena Trątnowiecka, Dariusz Bogdał

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.1, pp. 18-23, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634131

Abstract New methods of preparation of crosslinked polymers from itaconic acid as a renewable monomer have been explored. Synthesis of hydrogels and xerogels from the acid in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are described and some basic properties of the materials are reported. Most importantly, a surfactant-free method of creation of macroporous poly(itaconic-co-bisacrylamide) by phase separation polymerization in binary mixture of the DES and poly(ethylene glycol) is demonstrated. More >