Yanxia Zhang¹, Tiina Nypelö^1,*, Carlos Salas¹, Julio Arboleda¹, Ingrid C. Hoeger^1,*, Orlando J. Rojas^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.3, pp. 195-211, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634115

Abstract Cellulose nanofi brils (CNF), also known as nanofi brillar cellulose (NFC), are an advanced biomaterial made mainly from renewable forest and agricultural resources that have demonstrated exceptional performance in composites. In addition, they have been utilized in barrier coatings, food, transparent fl exible fi lms and other applications. Research on CNF has advanced rapidly over the last decade and several of the fundamental questions about production and characterization of CNF have been addressed. An interesting shift in focus in the recent reported literature indicates increased efforts aimed at taking advantage of the unique properties of CNF. This includes its nanoscale… More >

Sihan Wang, Reza Masoodi^*, Janet Brady, Brian R. George

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.4, pp. 279-288, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634122

Abstract Recycled natural fi bers and biopolymers with sustainable, eco-friendly, and biodegradable properties are receiving increased attention. The moisture absorption and swelling of natural fi ber composites adversely infl uence their mechanical properties and applications. In this research, bio-based epoxy polymers that are reinforced with recycled woven jute fabrics were subjected to water immersion tests in order to study the effect of water absorption on their mechanical and geometrical properties. For comparison, petroleum-based epoxy polymers that are reinforced with new woven jute fabrics were also subjected to the same tests. The effect of fi ber percentage on water absorption, thickness swelling,… More >

Sudhakar Muniyasamy¹, Andrew Anstey², Murali M. Reddy¹, Manju Misra^1,2, Amar Mohanty^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.4, pp. 253-272, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634117

Abstract Lignocellulosic composites have attracted interest from both academia and industry due to their benefi cial environmental and sustainability attributes. The lignocellulosic industry has seen remarkable improvements in the development of composites for high performance applications. Both biodegradable as well as non-biodegradable polymers are used in the design and engineering of lignocellulosic composites. Biodegradability studies of lignocellulosic composites in soil and composting environments help in planning their end-life management. Biodegradability tests are complex and dependent on the environment in which the testing is carried out. Due to this, standards have been developed by international agencies such as the American Society for… More >

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

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 66-76, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634134

Abstract Posidonia Oceanica waste was used as reinforcement in a polyethylene matrix and the obtained composites were characterised by a tensile test and morphological analysis. The fi brous material derived from P. Oceanica wastes was characterised by morphological, thermal and chemical analysis, and a subsequent treatment with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at different weight content (2, 5 and 10 wt%) was considered as an optimised method for surface modifi cation of pristine fi bres (PO). The TGA analysis and morphological investigation of the treated fi bres selected the 5 wt% of NaOH as the best treatment. Matrix compatibilisation with maleic anhydride grafted… More >

A. Terenzi¹, A. Iannoni¹, L. Torre¹, A. Jiménez^2,*, J.M. Kenny¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 42-51, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634101

Abstract The development of new nano-biocomposites has been one of the main research areas of interest in polymer science in recent years, since they can combine the intrinsic biodegradable nature of matrices with the ability to modify their properties by the addition of selected nano-reinforcements. In this work, the addition of mineral nanoclays (montmorillonites and sepiolites) to a commercial starch-based matrix is proposed. A complete study on their processing by melt-intercalation techniques and further evaluation of the main properties of nano-biocomposites has been carried out. The results reported show an important infl uence of the nano-biocomposites morphology on their fi nal… More >

Rosana Moriana^1,2,*, Emma Strömberg¹, Amparo Ribes², Sigbritt Karlsson^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 145-156, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634103

Abstract The purpose of this work was to study the effect of hydrothermal, biological and photo degradation on natural fi bres reinforced biodegradable starch-based (Mater-BiKE) composites to characterize the structural changes occurring under exposure to different environments. The composites water-uptake rate was hindered by the interfacial interactions between matrix and fi bres. Thermal, structural and morphological analysis provided useful information about the irreversible changes in the properties of the composites caused by degradation in soil and photodegradation, and their synergetic effects. The effects due to the photo-oxidation and degradation in soil on the composites depended on the different chemical composition of… More >

Marta Martínez-Sanz, Amparo López-Rubio, Maria José Fabra, José M. Lagaron^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 107-117, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634106

Abstract Due to their high crystallinity and aspect ratio, bacterial cellulose nanowhiskers (BCNW) represent an appealing choice for the development of fully biobased nanocomposite materials with high barrier performance. However, their strong tendency to self-associate, together with their highly hydrophilic character, has restricted the production of nanocomposites containing cellulose nanowhiskers by industrial processing techniques such as melt compounding. Th is article presents an overview of the latest published results carried out within our group and also in other relevant literature, which have led to the development of an effi cient strategy for the incorporation of highly dispersed BCNW by melt compounding… More >

V. K. Srivastava¹, A. Pizzi^2,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 201-206, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634107

Abstract Fine wood powder/furanic foams were prepared with a strong predominance of the wood component. Low weight and density are important properties of foamed composites. Focusing on preparing light materials, wood foam composites were made using a chemical foaming method and expanded using diethyl ether as the foaming agent. The additives were added to note their effect on the density and mechanical properties, like impact strength and Young’s moduli, of the expanded composites. Various tests and scanning electron microscopy analysis were also performed. The foaming agent resulted in closed cells with varied sizes and more or less regular shapes, and with… More >

A. Sauget^1,*, X. Zhou¹, A. Pizzi^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 173-181, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634128

Abstract Tannin-resorcinol-formaldehyde (TRF) resin shows a good compatibility with natural fl ax fi bers and yields composite materials of good mechanical properties when using paraformaldehyde as a hardener. Different formulations, curing parameters and processes such as high-temperature curing in press or spray-drying have been explored in order to adapt this resin to composite manufacturing and to improve the properties of this new material. Additional testing has been performed on the TRF resin by thermomechanical analysis to observe its reactivity at different pH and with the use of different hardeners. More >

Richard C. Ferguson, Sharathkumar K. Mendon, James W. Rawlins^*, Shelby F. Thames

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 166-172, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634133

Abstract Commercial particleboards are currently synthesized by blending wood furnish with formaldehyde-based resins and curing them under a combination of heat and pressure. Particleboards manufactured with urea-formaldehyde resin are known to liberate formaldehyde during their service lives. Formaldehyde’s carcinogenicity has prompted the search for environmentally-friendly resins for wood composite manufacture. Soybean protein-based adhesives have been developed as a renewable and formaldehyde-free replacement for urea-formaldehyde resins. Particleboards processed using the soybean protein adhesive matched or exceeded performance criteria of M-2-grade commercial particleboards when evaluated as per American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specifi cations. More >