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Biagi F, Giubilini A, Veronesi P, Nigro G, Messori M. Valorization of Winery By-Products as Bio-Fillers for Biopolymer-Based Composites. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:1344. [PMID: 38794538 PMCID: PMC11125358 DOI: 10.3390/polym16101344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Grape seeds (GS), wine lees (WL), and grape pomace (GP) are common winery by-products, used as bio-fillers in this research with two distinct biopolymer matrices-poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and polybutylene succinate (PBS)-to create fully bio-based composite materials. Each composite included at least 30 v% bio-filler, with a sample reaching 40 v%, as we sought to determine a composition that could be economically and environmentally effective as a substitute for a pure biopolymer matrix. The compounding process employed a twin-screw extruder followed by an injection molding procedure to fabricate the specimens. An acetylation treatment assessed the specimen's efficacy in enhancing matrix-bio-filler affinity, particularly for WL and GS. The fabricated bio-composites underwent an accurate characterization, revealing no alteration in thermal properties after compounding with bio-fillers. Moreover, hygroscopic measurements indicated increased water-affinity in bio-composites compared to neat biopolymer, most significantly with GP, which exhibited a 7-fold increase. Both tensile and dynamic mechanical tests demonstrated that bio-fillers not only preserved, but significantly enhanced, the stiffness of the neat biopolymer across all samples. In this regard, the most promising results were achieved with the PBAT and acetylated GS sample, showing a 162% relative increase in Young's modulus, and the PBS and WL sample, which exhibited the highest absolute values of Young's modulus and storage modulus, even at high temperatures. These findings underscore the scientific importance of exploring the interaction between bio-fillers derived from winery by-products and three different biopolymer matrices, showcasing their potential for sustainable material development, and advancing polymer science and bio-sourced material processing. From a practical standpoint, the study highlighted the tangible benefits of using by-product bio-fillers, including cost savings, waste reduction, and environmental advantages, thus paving the way for greener and more economically viable material production practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Biagi
- Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Alberto Giubilini
- Department of Management and Production Engineering (DIGEP), Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Paolo Veronesi
- Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari” (DIEF), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Pietro Vivarelli 10, 41125 Modena, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Nigro
- Ri.Nova—Filiera Vitivinicola ed Olivo-Oleicola, Via Tebano 45, 48018 Faenza, Italy;
| | - Massimo Messori
- Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy;
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Valero L, Gainche M, Esparcieux C, Delor-Jestin F, Askanian H. Vegetal Polyphenol Extracts as Antioxidants for the Stabilization of PLA: Toward Fully Biobased Polymer Formulation. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:7725-7736. [PMID: 38405455 PMCID: PMC10882618 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The use of natural antioxidants as substitutes for traditional synthetic stabilizers has been investigated for the stabilization of biobased and biodegradable polymers, with the aim of designing fully biobased plastic formulations. This study focused on the thermo- and photostabilization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) using vegetal polyphenol extracts as biosourced antioxidants. The polyphenols were extracted by microwave-assisted extraction from the valorization of vegetal waste, and their potential as antioxidant additives was evaluated (e.g., polyphenol content, composition, and antioxidant activity). PLA was then formulated with 2 wt % of the extracts exhibiting the highest antioxidant activities: green tea residues, pomegranate peels, grape marc, bramble leaves, and yellow onion peel extracts. The efficiency of the natural additives as thermal stabilizers was evaluated and compared with a synthetic antioxidant using rheological and thermal analyses. The results demonstrated the capacity of grape marc extract and pomegranate peel extract to significantly improve PLA thermal stability during processing and thermo-oxidation. Finally, photorheology was conducted to evaluate the influence of the bioadditives on the biopolyester photodegradation. The different polyphenol extracts seemed to significantly hinder the photo-oxidation of PLA and constitute very promising natural UV stabilizers, combining UV absorbers and antioxidant functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luna Valero
- Université Clermont Auvergne,
Clermont Auvergne INP—Sigma Clermont, CNRS, ICCF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Mael Gainche
- Université Clermont Auvergne,
Clermont Auvergne INP—Sigma Clermont, CNRS, ICCF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Cécile Esparcieux
- Université Clermont Auvergne,
Clermont Auvergne INP—Sigma Clermont, CNRS, ICCF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Florence Delor-Jestin
- Université Clermont Auvergne,
Clermont Auvergne INP—Sigma Clermont, CNRS, ICCF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Haroutioun Askanian
- Université Clermont Auvergne,
Clermont Auvergne INP—Sigma Clermont, CNRS, ICCF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Hiller BT, Azzi JL, Rennert M. Improvement of the Thermo-Oxidative Stability of Biobased Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) Using Biogenic Wine By-Products as Sustainable Functional Fillers. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15112533. [PMID: 37299332 DOI: 10.3390/polym15112533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Biobased poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) represents one promising sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polymers. Its sensitivity to thermo-oxidative degradation is one reason for its limited application. In this research, two different varieties of wine grape pomaces (WPs) were investigated as fully biobased stabilizers. WPs were prepared via simultaneous drying and grinding to be used as bio-additives or functional fillers at higher filling rates. The by-products were characterized in terms of composition and relative moisture, in addition to particle size distribution analysis, TGA, and assays to determine the total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity. Biobased PBS was processed with a twin-screw compounder with WP contents up to 20 wt.-%. The thermal and mechanical properties of the compounds were investigated with DSC, TGA, and tensile tests using injection-molded specimens. The thermo-oxidative stability was determined using dynamic OIT and oxidative TGA measurements. While the characteristic thermal properties of the materials remained almost unchanged, the mechanical properties were altered within expected ranges. The analysis of the thermo-oxidative stability revealed WP as an efficient stabilizer for biobased PBS. This research shows that WP, as a low-cost and biobased stabilizer, improves the thermo-oxidative stability of biobased PBS while maintaining its key properties for processing and technical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt T Hiller
- Institute for Biopolymers (ibp) at Hof University, Hof University of Applied Sciences, 95028 Hof, Germany
- Plastics Technology Group, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technische Universität Ilmenau, 98683 Ilmenau, Germany
| | - Julia L Azzi
- Medical and Biological Physics Program, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4LD, Canada
| | - Mirko Rennert
- Institute for Biopolymers (ibp) at Hof University, Hof University of Applied Sciences, 95028 Hof, Germany
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Psaki O, Athanasoulia IGI, Giannoulis A, Briassoulis D, Koutinas A, Ladakis D. Fermentation development using fruit waste derived mixed sugars for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production and property evaluation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 382:129077. [PMID: 37088428 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Free sugars from fruit wastes were evaluated for the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in Paraburkholderia sacchari fed-batch bioreactor fermentations. Different initial sugar concentration, carbon to inorganic phosphorus (C/IP) ratio, IP addition during feeding and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa) were evaluated to promote PHB production. The highest intracellular PHB accumulation (66.6%), PHB concentration (108.3 g/L), productivity (3.28 g/L/h) and yield (0.33 g/g) were achieved at 40 g/L initial sugars, C/IP 26.5, 202.6 h-1kLa value and 20% IP supplementation in the feeding solution. The effect of different cell's harvesting time on PHB properties showed no influence in weight average molecular weight and thermal properties. The harvest time influenced the tensile strength that was reduced from 28.7 MPa at 22 h to 13.3 MPa at 36 h. The elongation at break and Young's modulus were in the range 3.6-14.8% and 830-2000 MPa, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Psaki
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece
| | - Ioanna-Georgia I Athanasoulia
- Laboratory of Farm Structures, Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasios Giannoulis
- Laboratory of Farm Structures, Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Demetres Briassoulis
- Laboratory of Farm Structures, Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Apostolis Koutinas
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Ladakis
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece.
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Visco A, Scolaro C, Facchin M, Brahimi S, Belhamdi H, Gatto V, Beghetto V. Agri-Food Wastes for Bioplastics: European Prospective on Possible Applications in Their Second Life for a Circular Economy. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:2752. [PMID: 35808796 PMCID: PMC9268966 DOI: 10.3390/polym14132752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Agri-food wastes (such as brewer's spent grain, olive pomace, residual pulp from fruit juice production, etc.) are produced annually in very high quantities posing a serious problem, both environmentally and economically. These wastes can be used as secondary starting materials to produce value-added goods within the principles of the circular economy. In this context, this review focuses on the use of agri-food wastes either to produce building blocks for bioplastics manufacturing or biofillers to be mixed with other bioplastics. The pros and cons of the literature analysis have been highlighted, together with the main aspects related to the production of bioplastics, their use and recycling. The high number of European Union (EU)-funded projects for the valorisation of agri-food waste with the best European practices for this industrial sector confirm a growing interest in safeguarding our planet from environmental pollution. However, problems such as the correct labelling and separation of bioplastics from fossil ones remain open and to be optimised, with the possibility of reuse before final composting and selective recovery of biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Visco
- Department of Engineering, University of Messina, C.da Di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.S.); (S.B.); (H.B.)
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials-CNR IPCB, Via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Cristina Scolaro
- Department of Engineering, University of Messina, C.da Di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.S.); (S.B.); (H.B.)
| | - Manuela Facchin
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Mestre, Italy;
| | - Salim Brahimi
- Department of Engineering, University of Messina, C.da Di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.S.); (S.B.); (H.B.)
| | - Hossem Belhamdi
- Department of Engineering, University of Messina, C.da Di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.S.); (S.B.); (H.B.)
| | - Vanessa Gatto
- Crossing S.r.l., Viale della Repubblica 193/b, 31100 Treviso, Italy;
| | - Valentina Beghetto
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Mestre, Italy;
- Crossing S.r.l., Viale della Repubblica 193/b, 31100 Treviso, Italy;
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Thermo-Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Polymer Composites Reinforced by Natural Fibers Derived from Wet Blue Leather Wastes: A Comparative Study. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13111837. [PMID: 34206121 PMCID: PMC8199571 DOI: 10.3390/polym13111837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The present work investigated the possibility to use wet blue (WB) leather wastes as natural reinforcing fibers within different polymer matrices. After their preparation and characterization, WB fibers were melt-mixed at 10 wt.% with poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyamide 12 (PA12), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and the obtained samples were subjected to rheological, thermal, thermo-mechanical, and viscoelastic analyses. In parallel, morphological properties such as fiber distribution and dispersion, fiber-matrix adhesion, and fiber exfoliation phenomena were analyzed through a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to evaluate the relationship between the compounding process, mechanical responses, and morphological parameters. The PLA-based composite exhibited the best results since the Young modulus (+18%), tensile strength (+1.5%), impact (+10%), and creep (+5%) resistance were simultaneously enhanced by the addition of WB fibers, which were well dispersed and distributed in and significantly branched and interlocked with the polymer matrix. PA12- and TPU-based formulations showed a positive behavior (around +47% of the Young modulus and +40% of creep resistance) even if the not-optimal fiber-matrix adhesion and/or the poor de-fibration of WB slightly lowered the tensile strength and elongation at break. Finally, the TPE-based sample exhibited the worst performance because of the poor affinity between hydrophilic WB fibers and the hydrophobic polymer matrix.
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Parisi M, Nanni A, Colonna M. Recycling of Chrome-Tanned Leather and Its Utilization as Polymeric Materials and in Polymer-Based Composites: A Review. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13030429. [PMID: 33572866 PMCID: PMC7866253 DOI: 10.3390/polym13030429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tanneries generate large amounts of solid and liquid wastes, which contain harmful chemical compounds in the environment, such as chromium, that is used in the tanning process. Until now, they have been almost completely dumped in landfills. Thus, finding eco-sustainable and innovative alternatives for the management and disposal of these wastes is becoming a huge challenge for tanneries and researchers around the world. In particular, the scientific and industrial communities have started using wastes to produce new materials exploiting the characteristics of leather, which are strongly connected with the macromolecular structure of its main component, collagen. None of the reviews on leather waste management actually present in the scientific literature report in detail the use of leather to make composite materials and the mechanical properties of the materials obtained, which are of fundamental importance for an effective industrial exploitation of leather scraps. This comprehensive review reports for the first time the state of the art of the strategies related to the recovery and valorization of both hydrolyzed collagen and leather waste for the realization of composite materials, reporting in detail the properties and the industrial applications of the materials obtained. In the conclusion section, the authors provide practical implications for industry in relation to sustainability and identify research gaps that can guide future authors and industries in their work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Martino Colonna
- Correspondence: (M.P.); (M.C.); Tel.: +39-051-20-9-0367 (M.P.)
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Wine By-Products as Raw Materials for the Production of Biopolymers and of Natural Reinforcing Fillers: A Critical Review. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13030381. [PMID: 33530517 PMCID: PMC7865623 DOI: 10.3390/polym13030381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The plastic industry is today facing a green revolution; however, biopolymers, produced in low amounts, expensive, and food competitive do not represent an efficient solution. The use of wine waste as second-generation feedstock for the synthesis of polymer building blocks or as reinforcing fillers could represent a solution to reduce biopolymer costs and to boost the biopolymer presence in the market. The present critical review reports the state of the art of the scientific studies concerning the use of wine by-products as substrate for the synthesis of polymer building blocks and as reinforcing fillers for polymers. The review has been mainly focused on the most used bio-based and biodegradable polymers present in the market (i.e., poly(lactic acid), poly(butylene succinate), and poly(hydroxyalkanoates)). The results present in the literature have been reviewed and elaborated in order to suggest new possibilities of development based on the chemical and physical characteristics of wine by-products.
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