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Gonçalves LFFF, Reis RL, Fernandes EM. Forefront Research of Foaming Strategies on Biodegradable Polymers and Their Composites by Thermal or Melt-Based Processing Technologies: Advances and Perspectives. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:1286. [PMID: 38732755 PMCID: PMC11085284 DOI: 10.3390/polym16091286] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The last few decades have witnessed significant advances in the development of polymeric-based foam materials. These materials find several practical applications in our daily lives due to their characteristic properties such as low density, thermal insulation, and porosity, which are important in packaging, in building construction, and in biomedical applications, respectively. The first foams with practical applications used polymeric materials of petrochemical origin. However, due to growing environmental concerns, considerable efforts have been made to replace some of these materials with biodegradable polymers. Foam processing has evolved greatly in recent years due to improvements in existing techniques, such as the use of supercritical fluids in extrusion foaming and foam injection moulding, as well as the advent or adaptation of existing techniques to produce foams, as in the case of the combination between additive manufacturing and foam technology. The use of supercritical CO2 is especially advantageous in the production of porous structures for biomedical applications, as CO2 is chemically inert and non-toxic; in addition, it allows for an easy tailoring of the pore structure through processing conditions. Biodegradable polymeric materials, despite their enormous advantages over petroleum-based materials, present some difficulties regarding their potential use in foaming, such as poor melt strength, slow crystallization rate, poor processability, low service temperature, low toughness, and high brittleness, which limits their field of application. Several strategies were developed to improve the melt strength, including the change in monomer composition and the use of chemical modifiers and chain extenders to extend the chain length or create a branched molecular structure, to increase the molecular weight and the viscosity of the polymer. The use of additives or fillers is also commonly used, as fillers can improve crystallization kinetics by acting as crystal-nucleating agents. Alternatively, biodegradable polymers can be blended with other biodegradable polymers to combine certain properties and to counteract certain limitations. This work therefore aims to provide the latest advances regarding the foaming of biodegradable polymers. It covers the main foaming techniques and their advances and reviews the uses of biodegradable polymers in foaming, focusing on the chemical changes of polymers that improve their foaming ability. Finally, the challenges as well as the main opportunities presented reinforce the market potential of the biodegradable polymer foam materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F. F. F. Gonçalves
- 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs–Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal;
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Rui L. Reis
- 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs–Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal;
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Emanuel M. Fernandes
- 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs–Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal;
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
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Shao GQ, Zhang H, Xu D, Wu FF, Jin YM, Yang N, Yu KJ, Xu XM. Insights into starch-based gels: Selection, fabrication, and application. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 258:128864. [PMID: 38158059 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Starch a natural polymer, has made significant advancements in recent decades, offering superior performance and versatility compared to synthetic materials. This review discusses up-to-date diverse applications of starch gels, their fabrication techniques, and their advantages over synthetic materials. Starch gels renewability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, scalability, and affordability make them attractive. Also, advanced theoretical foundations and emerging industrial technologies could further expand their scope and functions inspiring new applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Qiang Shao
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Huang Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China; Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economics, 6 Longzihu North Road, Zhengzhou, 450046, PR China
| | - Dan Xu
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Feng-Feng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Ya-Mei Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Na Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Ke-Jing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, School of Textile Science and Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China
| | - Xue-Ming Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
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Wang K, Huang YQ, Cheng XH, Yeh JT. Micro foaming performance of scCO 2-aid glutaraldehyde/hexametaphosphate/thermoplastic starch foams modified by alkali treatment and montmorillonite nano-platelets. CELLULAR POLYMERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/02624893211073539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The micro foaming performance, moisture resistance and dynamic viscosity of scCO2-aid glutaraldehyde/hexametaphosphate/thermoplastic tapioca starch (GA/SHMP/TOS) foams were considerably improved by proper NaOH treatment. The expansion ratio, resilience rate, dynamic viscosity values of these NaOH modified foams improved to a maximum, as the time for NaOH treatment approached a proper value. The dynamic viscosity, expansion ratio and resilience rate of the scCO2-aid GA/SHMP/TOS foams modified using 110 atm scCO2-pressure, the proper alkali treatment time, SHMP loading and varying montmorillonite (MMT) loadings improved further, as their MMT loadings approached a proper value of 2.5 part per hundred parts of tapioca starch (PHTOS). Relatively large dynamic viscosity (7.1x104 Pa·s), extremely large expansion ratio (∼75), cell density (1.1x109 cells/cm3) and/or resilience rate (∼80%) were acquired for the scCO2-aid GA/SHMP/TOS/MMT foam modified using the proper alkali treatment time and MMT loading. Thermal analyses results showed that crystallization onset temperatures and crystallization rates of scCO2-aid GA/SHMP/TOS/MMT foams modified using the proper alkali treatment time and varying MMT loadings improved to a highest value by adding 2.5 PHTOS of MMT nano-platelets. Possible reasons accounting for the considerably improved micro foaming performance of scCO2-aid GA/SHMP/TOS/MMT foams modified using the proper alkali treatment time and MMT loading are proposed in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Wang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ya-qiong Huang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-han Cheng
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jen-taut Yeh
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
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Controlling the Formation of Foams in Broth to Promote the Co-Production of Microbial Oil and Exopolysaccharide in Fed-Batch Fermentation. FERMENTATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation8020068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A large amount of foam is generated in the production of microbial oil and exopolysaccharide (EPS) by Sporidiobolus pararoseus JD-2, which causes low efficiency in fermentation. In this study, we aimed to reduce the negative effects of foams on the co-production of oil and EPS by controlling the formation of foams in broth. As we have found, the formation of foams is positively associated with cell growth state, air entrapment, and properties of broth. The efficient foam-control method of adding 0.03% (v/v) of the emulsified polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene pentaerythritol ether (PPE) and feeding corn steep liquor (CSL) at 8–24 h with speed of 0.02 L/h considerably improved the fermentation performance of S. pararoseus JD-2, and significantly increased the oil and EPS concentrations by 8.7% and 12.9%, respectively. The biomass, oil, and EPS concentrations were further increased using a foam backflow device combined with adding 0.03% (v/v) of the emulsified PPE and feeding CSL at 8–24 h, which reached to 62.3 ± 1.8 g/L, 31.2 ± 0.8 g/L, and 10.9 ± 0.4 g/L, respectively. The effective strategy for controlling the formation of foams in fermentation broth reported here could be used as a technical reference for producing frothing products in fed-batch fermentation.
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Abstract
The food packaging sector generates large volumes of plastic waste due to the high demand for packaged products with a short shelf-life. Biopolymers such as starch-based materials are a promising alternative to non-renewable resins, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly food packaging alternative for single-use products. This article provides a chronology of the development of starch-based materials for food packaging. Particular emphasis is placed on the challenges faced in processing these materials using conventional processing techniques for thermoplastics and other emerging techniques such as electrospinning and 3D printing. The improvement of the performance of starch-based materials by blending with other biopolymers, use of micro- and nano-sized reinforcements, and chemical modification of starch is discussed. Finally, an overview of recent developments of these materials in smart food packaging is given.
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