1
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rahmanifard M, Khademi SMH, Asheghi-Oskooee R, Farizeh T, Hemmati F. Reactive processing-microstructure-mechanical performance correlations in biodegradable poly(lactic acid)/expanded graphite nanocomposites. RSC Adv 2024; 14:794-807. [PMID: 38174233 PMCID: PMC10759167 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra06622c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Reactive extrusion is a promising method to prepare biodegradable nanocomposites with enhanced modulus, strength and toughness. In this study, biodegradable extended nanocomposites based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/expanded graphite (EG) were prepared by melt-compounding using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. Effects of EG loading, aspect ratio, delamination and dispersion state on the mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of PLA/EG nanocomposites were investigated. Adding the largest EG (EGL) nanoplatelets, having the average particle size of 48.2 μm and aspect ratio of 19.5, to the PLA matrix enhanced the Young modulus, tensile strength, ultimate strain and tensile toughness of the extended PLA sample with benzoyl peroxide (BP) between 40-100%. The observed enhancements originated from restricted PLA molecular motions, assisted PLA crystallization and intensified BP activity in extending the PLA chains. In contrast, EG nanofiller (EGS), with the lowest aspect ratio and size, lowered the PLA relaxation time and accelerated the PLA crystallization. This type of EG showed the weakest reinforcing effect on PLA. For the EG type (EGM) with an intermediate size and aspect ratio, it was observed that the presence of the nanoparticles had a negligible effect on the PLA molecular dynamic and reduced the PLA crystallization rate. The highest impact strength was observed for the PLA/EGM nanocomposite at 1 phr loading.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Rahmanifard
- Caspian Faculty of Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran P.O. Box 43841-119 Guilan Iran
| | | | - Reza Asheghi-Oskooee
- Caspian Faculty of Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran P.O. Box 43841-119 Guilan Iran
| | - Tara Farizeh
- Caspian Faculty of Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran P.O. Box 43841-119 Guilan Iran
| | - Farkhondeh Hemmati
- Caspian Faculty of Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran P.O. Box 43841-119 Guilan Iran
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Continuous extrusion foaming process of biodegradable nanocomposites based on poly(lactic acid)/carbonaceous nanoparticles with different geometric shapes: An insight into involved physical, chemical and rheological phenomena. J Appl Polym Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/app.53822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
|
4
|
Upcycling of Poly(Lactic Acid) by Reactive Extrusion with Recycled Polycarbonate: Morphological and Mechanical Properties of Blends. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14235058. [PMID: 36501453 PMCID: PMC9740999 DOI: 10.3390/polym14235058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most promising renewable polymers to be employed to foster ecological and renewable materials in many fields of application. To develop high-performance products, however, the thermal resistance and the impact properties should be improved. At the same time, it is also necessary to consider the end of life through the exploration of property assessment, following reprocessing. In this context the aim of the paper is to develop PLA/PC blends, obtained from recycled materials, in particular scraps from secondary processing, to close the recycling loop. Indeed, the blending of PLA with polycarbonate (PC) was demonstrated to be a successful strategy to improve thermomechanical properties that happens after several work cycles. The correlation between the compositions and properties was then investigated by considering the morphology of the blends; in addition, the reactive extrusions resulting in the formation of a PLA-PC co-polymer were investigated. The materials obtained are then examined by means of a dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMTA) to study the relaxations and transitions.
Collapse
|
5
|
Milovanovic S, Pajnik J, Lukic I. Tailoring of advanced poly(lactic acid)‐based materials: A review. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.51839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stoja Milovanovic
- University of Belgrade Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy Belgrade Serbia
- New Chemical Syntheses Institute Łukasiewicz Research Network Puławy Poland
| | - Jelena Pajnik
- University of Belgrade Innovation Center of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy Belgrade Serbia
| | - Ivana Lukic
- University of Belgrade Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy Belgrade Serbia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang H, Peng X, Liu F, Song X, Wang H, Geng L, Huang A. Facile preparation of super lightweight and highly elastic thermoplastic polyurethane bead blend foam with microporous segregated network structure for good interfacial adhesion. J Supercrit Fluids 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.supflu.2022.105568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
|
7
|
Sadeghi B, Sadeghi P, Marfavi Y, Kowsari E, Zareiyazd AA, Ramakrishna S. Impacts of cellulose nanofibers on the morphological behavior and dynamic mechanical thermal properties of extruded polylactic acid/cellulose nanofibril nanocomposite foam. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.51673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Peyman Sadeghi
- Faculty of Polymer and Chemical Engineering University of Tehran Tehran Iran
| | - Yousef Marfavi
- Department of Chemistry Amirkabir University of Technology Tehran Iran
| | - Elaheh Kowsari
- Department of Chemistry Amirkabir University of Technology Tehran Iran
| | | | - Seeram Ramakrishna
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Qin X, Feng N, Kang Z, Hu D. Construction of wood-based cellulose micro-framework composite form-stable multifunctional materials with thermal and electrical response via incorporating erythritol-urea (thiourea)-carbon nanotubes. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 184:538-550. [PMID: 34175336 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.06.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In this study, two kinds of form-stable multifunctional materials with thermal and electrical response (FPCMs: DP-E7U3-CNT, DP-E7T3-CNT) are composed of wood-based honeycomb-like celluloses micro-framework (DP), carbon nanotubes (CNT), erythritol-urea (E7U3) or erythritol-thiourea (E7T3). In FPCMs, DP acts as a skeleton structure to seal E7U3 and E7T3 and provide more pathways for heat conduction. The CNT acts as an extended surface to further improve thermal conductivity. FE-SEM showed that the honeycomb-like pore structure of DP was completely filled with E7U3, E7T3 and CNT. FTIR and XRD analysis show that there is only a combination of physical interactions between the components of FPCMs. DSC curves and thermal conductivity analysis results show that DP-E7U3-1.5CNT and DP-E7T3-1.5CNT with the mass fraction of carbon nanotubes (1.5 wt%) have the highest latent heat values (230.3 J/g, 272.2 J/g) and thermal conductivity (0.9832 W/(m·K), 0.9363 W/(m·K)). Both DP-E7U3-1.5CNT and DP-E7T3-1.5CNT exhibit high latent heat retention and thermal stability after 100 heating-cooling cycles. In addition, DP-E7U3-1.5CNT and DP-E7T3-1.5CNT show excellent performance in light-heat energy conversion-storage, actual latent heat storage and release, thermal and electrical response performance, which make it has great potential to be multifunctional materials with thermal storage sand electrical response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Resources and Advanced Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Nianrong Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Resources and Advanced Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Zhe Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Resources and Advanced Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Dongying Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Featured Metal Resources and Advanced Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Azizi-Lalabadi M, Jafari SM. Bio-nanocomposites of graphene with biopolymers; fabrication, properties, and applications. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 292:102416. [PMID: 33872984 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2021.102416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The unique properties of graphene and graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites make them suitable for a wide range of medical, industrial, and agricultural applications. The addition of graphene or GO to a polymeric matrix can ameliorate its thermo-mechanical, electrical, and barrier characteristics. The present paper reviews the literature on graphene/GO-based bio-nanocomposites and examines the various fabrication methods, such as chemical vapor deposition, chemical synthesis, microwave synthesis, the solvothermal method, molecular beam epitaxy, and colloidal suspension. Each procedure potentially has its disadvantages, especially for mass production. Therefore, introducing an effective method for fabricating graphene on a large scale with high quality is essential. Recent studies have shown that graphene-based bio-nanocomposites are promising materials given their excellent performance in the development of biosensors, drug delivery systems, antimicrobials, modified electrodes, and energy storage systems among other applications. In this review, we evaluate the various procedures used for developing graphene/GO-based bio-nanocomposites and examine the features and applications of the related products. Furthermore, the toxicity of these compounds and attempts to uncover the optimal combinations of biopolymers and carbon nanomaterials for industrial applications will be discussed.
Collapse
|
10
|
Li P, Zhu X, Kong M, Lv Y, Huang Y, Yang Q, Li G. Fully biodegradable polylactide foams with ultrahigh expansion ratio and heat resistance for green packaging. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 183:222-234. [PMID: 33930441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.04.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Long chain branching (LCB) structures are efficiently introduced into polylactide (PLA) by employing sustainable soybean oil (SO) under the initiation of trace amount of cyclic peroxide, which displays robust foamability and heat resistance. It is discovered that with the introduction of 0.6 wt% SO, the expansion ratio and Vicat softening temperature of LCB PLA are sharply raised to 75.2-fold and 155.8 °C, respectively, which is about 17.9 and 2.6 times those of linear PLA. This is because that the amounts of LCB structures are significantly increased in LCB PLA by the addition of SO with low reactivity of internal CC bonds, which can avoid the oligomerization reaction, resulting in more dramatically improved melting strength and crystallization performance of LCB PLA. Moreover, the hydrolytic degradation of LCB PLA is largely expedited as compared to linear PLA, owing to the more rapid water permeation caused by the loose packing of LCB structures. Finally, the PLA foam tray with light weight and good heat resistance is successfully developed by using LCB PLA with 0.6 wt% SO through extrusion foaming with supercritical carbon oxide and thermoforming techniques. Hence, this research offers a green route to produce eco-friendly light-weight and high-heat-resistance LCB-PLA foam with full biodegradability, which is an ideal alternative to the non-degradable oil-based plastics in the field of disposable packaging products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering of China, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China
| | - Xiaoyi Zhu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering of China, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China
| | - Miqiu Kong
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering of China, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China.
| | - Yadong Lv
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering of China, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China
| | - Yajiang Huang
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering of China, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China
| | - Qi Yang
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering of China, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China
| | - Guangxian Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering of China, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, PR China
| |
Collapse
|