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Kelnar I, Kaprálková L, Němeček P, Dybal J, Abdel-Rahman RM, Vyroubalová M, Nevoralová M, Abdel-Mohsen AM. The Effects of the Deacetylation of Chitin Nanowhiskers on the Performance of PCL/PLA Bio-Nanocomposites. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:3071. [PMID: 37514460 PMCID: PMC10384066 DOI: 10.3390/polym15143071] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The multiple roles of organic nanofillers in biodegradable nanocomposites (NC) with a blend-based matrix is not yet fully understood. This work highlights combination of reinforcing and structure-directing effects of chitin nanowhiskers (CNW) with different degrees of deacetylation (DA), i.e., content of primary or secondary amines on their surface, in the nanocomposite with the PCL/PLA 1:1 matrix. Of importance is the fact that aminolysis with CNW leading to chain scission of both polyesters, especially of PLA, is practically independent of DA. DA also does not influence thermal stability. At the same time, the more marked chain scission/CNW grafting for PLA in comparison to PCL, causing changes in rheological parameters of components and related structural alterations, has crucial effects on mechanical properties in systems with a bicontinuous structure. Favourable combinations of multiple effects of CNW leads to enhanced mechanical performance at low 1% content only, whereas negative effects of structural changes, particularly of changed continuity, may eliminate the reinforcing effects of CNW at higher contents. The explanation of both synergistic and antagonistic effects of structures formed is based on the correspondence of experimental results with respective basic model calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Kelnar
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ludmila Kaprálková
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Němeček
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Dybal
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Rasha M Abdel-Rahman
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Vyroubalová
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Nevoralová
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - A M Abdel-Mohsen
- Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, 162 00 Prague, Czech Republic
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Advances in chitin-based nanoparticle use in biodegradable polymers: A review. Carbohydr Polym 2023; 312:120789. [PMID: 37059529 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Chitin-based nanoparticles are polysaccharide materials that can be produced from a waste stream of the seafood industry: crustacean shells. These nanoparticles have received exponentially growing attention, especially in the field of medicine and agriculture owing to their renewable origin, biodegradability, facile modification, and functionality adjustment. Due to their exceptional mechanical strength and high surface area, chitin-based nanoparticles are ideal candidates for reinforcing biodegradable plastics to ultimately replace traditional plastics. This review discusses the preparation methods for chitin-based nanoparticles and their applications. Special focus is on biodegradable plastics for food packaging making use of the features that can be created by the chitin-based nanoparticles.
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Improvement of Poly(lactic acid)-Poly(hydroxy butyrate) Blend Properties for Use in Food Packaging: Processing, Structure Relationships. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14235104. [PMID: 36501498 PMCID: PMC9736990 DOI: 10.3390/polym14235104] [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: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly(lactic acid)-poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PLA-PHB)-based nanocomposite films were prepared with bio-based additives (CNCs and ChNCs) and oligomer lactic acid (OLA) compatibilizer using extrusion and then blown to films at pilot scale. The aim was to identify suitable material formulations and nanocomposite production processes for film production at a larger scale targeting food packaging applications. The film-blowing process for both the PLA-PHB blend and CNC-nanocomposite was unstable and led to non-homogeneous films with wrinkles and creases, while the blowing of the ChNC-nanocomposite was stable and resulted in a smooth and homogeneous film. The optical microscopy of the blown nanocomposite films indicated well-dispersed chitin nanocrystals while the cellulose crystals were agglomerated to micrometer-size particles. The addition of the ChNCs also resulted in the improved mechanical performance of the PLA-PHB blend due to well-dispersed crystals in the nanoscale as well as the interaction between biopolymers and the chitin nanocrystals. The strength increased from 27 MPa to 37 MPa compared to the PLA-PHB blend and showed almost 36 times higher elongation at break resulting in 10 times tougher material. Finally, the nanocomposite film with ChNCs showed improved oxygen barrier performance as well as faster degradation, indicating its potential exploitation for packaging applications.
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Patel M, Hansson F, Pitkänen O, Geng S, Oksman K. Biopolymer Blends of Poly(lactic acid) and Poly(hydroxybutyrate) and Their Functionalization with Glycerol Triacetate and Chitin Nanocrystals for Food Packaging Applications. ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS 2022; 4:6592-6601. [PMID: 36119407 PMCID: PMC9469702 DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.2c00967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biopolymer that has potential for use in food packaging applications; however, its low crystallinity and poor gas barrier properties limit its use. This study aimed to increase the understanding of the structure property relation of biopolymer blends and their nanocomposites. The crystallinity of the final materials and their effect on barrier properties was studied. Two strategies were performed: first, different concentrations of poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB; 10, 25, and 50 wt %) were compounded with PLA to facilitate the PHB spherulite development, and then, for further increase of the overall crystallinity, glycerol triacetate (GTA) functionalized chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs) were added. The PLA:PHB blend with 25 wt % PHB showed the formation of many very small PHB spherulites with the highest PHB crystallinity among the examined compositions and was selected as the matrix for the ChNC nanocomposites. Then, ChNCs with different concentrations (0.5, 1, and 2 wt %) were added to the 75:25 PLA:PHB blend using the liquid-assisted extrusion process in the presence of GTA. The addition of the ChNCs resulted in an improvement in the crystallization rate and degree of PHB crystallinity as well as mechanical properties. The nanocomposite with the highest crystallinity resulted in greatly decreased oxygen (O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) permeability and increased the overall mechanical properties compared to the blend with GTA. This study shows that the addition ChNCs in PLA:PHB can be a possible way to reach suitable gas barrier properties for food packaging films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitul
Kumar Patel
- Division
of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97 187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Freja Hansson
- Division
of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97 187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Olli Pitkänen
- Microelectronics
Research Unit, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu, 90570 Oulu, Finland
| | - Shiyu Geng
- Division
of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97 187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Kristiina Oksman
- Division
of Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97 187 Luleå, Sweden
- Mechanical
& Industrial Engineering (MIE), University
of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
- Wallenberg
Wood Science Center (WWSC); Luleå
University of Technology, SE 97187 Luleå, Sweden
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Influence of Chitin Nanocrystals on the Crystallinity and Mechanical Properties of Poly(hydroxybutyrate) Biopolymer. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14030562. [PMID: 35160551 PMCID: PMC8840629 DOI: 10.3390/polym14030562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study focuses on the use of pilot-scale produced polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB) biopolymer and chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs) in two different concentrated (1 and 5 wt.%) nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were compounded using a twin-screw extruder and calendered into sheets. The crystallization was studied using polarized optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, the thermal properties were studied using thermogravimetric analysis, the viscosity was studied using a shear rheometer, the mechanical properties were studied using conventional tensile testing, and the morphology of the prepared material was studied using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the addition of ChNCs significantly affected the crystallization of PHB, resulting in slower crystallization, lower overall crystallinity, and smaller crystal size. Furthermore, the addition of ChNCs resulted in increased viscosity in the final formulations. The calendering process resulted in slightly aligned sheets and the nanocomposites with 5 wt.% ChNCs evaluated along the machine direction showed the highest mechanical properties, the strength increased from 24 to 33 MPa, while the transversal direction with lower initial strength at 14 MPa was improved to 21 MPa.
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Dou H, Zheng Y, Qu M, Chen P, He C, Gozin M, Pang S. Nitration of Chitin Monomer: From Glucosamine to Energetic Compound. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26247531. [PMID: 34946612 PMCID: PMC8704513 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The nitration of chitin monomer in a mixture of nitric acid and acetic anhydride was conducted and a highly nitrated (3R,4R,6R)-3-acetamido-6-((nitrooxy)methyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2,4,5-triyl trinitrate (1) was obtained. Its structure was fully characterized using infrared spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 possesses good density (ρ: 1.721 g·cm−3) and has comparable detonation performance (Vd: 7717 m·s−1; P: 25.6 GPa) to that of nitrocellulose (NC: Vd: 7456 m·s−1; P: 23 GPa; Isp = 239 s) and microcrystalline nitrocellulose (MCNC; Vd: 7683 m·s−1; P: 25 GPa; Isp = 250 s). However, Compound 1 has much lower impact sensitivity (IS: 15 J) than the regular nitrocellulose (NC; IS: 3.2 J) and MCNC (IS: 2.8 J). Compound 1 was calculated to exhibit a good specific impulse (Isp: 240 s), which is comparable with NC (Isp: 239 s) and MCNC (Isp: 250 s). By replacing the nitrocellulose with Compound 1 in typical propellants JA2, M30, and M9, the specific impulse was improved by up to 4 s. These promising properties indicate that Compound 1 has a significant potential as an energetic component in solid propellants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Dou
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.D.); (P.C.)
| | - Yuxuan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Manyi Qu
- Shanxi North Xingan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Taiyuan 030008, China;
| | - Peng Chen
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.D.); (P.C.)
| | - Chunlin He
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.D.); (P.C.)
- State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China;
- Yangtze Delta Region Academy, Beijing Institute of Technology, Jiaxing 314019, China
- Chongqing Innovation Center, Beijing Institute of Technology, Chongqing 401120, China
- Correspondence: (C.H.); (M.G.); (S.P.)
| | - Michael Gozin
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6998701, Israel
- Center for Advanced Combustion Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Correspondence: (C.H.); (M.G.); (S.P.)
| | - Siping Pang
- Experimental Center of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.D.); (P.C.)
- State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China;
- Correspondence: (C.H.); (M.G.); (S.P.)
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