The accumulation of petrochemical plastic waste is detrimental to the environment. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bacterial-derived polymers utilized for the production of bioplastics. PHA-plastics exhibit mechanical and thermal properties similar to conventional plastics. However, high production cost and obtaining high PHA yield and productivity impedes the widespread use of bioplastics. This study demonstrates the concept of cyclic fed-batch fermentation (CFBF) for enhanced PHA productivity by Bacillus thuringiensis using a glucose-rich hydrolyzate as the sole carbon source. The statistically optimized fermentation conditions used to obtain high cell density biomass (OD600 of 2.4175) were: 8.77 g L−1 yeast extract; 66.63% hydrolyzate (v/v); a fermentation pH of 7.18; and an incubation time of 27.22 h. The CFBF comprised three cycles of 29 h, 52 h, and 65 h, respectively. After the third cyclic event, cell biomass of 20.99 g L−1, PHA concentration of 14.28 g L−1, PHA yield of 68.03%, and PHA productivity of 0.219 g L−1 h−1 was achieved. This cyclic strategy yielded an almost threefold increase in biomass concentration and a fourfold increase in PHA concentration compared with batch fermentation. FTIR spectra of the extracted PHAs display prominent peaks at the wavelengths unique to PHAs. A copolymer was elucidated after the first cyclic event, whereas, after cycles CFBF 2–4, a terpolymer was noted. The PHAs obtained after CFBF cycle 3 have a slightly higher thermal stability compared with commercial PHB. The cyclic events decreased the melting temperature and degree of crystallinity of the PHAs. The approach used in this study demonstrates the possibility of coupling fermentation strategies with hydrolyzate derived from lignocellulosic waste as an alternative feedstock to obtain high cell density biomass and enhanced PHA productivity.

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The pursuit for sustainability in the papermaking industry calls for the elimination or reduction of synthetic additives and the exploration of renewable and biodegradable alternatives. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), due to their inherent morphological and biochemical properties, are an excellent alternative to synthetic additives.These properties enable CNFs to improve the mechanical, functional and barrier properties of different types of paper. The nanosize diameter, micrometre length, semi-crystalline structure, high strength and modulus of CNFs has a direct influence on the mechanical properties of paper such as tensile index, burst index, Scott index, breaking length, tear index, Z-strength, E-modulus, strain at break, and tensile stiffness. This review details the role played by CNFs as an additive to improve strength properties of papers and the factors affecting the improvement in paper quality when CNFs are added as additives. The paper also includes techno-economic aspects of the process and identifies areas that need further research.

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