Circular manufacturing of chitinous bio-composites via bioconversion of urban refuse

Abstract

Bioinspired manufacturing, in the sense of replicating the way nature fabricates, may hold great potential for supporting a socioeconomic transformation towards a sustainable society. Use of unmodified ubiquitous biological components suggests for a fundamentally sustainable manufacturing paradigm where materials are produced, transformed into products and degraded in closed regional systems with limited requirements for transport. However, adoption is currently limited by the fact that despite their ubiquitous nature, these biopolymers are predominantly harvested as industrial and agricultural products. in this study, we overcome this limitation by developing a link between bioinspired manufacturing and urban waste bioconversion. this result is paramount for the development of circular economic models, effectively connecting the organic by-products of civilization to locally decentralized, general-purpose manufacturing.are placed together (Fig. 4b); from the 0.5 mm post-drying layer definition of the insect replica to the 5 m height of the original crustacean-plant version, there are four orders of magnitude achieved using the same free-form manufacturing system and material. Scientific RepoRtS |(2020) 10:4632 | https://doi.Where, [η] is intrinsic viscosity, K and α are Mark-Houwink Constants. The values of K and α are taken from what was previously determined with identical setting as 0.74 ×10 −3 and 0.76, respectively.Mechanical testing. The mechanical properties of chitosan film and FLAM of insect chitin were evaluated by the tensile test performed using UTM (Universal Testing Machine-Instron 5943) equipped with 1 kN load cell with a cross head speed of 4 mm min −1 at ambient conditions according to the standard method (ASTM D1037-12) 15 . Chitosan films specimens were cut into strips with 70 mm length and 20 mm width. Thickness of the chitosan film were measured by SEM. The specimens for FLAMs were cast in a dog-bone shape mold with 100 × 16 × 6 mm size in the reduced section and allowed to dry in an oven at 50 °C for 24 h before test. 3-point bending test: FLAM (CC 1:8) were tested for the flexural test following ASTM standards (D1037-12) on UTM equipped with 3-point flexure test fixtures. A support span of 60 mm and head speed of 4 mm min −1 was used.figures. Figures and clip art compositions were prepared using Adobe Illustrator (Adobe Inc, San Jose, California, U.S.). Photographs were taken using a Canon EOS 50D camera (Canon Inc. Ota City, Tokyo, Japan) with 18-55 mm lens.

Larvae Mediated Valorization of Industrial, Agriculture and Food Wastes: Biorefinery Concept through Bioconversion, Processes, Procedures, and Products

“…A fascinating study focusing on the circular manufacturing of chitinous bio-composites via the BSF-based bioconversion of urban refuse was published recently [114]. In that study, chitosan isolated from BSF from two geographical locations (BSF IT -Italy and BSF SG -Singapore) was characterized and cast into~250-µm-thick films and were subjected to mechanical tests.…”

Martian biolith: A bioinspired regolith composite for closed-loop extraterrestrial manufacturing

“…One of the advantages of the printing setup reported here (Fig 4B) is the ability to tune the printing process so as to balance speed and definition, as well as the ability to scale printed artifacts to several orders of magnitude using the same material and manufacturing technology. For example, using this technology, we printed a 5 m structure in 48h with a 5 mm definition, and its replica at 40 cm in 12 h with a 0.5 mm definition [11,28].…”

“…Chitin is a paradigmatic example of an organic matrix of mineralized composites; it is the second most abundant organic polymer on Earth (after cellulose) and biology's recurrent solution to forming structural components. Chitin is produced and metabolized by organisms across most biological kingdoms, including most heterotrophs used as bio-converters of organic matter [11].…”

“…Here, we approach the problem of staying on Mars from a bioinspired perspective by replicating chitinous bioinspired manufacturing [22] developed for the production of sustainable manufacturing on Earth [11]. The resulting Martian biolith and its associated chemistry involve Martian regolith simulant, ubiquitous biomolecules, and water-based solvents that are easily integrated into any ecological cycle(s) and avoids the need for complex polymer synthesis, shipping of specialized equipment, or dedicated feedstock.…”

Editorial overview: Devastating locust swarms and pandemics: the same pressing need for sustainability science

“…Here again, insects can help. For example, soldier flies have been increasingly used to tackle food waste and now favor the creation of a sustainable, closed manufacturing loop where trash becomes raw material for new products [ 14 ]. Biomimetics is another promising research avenue, in particular for building materials.…”