Sustainable Wood-Based Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Biodegradable Composite Films Reinforced by a Rapid Homogeneous Esterification Strategy

Abstract

Cellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable resource that is suitable as a filler for commercial polyesters to reduce the cost of biodegradable plastics. However, the limited miscibility of lignocelluloses and polyesters results in the poor tensile properties and competitiveness of the composites. Herein, wood-based biodegradable composite films with applicable mechanical properties were directly fabricated by blending chemically modified wood meal with poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) matrix. Wood meal was efficiently dissolved and modified by a rapid (1 h) homogeneous esterification reaction with lauryl chloride in an ionic liquid under a microwave-assisted condition. The esterified wood offered good thermoplastic and hydrophobic characteristics and processability, and it can be better melt-blended with PBAT. The prepared wood-based PBAT composite films exhibited acceptable tensile properties (17.0 MPa and 452.7%) under a high addition ratio (40%) of esterified wood. The characterizations of chemical structure, morphology, and thermal properties of the composites revealed that the uniform dispersion and excellent compatibility between esterified wood and PBAT boosted the final mechanical properties of the composite films. This work offers a rapid route to produce economically competitive biodegradable composite films.

Biodegradation and Carbon Resource Recovery of Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) by Mealworms: Removal Efficiency, Depolymerization Pattern, and Microplastic Residue

“…In summary, our findings verified our hypothesis that the petroleum-based degradable plastic PBAT could be recycled by serving as a supplementary feedstock for mealworm rearing and breeding. However, a low percentage of PBAT content in PBAT mixture feedstocks (e.g., 10% PBAT content) is recommended for PBAT waste management and resource recovery in the scale-up industrial application, as PBAT is structurally different from bio-based degradable plastics like PLA and PHA. , To improve the efficiency of the PBAT recycling process, more research is warranted to optimize the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, and light conditions), technical designs (e.g., hormone stimulus, incubators), and mealworm strains (e.g., strain domestication) to achieve better PBAT consumption and digestion by mealworms.…”

“…and petroleum derivatives, or produced by natural microbiological systems (e.g., plants, bacteria, fungi, etc. ). ,,− So far, a multitude of biodegradable polymers have been commercialized and marketed, including poly(butylene adipate- co -terephthalate) (PBAT), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), polyhydroxyalkonates (PHA), polycaprolactones (PCL), etc. ,,, PBAT, one of these “green products”, accounts for 23% of the global production capacity for biodegradable polymers and is produced on an industrial scale. ,, It is usually blended with other biodegradable materials (e.g., PLA, starch, etc.) to improve its flexibility, toughness, and tensile strength, which makes its physicochemical functionality comparable to that of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and other petroleum-based conventional polymers. , The application areas of commercialized PBAT plastic include the hygiene, packaging, agriculture, and food industries, with products ranging from food packaging and beverage containers to garbage bags and other common goods. ,,,, …”

“…11,14 The application areas of commercialized PBAT plastic include the hygiene, packaging, agriculture, and food industries, with products ranging from food packaging and beverage containers to garbage bags and other common goods. 5,8,10,11,14 Structurally, PBAT belongs to the aromatic−aliphatic copolyester family. The biodegradability of plastic materials strongly depends on their chemical structure (e. blending materials, degree of polymerization, and additives) and the environmental conditions (i.e., temperature, pH, moisture, and microbes), 5,15,16 and that of PBAT is generally thought to be slightly better than PLA.…”

Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of PBAT/Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) Biodegradable Composite Films through a Dynamic Vulcanization Process

“…This is due to the poor compatibility between hydrophobic PBAT and hydrophilic TPS. 10,38,39 With increasing TAIC content, the boundary between TPS and PBAT gradually becomes less distinct (Figure 8c,d), and the number of visible TPS particles decreases, while their size gradually reduces. When the TAIC content reaches 2 wt % of TPS (Figure 8e), TPS becomes nearly invisible in PBAT, disappearing as an island phase.…”

Sustainable Chemically Modified Mater-Bi/Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Cellulose Biocomposites: Looking at the Bulk through the Surface

“…Due to their chemical structure, mainly high content of hydroxyl groups, the main components of natural llers, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, offer multiple modi cation opportunities. Among well-accepted modi cation methods are silanization, maleation, acetylation, or alkaline treatment, while less popular approaches include esteri cation, benzoylation, fatty acid, triazine, or isocyanate treatment (Hejna et al 2020a; Yu et al 2022). The high content of hydroxyl groups provides isocyanates with the possibility of covalent urethane bonds with a polymer matrix (Barczewski et al 2021).…”