Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Modified with Thermoplastic Polyurethane and Microfibrillated Cellulose: Hydrolytic Degradation and Thermal and Mechanical Properties.

Blending poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) with other polymers could be a rapid and accessible solution to overcome some of its drawbacks. In this work, PHB was modified with microfibrillated cellulose (MC) and a thermoplastic polyurethane containing biodegradable segments (PU) by two routes, using a masterbatch and by direct mixing. The PU and MC modifiers improved the thermal stability of PHB by up to 13 °C and slightly decreased its melt viscosity and crystallinity, thus improving the melt processability.

Consensus Preconception Educational Domains for People With Mobility Disabilities: A Delphi Study.

Background: Preconception health education is critical to improve pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, but people with mobility disabilities have specific, often unique issues related to preparing for pregnancy. This study sought to develop consensus-based domains for a preconception education curriculum for people with mobility disabilities.

Methods: We used a mixed methods approach, including a literature review and a Delphi method to develop consensus.

Effect of Medium-Chain-Length Alkyl Silane Modified Nanocellulose in Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Nanocomposites.

Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a valuable biopolymer that is produced in industrial quantity but is not widely used in applications due to some drawbacks. The addition of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) as a biofiller in PHB/CNF nanocomposites may improve PHB properties and enlarge its application field. In this work, n-octyltriethoxy silane (OTES), a medium-chain-length alkyl silane, was used to surface chemically modify the CNF (CNF_OTES) to enhance their hydrophobicity and improve their compatibility with PHB.

Development of lactic acid production from coffee grounds hydrolysate by fermentation with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus.

Unlabelled: Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are commercial waste that are still rich in numerous valuable ingredients and can be further processed into useful products such as coffee oil, antioxidant extract, lactic acid, and lignin. The challenge and innovation is to develop the SCG processing technology, maximizing the use of raw material and minimizing the use of other resources within the sequential process. The presented research is focused on the aspect of biotechnological production of lactic acid from SCG by using the Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain isolated from the environment.

Morphological, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties of Nanocomposites Based on Bio-Polyamide and Feather Keratin-Halloysite Nanohybrid.

One solution to comply with the strict regulations of the European Commission and reduce the environmental footprint of composites is the use of composite materials based on bio-polymers and fillers from natural resources. The aim of our work was to obtain and analyze the properties of bio-polymer nanocomposites based on bio-PA (PA) and feather keratin-halloysite nanohybrid. Keratin (KC) was mixed with halloysite (H) as such or with the treated surface under dynamic conditions, resulting in two nanohybrids: KCHM and KCHE.