Impact of Combined Thermo- and Photo-Oxidation on the Physicochemical Properties of Oxo-Biodegradable Low-Density Polyethylene Films.

This research addresses the study of the combined effect of two abiotic treatments, a thermo-oxidative treatment followed by a photo-oxidative treatment with ultraviolet light, on the physicochemical properties of commercially available low-density polyethylene films with an oxo-degradant additive (OXOLDPE) and without (LDPE). The change in the oxidized film properties was characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA, GPC, and SEM analytical techniques. The results indicated that the increment in carbonyl index (CI) and crystallinity percentage (X) was higher for those films that received the combined oxidative treatments compared with those that received only one of them, thermo- or photo-oxidative treatment.

Using Plantain Rachis Fibers and Mopa-Mopa Resin to Develop a Fully Biobased Composite Material.

A completely biobased composite material was developed using a matrix of natural resin extracted from the Mora plant, commonly known as Mopa-Mopa or "Barniz de Pasto", reinforced with fibers extracted from plantain rachis agricultural residues. A solvent process, involving grinding, distillation, filtration, and drying stages, was implemented to extract the resin from the plant bud. To obtain the resin from the plant bud, the vegetable material was ground and then dissolved in a water-alcohol blend, followed by distillation, filtration, and grinding until the powdered resin was ready for use in the preparation of the biocomposite.

Assessing the Effect of Cellulose Nanocrystal Content on the Biodegradation Kinetics of Multiscale Polylactic Acid Composites under Controlled Thermophilic Composting Conditions.

This work studied the effect of cellulose nanocrystal (NCC) content on the biodegradation kinetics of PLA-based multiscale cellulosic biocomposites (PLAMCBs). To facilitate biodegradation, the materials were subjected to thermo-oxidation before composting. Biodegradation was carried out for 180 days under controlled thermophilic composting conditions according to the ASTM D 5338 standard.

Tensile Behavior of 3D Printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) Based Composites Reinforced with Natural Fiber.

Natural fiber-reinforced composite (NFRC) filaments for 3D printing were fabricated using polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with 1-5 wt% henequen flour comprising particles with sizes between 90-250 μm. The flour was obtained from natural henequen fibers. NFRCs and pristine PLA specimens were printed with a 0° raster angle for tension tests.

Effect of Cellulose and Cellulose Nanocrystal Contents on the Biodegradation, under Composting Conditions, of Hierarchical PLA Biocomposites.

In this work, the effect of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) on the biodegradation, under composting conditions, of hierarchical PLA biocomposites (HBCs) was studied using a full 2 factorial experimental design. The HBCs were prepared by extrusion processing and were composted for 180 days. At certain time intervals, the specimens were removed from the compost for their chemical, thermal and morphological characterizations.