Advances in antimicrobial techniques to reduce postharvest loss of fresh fruit by microbial reduction.

This review will provide new ideas for preserving fruits and decreasing fruit waste. This review outlines and evaluates research concerning postharvest fruit preservation employing antimicrobial strategies, which involve the integration of biological control alongside physical or chemical methods. The concurrent deployment of two or three of these techniques, particularly biological approaches, has demonstrated enhanced and synergistic antimicrobial outcomes in practical scenarios.

Maleation of Biodegradable Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) by Reactive Extrusion: Effect of Initiator Concentration and a Chain Extender on Grafting Percentage and Thermal and Rheological Properties.

Recently, there has been immense interest in using biodegradable polymers to replace petro-derived polymers. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), which is gaining popularity due to its biodegradability, is used in developing blends and composites for a variety of applications. To enhance the miscibility between different components of a material with PHBV, functionalization of the PHBV chain can be done.

Retraction: grass-derived carbon dots to selectively detect Fe ions.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1039/C8RA10051A.].

The Development of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-Based Blends and Modification Strategies: Methods of Improving Key Properties towards Technical Applications-Review.

The widespread use of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) from packaging to engineering applications seems to follow the current global trend. The development of high-performance PLA-based blends has led to the commercial introduction of various PLA-based resins with excellent thermomechanical properties. The reason for this is the progress in the field of major PLA limitations such as low thermal resistance and poor impact strength.

Improving the Barrier and Mechanical Properties of Paper Used for Packing Applications with Renewable Hydrophobic Coatings Derived from Camelina Oil.

This study looked at using modified camelina oil to develop sustainable coatings that could replace those derived from petroleum-based materials for use in packaging and other industrial sectors. Solvent-free synthesis of maleic anhydride grafted camelina oil (MCO) was carried out at two different temperatures (200 and 230 °C) to obtain sustainable hydrophobic coating materials for paper substrates. Maleic anhydride grafting of camelina oil was confirmed with attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared and NMR spectroscopic techniques, and up to 16% grafting of maleic anhydride was achieved, as determined by the titration method.

Upcycling of post-industrial starch-based thermoplastics and their talc-filled sustainable biocomposites for single-use plastic alternative.

This study utilized post-industrial wheat starch (biological macromolecule) for the development of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) based thermoplastic starch blend (TPS) and biocomposite films. PBAT (70 wt%) was blended with plasticized post-industrial wheat starch (PPWS) (30 wt%) and reinforced with talc master batch (MB) (25 wt%) using a two-step process, consisting of compounding the blend for pellet preparation, followed by the cast film extrusion at 160 °C. The effect of the chain extender was analyzed at compounding temperatures of 160 and 180 °C for talc-based composites.

Recent progress on biodegradable polylactic acid based blends and their biocomposites: A comprehensive review.

Being less dependent on non-renewable resources as well as protecting the environment from waste streams have become two critical primers for a global movement toward replacing conventional plastics with renewable and biodegradable polymers. Despite all these efforts, only a few biodegradable polymers have paved their way successfully into the market. Polylactic acid is one of these biodegradable polymers that has been investigated thoroughly by researchers as well as manufactured on a large industrial scale.

A Review on the Challenges and Choices for Food Waste Valorization: Environmental and Economic Impacts.

Valorization of food waste (FW) is instrumental for reducing the environmental and economic burden of FW and transitioning to a circular economy. The FW valorization process has widely been studied to produce various end-use products and summarize them; however, their economic, environmental, and social aspects are limited. This study synthesizes some of the valorization methods used for FW management and produces value-added products for various applications, and also discusses the technological advances and their environmental, economic, and social aspects.

Morphology and Performance Relationship Studies on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate)/Poly(butylene adipate--terephthalate)-Based Biodegradable Blends.

Biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/poly(butylene adipate--terephthalate) (PBAT) blends hold great potential for use in sustainable packaging applications for their advanced performance. Understanding the structure-property relationship in the blends at various proportions is significantly important for their future application, which is addressed in this work. The study found that the inherent brittleness of PHBV can only be modified with the addition of 50 wt % PBAT, where co-continuous structures formed in the blend as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis.

Silane treated starch dispersed PBAT/PHBV-based composites: Improved barrier performance for single-use plastic alternatives.

The objective of this study is to include 5 wt% silane-treated starch (S-t-Starch) into biodegradable flexible poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) blend matrix, which can facilitate superior barrier and balanced mechanical properties. With the intension of improving compatibilization between matrix and filler, starch (biological macromolecule) was efficiently treated with 15 wt% of 3-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxy silane (GPTMS), a coupling agent. Various analyses such as barrier, mechanical, thermal, surface morphology and rheological were performed using cast extruded PBAT/PHBV-based composite films.

Biodegradable blends from bacterial biopolyester PHBV and bio-based PBSA: Study of the effect of chain extender on the thermal, mechanical and morphological properties.

Being aware of the global problem of plastic pollution, our society is claiming new bioplastics to replace conventional polymers. Balancing their mechanical performance is required to increase their presence in the market. Brittleness of bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was attempted to be decreased by melt blending with flexible starch-based poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA).

Upcycling of Plastic Wastes and Biomass for Sustainable Graphitic Carbon Production: A Critical Review.

Upcycling of waste plastics diverts plastics from landfill, which helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Graphitic carbon is an interesting material with a wide range of applications in electronics, energy storage, fuel cells, and even as advanced fillers for polymer composites. It is a very strong and highly conductive material consisting of weakly bound graphene layers arranged in a hexagonal structure.

Valorization of camelina oil to biobased materials and biofuels for new industrial uses: a review.

Global environmental pollution is a growing concern, especially the release of carbon dioxide from the use of petroleum derived materials which negatively impacts our environment's natural greenhouse gas level. Extensive efforts have been made to explore the conversion of renewable raw materials (vegetable oils) into bio-based products with similar or enhanced properties to those derived from petroleum. However, these edible plant oils, commonly used for human food consumption, are often not suitable raw materials for industrial applications.

Effect of Simulated Mass-Tunable Auxetic Midsole on Vertical Ground Reaction Force.

When runners impact the ground, they experience a sudden peak ground reaction force (GRF), which may be up to 4× greater than their bodyweight. Increased GRF impact peak magnitude has been associated with lower limb injuries in runners. Yet, shoe midsoles are capable of cushioning the impact between the runner and the ground to reduce GRF.

Correction: Comparative study of the extrinsic properties of poly(lactic acid)-based biocomposites filled with talc sustainable biocarbon.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C9RA00034H.].

Additive manufacturing technology of polymeric materials for customized products: recent developments and future prospective.

The worldwide demand for additive manufacturing (AM) is increasing due to its ability to produce more challenging customized objects based on the process parameters for engineering applications. The processing of conventional materials by AM processes is a critically demanded research stream, which has generated a path-breaking scenario in the rapid manufacturing and upcycling of plastics. The exponential growth of AM in the worldwide polymer market is expected to exceed 20 billion US dollars by 2021 in areas of automotive, medical, aerospace, energy and customized consumer products.

Ocean plastics: environmental implications and potential routes for mitigation - a perspective.

This review provides a current summary of the major sources and distribution of ocean plastic contamination, their potential environmental effects, and prospects towards the mitigation of plastic pollution. A characterization between micro and macro plastics has been established, along with a comprehensive discussion of the most common plastic waste sources that end up in aquatic environments within these categories. Distribution of these sources stems mainly from improper waste management, road runoff, and wastewater pathways, along with potential routes of prevention.

Value-Added Bio-carbon Production through the Slow Pyrolysis of Waste Bio-oil: Fundamental Studies on Their Structure-Property-Processing Co-relation.

The present work addresses the transformation of bio-oil into valuable biocarbon through slow pyrolysis. The biocarbons produced at three different temperatures (400, 600, and 900 °C), 10 °C min heating rate, and 30 min holding time were tested for their surface morphology, thermal stability, elemental composition, functionality, particle size, and thermal and electrical conductivity. The physicochemical study of bio-oil showed substantial carbon content, higher heating value, and lower nitrogen content.

Evaluating the Performance of a Semiaromatic/Aliphatic Polyamide Blend: The Case for Polyphthalamide (PPA) and Polyamide 4,10 (PA410).

This paper studies the structure-property-processing relationship of polyphthalamide (PPA) PPA/polyamide 4,10 (PA410) blends, via co-relating their thermal-mechanical properties with their morphology, crystallization, and viscoelastic properties. When compared to neat PPA, the blends show improved processability with a lower processing temperature (20 °C lower than neat PPA) along with a higher modulus/strength and heat deflection temperature (HDT). The maximum tensile modulus is that of the 25PPA/75PA410 blend, ~3 GPa, 25% higher than neat PPA (~2.

A Review on Current Status of Biochar Uses in Agriculture.

In a time when climate change increases desertification and drought globally, novel and effective solutions are required in order to continue food production for the world's increasing population. Synthetic fertilizers have been long used to improve the productivity of agricultural soils, part of which leaches into the environment and emits greenhouse gasses (GHG). Some fundamental challenges within agricultural practices include the improvement of water retention and microbiota in soils, as well as boosting the efficiency of fertilizers.

Statistical Design of Biocarbon Reinforced Sustainable Composites from Blends of Polyphthalamide (PPA) and Polyamide 4,10 (PA410).

A full factorial design with four factors (the ratio of polyphthalamide (PPA) and polyamide 4,10 (PA410) in the polymer matrix, content percent of biocarbon (BioC), the temperature at which it was pyrolyzed and the presence of a chain extender (CE)), each factor with two levels (high and low), was carried out to optimize the mechanical properties of the resulting composites. After applying a linear model, changes in tensile strength, elongation at break and impact energy were not statistically significant within the considered material space, while the ones in the flexural modulus, the tensile modulus, density and heat deflection temperature (HDT) were. The two most influential factors were the content of BioC and its pyrolysis temperature, followed by the content of PPA.

Impacts of COVID-19 Outbreak on the Municipal Solid Waste Management: Now and beyond the Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the municipal essential services, including municipal solid waste (MSW) management. This study has reviewed the literature on MSW and solid medical waste (SMW) management systems, waste management initiatives specific to this pandemic, as well as their impacts now and beyond. Waste segregation and separate treatment of waste streams play important roles in reducing the environmental, health, and social impacts of waste and waste management.

Green Composites from a Bioplastic Blend of Poly(3-hyroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) and Carbon Dioxide-Derived Poly(propylene carbonate) and Filled with a Corn Ethanol-Industry Co-product.

Sustainable green composites were engineered from distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a co-product from the corn ethanol industry as a sustainable filler in bioplastic matrices made from a carbon dioxide-derived poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) and poly(3-hyroxybutyrate--3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) blend. The effect of water-washed DDGS (15 and 25 wt %) on the properties of injection-molded green composites from PHBV/PPC blends (60/40) and (40/60) and DDGS without and with peroxide (0.5 phr) has been investigated.

Novel sustainable materials from waste plastics: compatibilized blend from discarded bale wrap and plastic bottles.

This work studies a novel sustainable polymeric material made from a reactive blend of two agri-food waste plastics, with the new material showing strong promise for value-added industrial uses. Discarded bale wrap destined for landfill that was originally made from linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and used polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based plastic bottles were melt mixed in a twin-screw extruder. The miscibility of such recycled LLDPE (rLLDPE) in recycled PET (rPET) is enhanced by the incorporation of a compatibilizer and the PET molecular architecture is maintained using a chain extender, which governs its melt strength.