Influence of Lignin Type on the Properties of Hemp Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Composites.

Increasing environmental awareness has boosted interest in sustainable alternatives for binding natural reinforcing fibers in composites. Utilizing lignin, a biorenewable polymer byproduct from several industries, as a component in polymer matrices can lead to the development of more eco-friendly and high-performance composite materials. This research work aimed to investigate the effect of two types of lignin (lignosulfonate and soda lignin) on the properties of hemp fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites for furniture applications.

Quality evaluation of commercial herbal products using chemical methods.

Herbal products comprise a wide spectrum of locally, nationally or internationally commercialized commodities. As these products have an increasingly important position in healthcare systems worldwide, a detailed product quality assessment is of crucial importance. For the quality evaluation of commercial herbal products, a wide range of methods were used, from simpler, quicker, and cost-effective HPTLC, to hyphenated methods with MS or NMR, where more precise quantification or specific structural information is required.

Characterisation of Hemp Fibres Reinforced Composites Using Thermoplastic Polymers as Matrices.

Hemp fibres used as a reinforcing agent and three polymeric matrices (polypropylene, bicomponent, recycled polyester) were used to obtain composite materials by needle punching and heat pressing. The influence of the hemp/matrix ratio and the nature of the matrix on the properties of the composites were analysed. The obtained composites were characterised by physical-mechanical indices, thermal analysis (thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermogravimetry (DTG) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Chromatic measurements.

Chemical Authentication of Botanical Ingredients: A Review of Commercial Herbal Products.

Chemical methods are the most important and widely used traditional plant identification techniques recommended by national and international pharmacopoeias. We have reviewed the successful use of different chemical methods for the botanical authentication of 2,386 commercial herbal products, sold in 37 countries spread over six continents. The majority of the analyzed products were reported to be authentic (73%) but more than a quarter proved to be adulterated (27%).