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Biocompatibility, Biodegradability, and Environmental Safety of PLA/Cellulose Composites
Published in Jyotishkumar Parameswaranpillai, Suchart Siengchin, Nisa V. Salim, Jinu Jacob George, Aiswarya Poulose, Polylactic Acid-Based Nanocellulose and Cellulose Composites, 2022
M. N. F. Norrrahim, N. M. Nurazzi, S. S. Shazleen, S. U. F. S. Najmuddin, T. A. T. Yasim-Anuar, J. Naveen, R. A. Ilyas
As mentioned above, one of the major applications of PLA/cellulose composites are in the packaging industry. The packaging industry is accounted for the highest volumes of plastic wastes as an accumulation of 54% (141 million tons) of the plastic wastes were reported in 2015. This worrying large number of plastic wastes generated was mainly due to the negative habits of food preparation and also because of the emerging development of new living areas and markets in the world [1, 44]. Geyer et al. [45] reported that 60% of plastic wastes are sent to landfills, 12% are incinerated, and only 9% are recycled. The disposal of packaging material/container made of fossil-fuel plastics (i.e., as thrash) is difficult to degrade (i.e., normally would take many years). The degraded plastics would turn into microplastics, which can easily enter the food chain leading to the unwanted bio-accumulation event [19]. Incineration of plastic causes air pollution and the toxic fumes that are released from burning plastic pose a threat to human and animal health [46]. Therefore, promoting the application of biodegradable materials represented by PLA/cellulose composites as a suitable alternative to commodity plastics would be an important measure to combat the plastic waste pollution as well as ensure environmental safety and achieve sustainable green materials development.
Rheological Studies of Biodegradable Composites
Published in Arbind Prasad, Ashwani Kumar, Kishor Kumar, Biodegradable Composites for Packaging Applications, 2023
Gourhari Chakraborty, Sayan Kumar Bhattacharjee, Vimal Katiyar
Polymer is a major component for most of the conventional packaging materials in application for short-term and long-term preservation of goods. Application domain covers almost all the fields including packaging, biomedical, structural, paint and electrical [1–3]. Commodity plastics from petrochemical feedstock are non-degradable in nature, resulting in solid waste management problem and thus causing life-threats for living organisms. It takes several decades for the decomposition of polymeric wastes because of non-degradability under microbial attack. In view of environmental sustainability and depletion of fossil fuel-based feedstock, the present trend of polymer technology is shifting towards bio-based and biodegradable polymeric systems [4].
Emergence, Chemical Nature, Classification, Environmental Impact, and Analytical Challenges of Various Plastics
Published in Hyunjung Kim, Microplastics, 2023
In applications where mechanical properties and operating environment are not critical, plastics with wide-ranging applications, termed commodity plastics, are considered the most significant commercially. Consequently, these common plastics have an exceptionally high production rate. As a result of their worldwide abundance, commodity plastics are the most widespread plastics found littering the aquatic environment. Individual commodity plastics have been allocated specific designator codes by the international standards organization ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) as indicated in Figure 1.6. These codes enable these plastic materials to be easily identified and separated (Harrison, 2014).
Physical and durability properties of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibre reinforced concrete
Published in European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 2022
PET is one of the most used commodity plastics, which generate the second largest portion of plastic waste, after polyethylene. It is the raw material of most used items such as water bottles and textile products, which lead to an exponential increase in its production (Foti, 2019). The supply rate of PET water bottles dominate its recycling rate, which has a negative impact on the environment (Awoyera et al., 2021). In Northern part of Cyprus where this study was conducted, there is no industrial demand for recycled PET, unlike other plastic types. An insignificant portion of the generated PET waste is being collected and exported, while the greater part is disposed to landfill. Any attempt to expand local utilisation of PET waste contributes towards a more sustainable waste management and cleaner environment in countries with similar conditions. Since the last two decades many studies were conducted to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages regarding the use of recycled PET in concrete (Foti, 2019). Like other plastics, recycled PET can be introduced to concrete as lightweight aggregate, or in the form of fibres, to make recycled PET fibre reinforced concrete (RPFRC).