International Conference and Exhibition on Biopolymers and Bioplastics August 10-12, 2015 San Francisco, USA

Biography:

Nazim Cicek, is a Professional Engineer and Professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba, Canada. He currently also serves as the Acting Department Head. He received his M.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1995 and Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering in 1999 from the University of Cincinnati, OH, USA. After working for 2 ½ years in the private sector, he returned to academia in November 2001. Nazim’s research interests are in the general area of biological waste treatment, biofuel and bioenergy production processes, bio-polymer production, fermentation, anaerobic digestion and nutrient removal from wastewater. Nazim has authored or co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and presented his research results in numerous international conferences.

Abstract:

Medium chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) are a class of polymers synthesized by certain species of bacteria as an energy storage mechanism. These polymers have shown promise as a potential renewable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics and fuels. Use of an inexpensive and renewable carbon source such as biodiesel waste glycerol and free fatty acids is a requisite for cost-effective mcl-PHA production. Under certain operating conditions, Pseudomonas putida LS46 has been shown to be capable of robust growth on these substrates while achieving relatively high cellular mcl-PHA content. Preliminary tests in reactors with a 3-5 L working volume have shown that for growth on substrates metabolized via β-oxidation pathways (pure octanoic acid, biodiesel waste fatty acids), the application of oxygen limitation (>0.01 mg/L O2) improved the cellular PHA content from 45% to 71% using pure octanoic acid, and from 17% to 35% using biodiesel waste fatty acids as compared to conventional nitrogen limitation. The improvement in cellular PHA content using oxygen limitation compensated for the slowed growth rate, resulting in a higher overall mcl-PHA productivity. For growth on waste glycerol, nitrogen limitation was found to be more effective than oxygen limitation, resulting in 25% cellular PHA content. For all substrates, fed batch strategies have been used to reliably achieve biomass yields of 12-15 g/L, in a reactor with working volumes up to 50 L. Further improvements to cell density and overall productivity may be achievable through the design and operation of continuous or semi-continuous feed bioreactors.

Biography:

I am a senior lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland. The theme of my research activities broadly encompasses biorefining and the development of sustainable biomaterials. I currently lead Australian Research Council (ARC) funded projects on developing novel PHA wood composites, generating PHA from methane, and managing algae harvested from coal seam gas water. My major contribution to the field of environmental biotechnology is the invention of the TOGA® Sensor for examination and control of biotech/bioprocess systems; The TOGA® Sensor is a platform for world-class research and it has been a key tool for many PhD projects.

Abstract:

Polyhydroxyalkanote (PHA) bioplastics have properties similar to polypropylene and PET, and are therefore outstanding candidates to replace some fossil fuel derived materials. Moreover, being both bio-based and biodegradable, PHAs allow for a closed loop carbon cycle and, unlike many other biomaterials on the market, they are both water resistant and UV stable. However, PHA is relatively expensive. This can be somewhat addressed by (i) producing PHA in open mixed microbial cultures using waste organic carbon as the feedstock, and (ii) compounding the polymer with fillers like wood flour; the use of wood flour in plastics is attractive for many reasons: it is abundantly available, biodegradable and low cost. This work lays a foundation for the development of high performance PHA-based wood plastic composites. The paper presents the compounding of commercial poly-(hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate) (PHBV) with low HV content (5%), with pine flour (300 µm and 550 µm). A range of PHA to wood flour ratios were considered. The mechanical properties (toughness and elongation to break), thermal behaviour and morphology of the produced materials were analysed, as was the water permeability. A preliminary analysis of the effect of surface modification on these properties was undertaken. The results are a benchmark for new biocomposites from HV-rich, waste-derived PHA. Our recent research shows that industrially relevant PHA can be readily synthesised in mixed cultures, which can utilise cheap and renewable carbon sources such as waste streams from the pulp and paper industry. This, coupled with the innovative approach of making direct use of PHA-rich intact cells in wood fibre composites, thereby avoiding PHA extraction, means the PHA based materials could be cost-competitive with alternatives. Further, it is suspected that HV-rich mixed culture PHA will lead to good melt flow and hence effective contact between wood fibre and the biopolymer, as well as enable lower processing temperatures than are necessary for PHB based materials, thereby reducing thermal degradation and energy costs. Also, the concept overcomes a perceived limitation of PHA since the wood fibres act as nucleating agents for rapid crystallisation thereby circumventing the material stability issues associated with secondary crystallisation.

Biography:

Dr. Maria Reis has a PhD in Biochemical Engineering, and is Group Leader of the Biochemical Engineering Group (http://sites.fct.unl.pt/bioeng/home) at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal. Her research area is Environmental/Industrial BioEngineering, with special focus on the development of sustainable bioprocesses for the removal of pollutants from water and wastewater streams, and for the exploitation of industrial wastes for the production of biopolymers. Dr Reis is coauthor of 4 National patents and 5 International patents. She has published over 200 papers in scientific journals, and she is presently Editor of Water Research.

Abstract:

A high variety of wastes/wastewater/surplus products from food industry are a promising source of organic matter (e.g. sugars) that can be valorised through biotechnological processes. Anaerobic acidogenesis converts these feedstocks into fermentation products (FP) with multiple applications, among which the production of polyhydroxyalcanoates (PHA) by mixed microbial cultures. The aim of this study was to examine acidogenic fermentation of twelve industrial wastes (including wastes or by-products of fruit, wine, beer and oil industries) for their potential as substrates for PHA production to be used in food packaging. It is known that the profile of FP highly affect the properties of subsequently produced PHA, namely the proportion of HB (acetate, butyrate and ethanol):HV (propionate, valerate, lactate) precursors. The physico-chemical characteristics of the feedstocks (organic matter, sugars, nutrients and solids) were analysed, and batch tests were carried out to assess their acidogenesis potential. Based on these results and on estimated availability, seasonability and cost of each waste, the most promising feedstock (fruit processing waste) was further investigated. The latter studies were carried out in a continuous stirred tank reactor inoculated with sludge from a full scale anaerobic digester, to determine the operating conditions that maximise productivity and enable the manipulation of the FP profile. The FP stream was fed to a reactor containing a PHA accumulating mixed culture. The polymer produced was offline and online analyzed in terms of monomeric composition and physical/thermal properties determined. This study demonstrated that fruit pulp waste is a valuable feedstock for acidogenic fermentation, and that controlling the acidogenic reactor operational conditions (pH, OLR, HRT) it is possible to manipulate the acidogenic fermentation products in order to produce an appropriate proportion of HB/HV precursors for food packing applications.

Biography:

Jaewook Myung is a PhD candidate studying environmental engineering at Stanford University. His current work focuses on production of methane-derived polyhydroxyalkanote (PHA) biopolymers and methanotrophic nitrogen removal. He holds BS degree in civil and environmental engineering at KAIST and MS degree in civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. He is originally from Daejeon, South Korea.

Abstract:

Methane is a low cost and readily available feedstock for production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). An enrichment of Type II methanotrophs and two Type II pure cultures (Methylocystis parvus OBBP and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b) were grown under exponential growth conditions in fill-and-draw reactors with ammonium as sole nitrogen source. Harvested cells were incubated in the absence of nitrogen with various combinations of methane and co-substrates to assess polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production capacity. Methane was required for PHA production. With fed methane alone, only poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) was produced; when methane was supplemented with 3-hydroxybutyrate, additional P3HB was produced; when methane was supplemented with propionate, copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was produced; when methane was supplemented with valerate, PHBV levels increased, and the percentage of 3-hydroxyvalerate incorporated into the PHBV increased as the concentration of added valerate increased. We conclude that methane plays a critical role as the source of energy for assimilation of fatty acid co-substrates and that the quantity and composition of PHA produced can be modified by the co-substrates added and their concentration. We also conclude that there is a trade-off between the specific rates of PHA production and co-substrate concentration. Higher co-substrate concentrations decrease specific rates of PHA production.

Biography:

Dr. Jian Yu is a full professor in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He graduated from Zhejiang University of Technology (BEng. Chemical Engineering, 1982) and Zhejiang University (MSc, Chemical Engineering, 1985) in China. He continued his graduate education at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and earned his PhD in Biochemical Engineering in 1991. After post-doctoral training in industry and academia, he joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1994 as an assistant professor. He taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering. His research explored novel biocatalysts and their application in industrial wastewater treatment. Dr. Yu joined the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2001 and became a faculty of a NSF-funded engineering research center. Since then, he has developed teaching and research activities in the areas of bioprocessing engineering, bioreactor engineering and downstream processing for bio-based chemicals, plastics and fuels supported by federal grants and industrial contracts. He has supervised numerous projects of undergraduate students, postgraduate students and post-doctoral fellows, published more than seventy research papers in peer-reviewed journals and authored five book chapters. Three patents from his research on bio-based polymers and plastics have been licensed to companies in US, Asia and Europe. A green technology of producing bioplastics from agricultural by-products has been successfully scaled up to pilot plant and further to commercial production. He has served on numerous national and internal panels for research grants and awards.

Abstract:

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) or PHB is an eco-friendly thermoplastic synthesized by some microbial species from renewable carbohydrates. A conventional production route of PHB therefore includes two stages: (1) agricultural farming to produce carbohydrates (CH2O) from CO2, water and sunlight via natural photosynthesis (CO2 + H2O  CH2O + O2), and (2) microbial conversion of the organic carbonaceous substrates into PHB. The green plastic can now be produced directly from CO2, water and sunlight via an artificial photosynthesis system, consisting of a photovoltaic panel, a water electrolysis cell, and a dark fermenter. The intermittent solar radiation is captured and converted into electricity that immediately splits water into H2 and O2 for direct use and/or storage. CO2 is fixed continuously in dark conditions by a Knallgas bacterium that grows on CO2, H2 and O2. A laboratory facility was demonstrated including: a solar panel with 17% efficiency of sunlight to electricity, a membrane water electrolyzer with 84% efficiency of electricity to H2, and a bioreactor in which microbial cells fixed CO2 by using H2 and O2 with an efficiency of 20-50%, depending on gas composition. The overall energy efficiency therefore ranged from 2.9 to 7.1, or an average efficiency of 5% from solar energy to biomass (CH2O), which is much higher than the efficiency of conventional photosynthesis of plants (<1%) and microalgae (2-3%). About 50% of cell mass formed from CO2 was PHB. The microbial residues, after PHB recovery, can be reused in dark fermentation as a nutrient source. The mass transfer of gas molecules to microbial cells in bioreactor was the rate-limiting step and characterized with a volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa). The productivity of PHB in a conventional bioreactor with a moderate kLa was improved by 57% in a novel bioreactor. More importantly, the PHB yield per amount of H2 fed is increased by 475%.

Biography:

Dr Warren Grigsby is a chemist with specialised experience in polymers and adhesives. His research focuses on developing wood-based materials and composites that incorporate high-performance bonding agents. Warren is leading the development of bio-based adhesive and polymer systems that can be used as substitutes for chemicals derived from petroleum.

Abstract:

Substituting synthetic plastic additives with bio-derived materials has potential to improve plastic sustainability credentials. Esterified and native condensed tannins from Pinus radiata bark have been explored as functional plastic additives in petrochemical and biodegradable plastics. The presence of longer alkyl chain hexanoate esters promoted tannin miscibility in plastics whereas short chain acetate esters tended to remain as discrete domains, acting as fillers in the processed plastics. The presence of tannin esters at typical plastic additive loadings did not alter plastic mechanical properties, but greater (up to 10%) loadings can reduce both flexural and tensile properties. In assessing the functional equivalence provided by tannin additives, it was demonstrated that tannin esters inhibit the effects of UV and oxidative degradation. In polypropylene the use of tannin hexanoate acetate had greater UV inhibition efficacy than a typically used synthetic UV stabiliser at comparable loading. The tannin-additives likely provide a stabilising role through inhibiting UV penetration into the plastic, with analysis suggesting the tannin moiety itself was sacrificial and preferentially degrading. The degree of tannin esterification and retention of antioxidant capacity was crucial to inhibiting oxidative degradation and reducing plastic aging. Soil composting also revealed the tannin esters do not impact degradation of biodegradable aliphatic polyesters.

Biography:

Woo-Kul Lee completed his Ph. D. at the Oregon State University in USA and served as a postdoc and research assistant professor in College of Dentistry, Seoul National University in Korea. His major research area is developing biomaterials relevant to soft and hard tissues. He is currently a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and a department head in the Department of Creative Convergent Manufacturing Engineering. He has been serving as a member of the editorial board of the Applied Chemistry for Engineering, director for academic affairs, and director for general affairs for the Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.

Abstract:

Skin is a soft tissue composing the outermost layer of human body and plays crucial roles including resistance to infection and maintenance of human body. Therefore, it is of interest to develop artificial skin for the recovery and substitute of damaged skin tissue. Surface property of biomaterials represents the biological function of biomaterials which will determine the material biocompatibility. In this study, we investigated on functional film development of surface modification of artificial skin substrates. For this purpose, a hybrid films composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) and calcium ion-containing compound were prepared. HA is a glycosaminoglycan and hydrophilic due to the presence of hydroxyl groups. It plays a role in cell proliferation. HA can stimulate the fibroblastic activities which result in the synthesis of collagen and elastin. Hence, HA can be a molecule that can be utilized for the promotion of skin regeneration. Calcium ion participates in a number of biological reactions at both molecular and cellular levels. We hypothesized that the combined effect of HA and calcium ion can further stimulate the fibroblasts for the skin regeneration. The hybrid films were prepared at different concentrations of HA and the cell morphology, adhesion, proliferation, and level of collagen synthesis were examined by using NIH3T3 fibroblast cell line. The adhesion and proliferation of NIH3T3 cell appeared to be dependent HA concentration and were greater at low HA concentration. Adherent cells tended to agglomerate as HA concentration increases. Collagen synthesis was stimulated on the hybrid films compared to the control.

Biography:

Hideki Abe received his Ph.D. degree in 1996 from Tokyo Institute of Technology. Since 1993 he has been working at the Polymer Chemistry Laboratory of RIKEN. He successively held various positions in RIKEN, and was promoted to Team Leader of Bioplastic Research Team, RIKEN Biomass Engineering Program, in 2010. His current research interests include the developments of biodegradable polymer materials for a variety of applications and the creations of novel bio-based polymer materials. He published over 100 original research papers.

Abstract:

We focused the structure and physical properties of alternating copolymers consisting of α-hydroxyl acid monomeric unit of lactate (2-hydroxypropionate: 2HP) and β-hydroxyl acid monomer unit of (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate ((R)-3HB). Taking into account the chiral structure of monomeric units, two types of stereoisomeric dimers ((R)-3HB-(R)-2HP and (R)-3HB-(S)-2HP) were respectively prepared, and the alternating copolymers with different stereocompositions were synthesized from the dimeric monomers by condensation reaction. Based on the NMR analyses, it was confirmed that the obtained copolymers had an alternating sequence of (R)-3HB and 2HP units. In contrast to random copolymers of (R)-3HB and 2HP units, the repeating sequence of alternately connected (R)-3HB and 2HP units formed crystalline region. The copolymer with alternating sequence of (R)-3HB and (S)-2HP units had a melting temperature at 83 °C. On the other hands, the melting temperature of copolymer of (R)-3HB and (R)-2HP units was quite higher than those of the corresponding homopolymers (around 180 °C) and reached to 233 °C. When the alternating copolymers were prepared from a mixture of stereoisomeric dimers, both the melting temperature and crystallinity varied in the wide ranges depending on the composition of stereoisomeric dimmers. In addition, the crystalline structure of alternating copolymers was characterized from the X-ray and electron diffraction patterns of lamellar singe crystals. The relationship between the crystalline structure and thermal properties in the alternating copolymers were discussed.

Biography:

Rich Engler is a Senior Policy Advisor with B&C and The Acta Group. Previously, he worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 17 years, where he was a staff scientist in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. At EPA, he reviewed numerous chemicals under TSCA, led the Green Chemistry Program, including the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge, and worked on many other projects, including the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators, and Trash-Free Waters. Prior to joining EPA, Rich taught organic chemistry at the University of San Diego. He holds a Ph.D. in physical organic chemistry from UC San Diego.

Abstract:

Most people know that pharmaceuticals, food contact materials, and pesticides require pre-market testing and regulatory review. As a result, entrepreneurs know to incorporate the time and expense related to regulatory review in their business plans. Few people know the regulatory requirements for cosmetic and personal care ingredients, and fewer still know the requirements for other uses, most of which are regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This talk will give an overview of the regulatory landscape for polymers and take a more detailed look at TSCA and how it applies to polymer feedstocks, catalysts, monomers, and polymers.

Biography:

I have completed my M.Sc. in Chemistry from Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad in 2010 and doing Ph.D. on Organometallic Chemistry/Polymer Chemistry in IIT Madras.

Abstract:

Biodegradable polymers have various biomedical and environmental applications and the preferred method for producing these polymers is ring-opening polymerizations (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) and lactides. Particularly group IV complexes are found to be most efficient and stereoselective as catalysts for the ROP. New Ti(IV), Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) complexes containing tridentate [NNO]-type salicylaldiminato ligands (L1 and L2) have been synthesized by reacting metal alkoxides with the ligands via alcohol elimination. In the solid state, Zr and Hf complexes are monomeric whereas, the Ti complexes are dimeric, where both Ti atoms are connected through mono-µ-oxo bridge formation due to controlled hydrolysis. During the complexation with L1 in situ intramolecular Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley (MPV) type reduction of the imine moiety happened and the amine got deprotonated. In contrast, the ligand L2 has produced imine complexes under similar conditions. DFT calculations were carried out to investigate the activation energies of MPV type reduction. These complexes are found to be active catalysts for the ROP of ε-CL and rac-LA with narrow MWDs of the produced polymers in a living manner through coordination-insertion mechanism. Also, these complexes initiate the polymerization in a stereoselective manner to produce heterotactic-rich PLA from rac-LA with Pr value upto 0.84. In addition, these complexes are quite active for the catalytic ROP of epoxides such as rac-cyclohexene oxide, rac-styrene oxide and rac-propylene oxide.

Biography:

Sreenath Pappuru is a highly motivated and enthusiastic Organometallic and Polymer Chemist with a Masters degree in Organic Chemistry (2008-2010) from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh and currently pursuing PhD in IIT Madras (from 2010) in Sustainable Polymer Chemistry/Organometallic Chemistry. He has achieved best poster award during PhD in International Symposium on “Nature Inspired initiatives in Chemical Trends” (NIICT-2014), March 2-5, 2014.

Abstract:

The complexation of salicylbenzoxazole ligand 2-(5-X-benzoxazol-2-yl)-6-R1-4-R2-phenol, L with titanium, zirconium and hafnium alkoxides selectively formed either mononuclear L2M(OR)2, 1-9 or oxo-bridging dinuclear complexes [(μ-O)L2M(OR)]2, 10-12 depending on the substituents on salicylbenzoxazole ligands. The ligands which have R1=R2=H or Br on the phenol moiety afforded mononuclear complexes 1-9. Notably the ligand which has R1=R2=Cl substituent on the phenol ring afforded oxo bridged dinuclear complexes 10-12. The substituents on benzoxazole ring (X=H or Cl) does not influence the nuclearity of complexes. All these complexes were fully characterized by various spectroscopic techniques including elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. In ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-Lactide (rac-LA), all these complexes produced isotactic rich (Pm up to 0.78) and alkoxide terminated polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs) with predictable molecular weights (Mn). Ring-opening copolymerization (ROC) of L-lactide (L-LA) and ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) to yield block copolymers was also studied. In particular, dinuclear Zr complex (11) was found to exhibit extremely high activity in homo polymerisation of rac-LA and ROC of L-LA and ε-CL which is comparable with the previously reported active group IV complexes. Additionally, homo polymerisation of epoxides [rac-cyclohexene oxide (CHO), rac-propylene oxide (PO) and rac-styrene oxide (SO)] were also investigated. The reactivity of these monomers in homopolymerization promoted by these complexes varied in the order of CHO>PO>SO. The yield and molecular weight of the polymers increase with the prolonged reaction time. The complexes which have electronegative substituents on the phenol ring and oxazoline ring (5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12) improved the catalytic ability sharply. DFT studies have been carried out on ROP of LAs initiated by both the Ti and Zr complexes. The results indicate that the activation barrier height for the ring opening transition state of lactide monomer for Zr (IV) complex is low and hence facile compared to Ti (IV) complex. From density functional theory (DFT) calculations we explained the mechanistic pathways for ROP of lactide promoted by Ti and Zr complexes in detail.

Biography:

Nadine is a doctorate student in the University of Lorraine / France, her thesis inside the laboratory of biomolecules engineering is about the covalent and non-covalent functionalization of a biopolymer: the pectin, with polyphenols: Towards mixed supramolecular architectures.

Abstract:

Pectin is a natural biopolymer extracted mostly from citrus peel, sugar beet and apple pomace. In order to improve its functional properties and then to enlarge the field of its potential applications, pectin was functionalized according to two approaches. The first one consists in an oxidative reaction between pectin and Ferulic Acid (FA) catalysed by Myceliophthora thermophyla laccase leading to pectin-F. The second one was based on the physical adsorption of FA-oxidation products (POX) on pectin leading to pectin-POX. The POX were previously obtained through oxidative reaction of FA catalysed by laccase. A comparative study was performed aiming to determine the impact of each functionalization pathway on the structure and the properties of pectin. The modification of the structure of pectin was proved by FTIR and RMN-H methods. The study of the properties showed that the functionalized pectin powders were less hygroscopic and viscous than the native pectin and presented different gelation properties in the presence of calcium ions. A significant improvement of the antioxidant properties of pectin after functionalization was also observed. This trend was even more pronounced in the case of pectin-F. Finally the thermal properties and the structural characteristics of the different pectin samples were shown to be also affected by the functionalization performed. As a conclusion, both approaches led to derivatives with improved properties that could widen the field of applications of pectin.

Biography:

Jorge Alberto Vieira Costa completed his PhD in Food Engineering from the State University of Campinas in 1996. He is currently Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande, Researcher level 1C of the CNPq and head of the Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering. He is coordinator of the Biochemical Engineering course. He was coordinator of the Graduate Food Engineering course and Food Engineering and Chemical Engineering courses. He has published more than 135 papers in reputed journals. He works in Science and Food Technology with emphasis on Food Engineering, working on topics, such as microalgae, biopolymers and nanotechnology.

Abstract:

Many analyses have been carried out about the future possibility of exhausting the planet’s resources and its ability to sustain its inhabitants. The use of microorganisms and their metabolic products by humans is one of the most significant fields of biotechnology. Microalgae are descendants of the first photosynthetic life forms. More than 3,500 million years ago the atmosphere was made up of microalgae with oxygen, since then, they have contributed to regulating the planet's biosphere. The use of solar energy through photosynthesis in microalgae cultivation is a clean, efficient and low cost process, since the sun's energy is virtually free and unlimited. The biomass of microalgae and its processing products are employed as biopolymers. Biopolymers can be produced using biofixation of carbon dioxide by microalgae and could reduce both dependency on petroleum and carbon dioxide emissions. Cyanobacteria have potential for the production of biopolymers and their yield can be increased by stressing the culture via nutrient limitation or other means, use of recombinant strains, control of metabolic flux and the use of different bioreactor types. Unlike with crop plants, the cultivation of microalgae does not require the use of large areas of ground and can occupy areas inappropriate for agriculture and thus do not compete with food production. The biopolymers from microalgae have thermoplastic, mechanical and physical properties similar to polypropylene. They are biocompatible, recyclable and biodegradable and produce zero toxic waste since they biodegrade into carbon dioxide and water by microbial attack in about three months to one year.

Biography:

Dr. Bo Shi completed his PhD in Environmental Engineering from University of Delaware in 1997. He has started to work for Kimberly-Clark Corporation in Neenah, WI since 1996, emphasizing on corporate environmental sustainability, biopolymer processing and modification, and alternative natural fibers for a range of personal care product manufacturing. His project research and development efforts concentrate on effective utilization of biodegradable, renewable and sustainable materials for bio-based economy. He serves as a patent licensing corroborator at Algix for commercialization of algae-based bioplastics. He published a lot of papers in several technical journals and filed/granted about 25 US patents.

Abstract:

Utilization of renewable and sustainable materials such as starch for thermoplastic films and injection molded articles has been pursued within the plastic industry. However, starch is one of the food sources for human beings. This presentation addresses the use of non-food and non-wood materials such as lignocellulose in polymeric blends for rigid container packaging. Lignocellulose is a structural material that is the main constituent of plants, which is comprised of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Miscanthus and kenaf core were respectively processed through torrefaction or milling to achieve the necessary uniformity in particle sizes ranging from 40 to 60 microns prior to thermoplastic compounding using ZSK-30 twin screw extruder. The polymeric blends were then molded using BOY 22D injection machine and sample mechanical properties were evaluated. The results indicate that tensile values for Braskem bio-based polyethylene SHA7260 blends, containing up to 20% of the torrefied miscanthus, are at parity to the neat polymer. A similar trend is observed for Braskem bio-based polyethylene SHA7260 blends, containing up to 20% of the milled kenaf core. The sample elongation for all polymeric blends decreased relative to the neat polymer as lignocellulose content in the polymeric blends increased. According to the 24 hour shrinkage data, the sample dimensional stability is better than the neat polymer, indicating there is a restriction in polymer chain mobility when the processed non-wood biomass is presented and less sensitive to the presence of moisture. This work proves a new concept to effectively utilize non-food and non-wood materials for plastic manufacturing.

Biography:

Dr. Gordon Selling is a Lead Scientist working for the United States Dept. of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Peoria, IL since 2003. He received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign in 1988. In his current work he performs research on developing new higher value products using corn/soy/pennycress/cotton protein and corn starch. His research focus is on electrospinning chemically modified proteins, chemically modifying proteins using reactive extrusion and producing starch graft co-polymers. Prior to working in Peoria, he worked for E.I. DuPont for 15 years. At DuPont he worked in their spandex fiber business. He worked on developing new polymers and additives that produced higher value fibers.

Abstract:

Corn protein (zein) is one of the main co-products of corn bio-ethanol production and is known to have good film forming properties. However, zein also has deficiencies that may limit its applicability in the food packaging market. The properties of zein based articles will change on exposure to moisture and chemical modification is necessary to reduce the impact of moisture. Various techniques have been developed to achieve improved properties, however much of this work has been done in solution. In order to develop a successful food packaging product, in addition to product value, the process being utilized must use the most economical techniques. Extrusion processing is perhaps the most economical method for processing polymeric materials. Research will be presented demonstrating how extrusion processing effects the properties of zein articles. Extrusion processing at temperatures of up to 140 C can be performed with minimal reduction in product value. Zein can be recycled using extrusion processing to deliver articles with good properties. The impact of temperature and recycling on zein was carried out at temperatures from 100 – 300 C and up to 7 passes through the extruder at an extrusion temperature of 140 C. Molecular weight, secondary structure, and tensile properties were measured under all sets of conditions. Zein can be altered chemically using reactive extrusion techniques to provide higher valued articles. Solvent resistance and tensile properties were evaluated on the chemically altered zein. The information presented will be of value to scientists and companies interested in utilizing extrusion processing of their biobased materials.

Biography:

Dr. Manju Misra is a professor in the School of Engineering and holds a joint appointment in the Dept. of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph. Dr. Misra’s current research focuses primarily on novel bio-based composites and nanocomposites from agricultural and forestry resources for the sustainable bio-economy targeting the development of bio-based and eco-friendly alternatives to the existing petroleum-based products. She has authored more than 380 publications, including 250+ peer-reviewed journal papers, 25 book chapters, and 15 granted patents. She was an editor of the CRC Press volume, “Natural Fibers, Biopolymers and Biocomposites,” Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL (2005); American Scientific Publishers volume “Packaging Nanotechnology”, Valencia, California, (2009) and “Polymer Nanocomposites”, Springer (2014). She was the chief editor of “Biocomposites: Design and Mechanical Performance” Woodhead Publishing (in press June 2015). She was the 2009 President of the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society (BEPS). She is one of the Associate Editors of the journal “Advanced Science Letters”. In 2012, Dr. Misra received the prestigious “Jim Hammer Memorial Award” in Texas, USA from the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society. Her current research is primarily focused on novel biobased polymers, fibres and composite materials from agricultural and forestry resources for the sustainable bio-economy; and application of nanotechnology in materials uses.

Abstract:

Lignin, a natural polymer synthesized by plants, has been studied as a renewable, low-cost, and highly available precursor for production of nano to a few micro diameter carbonized fibers. Annually about 40 to 50 million tons of lignin is produced as the byproduct of paper and cellulosic ethanol industries and it is the mostly non-commercialized residue. In this research, electrospinning of lignin followed by carbonization of the fibers have been studied. Carbonization was performed by following a two stage process, i.e., thermal stabilization in air followed by carbonization in nitrogen atmosphere. The effects of lignin type, binder polymer type, and carbonization conditions on the properties of carbonized fibers were studied. The properties of interest include morphology studies by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy; carbon structure studies by Raman and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy; surface area measurements; thermal and electrical conductivities of the carbonized material.

Biography:

Andreas Kunkel is a Vice President and Head of Biopolymer Research of BASF. After his PhD in Microbiology at the Max Planck Institute in Marburg, he started his BASF career within the Central R&D department followed by Marketing Positions within the divisions Fine Chemicals and Performance Polymers. Since starting in BASF in 1999, his focus has been the strategic development and marketing of chemicals and polymers based on renewable resources using the synergies between classical chemistry and biotechnology.

Abstract:

Introduction: The field of biopolymers requires the close cooperation of chemistry and biology on the level of renewable monomers, polymers and end of life mechanism (e.g., composting) respectively. Using BASF as an example, this symbiosis of chemistry and biology will be presented. Renewable Monomers: Renewable monomers can be obtained by conversion of renewable feed stocks either by classical chemical catalysis or via a direct fermentation process. Succinic acid will be the BASF example to show the opportunities of such new processes. Polymer-Compound-Application: Ecoflex ® is the preferred blend partner for bio-based and biodegradable polymers which typically do not exhibit good mechanics and processability for film applications by themselves–ecoflex F® therefore is a synthetic polymer which enables the extensive use of renewable raw materials (e.g., starch, PLA). The BASF brand name for compounds of ecoflex® with PLA is ecovio®. The application range is very broad from film applications like organic waste bags, shopping bags or agricultural mulch films to biodegradable coffee capsules and stiff foamed packaging. End of Life: Polymer biodegradation commonly begins with the (hydrolytic) breakdown of the main chain often enzymatically catalyzed followed by the mineralization by microorganisms present in the respective habitat. Therefore elucidation of the interaction of microorganisms and their respective enzymes with polymer substrates in different environments and deducing relevant structure-property relationships is an important task of BASF biopolymer research.

Biography:

Francys Moreira is an engineer with proficiency in natural polymers. He has devoted his scientific career to polysaccharides, mastering their physical chemistry and processing. He currently serves as a postdoc at the National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agribusiness (LNNA) of Embrapa Instrumentation, a Brazilian federal research organization. His research interests include biopolymers in general, nanotechnology, organic/inorganic hybrids and bionanocomposites, sensor and multifunctional materials for intelligent/active packaging.

Abstract:

The last decades have been marked by an intensive research on polysaccharide processing as an effort to fabricate environmentally benign packaging materials at large scale. Most focuses have been on melt processing techniques due to the already established knowledge of petroleum-based plastic processing. However, the melt processing of polysaccharides has shown to be challenging due to the thermomechanical instability of these biopolymers. Here we introduce the continuous casting as a soft, rapid, and large-scale compatible approach to fabricate bioplastics from polysaccharides. This covers the implementation of the continuous casting process for cellulose derivatives such as hydroxypropyl-methyl-cellulose and carboxymethyl-cellulose, and starch with variable amylose/amylopectin ratio. Other successfully tested polysaccharides were chitosan, pectin carrageenan, and alginate. Bioplastic sheets as thin as 10 μm are possible to be efficiently formed in minute fractions when any Newtonian aqueous polysaccharide solution is used. However, we disclose how the continuous casting can be adjustable to non-Newtonian polysaccharide fluids. Polysaccharide-based bioplastics fabricated by continous casting fit a broad range of mechanical properties for application in numerous food packaging sectors. The future outlooks of this soft processing for nanotechnology is also covered.

Biography:

Silvio originates from Cosenza (Italy). He obtained his Laurea Magistrale in Materials Science from the University of Milano working on the preparation of polymer nanocomposites for controlled light diffusion (March 2012). Silvio joined Prof Steve Howdle’s group at the University of Nottingham in September 2012. His PhD project is part of the REFINE network and he is investigating the use of scCO2 for renewable polymeric materials synthesis and materials processing. In 2014 he gave a talk at the European Meeting on scFluids in Marseille and presented a poster at the Gordon Research Conference on Green Chemistry in Hong Kong.

Abstract:

The use of green monomers for the replacement of fossil-based raw materials is an attractive research subject of modern polymer science . To achieve a completely green process, enzymes have been investigated as polymerisation catalysts . Unfortunately, the high melting point (>105 °C) of some diacids and their insolubility in non-polar solvents necessitate the use of their esters and limits the range of natural monomers that could be used without pre-modification . Moreover, the use of high temperature is expensive and can lead to side reactions and enzyme deactivation . Here we show that scCO2 can overcome these issues. In recent years the interest on the use of scCO2 as a medium for polymer synthesis and processing has increased steeply . ScCO2 is able to plasticise many polymers at temperatures below their glass-transition temperature and melting point, therefore opening new opportunities for polymer synthesis and modification . Here we investigate the poly-condensation of bio-based commercially available long-chain diacids and diols under scCO2. Telechelic polyesters with targeted molecular weight were synthesised by end-capping the chains with functional molecules. The use of scCO2 as a reaction medium allowed for the use of Candida Antarctica Lipase B (CaLB) as a catalyst at a temperature as low as 35 °C. Thus, easily preserving the functionality of the end-capper and the enzyme activity, so that it can be then recycled. The products, obtained with good yields, have been characterised to assess their structural and thermal properties. Finally, the telechelic chains were cross-linked to form useful naturally derived films.

Biography:

Amy Goddard is currently in the final year of her Ph.D at the University of Nottingham, UK, supervised by Prof. Steve Howdle & Dr. Derek Irvine. Her project forms part of the REFINE network working towards developing new sustainable materials for the polymer industry, funded by the European Commission. She is a member of the Process Innovation Team at Croda Ltd, a world leading specialty chemical company, and is an associate member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. She has presented her work at international conferences including the Gordon Green Chemistry Conference in Hong Kong & Ecochem in Switzerland.

Abstract:

The ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of biobased D,L-lactide (DLLA) using a range of renewable polyol co-initiators is an essential route to tailoring the properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA). ROP is normally conducted in the melt at high temperatures (≥ 140 ï‚°C) with the need for harsh post-reaction treatment to remove toxic catalysts and residual monomer. Using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) we have shown significant reduction in reaction temperatures allowing us to investigate the use of temperature sensitive biobased co-initiators. Furthermore through the use of scCO2 extraction, we can efficiently remove residual monomer & metal-catalysts, leaving a pure product. The impact of structure on the biodegradability of these low molecular weight products strongly influences their ability to act as a dispersants. Our data shows that modifying the co-initiator and varying the PLA chain length are key to influencing the product properties. Our results could increase the potential of PLA as a renewable and biodegradable replacement for petrochemical derived polymers, whilst also widening its commercial application as a green dispersant. We believe our new “green” approaches to the production and purification of PLA are significant steps towards the development and application of the next generation of biopolymers, taking into account not only the choice of raw material but also the sustainability of processes and techniques used in synthesis.

Biography:

Marina originates from Santander (Spain) and obtained her MSc in Chemical Synthesis and Reactivity from the University of Oviedo. Marina joined the REFINE (Renewable Functional Materials) network in September 2012 as a PhD student in the University of Nottingham, where she is investigating the synthesis of new polymeric materials using terpenes

Abstract:

The use of readily available and naturally occurring feedstocks to overcome our reliance upon petroleum derived materials is a growing challenge for our society. One of the most attractive alternatives are terpenes, due to their natural abundance, their structural diversity and their availability from citrus and wood waste streams in the multi-tonne scale. There have been significant efforts in the past to create polymers from terpenes, but extensive studies have to date yielded only a few examples of low Mn, low Tg or cross-linked polymers. Therefore polymeric materials obtained from terpenes are still very limited. Our approach consisted on functionalising a wide range of terpenes to create a variety of new acrylate and methacrylate monomers, via a 2-step methodology or a catalytic route, in a 50g scale. These new terpene derived monomers are easily polymerisable via free radical or controlled/living polymerisation. A variety of linear, branched and crosslinked polymers has been synthesised in a controlled fashion yielding polymers with very different properties and Tgs ranging between -18 and 142 o C

Biography:

Dr. Eric Cochran, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Iowa State University, received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from University of Minnesota in 2004. His areas of interest are in the equilibrium and dynamic properties of polymeric systems that undergo self-assembly as well as the creation and development of biomaterials from renewable sources. Since his arrival to Iowa State, he has been recipient of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award in 2006, of the CAREER Award by the NSF Division of Materials Research in 2009, and a Karen and Denny Vaughn faculty fellowship in 2011. He also currently serves as the Deputy Director of CB2, the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, which leverages National Science Foundation and industry funds to develop new biobased products and materials.

Abstract:

In this talk I will present an overview our ongoing work at Iowa State University in the area of bioadvantaged plastics; that is, plastics formed largely from biorenewable resources that offer advantages in cost and utility over their nearest petrochemically derived analogs. ISU has been a leader in this area since the pioneering work of ISU chemistry professor Richard LaRock, the first to convert vegetable oil into thermoset plastics and elastomers. Today, our newly formed NSF Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites serves the interests of over 20 member companies in the development of new processes and products in the field of biobased polymeric materials. The Cochran Research Group's presence in this area began nearly four years ago with our discovery that controlled radical polymerizations such as ATRP and RAFT* can transform vegetable oils into thermoplastic rubbers. Combined with hard segments such as polystyrene or polymethylmethacrylate, we can produce block copolymers that serve the thermoplastic elastomers industry. We have since applied our technology to other biobased feedstocks, including glycerine, lignin-based phenolic residues, sugars, isosorbide, and lactic acid. This new palette of biomonomers is creating a new array of biobased thermoplastics, asphalt modifiers, sealants, adhesives, and viscosity modifiers that will find commercial success not because they are "green", but rather because they offer unique traits that their competitors cannot. *Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization and Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer polymerization

Biography:

Dr. Noda was born in Tokyo, Japan. He came to the United States in 1969 and was graduated from Columbia University in the City of New York in 1974 with B.S. degree in chemical engineering. He also received his M.S. in bioengineering (1976), as well as M.Phil. (1978) and Ph.D. (1979) in chemical engineering from Columbia. In 1997 he received D.Sc. degree in chemistry from the University of Tokyo. Dr. Noda has been repeatedly recognized for his contributions and currently holds ninety (90) patents granted in the US and the EU, published over three hundred (340) articles, co-authored three (3) books and received a number of industry wide awards and recognition for his contributions to these fields of interest

Abstract:

Dr. Noda joined MHG, Inc. after a distinguished career extending over three decades at Procter & Gamble Co. Following his retirement from P&G, Dr. Noda accepted a position as an Adjunct Professor at The University of Delaware which he maintains. Dr. Noda is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities in the field of polymer science including the biopolymers known as polyhydroxyalkanoates. Dr. Noda pioneered the development of a specific type of PHAs known as medium-chain-length branched polyhrdroxylalkanoates (mcl-PHA) trademarked as Nodax™. MHG recently announced startup of the world’s largest production facility for mcl-PHAs, and the addition of Dr. Noda to the MHG team will enable MHG customers to benefit from the expertise of one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the world

Biography:

Dr. Paul Pereira joined MHG as the Executive Chairman of the group of companies charged with the responsibility of driving its subsidiaries to full commercialization of their product lines. Pereira successfully completed the merger of these entities under Meredian Holdings Group Inc. and has successfully positioned the MHG for profitability and growth. Dr. Paul Pereira has had a notable career across multiple industries primarily pioneering new boundaries and creating value. He is a blue ocean strategist and takes great pride in leading entities beyond the boundaries of their existing playing fields. Pereira has worked as CEO of major corporations in technology, telecommunications, medical and manufacturing worldwide and has engineered multi billion dollar strategies and turnarounds of notable entities in various parts of the world including the Middle East, Europe and the Caribbean. He has a Doctorate in International business from ISM and St. Johns University, Studied Chemistry at McGill University and Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M and is a Professor of Strategic Management and International Business at the University in Paris.

Abstract:

When is biodegradation of items good and when is composting more recognized. How different degradation scenarios play an important role in materials selection. We evaluate life cycles of various consumer items and show end of life scenarios and how it affects the environment. A series of regularly used consumables, single use and non durable goods are examined and the end of life cycles compare to the impacts on environmental pollution. This is a very power packed analysis of life cycle paths for different end of life scenarios and the presenters give quantitative analysis of the impact of each scenario and best material selection and why.

Biography:

Abstract:

The commercial development of bioplastics was seen as a solution to a number of environmental issues, including litter remediation, conservation of landfill space, and mitigation of ocean wildlife injury. Over the course of this development the industry has taken a more nuanced view of how end-of-life options matter, and how bioplastics can specifically add value to users of plastic materials. We will discuss several case studies for specific articles and show how different end-of-life options can affect the environmental impact of use and disposal of bioplastics articles. We will also discuss how the various end-of-life options can affect the material selection process for bioplastics, and how these criteria can differ from those used for traditional, and non-degradable petroleum derived plastics.

Biography:

Ignacy has completed his PhD in Physical Chemistry in 1985 and afterwards he joined SP. In 2005 he became Associate professor in Polymer Technology at Chalmers University of Technology. He is currently the R&D Manager at SP Polymer & Fibre section. He has published 25 papers in reputed journals and 45 contributions at international scientific conferences. He is serving as a reviewer for scientific journals. His scientific work comprises lifetime technology and recycling along with development of new polymeric materials with enhanced properties and reduced environmental impact. He is also involved in development of test methods and international standardisation.

Abstract:

The driving forces behind the last two decades of research and development of bioplastics and biocomposites are tightening legislation and regulations, increasing consumer demands, significant price increases of fossil based materials, unwanted dependence on fossil resources and unstable oil prices. However, the introduction of life cycle assessments (LCA) and systems analysis throughout the production, use and Cradle to Cradle® design concept makes it necessary to ultimately guarantee their sustainability as suitable alternatives to traditional plastics and composites. In order to maximize the effective use of “green” plastics, it is important to prepare for their recycling through a suitable labelling and recycling system and initiatives to increase public awareness and education. Another important issue is to develop technologically viable, effective, efficient and economical recovery systems and end markets for post-consumer bio-based materials without jeopardizing the existing conventional recycling systems.

Biography:

Jonas completed his PhD in 2008 at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. For the past six years he has been working as a research scientist in the Polymer and Fibre section at SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden with the main research focus on renewable polymeric materials, material development and nanocomposites. He is currently supervising two Ph.D.-students in the field of nanotechnology and is also WP-leader in a Swedish research project titled “Sustainable recycling of “green” plastics”.

Abstract:

Introduction of “green” plastics to the market has created a number of issues that need to be investigated. The sustainability benefits of using renewable feedstock may not be sufficient if the material cannot be recycled. Today, plastic recycling is often limited to a few large plastic streams which are cost effective to recycle. However, due to the steadily increasing demand for sustainable material consumption, it is likely to expect that recycling of other plastic materials, which are not extensively recycled today (e.g. bio based plastics, polyamides, polymer blends), will be required in the near future. Both petro- and bio-based plastics will coexist on the market for a long time to come. Thus, the increased use of bio based plastics may have significant implications for the recycled plastics industry in the near future due to concerns regarding costs for separation, increased contamination, yield loss and impact on recycled materials quality. As a part of the project “Sustainable recycling of “green” plastics” a study were conducted, highlighting possible recyclability issues when introducing bio based alternatives to conventional petro-based plastics on the market. This study was conducted using a bio based polyamide (PA1010) as replacement for a fossil based alternative (PA12). The study simulates different recycling scenarios where these two polyamides might be mixed and highlights problems that might arise related to identification and material quality.

Biography:

Nazdaneh has finished her PhD in an industrial collaboration project between Chalmers technical University and SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden in Polymer technology in 2003. She had worked at SP with research and developing of material until 2010 when she went to Carmel Pharma AB for working as manager for material and biocompatibility department. She came back to SP 2012 and she works currently as a senior researcher at SP Structural and Solid Mechanic department. She has published 12 articles in polymer technology and many conference papers. She is a member of EMPD (European Medical Polymer Device) Scientific board. She works with developing, evaluation and recycling of polymer and polymer composite products in transport and construction sectors.

Abstract:

Growing public concern regarding the environment and strive towards use of renewable resources represent key drivers for governments, companies, and researchers to develop alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Replacing petro based plastics by bio based needs a transition period during which both petro and bio based plastics will coexist on the market. At the same time demand for products made from recycled materials is rising, making recyclability an important attribute for many types of plastics. Polymer blends and alloys offer an interesting solution to obtain multipurpose materials with tailor-made properties. However, recycling of these inseparable mixtures is restricted by processing as well as thermodynamic issues. As a part of the project “Sustainable recycling of “green” plastics” a study on the recycling and other challenges related to blends of bio- and petro based plastics has been done. PLA blends with HDPE and with PC has been investigated along with PVC plasticized with a bio-based plasticizer. The work has been performed by simulation of pre- and postconsumer products recycling. High throughput laboratory methods and industrial scale processing were used. Effects of recycling were investigated using sensitive analytical tools as well as tests of mechanical strength.

Biography:

Dr Nasir Al-Lagtah joined Newcastle University International Singapore (NUIS) on January 2014 as a lecturer in chemical engineering. Before that, he was a lecturer (teaching focused) at Manchester University UK. He obtained his PhD in chemical engineering from Queen’s University of Belfast in 2008. His research interests include further utilization of lignin residue (biorefinery by-product), production of biodiesel using heterogeneous catalysts, modelling and simulation of bioenergy processes using Aspen Plus (thermal conversion of lignin, biodiesel production, glycerol (biodiesel by-product) utilization to produce value-added products.

Abstract:

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a type of polyolefin plastic, which is a common domestic plastic waste. Polyolefins account for 57% of the total amount of plastics present in household waste, of which polyethylene is the most abundant type of this group. In this study, Aspen HYSYS (a process simulation package) is used to design, simulate and optimize two proposed processes for the pyrolysis of LDPE in order to produce liquid hydrocarbons that are suitable for biofuel production. The first proposed process consists of a simple pyrolysis simulation that generalised the process products into three groups, while the simulation of the second process takes into consideration a more complex product description. The main aim of this study is to contribute to pollution prevention and treatment by providing a valuable mechanism that will improve the research on plastic pyrolysis. The simulation results show that it is possible to simulate and optimize the LDPE pyrolysis process using Aspen HYSYS with more accuracy than other methods that have been applied before. The results of the complex simulation model show a greater agreement with the experimental data compared to the simpler model. Therefore, the description of the process was more detailed, improving the quality of the predictions of the pyrolystates. The more detailed product description, not only has increased the prediction accuracy of the pyrolysis process performance, but also the process diagram is more detailed, providing more complete operational specifications, including the duties needed for the LDPE pyrolysis process.

Biography:

Joanna Kuzincow is graduate of University of Warsaw (editing and publishing studies) and Warsaw School of Economics (marketing and management). Currently writing her PhD thesis in management – on ecological packaging in marketing strategies of enterprises (Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Management and Finance). Specialist in the Department of Systems Support, COBRO – Packaging Research Institute, editor of Packaging Spectrum – science section of the eldest Polish packaging magazine Opakowanie (Packaging).

Abstract:

Wheat bran – seed husks from the remnants of the endosperm, is a common by-product of the milling industry. What should be strongly emphasised, only 20% of wheat bran can be used as a food or for feeding livestock, but the remaining mass definitely requires disposal or recovery. Additionally, long-term storage of plant products is expensive as appropriate conditions and measures are required. Promising solution of both questions: lack of packaging materials raw sources as well as long-term plant storage is Polish bioplastic Biotrem – biodegradable and compostable wheat bran packaging material. It will allow the organic recycling of thousand tons of post-consumer waste and reduce the mass of plastic waste and will also significantly minimize use of petrochemical raw materials. Biotrem technology is in line with current trends of packaging, due to its bio-based nature. Wheat bran packaging is an example of sustainable packaging improving waste disposal by not causing further production of waste. On the production stage Biotrem means much lower carbon foootprint than conventional petroleum technologies. New, started in 2014 new project BIOTREM NOVUM involves modification of current wheat bran packaging and introduction of biodegradable polymers into their structure or coating its surface witch such polymers. Its objective is to enhance compostability with simultaneous improvement of product properties: processing speed and water resistance.

Biography:

Warren Grigsby is a Researcher Leader at Scion (New Zealand) with research activity spanning synthetic and polymer chemistry applications of biopolymer systems. Warren is leading the development of bio-based adhesive and polymer systems that can be used as substitutes for chemicals derived from petroleum. He has a lead role in the direction and coordination of innovative research efforts in both commercial and government-funded research. His current research activities include the synthesis of biobased adhesives and resins for use in engineered wood products and high performance composites, novel wood modification processing strategies, and adapting polyphenolics in a range of applications.

Abstract:

A totally bio-based approach has been applied to produce thermosetting polymers comparable to synthetic polyester thermosets. Condensed tannin-lipid conjugates have been copolymerized with vegetable oils to produce copolymer films ranging from rigid thermosets to soft rubbers. Reactivity and vegetable oil quantity employed has the greatest influence on copolymer crosslinking and mechanical properties, whereas tannin incorporation was essential for copolymers to achieve necessary mechanical strength. Use of tannin linoleate esters led to copolymers with ambient modulus of up to 1.7 GPa and glass transition temperatures above 70°C. Combination of oleate esters and higher oil contents led to rubber-like copolymers comprising relatively rigid and soft domains. This work discusses the control of copolymer properties and crosslink densities through tuning vegetable oil reactivity and degree of unsaturation present in tannin ester chains.

Biography:

Kiran Babu Uppuluri has completed his PhD at the age of 30 years from Andhra University in biopharmaceutical technology. He has published more than 20 papers in reputed journals and serving as an Associate Professor at SASTRA University, Thanjavur. His expertise covers the area of modeling, design and optimization of biopharmaceutical production. He has expertise in bioprocess development, mechanism of action of pharmaceuticals and formulation of biologicals. He received a young scientist award from department of science and technology, government of India in 2013. He is currently funded by the DST India on two projects “Serine protease inhibitors production” and “biohydrogen production”

Abstract:

Levan is a homopolymer of fructose naturally obtained from both plants and microorganisms. Microbial levans are more advantageous, economical and industrially feasible. Microbial levans have wide range of applications in food, medicine, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and commercial industrial sectors. With excellent polymeric medicinal properties and ease of production, microbial levan appear as a valuable and versatile biopolymer of the future. Inspite of its broad spectrum of applications, the industrial usage of levan is very limited due to the high cost of production processes. The present study demonstrates the economically feasible microbial production of levan by batch fermentation process both in sucrose rich medium and pretreated sugar cane molasses (SCM) using Acetobacter xylinum NCIM 2526. Further the present study also focused on the optimization of levan production in synthetic medium using one factor at a time approach followed by a statistical method, central composite design (CCD) with selected variables. Neural networks coupled genetic algorithm was applied to optimize the four key fermentation parameters in SCM; medium pH, inoculum concentration, amount of Ammonium bicarbonate and amount of initial levan for levan yield. The produced Levan was characterized using various physicochemical techniques such as FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopy, TGA and HPLC. The biomedical potential of the isolated A. xylinum levan for its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities was exploited in vitro. The yield of levan was increased significantly from 0.54 to 13.25 g/L in sucrose containing medium and from 17.1 g/L to 122.24 g/L in SCM with the optimized variables.

Biography:

Dr. Oliver Ehlert has completed his Diploma and PhD at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Since 2012 he is a Product Manager for compostable, bio based and home compostable products at DIN CERTCO, an internationally approved certification body.

Abstract:

Sustainable products are more and more focussed by the polymer, packaging and other industries. Here, the confirmation of the respective properties becomes increasingly important, especially, the so-called “end-of-life” options, like compostability or biodegradability. On the other hand the use of recycled materials or biobased materials becomes more and more interesting for retailers, suppliers and end-consumers. Unfortunately, these properties are not visible at first glance. Therefore, independent third party labelling shows the difference and highlights your products. In this presentation DIN CERTCO will present its customized certification schemes for the following kinds of products, intermediates, materials and additives: • Products made of compostable materials (“Seedling”-logo, EN 13432 and others) • Products made of compostable materials (“DIN-Geprüft”-logo, EN 13432 and others) • Products made of compostable materials for home and garden composting (AS 5810) • Biobased Products (ASTM D 6866, CEN/TS 16137) • Products made of recycled materials (ISO 14021, EN 15343) DIN CERTCO is the certification organization of TÜV Rheinland Group and DIN e. V., the German Institute for Standardization. It is highly regarded at home and abroad for its independence, neutrality, competence and more than 40 years experience in the field.

Biography:

Dr. Dang-Thuan Tran completed his PhD in 2013 from National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Now, he is working as a postdoctoral researcher at Advanced Biomass R&D center, KAIST, Korea. He is currently working on downstream processing of microalgae-based biofuels and bioproducts production. Specifically, he alternatively focuses on conversion of lipidextracted algal biomass to biocomposite materials. He has published more than 15 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as a reviewer of various journals including Bioresource Technology, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Biomass & Bioenergy

Abstract:

Downstream processing of microalgae biomass feedstock such as gasification is an alternative approach which generates fly ash as by a product. The utilization of the ash to make added-value materials could partially offset the total cost of microalgae-based chemicals production. In this work, fly ash converted from lipid-extracted algal (LEA) of the strain Nannochloropsis salina was used as fillers for biocomposite fabrication with biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The negative charges ash particles was dispersed and assembled with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) at pH 10, followed by absorption of PVA solution. Composite PVA/ASH and PVA/ASH/PDDA films were synthesized by using solution casting method. Universal testing machine (UTM), thermogravimetry analyzer (TGA), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) were used to determine the mechanical and thermal properties the films. The morphological and crystal structures of the composites were investigated by scanning electron microcospy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), respectively. Results showed that incorporation of the linear polycations significantly enhanced dispersion of ash particles in PVA matrix even at 25% of ash loading, whereas the ash particles tended to aggregate in PVA matrix at higher loading than 5% and severer at 25%. That caused the remarkable decrease in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the PVA/ASH composites from 34.5 to 22.8 MPa at 5% to 25% ash content, respectively, which were lower than 37.6 to 32.2 MPa determined for PVA/ASH/PDDA composite films at the same ash proportion. Moreover, these composites significantly increased Young’s modulus and thermal resistance compared with the pure PVA.

Biography:

Dr. Aman Ullah received his PhD (with distinction) in Chemical Sciences and Technologies in 2010 at the University of Genova, Italy by working together at Southern Methodist University, USA. He is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta. He has published more than 20 papers in reputed journals. Aman was named a Canadian Rising Star in Global Health by Grand Challenges Canada in 2012.

Abstract:

Poultry processing plants generate billions of pounds of feathers each year. Feathers are light and tough with over 90% protein. At present, in addition to few applications in animal feed and other products, the majority of the poultry feathers are disposed in landfills. Recently, due to strong emphasis on environmental awareness worldwide, utilization of natural fibers in the development of recyclable and environmentally sustainable composites/materials has been growing. In addition to environmental factors, biofibers offer many advantages over synthetic fibers in terms of low density, biodegradability, reduced dermal and reduced respiratory irritation, and low cost. However, these fibers have intrinsic weaknesses such as moisture sensitivity, low thermal stability, and high flammability etc. These drawbacks should be collectively addressed for biofibers to be used in a wide range of applications. Exploitation of nanotechnology, incorporation of nanostructures into biofibers, has great potential to address these challenges. This presentation will discuss the modifications of Keratin from feathers for biosorption and biocomposite applications. The surface and in-situ modifications of feather keratin were carried out. The structural changes and properties of the modified keratin were compared with untreated keratin fiber and confirmed by various characterization techniques such as SEM, XPS, FTIR, XRD, DSC and TGA. The modified fibres were used as biosorbents and also blended with co-polymer matrix to prepare the hybrid biocomposites. The modifications led to improvements in biosorption, thermal stability, flammability, and other physical properties compared to the neat one.

Biography:

Tereza Cristina Luque Castellane is an academic researcher at UNESP - São Paulo State University.she worked for the journal of microbiology on Composition of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) produced by Flavobacterium columnare isolated from tropical fish in Brazil.she has a publication over 9 articles with expertise on exopolysaccharide,biotechnology,polysaccharide,carbohydrate polymers,Bio-polymers,chromatography,biomaterials,Bioremediation,Biosurfcants,molecular biology,rhizobium,Bioemulsifier.

Abstract:

The potential use of rhizobia under controlled fermentation conditions may result in the production of new extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) having novel and superior properties that will open up new areas of industrial applications and thus increase their demand. The production of EPS and the stability of emulsions formed with soybean oil, diesel oil and toluene using different concentrations of purified EPS derived from wild-type and mutant strains of Rhizobium tropici SEMIA 4080 was investigated. The EPS was defined as a heteropolysaccharide composed of six constituent monosaccharides that displayed higher intrinsic viscosity and pseudoplastic non-Newtonian fluid behavior in an aqueous solution. It is remarkable that the wild-type strain of Rhizobium tropici SEMIA 4080 were able to grow on diesel, as well as mutant strain (MUTZC3). The higher emulsifying activity was observed with hexane and paraffin liquid oil, as shown by its emulsification index (E24) higher than 50%, SEMIA 4080 with values of 87.2 and 74.3% and mutant (MUTZC3) strain with values 89.6 and 58.7% for hexane and paraffin liquid oil, respectively. These results demonstrate that the EPS of R. tropici strains could be attractive for use in industrial and environmental applications, as it had higher intrinsic viscosity and good emulsification activity.

Biography:

My name is Sedki BEN ALI, I’am currently a student doing a thesis in bioplastics, in my third and final year at the University of Rouen in France. Previously, I obtained a Master’s degree in Material’s Science at the institute of Material Science in Rouen. The theme I am working on is “characterization of bioplastics during their biodegradation”

Abstract:

Interest towards applying biodegradable plastics as a substitution for the conventional plastic is promising and the introduction of biodegradable materials which can be disposed directly into the soil can be a possible solution to the waste accumulation problem. But before intensive use of these materials it is necessary required to examine their safety for the environment. Once these materials are buried, they could represent a threat for soil contamination and food produced. A biodegradation test of two biodegradable mulching films (mainly composed of starch and PBAT) on soil medium under aerobic conditions was developed using an inert medium called pozzolan. This medium was activated by consortia (addition of microorganisms extracted from two different soil modalities in order to study the impact of biodiversity on the biodegradation rate) and a mineral solution. A follow up of the evolution of physical and chemical material parameters (DSC, TGA, SEM, RMN1H and IR), as well as the evolution of the microbial biomass (microbial C determined by using the chloroform fumigation extraction method, DNA extraction, CFU evolution) was investigated during the test period. The mineralization rate was evaluated based on the CO2 trapped (NaOH solution) during the respiration of microorganisms. Terrestrial ecotoxicity test was performed on plants and earthworms to show a potential toxic effect and to establish a dose-effect relation according to 11268-1:2012 and ISO 11269- 2:2013.

Biography:

Dr. Mang has more than 28 years of experience in the polymer industry, including developing commercial scale processes for polymers, and has a successful track record in both start-up industrial biotechnology and global chemical company settings. In addition to his experience, Mang has an extensive list of publications he co-authored. Prior to his time at MHG, Mang was the Directors of Product Technology and Application Development at Myriant Corporation. He was also Director of Product Development and Specialty Products at Natureworks, and spent more than 12 years at The Dow Chemical Company. Mang holds a Ph.D in Chemistry from Pennsylvania State University, and a B.S in Chemistry from Aurora University. He also holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from the University of Wisconsin and graduated from the Berkeley Advanced Management Program.

Abstract:

The commercial development of bioplastics was seen as a solution to a number of environmental issues, including litter remediation, conservation of landfill space, and mitigation of ocean wildlife injury. Over the course of this development the industry has taken a more nuanced view of how end-of-life options matter, and how bioplastics can specifically add value to users of plastic materials. We will discuss several case studies for specific articles and show how different end-of-life options can affect the environmental impact of use and disposal of bioplastics articles. We will also discuss how the various end-of-life options can affect the material selection process for bioplastics, and how these criteria can differ from those used for traditional, non-degradable petroleum derived plastics.

Biography:

Blake Lindsey has three decades of sales, marketing and production management experience. Throughout his career, Lindsey has been successful in managing diverse and complicated global supply chains and has vast expertise in new business development, sales management, supply chain optimization, production efficiency and customer satisfaction. Blake has managed large groups in multiple locations supporting a wide range of internal and external requirements. Lindsey received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas. In addition, Lindsey has completed post-graduate studies at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and Southern Methodist University. Dr. Isao

Abstract:

The commercial development of bioplastics was seen as a solution to a number of environmental issues, including litter remediation, conservation of landfill space, and mitigation of ocean wildlife injury. Over the course of this development the industry has taken a more nuanced view of how end-of-life options matter, and how bioplastics can specifically add value to users of plastic materials. We will discuss several case studies for specific articles and show how different end-of-life options can affect the environmental impact of use and disposal of bioplastics articles. We will also discuss how the various end-of-life options can affect the material selection process for bioplastics, and how these criteria can differ from those used for traditional, non-degradable petroleum derived plastics.

Biography:

Peter L Keeling (PhD) is Director of the Innovation Program at the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC), based at Iowa State University. Peter has over 30 years of R&D and management experience in the biotechnology and biorenewables sector. Peter received his PhD and BS degrees in Biochemistry from the Council for National Academic Awards, UK. After his postdoctoral research, Peter worked for the R&D division of ICI/Zeneca in what is now Syngenta, was a Co-Founder and Research Director of ExSeed Genetics and then became Unit Research Director of a division of BASF Plant Science. In 2009 Peter took his current role at the interface of academia and industry when CBiRC became fully operational. As well as working closely with CBiRC\'s industry members, Peter teaches entrepreneurship and runs the BioBased Foundry, a startup mentoring program.

Abstract:

The NSF funded Engineering Research Center, CBiRC, is developing innovative biorenewable chemical platforms from bio-based feedstocks. CBiRC uses state of the art knowhow, components and computational tools combined with core knowhow in biocatalytic and chemical catalytic engineering. Together this is creating an outstanding education program, a powerful R&D portfolio and unique insights into how to pull this together into systems level opportunities. By joining CBiRC\'s valuable industry membership program, industry members gain access to these technological developments. CBiRC believes the existing petrochemical supply chain can be transformed with key foundational intermediates that deliver an array of drop-in chemistry or similar functionality to existing fossil-carbon-based chemicals. Here we will describe our progress towards creating advanced biomanufacturing systems with new platform molecules for biobased chemicals.

Biography:

Professor Lacroix has completed a B.Sc.A. a M.Sc. in Food Sciences Technology in 1980 and 1982 respectively and a Ph.D. in Nutrition in 1986. She is full professor at INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, Québec, Canada and director of the Research Laboratories in Sciences Applied to Food and of the Canadian Irradiation Centre. She is Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST). According to the ISI Essential Science Indicators Web product, her work garnered the highest percent increase of total citations in Agricultural Sciences in 2005. She is author of 225 publications, 10 patents and 18 book chapters

Abstract:

Global environmental concern, regarding the use of petroleum-based packaging materials, is encouraging researchers and industries in the search for packaging materials from natural biopolymers. Bioactive packaging is gaining more and more interest not only due to its environment friendly nature but also due to its potential to improve food quality and safety during packaging. Some of the short comings of biopolymers, such as weak mechanical and barrier properties can be significantly enhanced by the use of nanomaterials such as crystalline nanocellulose (CNC). The use of CNC can also extend the food shelf life and improve the food quality as they can serve as carriers of some active substances, such as antioxidants and antimicrobials. The CNC fiber-based composites have great potential in the preparation of cheap, lightweight, and very strong nanocomposites for food packaging. During this conference, the potential of the use and application of CNC fiber-based nanocomposites for the development of bioactive packaging based nanocomposite with different polymers like methylcellulose, chitosan, poly(ε-caprolactone), polylactic acid-nanocrystalline cellulose (PLA-NCC) supramolecular will be presented. The one or bilayer active nanocomposite films for their potential to eliminate pathogens in ready to eat vegetables and meat or the efficiency of the nanocomposite films for the preservation of the viability of probiotic bacteria will be included in this presentation.

Biography:

Nabanita Saha has completed her PhD in 1991 in Microbial Biotechnology from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. After that, she worked at SPRERI as Scientific Officer. She joined at Tomas Bata University in Zlin in July 2001 and was appointed as Associate Professor in 2006. She is author or co-author of 28 papers registered in WOS database, 146 citations (without self-citations) and h-index 11. She supervised 5 Doctoral Thesis; 2 are completed and 3 ongoing [as a supervisor (3) and consultant (2)]. She is Board Member of SPE, European Medical Plastic and member of several international scientific societies.

Abstract:

Bacterial cellulose (BC) based functional biomaterials represent an important challenge in biomaterial research for potential use in certain biomedical applications (e.g. scaffolds for bone tissue engineering). Credit goes to inherent properties of BC, such as porosity, density, water holding capacity, high strength (similar to the mechanical properties of cartilage), physical stability and relatively low degradation rate of cellulose inside the human body etc. Bone is a composite material with an organic phase (collagen and non-collagenous proteins) and an inorganic mineral phase (calcium hydroxyapatite). Moreover, it is proven that BC nanofibers can mimic collagen nanofibers for Ca-P mineral deposition via biomineralization. It is assumed that in near future, biomineralized bacterial cellulose (filled with calcium carbonate (CaCO3)) can be a substitute biomaterial for bone tissue engineering. Some work done on BC-hydroxyapatite (Hap) nanocomposites as similar kind of calcium deficient (Hap) found in natural bone but not much work done on BC-CaCO3.This paper will report about promotion of CaCO3 deposition on BC membranes using calcium chloride and sodium carbonate as starting reactants. The diffusion–driven mineralization technique has been implemented for the fabrication of CaCO3 within BC mat. The biomimetic mineralization study was performed for 0 to 60 min at stationary conditions. Several diverse shapes and sizes dispersed white crystal cubic structures are observed on BC mat. In conclusion, it can be mentioned that incubation period has great influence on biomimetic nucleation and formation of CaCO3. The precise information about BC biosynthesis and biomineralization process will be discussed during presentation.

Biography:

P. Samyn completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Ghent University (2007) and took several post-doctoral research projects at Department of Textiles (Ghent), Department of Microscystems Engineering (Freiburg) and was visiting professor at the Pulp and Paper Institute (Toronto). He is currently a Robert-Bosch Juniorprofessor at the University of Freiburg working on the processing of bio-based nanocomposites for coatings and structural applications. He has published more than 150 papers in the field of tribology, adhesion science

Abstract:

The abundant availability of cellulose resources and the favourable mechanical properties of its microfibrillated compounds makes them as good candidate for reinforcing agents in biocomposites. However, problems in homogeneous dispersive and distributive mixing of the cellulose additives due to their highly hydrophilic nature, often restrict the full capability of bio-based composites. Traditionally, surface modification of microfibrillated cellulose is often performed by introducing chemical moieties such as silanes, acrylates, vinyl etc. In view of developing a more sustainable and functional design of interface engineering, a new method is presented where nanoparticles including plant oil or wax are deposited onto the fiber surface and the required hydrophobicity can be controlled by thermal release of the hydrophobic moieties from the surface under thermal curing. In this work, the surfaces of microfibrillated cellulose are modified through decoration with poly(styrene-co-maleimide) nanoparticles that are synthesized in presence of with carnauba wax and soy oil. The fibers are added in an autoclave reactor together with the poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) precursors and ammonium hydroxide. During reaction, further fibrillation of the fibers together with the deposition of 20 – 100 nm nanoparticles onto the fiber surfaces are observed. Finally, a hydrophobic fibrous network is obtained with encapsulated hydrophobic agents. After thermal curing of the modified pulp fibers at temperatures of 125 to 250°C for different times, the gradual release of wax from the network is observed and final contact angles of 157° on the microfibrillated cellulose are measured. The modified fibers are characterized by thermal analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA) and chemical mapping by confocal Raman spectroscopy. The processing properties of the modified fibers are characterized by rotational rheometry. Finally, the beneficial properties of the modified fibers during melt-processing together with PLA result in an increase in mechanical properties for the composites with surface-modified fibers compared to the native fibers.

Biography:

Caio G. Otoni has completed his B.Sc in Food Engineering from Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering at PPG-CEM, Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil, as well as member of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agribusiness from Embrapa Instrumentation, a Brazilian federal research organization. Otoni\'s main research interests include biopolymers, active food packaging, and nanotechnology. He has volunteered at USDA/ARS/WRRC for one year. Otoni has published several papers in scientific journals and reviews for Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, Ciência Rural, and Journal of Food Science & Nutrition.

Abstract:

Aiming at minimizing the environmental impact caused by the use of synthetic, non-renewable polymers, naturally occurring alternatives have been increasingly studied. Cellulose is a rigid, infusible, water-insoluble and fibrous-like biopolymer. In order to improve its film-forming properties, its hydroxyl groups are partially etherified into hydroxypropyl and methoxyl groups, resulting in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). We evaluated the effects of methoxyl content (MC) and average viscosimetric molecular weight (Mv) on glass transition temperature (Tg), water vapor permeability (WVP), tensile strength (σ), and elastic modulus (E) of films produced from aqueous film-forming solutions comprising 2% (w/v) of HPMC. We studied METHOCEL™ E15 (MC: 28-30%; Mv: 120,000 g.mol-1; Tg: 174 ˚C; WVP: 0.75 g.mm.kPa-1.h-1.m 2; σ: 31 MPa; E: 1.45 GPa), E4M (MC: 28-30%; Mv: 530,000 g.mol-1; Tg: 178 ˚C; WVP: 0.92 g.mm.kPa-1.h-1.m 2; σ: 67 MPa; E: 1.76 GPa), and K4M (MC: 19-24%; Mv: 550,000 g.mol-1; Tg: 210 ˚C; WVP: 1.52 g.mm.kPa-1.h-1.m 2; σ: 52 MPa; E: 1.74 GPa). Longer HPMC chains led to stronger (higher σ) and stiffer (higher E) films having higher Tg due to the increased physical entanglement and lower free volume and mobility. Films with higher MC were stronger due to the anchoring effect of methoxyl groups. Also, they presented lower Tg and WVP as a result of the lower occurrence of hydroxyl groups, that provide polarity and hydrophilicity. We demonstrated that both MC and molecular weight influence the physical-mechanical properties of HPMC films and should be taken into account in the development of novel bio-based materials with suitable properties.

Biography:

Joe Jankowski is the Commercial Manager for Green Polyethylene for North America. While working for Braskem America, Inc., he has also gained experience in polypropylene as well as Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. Prior to that, Joe worked as a machinery engineer for Sunoco refining after serving in the US Navy in operations and engineering roles. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Abstract:

Bio-based polyethylene was brought to the global market by Braskem in 2010. Many brand owners and converters have brought solutions to the global market displacing fossil based conventional resins. In many regions these projects have been quickly adopted while in other regions of the world, firms have move cautiously forward without switching. This presentation will review the challenges involved with bringing bio-based solutions to the market and provide case studies of where the value chain has been successful in penetrating the conventional market with renewable resources.

Biography:

RH Fitri Faradilla completed her Bachelor in Food Science and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia in 2010 and completed her MSc in Food Science and Nutrition, University of New South Wales, Australia in 2013.And currently doing her research on Utilising natural cellulose for packaging materials as post graduate student in the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract:

Banana pseudo-stem is one of the promising sources of nanocelluloses for biodegradable food packaging. This banana pseudo-stem is the largest part of a banana plant and it is considered as an agricultural waste since farmers cut it down when they harvest the fruits. In this research, nanocelluloses from banana pseudo-stem were extracted and characterised for further application as a biodegradable food packaging material. Nanocelluloses were extracted through chemical reactions, which included bleaching and oxidation reactions, and mechanical disintegrations. The properties of nanocelluloses from inner and outer layers of banana pseudo-stem and from single and double bleaching were characterised and compared. Celluloses from outer layer had slightly higher crystallinity index (CI) than the inner layer, which was approximately 36.5% for inner and 43.9% for outer parts. Extraction of nanocelluloses increased the CI by almost twice and double bleached nanocelluloses had CI slightly higher than single bleached nanocelluloses. Increase in crystalline proportion of the nanocelluloses was also observed from the endotherm peak from differential scanning calorimetry. Water flow temperatures of nanocelluloses were lower than the raw pseudo-stem flour. From the thermo gravimetric analysis, nanocelluloses seemed to degrade at around 224 oC, while the raw banana pseudo-stem degraded at 232 oC for inner and 261 oC for outer part. This low degradation temperature was expected since the nanocelluloses had diameter much smaller (6-27 nm) than the raw banana pseudo stem flour (>50 µm).

Biography:

Vimal Katiyar is currently working as Associate Professor in Department of Chemical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India. He has more than 25 international publications and patents on poly lactic acid based technology in diversified area such as specialization in polylactic acid synthesis, industrial level films and nanocomposites processing, biopolymer based nanofillers, migration, polymer modeling and polymer characterization. He is Team Leader of Center of Excellence for Sustainable Polymers at IIT Guwahati.

Abstract:

Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) is a biodegradable, non-toxic, environmentally friendly nanoparticle with immense potential for application in fields such as biomedical engineering, food packaging, sensors, electronic devices etc. In our lab, CNCs using different polymorphs of cellulose were fabricated from raw bamboo pulp through alkali treatment followed by acid hydrolysis. The effect of CNC polymorphs, namely CNC I, CNC II and CNC I→II (CNC II from cellulose I), on its morphology, crystal structure, degree of hydrogen bonding and thermal stability were studied. These polymorphs were dispersed in poly-lactic acid (PLA) films using solution casting approach and their effect on the structural, thermal, mechanical and barrier properties of the PLA was investigated. Incorporation of CNC II and CNC I→II significantly improved the Young’s modulus (by~72%). Therefore, the current study provides an insight towards selection of appropriate polymorphs for fabrication of CNC reinforced high performance PLA based bio-nanocomposites. Moreover, we have used the hydroxyl functional groups on CNCs as an anchor point for the simultaneous reduction and stabilization of zero valent nano-particles (ZVI). The CNCs supported ZVI had narrow size distribution along with improved dispersion stability in water. Moreover, this biocatalyst performed well in the degradation of methylene blue and hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. Further, we have observed autonomous motion of CNCs supported ZVI in the presence of peroxide fuel, whose locomotion can be externally controlled under both magnetic field and pH gradient. Interestingly, both the fields led to remotely control directionality and speed of the biocatalyst making it a potential candidate for next generation nano-machine for sensors, imaging and drug delivery applications.

Biography:

Jorge Alberto Vieira Costa completed his PhD in Food Engineering from the State University of Campinas in 1996. He is currently Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande, Researcher level 1C of the CNPq and Head of the Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering. He is coordinator of the Biochemical Engineering course. He was coordinator of the Graduate Food Engineering course and Food Engineering and Chemical Engineering courses. He has published more than 135 papers in reputed journals. He mainly works on science and food technology with emphasis on food engineering, and other topics, such as microalgae, biopolymers and nanotechnology.

Abstract:

Many analyses have been carried out about the future possibility of exhausting the planet’s resources and its ability to sustain its inhabitants. The use of microorganisms and their metabolic products by humans is one of the most significant fields of biotechnology. Microalgae are descendants of the first photosynthetic life forms. More than 3,500 million years ago the atmosphere was made up of microalgae with oxygen, since then, they have contributed to regulating the planet\'s biosphere. The use of solar energy through photosynthesis in microalgae cultivation is a clean, efficient and low cost process, since the sun\'s energy is virtually free and unlimited. The biomass of microalgae and its processing products are employed as biopolymers. Biopolymers can be produced using biofixation of carbon dioxide by microalgae and could reduce dependency on both petroleum and carbon dioxide emissions. Cyanobacteria have potential for the production of biopolymers and their yield can be increased by stressing the culture via nutrient limitation or other means, use of recombinant strains, control of metabolic flux and the use of different bioreactor types. Unlike with crop plants, the cultivation of microalgae does not require the use of large areas of ground and can occupy areas inappropriate for agriculture and thus do not compete with food production. The biopolymers from microalgae have thermoplastic, mechanical and physical properties similar to polypropylene. They are biocompatible, recyclable and biodegradable and produce zero toxic waste since they biodegrade into carbon dioxide and water by microbial attack in about three months to one year.

Biography:

Abstract:

The next generation of biorefineries will advance the biomass industry in two important ways. First, high value commodity products, such as specialty chemicals, plastics and long chain fuels, will replace methane and ethanol production. Second, feedstock streams will move down the value chain to waste products and away from crop sources. Full Cycle Bioplastics (FCB) has developed an environmentally friendly, cost-effective method of producing polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) using organic waste as the feedstock. FCB’s biorefined plastic system is designed to operate on a compost or food processing facility, mitigating hauling costs and carbon footprint. The FCB model is designed to produce resin at less than half the average price of PHA resins offered since 2006. The cost savings are driven by feedstock costs, which for waste hauling partners are often negative. Furthermore, the FCB technology does not rely on genetically modified organisms, greatly reducing operational costs versus traditional bacterial plastic operations. This hybrid waste management/plastic production technique will soon be available at commercial scale. Waste driven biorefineries will provide waste managers a new and more profitable pathway for organic waste streams, a strategic advantage over competitors and a socially responsible end-of-life narrative.

Biography:

Sigbritt Karlsson was born in 1958. She graduated with the M. Sc. in Chemical Engineering specializing in Biotechnology from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden in 1982. She obtained the Ph.D. degree at the same University in 1988 in Polymer Technology after which she became an Associate Professor in 1992. From 1999 she is Professor in Polymer Technology-the Environmental Interaction of Polymeric Materials at KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Fibre and Polymer Technology. Her main research interest is in the Environmental Interaction of Polymers; Biofilm formation on polymeric surfaces; Adhesion of micro-organisms and antimicrobial polymers, Biopolymers (polysaccharides, proteins); Biocomposites: Long-term properties of Polymeric Materials; Polymer Analysis. h-index: 42 (Google Scholar) She is Editor-in-Chief for Rapra: Polymers from Renewable Resources since 2010-. Presently she is on temporary leave to act as Vice-Chancellor of Skövde University 2010-.

Abstract:

Recently researcher and manufacturer of polymeric materials (or plastics) seem to have failed to answer to the rising number of questions with respect to e.g. plastic littering in oceans and on land. In parallel, an increasing worry is correlated with the risk for health effects due to exposure to various additives from polymeric materials. So while the introduction of plastics in the 1930th-1940th meant better food hygiene and health aspects among other things, we are now in a situation where a series of problems needs to be addressed in order secure sustainable development with respect to materials [1] . Many of the benefits associated with polymeric materials made from traditional resources (i.e. oil) such as inertness and long-term stability are now instead becoming problems with respect to waste and littering. This is one reason for the search for more sustainable resources which has led to an increasing and renewed interest in natural polymers or biopolymers. The potential of using resources from a number of available natural resources is large, but not without problems. For the last 20 years or so there has been a growing number of research results and commercialization targeting renewable monomers and biopolymers e.g. PLA, gluten. A large interest in polymers from forestry has given rise to new routes of applications using cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, cellulose derivatives alone or in biocomposites [2, 3]. This presentation will present and discuss routes to design sustainable polymers and biocomposites and compare obtained polymeric properties with degradation. Potential implications to environment will be elaborated. To develop and use sustainable polymeric materials imply closing the plastic loop having awareness on the risk for environmental impact all the way round the cycle from synthesis to plastic waste management, recycling and back to synthesis.

Biography:

Professor Lacroix has completed a B.Sc.A. a M.Sc. in Food Sciences Technology in 1980 and 1982 respectively and a Ph.D. in Nutrition in 1986. She is full professor at INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, Québec, Canada and director of the Research Laboratories in Sciences Applied to Food and of the Canadian Irradiation Centre. She is Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST). According to the ISI Essential Science Indicators Web product, her work garnered the highest percent increase of total citations in Agricultural Sciences in 2005. She is author of 225 publications, 10 patents and 18 book chapters

Abstract:

A variety of food sources polymers mainly polysaccharides, proteins, lipids can be used for the development of edible coating films. These compounds can be mixed with poly(ε-caprolactone) or poly(lactic acid) and nanocellulose as reinforcing fillers for the development of biodegradable polymers with improved physico-chemical properties. The development of coatings can increase the shelf life; preserve the physicochemical properties and sensorial properties of foods. The development of packaging is intended to replace conventional synthetic packaging. More than 30% of solid waste from packaging is related to food packaging. The development of biodegradable packaging is therefore an interest in reducing waste. The challenge for researchers is to obtain a stable film insoluble having good physicochemical properties while being biodegradable. In addition, the manufacturing cost of these films must be comparable to synthetic films. The functions of edible coating and biodegradable packaging can also be improved by the addition of various compounds such as natural antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds. Controlling the release of active compounds, improving the water resistance and the physicochemical properties are also possible by chemical modification or crosslinking of these polymers. During this conference, the potential and functionality of different types of films will be presented. Examples will be reported through our research conducted in our laboratories on how to check the functionality of the films and their applications made in the food sector.

Biography:

Professor Shih-Jung Liu is currently Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Chang Gung University of Taiwan. He received the Bachelor degree from Mechanical Engineering of National Taiwan University in 1986, and earned his Master and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1989 and 1992 respectively. Dr. Liu had been working as a Post-doctoral research fellow at McMaster University of Canada, and also been as a visiting professor to the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan and Aachen University of Applied Science in Germany. Dr. Liu has been involved in pioneering work on the concepts of various polymer processing techniques. His research work deals with theoretical and experimental processing of various polymeric materials including engineering plastics and biomedical materials. He is the author of more than 250 scientific

Abstract:

This work developed biodegradable nanofibrous drug-eluting membranes that provided sustained release of metformin for repairing wounds associated with diabetes. To prepare the biodegradable membranes, poly-D-L-lactide-glycolide (PLGA) and metformin were firstly dissolved in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) and were spun into nanofibrous membranes by electrospinning. An elution method and an HPLC assay were utilized to characterize the in-vivo and in-vitro release rates of the pharmaceuticals from the membranes. The biodegradable nanofibrous membranes released high concentrations of metformin for more than three weeks. Moreover, nanofibrous metformin-eluting PLGA membranes were more hydrophilic and had a greater water-containing capacity than virgin PLGA fibers. The membranes also improved wound healing and re-epithelialization in diabetic rats relative to the control. The experimental results in this work suggest that nanofibrous metformin-eluting membranes were functionally active in the treatment of diabetic wounds and very effective as accelerators in the early stage of healing of such wounds.

Biography:

Benjamin Chu completed his BSc and PhD degree requirements, respectively, from St. Norbert College in Wisconsin and Cornell University in New York between 1953 and 1958. He then did postdoctoral studies with Peter JW Debye till 1962. He is Distinguished Professor at Stony Brook University and has published more than 600 papers in scientific journals, over 40 patents and patent applications, and authored/coauthored/edited 6 books.

Abstract:

Synchrotron X-ray studies of cellulose nanofibers from different sources, including wood, bamboo, jute, cotton, and bacterial cellulose, showed very high degrees of crystallinity, was relatively inert chemically, and could not be attacked easily by bacteria. These natural polymers are, therefore, ideally suited as a base material for many applications, including separation membranes for water purification or as a key ingredient in air filtration. The nanofiber dimensions, which are in the form of ‘strips’ with lengths extending to the micron size range and cross-sections in the nanometer length scale, could be manipulated by taking into account of the sources and the preparation procedure, i.e., we can take advantage of what nature is able to offer and then modulate the fiber dimensions by using a combination of mechanical and chemical means. Due to the large surface to volume ratio, these nanofibers can also be surface functionalized to form effective barrier layers for selective adsorption or screening purposes. The fabrication, characterization, and performance of blends based on natural polysaccharides, including cellulose, will be presented.

Biography:

P. Samyn completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Ghent University (2007) and took several post-doctoral research projects at Department of Textiles (Ghent), Department of Microscystems Engineering (Freiburg) and was visiting professor at the Pulp and Paper Institute (Toronto). He is currently a Robert-Bosch Juniorprofessor at the University of Freiburg working on the processing of bio-based nanocomposites for coatings and structural applications. He has published more than 150 papers in the field of tribology, adhesion science and paper surface modification. He received a Heinz-Meier Leibnitz Price (2012) as excellent young researcher.

Abstract:

The abundant availability of cellulose resources and the favourable mechanical properties of its microfibrillated compounds makes them as good candidate for reinforcing agents in biocomposites. However, problems in homogeneous dispersive and distributive mixing of the cellulose additives due to their highly hydrophilic nature, often restrict the full capability of bio-based composites. Traditionally, surface modification of microfibrillated cellulose is often performed by introducing chemical moieties such as silanes, acrylates, vinyl etc. In view of developing a more sustainable and functional design of interface engineering, a new method is presented where nanoparticles including plant oil or wax are deposited onto the fiber surface and the required hydrophobicity can be controlled by thermal release of the hydrophobic moieties from the surface under thermal curing. In this work, the surfaces of microfibrillated cellulose are modified through decoration with poly(styrene-co-maleimide) nanoparticles that are synthesized in presence of with carnauba wax and soy oil. The fibers are added in an autoclave reactor together with the poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) precursors and ammonium hydroxide. During reaction, further fibrillation of the fibers together with the deposition of 20 – 100 nm nanoparticles onto the fiber surfaces are observed. Finally, a hydrophobic fibrous network is obtained with encapsulated hydrophobic agents. After thermal curing of the modified pulp fibers at temperatures of 125 to 250°C for different times, the gradual release of wax from the network is observed and final contact angles of 157° on the microfibrillated cellulose are measured. The modified fibers are characterized by thermal analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA) and chemical mapping by confocal Raman spectroscopy. The processing properties of the modified fibers are characterized by rotational rheometry. Finally, the beneficial properties of the modified fibers during melt-processing together with PLA result in an increase in mechanical properties for the composites with surface-modified fibers compared to the native fibers.

Biography:

Nabanita Saha has completed her PhD in 1991 in Microbial Biotechnology from Indian Institute of Technology, India. After completed her PhD, she worked at SPRERI as Scientific Officer. She joined at Tomas Bata University in Zlin in July 2001 and was appointed as an Associate Professor in 2006. She is author or co-author of 28 papers registered in WOS database, citations 146 (without self-citations), h-index 11. She has supervised 5 Doctoral Thesis; 2 completed 3 ongoing [as a supervisor (3) and consultant (2)]. She is a Board member of SPE, European Medical Plastic and member of several international scientific/professional societies

Abstract:

Development of biopolymers based eco-friendly packaging materials is encouraged worldwide. Nowadays, fruits and vegetables packaging materials are commonly prepared from petroleum based synthetic polymer, where bio-plastics are more concerned for maintaining freshness as well as from environmental protection point of view. Further, to enhance the shelf life of food stuff, moisture sorption and isoteric heat of sorption property of biobased packaging material are equally important as of mechanical property, breathability and biodegradability. Hence, to accomplish and maintain such properties within packaging material, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) based hydrogel designated as “PVP-CMC hydrogel” has been prepared. The said hydrogel possessed other adventitious properties like porous internal morphology conferring breathability, proper flexibility required for machinability in preparation of pouches in different shape, size and thickness, etc. Water activity (aw) is a measure of the energy status of the moisture content in a system and controls several properties of biopolymer based materials; high water activity leads to chemical and microbial instability. The equilibrium relationship between aw (ranging within 0.0-1.0) and the corresponding moisture content at any particular temperature is represented by moisture sorption isotherm (MSI) which is most important in design of drying, packaging and storage systems of food. Representation of sorption data with best fit model followed by evaluation of isosteric heat of sorption is used as a tool for achieving these designs and will be discussed during presentation besides other interesting properties of PVP-CMC hydrogel.

Biography:

Nanou Peelman holds a Master’s Degree in Bio-engineering (Food Science and Nutrition) from Ghent University (Belgium) and is currently working as a PhD researcher at Ghent University. In the framework of her PhD research, she has worked on a 2-year collective research project titled ‘Application of bioplastics as food packaging’. Currently she is working on the VIS research traject ‘Sustainable and functional food packaging’, in which she investigates the temperature resistance of renewable materials. Both projects were requested by Pack4Food (pack4food.be), a consortium of Flemish research institutes and more than 60 companies operating in the different sectors involved in food packaging.

Abstract:

The barrier properties (gas and moisture) of biobased food packaging materials are still an important issue regarding their introduction onto the market. In order to avoid unnecessary (expensive) testing, food companies make the decision to switch to a new (biobased) film mainly based on the oxygen (OTR) and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of their current conventional film, which is performing fine. For food products with a need for high barrier packaging material, this mostly means that biobased materials are not an option (or only at very high cost). But are these high barriers necessary to maintain the quality of the product? Storage tests with biobased packaging materials (mainly cellulose- and PLA-based), performed at Ghent University, showed that several biobased materials had sufficient gas and moisture barrier to guarantee the shelf-life of short, medium and long shelf-life food products, even when materials with lower barrier properties were used. The investigated food products were tomatoes, steak, French fries, ham sausage, filet de saxe (a raw cured pork meat product) grated cheese, tortillachips, rice cakes, dry biscuits and potato flakes. They were all packed under air or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in pouches or in trays with a topfilm and stored at refrigerated or room temperature. The microbial and chemical degradation of the food products was followed up both in the biobased and in the conventional packages. Furthermore, sensory characteristics of the different food products were evaluated and case studies at different food companies were performed.

Biography:

Prof. Dr. Paulo José do Amaral Sobral has completed his PhD in 1992 at ENSIC-INPL, France. Now, he is Full Professor at University of São Paulo (USP), campus of Pirassununga (SP), Brazil, where he is the Dean of the Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA-USP). He has more than 15 years of experience on biopolymers-based films technology, having published more than 130 papers in reputed journals (ISI h index= 25) and serving as an editorial board member in some Journals, such as the Food Engineering Review. He is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Food Studies.

Abstract:

Films based on biopolymers have attracted interest of researchers because they are biodegradable. But, these materials have technological limitations principally due to the hygroscopic characteristic of biopolymers and plasticizers, usually, polyols. An alternative to improve the properties of these materials are the use of nanoparticles as loading. Although montmorillonite is the nanoparticle most used to produce biopolymers based nanocomposite films, laponite has an enormous potential because it is easily dispersed in water, outstanding solvent in the biopolymer film technology. Thus, this work presents results of some physical properties of recently developed nanocomposite films (NF) based on gelatin with different laponite concentrations. NF were prepared with casting film-forming solutions containing 0.0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0g laponite/100g gelatin on an adequate support and dried on controlled conditions. Glycerol was used as plasticizer. The NFs were characterized for gloss (60°), color (CIELab), thermal (TGA) and mechanical (tensile tests) properties. Moreover, NFs were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). NFs were transparent and homogeneous. NF gloss, color and surface micrographs were not altered by the laponite concentration. And, laponite improved the thermal stability and mechanical properties (increasing Young modulus and tensile strength) of the gelatin-laponite nanocomposites. These results indicated that laponite was well dispersed in the biopolymer matrix. FTIR and XRD spectra corroborated with this statement. These nanocomposites have a great potential to be used in the packaging industry

Biography:

I am a senior lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland. The theme of my research activities broadly encompasses biorefining and the development of sustainable biomaterials. I currently lead Australian Research Council (ARC) funded projects on developing novel PHA wood composites, generating PHA from methane, and managing algae harvested from coal seam gas water. My major contribution to the field of environmental biotechnology is the invention of the TOGA Sensor for examination and control of biotech/bioprocess systems; The TOGA Sensor is a platform for world-class research and it has been a key tool for many PhD projects.

Abstract:

Polyhydroxyalkanote (PHA) bioplastics have properties similar to polypropylene and PET, and are therefore outstanding candidates to replace some fossil fuel derived materials. Moreover, being both bio-based and biodegradable, PHAs allow for a closed loop carbon cycle and, unlike many other biomaterials on the market, they are both water resistant and UV stable. However, PHA is relatively expensive. This can be somewhat addressed by (i) producing PHA in open mixed microbial cultures using waste organic carbon as the feedstock, and (ii) compounding the polymer with fillers like wood flour; the use of wood flour in plastics is attractive for many reasons: it is abundantly available, biodegradable and low cost. This work lays a foundation for the development of high performance PHA-based wood plastic composites. The paper presents the compounding of commercial poly-(hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate) (PHBV) with low HV content (5%), with pine flour (300 µm and 550 µm). A range of PHA to wood flour ratios were considered. The mechanical properties (toughness and elongation to break), thermal behaviour and morphology of the produced materials were analysed, as was the water permeability. A preliminary analysis of the effect of surface modification on these properties was undertaken. The results are a benchmark for new biocomposites from HV-rich, waste-derived PHA. Our recent research shows that industrially relevant PHA can be readily synthesised in mixed cultures, which can utilise cheap and renewable carbon sources such as waste streams from the pulp and paper industry. This, coupled with the innovative approach of making direct use of PHA-rich intact cells in wood fibre composites, thereby avoiding PHA extraction, means the PHA based materials could be cost-competitive with alternatives. Further, it is suspected that HV-rich mixed culture PHA will lead to good melt flow and hence effective contact between wood fibre and the biopolymer, as well as enable lower processing temperatures than are necessary for PHB based materials, thereby reducing thermal degradation and energy costs. Also, the concept overcomes a perceived limitation of PHA since the wood fibres act as nucleating agents for rapid crystallisation thereby circumventing the material stability issues associated with secondary crystallisation.

Biography:

Luiz Mattoso has completed his Ph.D in Materials Engineering in 1993 from Federal University of São Carlos (Brazil). He was a visiting scientist at Université Montpellier (France), Domaine Universitaire de Grenoble (France), and USDA (CA, USA). He is the Center Director of Embrapa Instrumentation, a Brazilian federal research organization. He has published more than 255 papers in reputed journals and 29 book chapters, edited 9 books, won over 25 awards and distinctions, filed 14 patents, served as reviewer of 17 journals and as editorial board member of Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining; Progress in Rubber, Plastics and Recycling Technology; and Polímeros.

Abstract:

Pectins are vegetal, dietary, solution-processable biopolymers that are promising for edible coating and biodegradable packaging uses. Current research is showing that they play a role on the prevention of numerous diseases as well, including diabetes and carcinogenesis. The research conducted at the LNNA of Embrapa in Brazil has demonstrated that the potential of edible pectin films can be upgraded with nanotechnology to create new multifunctional materials for: active packaging, exemplified by the incorporation of cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsions (the major constituent of cinnamon essential oil) into edible pectin films; and bioactive packaging, exemplified by the reinforcement of edible pectin films by very small brucite (a Mg2+-rich primitive clay) nanoplates. Cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsions rendered antimicrobial properties to pectin films against foodborne pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. Bacterial inhibition for same cinnamaldehyde content is remarkably improved as the nanoemulsion droplet size is reduced due to an increase in surface area. Mechanical and thermal properties of dietary pectin films were significantly improved due to the reinforcing effect of brucite nanoplates. Furthermore, migration assays using arugula leaves confirmed that brucite-reinforced pectin films are capable of fortifying foods with Mg dosages by migration. These findings demonstrate how dietary pectin films can be designed for advanced food packaging applications where the packaging material itself promotes consumer health, both by lowering preservative content and supplementing diet with target micronutrients.

Biography:

Professor Richard A. Gross He is currently a Full Professor and a Constellation Chaired Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). His research is focused on developing biocatalytic routes to biobased materials including monomers, macromers, prepolymers, polymers, surfactants and other biochemicals. Current research programs include whole-cell routes to biosurfactants, w-hydroxylation of fatty acids, protease-catalyzed peptide synthesis, engineering cutinase for polymer transformations, developing biofibers for composites and chemical conversions of biobased monomers to bioplastics and biomaterials. He has over 500 publications in peer reviewed journals, been cited about 15,000 times, edited 6-books and has 26 patents (granted or filed). Prof. Gross was the recipient of the 2003 Presidential Green Chemistry Award in the academic category. In 2010 he was selected as the Turner Alfrey Visiting Professor. He founded SyntheZyme LLC in 2009 and serves as Chief Technology officer.

Abstract:

Concerns over production of chemicals from non-renewable petroleum derived carbon have resulted in increased pressure on industries to shift existing materials production from petrochemicals to readily renewable carbon sources. The introduction of biobased building blocks into commercial products is technically challenging since they must compete on a cost-performance basis with petroleum derived products whose production has been optimized and for which an existing infrastructure is in place. This workshop will provide an up-to-date overview of the basic and applied aspects of bioplastics, focusing primarily on thermoplastic polymers for material use. Material covered will emphasize important bio-based polymer types such as thermoplastic starch, lignin, polyhydroxyalkanoates, bio-based monomers such as lipids, poly(lactic acid), other aliphatic and aliphatic-aromatic polyesters, polyamides, polyolefines, biofibers and end-of-life considerations. Current information will be given on the stage of product development and material suppliers.