Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
Richard A. Gross
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA
Keynote: New-to-the-World Bioplastics from Yeast Derived ï·-Hydroxyfatty acid Monomers
Time : 09:00-09.25
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, ï·-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:
Our laboratory is actively exploring routes to biobased polymers and plastics by combining tools of biotechnology and green chemical methods. This paper will describe one research program on ï·-hydroxyfatty acids (ï·-HOFAs) and corresponding bioplastics.
- Track 4: Plastic Pollution and Waste Management
Track 5: Biocomposites
Chair
Ignacy Jakubowicz
SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Sweden
Co-Chair
Paulo Sobral
Duque de Caxias Norte, Brazil
Session Introduction
Ignacy Jakubowicz
SP Technical Research Institute, Sweden
Title: How to make “green†plastics “greenerâ€
Time : 09.25-09.45
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.
Jonas Enebro
SP Technical Research Institute, Sweden
Title: Preparing for future recycling of “green†alternatives- recycling of polyamides
Time : 09.45-10.05
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.
Nazdaneh Yarahmadi
SP Technical Research Institute, Sweden
Title: Recycling of blends composed of petro- and bio-based plastics
Time : 10.05-10.25
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.
Nasir M. A. Al Lagtah
Newcastle University, Singapore
Title: Process simulation of plastics pyrolysis for the production of fuels and chemical feedstock
Time : 10.25-10.45
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.
Joanna Kuzincow
COBRO – Packaging Research Institute, Poland
Title: By-products as a raw material sources – polish wheat bran packaging biotrem
Time : 10.45-11.05
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.
Warren Grigsby
Scion, New Zealand
Title: Upgrading vegetable oil thermosets through copolymer reinforcement with tannin-lipid conjugates
Time : 11.20-11.40
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.
Kiran Babu Uppuluri
SASTRA University, India
Title: Cost effective production and applications of levan from Acetobacter xylinum NCIM 2526 using synthetic and complex medium
Time : 11.40-12.00
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.
Oliver Ehlert
DIN CERTCO GmbH, Germany
Title: Din certco certification systems in the environmental field: show the difference
Time : 12.00-12.20
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 (“Seedlingâ€-logo, EN 13432 and others) • Products made of compostable materials (“DIN-Geprüftâ€-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 TÃœV 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.
Dang-Thuan Tran
KAIST, Korea
Title: Utilization of microalgal-derived ash as a mineral reinforcement material in biocomposite formulation with polyvinyl alcohol
Time : 12.20-12.40
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.
Aman Ullah
University of Alberta, Canada
Title: Nano-engineered natural fiber in biocomposites and bisorption
Time : 12.40-13.00
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.
Tereza Cristina Luque Castellane
UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Brazil
Title: Production of exopolysaccharide from rhizobia with potential bioemulsifying applications
Time : 13.45-14.00
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 biodegradationâ€
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.
Michael N. Mang
Director of Materials Technology, USA
Title: Does end-of-life matter for bioplastics? yes!
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.
- Track 6: Biomaterials and Biopolymers
Chair
Monique Lacroix
Laboratoires de recherche en Sciences, Canada
Co-Chair
Paulo Sobral
Duque de Caxias Norte, Brazil
Session Introduction
Monique Lacroix
University of Québec, Canada
Title: Development of active edible coating and biodegradable packaging for food application
Time : 14.10-14.30
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.
Shih-Jung Liu
Chang Gung University,Taiwan
Title: Repair of diabetic wound repair using biodegradable nanofibrous metformin-eluting membranes
Time : 14.30-14.50
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.
Benjamin Chu
Stony Brook University, Usa
Title: Title: Structure of cellulose nanofibers and its composite formation
Time : 14.50-15.10
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.
Pieter Samyn
Freiburg University, Germany
Title: Formulation and characterization of PHB/NFC blends for potential thermoforming applications
Time : 15.10-15.30
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.
Nabanita Saha
Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic
Title: Moisture sorption and isosteric heat of sorption properties of PVP-CMC hydrogel based food packaging material
Time : 15.30-15.50
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.
Nanou Peelman
Ghent University, Belgium
Title: Application of biobased plastics as food packaging material
Time : 15.50-16.00
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.
16.00-17.00 Poster Presentations @ Sierra A
Paulo Sobral
Duque de Caxias Norte, Brazil
Title: A new nanocomposite film based on gelatin and laponite
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