Sustainability of products and services has become a compulsory requirement and an essential requirement for organizations, governments, markets and society in general. Among the various ways of ...measuring sustainability that have been developed, those based on life cycle thinking provide one of the frameworks for assessing the potential impacts of products and services. However, despite sustainability of triple bottom line parameters (ecological, financial and social), the life cycle assessment is the most mature and prominent available tool. In addition, integration methodologies have come up, like life cycle sustainability assessment (integrating the three sustainability dimensions) and life cycle engineering (including the technical or functional aspect). The application of these methodologies to emergent materials and technologies represents a huge challenge, because there is lack of proper indicators, lack of information and contradictory information is common. This is the case of biocomposites, built with nature-based materials harvested in a myriad of ways in several regions of the globe. So, this paper presents a systematic literature review about the research done on the realm of sustainability assessment methods application to biocomposites. It reveals knowledge and information gaps to apply these methodologies. The integration of the existing methodologies is proposed as a way to allow a holistic sustainability assessment of biocomposite materials.
•Adequate and accurate local/global indicators to life cycle inventory are scarce.•Integration of LCSA and LCE provide a better holistic sustainable perspective.•Selection of suitable stakeholders are strategic for defining the indicators.•Life cycle thinking is key in the material decision-making route for biocomposites.
Biopolymers from forestry biomass are promising for the sustainable development of new biobased materials. As such, lignin and fiber-based biocomposites are plausible renewable alternatives to ...petrochemical-based products. In this study, we have obtained lignin from Spruce biomass through a soda pulping process. The lignin was used for manufacturing biocomposite filaments containing 20% and 40% lignin and using polylactic acid (PLA) as matrix material. Dogbones for mechanical testing were 3D printed by fused deposition modelling. The lignin and the corresponding biocomposites were characterized in detail, including thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), antioxidant capacity, mechanical properties, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Although lignin led to a reduction of the tensile strength and modulus, the reduction could be counteracted to some extent by adjusting the 3D printing temperature. The results showed that lignin acted as a nucleating agent and thus led to further crystallization of PLA. The radical scavenging activity of the biocomposites increased to roughly 50% antioxidant potential/cm2, for the biocomposite containing 40 wt % lignin. The results demonstrate the potential of lignin as a component in biocomposite materials, which we show are adequate for 3D printing operations.
Highly porous chitosan/hydroxyapatite (CS/HA) biocomposite scaffolds were prepared using the freeze-gelation method. A starting biomimetic HA powder was synthesized by a wet precipitation method ...using an abundant natural phosphate (NP) ore as raw material. Then, CS/HA scaffolds with different weight ratios (100/0; 90/10; 80/20; 70/30) have been prepared. The used powders and synthesized scaffolds were characterized by XRF, ICP-MS, FTIR, TG-DSC, XRD, SEM, and cell viability. The results showed that the precipitated raw powder was mainly composed of HA and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) with some traces of Mg2+, SiO42−, Sr2+, Na+ and Fe2+ ions which were usually found in such mineral NP precursors. The heat treatment of the raw powder at more than 750 °C leads to the formation of Mg-substituted β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCMP). Moreover, the culture of human embryonic kidney cells indicated the non-cytotoxicity of the as-prepared powder. On the other hand, the elaborated CS/HA scaffolds exhibited a highly porous structure with well-interconnected pores and homogeneously dispersed HA particles. The measurement of swelling capacity under physiological conditions revealed that the addition of HA to the CS matrix effectively decreased the swelling percentage. The obtained results suggest that the elaborated CS/HA composites may have effective potential as biocompatible scaffolding materials for bone tissue engineering.
•Biomimetic hydroxyapatite was synthesized from natural phosphate rocks via a dissolution-precipitation method.•Hydroxyapatite has shown no toxicity and good response in apatite mineralization after 28 days of immersion in SBF.•The formation of Mg substituted β-tricalcium phosphate was investigated by XRD and Rietveld refinement analysis.•Highly porous chitosan/hydroxyapatite scaffolds were prepared by freeze-gelation technique.•The scaffolds exhibited well interconnected pores and good swelling capacity by varying the hydroxyapatite content.
Two biobased polyethylenes (BioPE) and thermomechanical pulp (TMP) fibers were used to produce biocomposites. The impact of TMP fibers on the mechanical properties was assessed in detail. An increase ...on the viscosity of the melted biocomposites was quantified and was related to the incorporation of the TMP fibers (0–30% w/w). The impact of polyethylene functionalized with maleic anhydride (MAPE) on the mechanical properties was quantified. Compared to neat BioPEs, a maximum increase of tensile strength between 115 and 127% was obtained, for the biocomposites containing 6% w/w of MAPE and 30% w/w TMP fibers. The formulated biocomposites containing 10 and 20% TMP fibers were three-dimensional (3D) printed, by fused deposition modelling. We confirmed that TMP fibers facilitated the 3D printing and correspondingly improved the mechanical properties of the biocomposite materials.
The characterization of natural fiber composites has become of paramount importance. The aim of this work is to prepare, produce, and investigate the mechanical, nanomechanical, and physical ...properties of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) reinforced with short sugar palm fiber (SSPF) composites. Preparation involves successive phases: a melt-mixing approach and a hot/cold compression molding procedure. The mechanical test examines the flexural and tensile strengths. This work introduces nanomechanical testing through the quasistatic nanoindentation to measure the hardness, fracture toughness, stiffness, and Young's modulus. Physical properties are analyzed by measuring the composites' density, water absorption, moisture content, and thickness swelling. Mechanical properties displayed good flexural and tensile enhancements. The use of short fiber led to adequate interfacial bonding between the fiber and matrix. Composites exhibited high compatibility, strength, and a homogenous structure in the fiber-matrix. Nanomechanical test displayed a dynamic modulus mapping on the fiber. The scan line analysis and in-situ scanning probe microscopy (SPM) imaging presented improved hardness, Young's modulus, stiffness, and fracture phenomena. The composites exhibited outstanding physical properties and excellent resistance to water absorption, moisture content, and thickness swelling. The novel findings provide insight on how biocomposite materials can be utilized in various engineering applications. This signifies their high competency and applicability for green production.
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Several conventional chemical stabilizers are used for soil stabilization, among which cement is widely adopted. However, the high energy consumption and environmental challenges associated with ...these stabilizers have necessitated the transition toward the adoption/deployment of eco-friendly approaches for soil stabilization. Biomediated techniques are sustainable soil improvement methods adopting less toxic microorganisms, enzymes, or polymers for cementing soil. However, these processes also have several drawbacks, such as slow hardening, environmental impact, high cost, and lack of compatibility with different types of soils. It is hypothesized that these limitations may be overcome by exploring the prospects and opportunities offered by hybrid technological approaches involving the integration of nontraditional stabilizers and microbial-induced biomineralization processes for improving problematic soils. This paper discusses selected previous studies integrating different technologies and their benefits and challenges. The emerging fungi-based bio-mediation techniques and the possibility of forming sustainable fungal-based biocomposites to improve problematic soils are also highlighted.
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•Emerging biomediated techniques for ground engineering have several limitations.•Hybrid or composite approaches include combining biomineralization with other techniques.•Biomineralization with clay, fly ash, fiber, biopolymer, fungi, improve individual technique.•Optimization of composite approaches and life-cycle sustainability analysis are required.
Fiber reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs), due to their multifunctional properties, have already occupied a significant place in various applications such as aerospace, automotive, marine, ...structural engineering, and healthcare industries. Lightweight FRPCs are preferred over heavier materials because of some key advantages, such as high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, design flexibility, fatigue resistance, damping properties, and electrical and thermal insulation properties. Though synthetic fibers such as carbon, glass, aramid fiber reinforced composites are found to provide better performance, these fibers are expensive as well as impose adverse impacts on the environment. Currently, bast fiber reinforced biocomposites (BFBCs) are receiving increasing attention due to their biodegradability, availability, low cost, and higher strength-to-weight ratio. Researchers are working rigorously on BFBCs to unveil their optimal properties. BFBCs can be disposed of easily without affecting the environment. BFBCs, with their sustainable and biodegradable properties, notably promote the use of natural fibers particularly bast fibers and minimize the consumption of expensive and non-degradable synthetic fibers reinforcements in the composite industry. This paper provides an overview of the use of different natural fibers in reinforcing polymer composites for various applications to achieve sustainability. The influence of various fibrous preforms of bast fibers on the mechanical behavior of BFBCs, and their prospects are comprehensively reviewed.
The paper addresses the methodology for obtaining biocomposite structures from waste, with sound-absorbing properties, such as: thuja shells, walnut shells, pistachio shells, beech sawdust, pumpkin ...seeds shells and sunflower seeds shells. The experimental analysis carried out considers the study of the sound-absorbing properties held by the proposed new biocomposite materials, by determining the value of the sound absorption coefficient, reflection coefficient, impedance ratio, using the Kundt tube. The interpretation of the results obtained from the evaluation of biocomposites shows that they have sound-absorbing properties. Consequently, sound-absorbing panels with soundproofing properties can be made from these materials, which can be used in industry, transportation, construction, etc. as well as for decorative purposes in spaces such as cinemas, malls, spas, etc.
Polymers are widely used in many areas, but often their individual properties are not sufficient for use in certain applications. One of the solutions is the creation of polymer-based composites and ...nanocomposites. In such materials, in order to improve their properties, nanoscale particles (at least in one dimension) are dispersed in the polymer matrix. These properties include increased mechanical strength and durability, the ability to create a developed inner surface, adjustable thermal and electrical conductivity, and many others. The materials created can have a wide range of applications, such as biomimetic materials and technologies, smart materials, renewable energy sources, packaging, etc. This article reviews the usage of composites as a matrix for the optical sensors and biosensors. It highlights several methods that have been used to enhance performance and properties by optimizing the filler. It shows the main methods of combining indicator dyes with the material of the sensor matrix. Furthermore, the role of co-fillers or a hybrid filler in a polymer composite system is discussed, revealing the great potential and prospect of such matrixes in the field of fine properties tuning for advanced applications.
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