{"title":"Innovations in biodegradable materials: Harnessing Spirulina algae for sustainable biocomposite production","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2024.101965","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The negative implications of non-biodegradable plastics on environment have led to the need for eco-friendly materials that can mitigate environmental degradation. <em>Spirulina</em> algae have emerged as a promising candidate for sustainable biocomposite production due to their rapid growth rate, high protein content, and eco-friendly nature. This review explores the unique properties of <em>Spirulina</em>, including its mechanical strength, biodegradability, and potential environmental benefits when used as a biocomposite material. Comparisons with other biomaterials, such as polylactic acid (PLA) and cellulose, highlight Spirulina's advantages and limitations. The review also discusses the challenges of Spirulina's scalability and commercial application in biocomposites. Biocomposite production techniques including injection molding, solvent casting, and blending are discussed. Also, characterization techniques such as SEM, FTIR, and TGA are used to identify the properties of biocomposite. Finally, future research directions are suggested to overcome these challenges and fully realize Spirulina's potential in sustainable materials development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Bioresource Technology Reports","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589014X24002068","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Environmental Science","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The negative implications of non-biodegradable plastics on environment have led to the need for eco-friendly materials that can mitigate environmental degradation. Spirulina algae have emerged as a promising candidate for sustainable biocomposite production due to their rapid growth rate, high protein content, and eco-friendly nature. This review explores the unique properties of Spirulina, including its mechanical strength, biodegradability, and potential environmental benefits when used as a biocomposite material. Comparisons with other biomaterials, such as polylactic acid (PLA) and cellulose, highlight Spirulina's advantages and limitations. The review also discusses the challenges of Spirulina's scalability and commercial application in biocomposites. Biocomposite production techniques including injection molding, solvent casting, and blending are discussed. Also, characterization techniques such as SEM, FTIR, and TGA are used to identify the properties of biocomposite. Finally, future research directions are suggested to overcome these challenges and fully realize Spirulina's potential in sustainable materials development.