Polymer International最新文献

The utilization of natural polymers in producing electrospun nanofibers has received significant attention due to their biocompatibility, sustainability and diverse range of applications. This research focuses on synthesizing electrospun nanofibers derived from taro starch isolated from tubers. The investigation utilized SEM to examine the structure and size of the electrospun nanofibers. Formic acid and dimethyl sulfoxide solvents were tested to determine the most efficient solvent system for synthesizing taro starch nanofibers. The results demonstrated that the taro starch nanofibers can be effectively synthesized when using formic acid as the primary solvent. The study also investigated the impact of altering the volumetric ratio of formic acid to water on nanofiber morphology and size, finding that a lower formic acid fraction produced smooth fibers while a higher fraction resulted in fused fibers. The electrospinnability was further evaluated by comparing the effects of different isolation agents—distilled water and sodium metabisulfite—during the isolation process. The isolation agent significantly affected the fiber diameter, with notable differences observed in the smoothness of taro starch nanofibers at starch solution concentrations of 13, 15 and 17 wt%. Overall, the results of the study showed that the formation of taro starch fibers was influenced by the type of solvent, the volume fraction of the solvent to water, and the starch isolation agent. Successful fabrication of nanofibers from taro starch and its optimization parameters can contribute to the development of environmentally friendly nanofiber materials and offer a variety of applications in biomedicine, food and environmental engineering, such as tissue engineering, wound dressing, drug delivery, functional food delivery and food packaging. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The distribution and conformational state of compatibilizer polymers at the interface between two phases are challenging to obtain in detail through experimental research due to spatial scale limitations. This paper employs dissipative particle dynamics simulation to statistically analyze the size variations of compatibilizer copolymers at the interface of a binary blend system. The study examines the impact of factors such as the chain length of blended homopolymers, the topological structure of the compatibilizer and component interactions on the size distribution of compatibilizer copolymers at the interface. The scaling exponent between the size of the compatibilizer copolymers and their chain length is determined and compared with theoretical values under melt conditions. The reasons for the variation in the scaling exponent are analyzed, providing theoretical supplementation for the distribution, size changes and compatibilization effects of compatibilizers during the blend modification process. The results reveal discrepancies between the scaling exponent of chain size and chain length at the interface and theoretical values, analyze the significant impact of compatibilizer copolymer topological structure on the scaling exponent and present the influence of the component interaction parameter α on the scaling exponent's variation pattern. The simulation outcomes offer theoretical support for the design and selection of compatibilizers in a blend system. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The present work generated hybrid composite sandwiches by incorporating 65% epoxy resin and 35% reinforcements derived from pineapple and glass fibres. The specimens were subjected to mechanical characterization by tensile, flexural and impact examinations. Among the untreated samples, the specimens containing untreated pineapple fibres (PF) with a composition of 17% PF, 18% glass fibres (three layers) and 65% epoxy by weight (17PF/TLGF) showed the most superior mechanical characteristics. Nevertheless, specimens containing fibres treated with NaOH exhibited exceptional characteristics, attaining a tensile strength of 88.121 MPa, a flexural strength of 94.213 MPa and an impact energy of 4.1 J. These data indicate a 20% enhancement in both tensile and flexural strength as well as a 63% improvement in impact strength compared to specimens containing 35% PF and lacking glass fibres (35PF/0GF). In comparison to 17PF/TLGF, the specimens treated with NaOH exhibited a 4.34% gain in tensile strength, a 4.24% increase in flexural strength and a 9% increase in impact strength. Experimental TGA was performed on the chemically treated fibre composite specimens, specifically identified as 35PF/0GF and 17PF/TLGF. Approximately 260 °C marked the beginning of decomposition for the 35PF/0GF sample, but the 17PF/TLGF sample decomposed at roughly 310°C. In addition, the fragmented surface of the 17PF/TLGF sample was analysed using SEM. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

This research investigates the impact of sawdust fillers on Cucumis sativus fiber-reinforced polymer composites through a conventional hand layup process. The objective is to develop a novel material suitable for static applications that is both lightweight and environmentally sustainable. A range of analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, mechanical testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis were employed to thoroughly characterize the resulting composite material. By integrating Cucumis sativus fibers and sawdust fillers into a polymer matrix, the study demonstrates the potential to create materials with improved mechanical properties due to addition of sawdust filler, including tensile strength (27.61 MPa), flexural strength (32.84 MPa), impact resistance (14.7 J cm⁻²) and hardness (42). These enhancements, averaging at 16.2%, are attributed to the addition of sawdust filler, which opens new avenues for environmentally conscious engineering solutions. XRD analysis reveals the composite's crystalline structure, indicating a crystallinity index of 64.5% and the orientation of crystalline planes. FTIR spectroscopy identifies chemical bonding and CO and CO functional groups present in the material with major peaks at 2123 and 2438 cm⁻¹. TGA assesses the composite's thermal stability and decomposition behavior up to 380 °C. Additionally, SEM imaging elucidates the microstructural features and distribution of Cucumis sativus fibers and sawdust fillers within the epoxy matrix, while EDX analysis provides quantitative data on elemental composition. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Molecular hybrid materials based on widely available polymers crosslinked with an inorganic species have received increasing interest for their unique property sets outside of the usual range of commodity plastics and/or nanocomposites. Here, we provide a mini-review on molecular hybrids based on metal oxide hydrates—compounds that readily react with, for example, hydroxylated polymers to form inorganic:organic materials systems with many desirable features and properties. Focusing on titanium oxide hydrates, we discuss here that such molecular hybrids can exhibit a broad refractive index range in addition to an increased glass transition temperature, mechanical stiffness and swelling resistance in comparison to the neat polymer, which illustrates that such hybrid systems offer a new, low-cost, robust and versatile functional materials platform with great promise for, for example, solution-processed photonics, catalysts and antimicrobial coatings. Generally, our mini-review seeks to provide a concise and accessible overview of titanium oxide hydrate:polymer hybrid systems, focusing on their unique properties and processability as well as their broad and largely untapped potential as functional materials. © 2024 The Author(s). Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Biopolymers exhibit distinct properties for biomedical applications. Different biopolymer classes are utilized for various applications, for example antibacterial properties, drug delivery, tissue engineering, tissue scaffolds etc. In the present investigation, a nano-bioengineering approach was followed to prepare polyhydroxybutyrate and polycaprolactone polymer-based drug-loaded halloysite nanotube electrospun membranes for biomedical applications. Functionalized halloysite nanotubes ((3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane acid treated halloysite nanotubes) at different weight percentages (1, 3, 5 and 7 wt%) were loaded with a broad-spectrum antibiotic amoxicillin trihydrate-potassium clavulanate, incorporated into the electrospun membranes, and characterized by different techniques such as XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM and TGA. Different physical and mechanical properties were evaluated, such as porosity, water uptake, water vapor transmission rate, wettability and tensile properties. The developed membranes exhibited good in vitro biological properties, for example antibacterial, effective cell migration and less toxicity, as confirmed by disk diffusion, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and cell scratch assays. A sustained drug release profile was observed from all the developed membranes. Overall results on the characterization of the developed membranes confirm the suitability of their use for different biomedical applications and as a wound dressing application. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Silk fibroin (SF) hydrogel has been popular in the wound dressing and tissue engineering fields for its good biocompatibility, biodegradation and water retention ability. The development of functional SF-based hydrogels has gained attention in recent decades in medical fields. Multifunctional SF hydrogel is prepared by the addition and combination of therapeutic agents with cell growth promoting, antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In particular, the antibacterial activity of SF-based hydrogel is essential in clinical practice. Despite this growing interest in functional silk protein hydrogels and their potential antimicrobial applications, a comprehensive review on this topic is currently lacking. Therefore, this review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the advanced status of the antibacterial application of SF-based hydrogel, mainly focused on different components loaded. The review begins by briefly introducing the preparation methods of SF-based hydrogel. Subsequently, the review summarizes diverse components loaded into the hydrogel to provide a comprehensive understanding in the antibacterial field. Furthermore, the article reviews the biomedical applications of antibacterial aspects including tissue engineering, sustained drug release, wound repair and adhesive use. Also the challenges associated with developing SF-based hydrogels are analyzed alongside future prospects. We hope that this study will contribute to promoting the application and innovation of SF material in the clinical antibacterial field. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ammonia, despite being a naturally generated compound in the metabolic process, can be harmful to health in higher concentrations. In this context, sensor devices are directly related to health and safety measurements to detect the presence of such substances. In this work, we study materials derived from fullerene, a material with a high electron affinity. We characterize three fullerene derivatives, namely PCBM, OPCBMMB and PPCBMB, and verify their applicability as ammonia sensors. The materials were studied in the form of thin films, produced by Langmuir–Schaefer and drop-casting techniques. Optical characterization was performed using UV–visible spectroscopy while morphological characteristics were studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical microscopy (OM). Current versus voltage and current versus time measurements were performed in order to determine the films' conductivities, electrical resistances and gas-sensing properties. UV–visible absorption was observed at lower wavelengths, with peaks in the UV region. In the electrical measurements, differences were observed between the deposition techniques, with the Langmuir–Schaefer films showing a higher conductivity than the drop-casting films. AFM and OM also showed differences in the film surfaces between the techniques, with a rougher surface on the drop-casting films. When exposed to ammonia, the materials showed electrical responses at every cycle, with a significant increase in their electrical responses. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

In an effort to stave off the growth of electronic waste (e-waste) that poses a critical environmental dilemma, scientists often look into nature as an unending inspirational pool of materials and chemical processes that ensure functionality, performance and safe dissolution at the end of life cycle. This short review highlights only four organic polymer materials of natural origin (i.e. cellulose, lignin, shellac and silk) from the very large pool of natural (bio)polymeric materials and looks not only into the recent developments at the industrial scale but also into the emerging niche applications of these materials, while highlighting their implementation into electronics and sensor development. This review exemplifies that natural polymeric materials have great potential for the development of eco-friendly electronics, in other words the class of industrial products that has carefully considered the important issues of biocompatibility, biodegradability (even compostability), cost of production and energy expanded in production (i.e. the carbon footprint). © 2024 The Author(s). Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

In this study, the synthesized nanocomposite novel arginine/thiourea/guar gum/ferrite (ATGF) adsorbent was evaluated for the adsorption of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and Congo Red (CR) from wastewater. The synthesized nanocomposite was examined by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller theory (BET), Termal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). For the removal of ALA and CR from aqueous solution, the capacity of the nanocomposite was investigated by working on a series of experiments such as the effect of adsorbent dose, initial concentration, contact time, pH and temperature. The adsorption kinetics of these two pollutants were investigated using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order velocity equations. The nanocomposite kinetics follow pseudo-second-order. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were investigated. The results show that the Langmuir isotherm model gives the maximum adsorption capacity of ALA as 96.93 mg g⁻¹ and of CR as 229.34 mg g⁻¹ on the nanocomposite. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.