Thermoplastic Protein Nano-Composites Using Bloodmeal and Bentonite

Bloodmeal is a low value meat industry product and can be converted into a thermoplastic material. These novel thermoplastics often have inferior mechanical properties and require some degree of reinforcement. Reinforcement using octadecylamine (OAmine) modified bentonite have shown an increase in tensile strength from 7.69 to 9.26 MPa by using 2 parts clay per hundred parts bloodmeal. Unmodified clay did not lead to the same increase in strength. High shear during extrusion was not sufficient to prevent agglomeration at higher clay content leading to modified clay composites showing reduced tensile strength. Particle size of unmodified clay composites was small enough to lead to dispersion reinforcement, whereas modified clay composites showed even greater agglomeration, leading to a decrease in strength. It was concluded that the physical nature of the thermoplastic protein requires careful consideration as to the level of clay modification required.     

High-Efficiency Production of Bioplastics from Biodegradable Organic Solids

Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have been extensively studied as environmentally friendly biodegradable thermoplastics. The major obstacle to wide acceptance of PHAs is their high price, mainly attributed to the costs of raw materials and polymer recovery. A large amount of organic solids are discarded from food production and consumption and may be used as carbonaceous raw materials for production of PHAs. A novel technology was investigated at bench-top scale to produce PHAs from food scraps. The harvested cell mass had a high PHA content (72.6% of dry cell mass), the same as obtained from pure glucose and organic acids. The organic solid was first digested in an acidogenic reactor in which about 60% solid was converted to fermentative products, including short-chain fatty acids. The four major acids were acetic, propionic, butyric, and lactic acids at concentrations of 6, 2, 27, and 33 g/L, respectively. The acids were transported through a membrane barrier via molecular diffusion to an airlift bioreactor, where the acids were utilized by an enriched culture of Ralstonia eutropha for PHA synthesis. Purification of fermentative acids was not performed in this molecular diffusion–based integration of acidogenesis and polymerization. By using a dialysis membrane as the barrier, the dry cell mass concentration and PHA content reached 22.7 g/L and 72.6%, respectively. The PHA was a copolymer of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) with 2.8 mole % of hydroxyvalerate.     

Revaluation of a Soy Protein By-product in Eco-friendly Bioplastics by Extrusion

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Agri-food waste and by-products are being increasingly revalued, exploiting their potential. One of the attractive alternatives is their use as raw...     

Production and Characterization of Bioplastics Obtained by Injection Moulding of Various Protein Systems

Bioplastic materials from renewable polymers, like proteins, constitute a highly interesting field for important industrial applications such as packaging, agriculture, etc., in which thermo-mechanical techniques are increasingly being used. This study assesses bioplastic materials produced by injection from blends previously prepared in a batch mixer using various protein concentrates and isolates. A mixing time of 5 min has been selected in order to ensure correct homogenous blends. A comparison between different protein-based specimens was performed by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, tensile strength, water uptake and transmittance tests. The comparison reveals that the protein nature and the percentage of plasticizer lead to bioplastics with different properties and, consequently, different applications. Protein concentrates and isolates, wastes and surpluses from the food industry, may be useful for producing bioplastics with suitable mechanical properties and processability, as well as biodegradability, by means of suitable mixing and injection moulding conditions.     

Bioplastics Starch-Based with Additional Fiber and Nanoparticle: Characteristics and Biodegradation Performance: A Review

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Plastics are widely used by the community, especially as food packaging. In general, plastic raw materials are polymers which have advantages including...     

Development of Bioactive Packaging Structure Using Melt Electrospinning

Recent research attention is shifting towards the use of bioactive antimicrobial and/or antioxidant packaging materials and their fabrication with non-toxic techniques. The process of melt electrospinning produce fibers from polymer melt without any solution hence environmentally friendly because use of toxic solvents can be avoided. The objectives of this study were fabrication of biodegradable polymeric microfibrous structure using melt electrospinning and characterization of the effect of plant based natural extract on fabricated structure. We found that incorporation of this structure with natural extract provide sufficient support for bioactive compounds without changing thermal stability, physical properties and amorphous phase and also increase the antimicrobial efficacy. Moreover, homogeneously dispersion and good interaction of polymer and natural plant based extract demonstrating the potential of such polymer blend as a bioactive antimicrobial material for packaging industry including especially food and healthcare.     

Development and Application of Green Composites: Using Coffee Ground and Bamboo Flour

Environmental degradation and global warming are increasing as a result of the use of petroleum. Therefore, many industries are seeking more eco-friendly materials that will decrease the level of environmental contamination and economic cost. Recently, the level of coffee consumption has increased rapidly. Therefore, the amount of coffee grounds discarded is increasing. In this study, polylactic acid, coffee grounds and bamboo flour were compounded for green composites. Coffee grounds are used in the recycling of food waste. In addition, 4,4-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) was used as a coupling agent. The mechanical strength of green composites decreased with increasing natural filler content. However, mechanical and thermal properties were increased by the addition of MDI as a coupling agent. The hydroxyl groups of natural fillers reacted with the isocyanate group of MDI, and a urethane linkage was created between the polymer and natural fillers.     

纳米二氧化钛光催化降解水中有机污染物的研究进展

TiO2在光催化降解水中有机污染物方面具有明显的优势。综述了pH、TiO2表面改性、载体、外加氧化剂及其他因素对TiO2光催化降解水中有机污染物催化活性的影响，讨论了光电催化 、太阳能利用等对光催化领域的推动作用，展望了这方面工作的发展方向。     

Effect of Sugar Palm Fiber (SPF) to the Structural and Optical Properties of Bioplastics (SPF/Starch/Chitosan/Polypropylene) in supporting Mechanical Properties and Degradation Performance

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Recycling plastic waste by mix with natural polymers for bio-plastic packaging produces plastics with high mechanical properties and easily degradable. In...     

Development of Thixotropic Coatings Using Dimerized Soybean Oil Fatty Acids: The Case of Polyamide of 1,2-Phenylene Diamine

Soybean oil (SBO) was dimerized and the crude dimer acid product reacted with 1,2-phenylene diamine at 210 ± 5 °C under inert atmosphere to obtain fatty polyamide (FPA). The FPA was used to modify a commercial alkyd resin by reacting a mixture of the alkyd resin with 5 wt% of FPA at 120 °C for 80 min under inert atmosphere. The FTIR spectrum of the FPA modified resin showed evidence of higher degree of H-bonding than was found for the unmodified alkyd. White gloss coatings of 15, 20, 25, and 30% solids were formulated from the modified and unmodified resins and examined for performance with respect to: leveling, sag resistance, drying time, pigment settling, skinning tendency and film hardness. Results showed that the unmodified alkyd coatings exhibited good leveling but poor sag resistance at all solid contents. In contrast, FPA modified alkyd coatings combined good leveling with high sag resistance indicating their thixotropic nature. A strong tendency to pigment settling was observed for unmodified alkyd coatings but was not observed in the FPA modified alkyd coatings. The modified alkyd coatings showed skinning while the unmodified alkyd coatings did not skin. A 30% solids coating formulation of the FPA modified resin showed shorter surface dry time but longer hard dry time than the unmodified alkyd resin coating.     

Development of Urea Uptake and Release Studies Using N,N-Dimethylacrylamide/Maleic Acid/Citric Acid Based Macrogel

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Recently, the use of polymers in agricultural and horticultural applications has been seen as a solution to reduce water consumption and excess fertilizer...     

蒙脱石基絮凝剂处理染料废水

采用先酸活化蒙脱石、再加碱聚合的方法制备了蒙脱石基絮凝剂（PMT）,用于去除染料废水的TOC和色度。实验结果表明：PMT处理2BLN分散蓝、KNR活性艳兰、X-3B活性艳红模拟染料废水的最佳加入量分别为0．30。0．30,0．25g／L。在此最佳条件卜,2BLN分散蓝、KNR活性艳兰和X-3B活性艳红模拟染料废水的TOC去除率分别为77．0％,89．2％,39．5％,脱色率分别为41．2％,43．1％,57．4％。PMT对KNR活性艳兰和2BLN分散蓝实际染料废水的TOC去除率高于聚合氯化铝（PAC）和聚合硫酸铁（PFS）,分别为91．6％和88．4％。但PMT对X-3B活性艳红实际染料废水的TOC去除率及对3种实际废水的脱色率均低于PAC和PFS。     

利用啤酒废水培养极大螺旋藻

利用啤酒废水培养极大螺旋藻（Spirulina maxima）。研究了初始COD、DO、氮磷元素等培养条件对藻生物量（每mL培养液中极大螺旋藻的质量,以干重计）及废水水质的影响。实验结果表明：将废水稀释至COD=700 mg/L,控制DO=2.5 mg/L,并添加氮磷元素使废水的碳氮磷质量比为225∶15∶1,培养3 d,极大螺旋藻的藻生物量可达175.55 mg/L,即每吨啤酒废水可生产极大螺旋藻175.55 g;废水中COD,TN,NH₃-N,NO₃^-,TP的去除率分别达到85.43%,94.54%,74.66%,94.53%,61.54%。利用啤酒废水培养螺旋藻在收获极大螺旋藻生物质的同时,还能对废水起到一定程度的净化作用。     

纳滤膜处理含锰废水

采用纳滤膜处理电解锰生产过程中产生的含锰废水,考察了操作压力、阻垢剂和反冲洗等因素对膜通量和各金属离子截留率的影响。实验结果表明:操作压力越大,膜通量越大,且膜通量随运行时间延长下降得越快;在操作压力为2.0 MPa的条件下,纳滤膜对Mg2+的截留率为90.69%,对Mn2+的截留率为89.72%,对Ca2+的截留率最高,达100%;加入阻垢剂后,纳滤膜的膜通量比未加入阻垢剂时的膜通量略大;反冲洗4次后,膜通量均可完全恢复。     

用海泡石处理采油废水

用海泡石吸附法处理采油废水,考察了处理时间、海泡石加入量和采油废水pH对采油废水COD去除率的影响,并通过正交实验优化了采油废水处理工艺条件。通过正交实验得到的采油废水处理最佳工艺条件为：处理时间6h,粒径为150μm的海泡石加入量200g／L,采油废水pH9。在该条件下处理采油废水,COD去除率达到91％,处理后出水的COD为34．71mg／L,小于GB8978-1996（（污水综合排放标准》中的一级标准（60mg／L）。     

用改性海泡石处理含磷废水

以海泡石为原料,经盐酸活化、水热活化,再加入氯化镁、氯化铁复合制得除磷剂原粉;再用聚氯乙烯将除磷剂原粉黏合成粒状除磷剂。用粒状除磷剂对废水中的磷（PO4^3-）进行吸附、洗脱,考察除磷剂的循环使用性能。实验结果表明：除磷剂对废水中磷的吸附容量可达92m g/g以上;以碳酸钠为洗脱剂,磷的洗脱率可达90%以上;除磷剂可重复使用,且性能优良。     

高频感应耦合等离子体降解甲醛

采用外电极式感应耦合放电等离子体对甲醛废气进行处理.实验结果表明:降低甲醛初始体积分数、增大输入功率、降低气体流量将有利于甲醛的降解;在输入功率为100 W、气体流量为l L/min、甲醛初始体积分数为2.55×10-5的条件下,甲醛降解率可达99.3％.     

阳离子表面活性剂处理油田含聚合物废水

以7种常见的阳离子表面活性剂为絮凝剂,考察对海上某油田含聚合物废水的处理效果.实验结果表明:一定浓度时,十四烷基三甲基溴化铵和十六烷基三甲基溴化铵有很好的絮凝效果:阳离子季铵盐表面活性剂加入到含聚合物废水中后,先会与连续水相中的水解聚丙烯酰胺(HPAM)发生静电中和作用,剩余的表面活性剂扩散至油水界面与界面处HPAM作用后破坏HPAM对油滴的稳定作用,从而达到絮凝效果;阳离子表面活性剂的加入量与含聚合物废水中HPAM的浓度密切相关.