In this work, bio-based hydrogel composites of xanthan gum and cellulose fibers were developed to be used both as soil conditioners and topsoil covers, to promote plant growth and forest protection. The rheological, morphological, and water absorption properties of produced hydrogels were comprehensively investigated, together with the analysis of the effect of hydrogel addition to the soil. Specifically, the moisture absorption capability of these hydrogels was above 1000%, even after multiple dewatering/rehydration cycles. Moreover, the soil treated with 1.8 wt% of these materials increased the water absorption capacity by approximately 60% and reduced the water evaporation rate, due to the formation of a physical network between the soil, xanthan gum and cellulose fibers. Practical experiments on the growth of herbaceous and tomato plants were also performed, showing that the addition of less than 2 wt% of hydrogels into the soil resulted in higher growth rate values than untreated soil. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the use of the produced topsoil covers helped promote plant growth. The exceptional water-regulating properties of the investigated materials could allow for the development of a simple, inexpensive and scalable technology to be extensively applied in forestry and/or agricultural applications, to improve plant resilience and face the challenges related to climate change.
Materials able to store thermal energy can be a useful strategy in order to reduce energy consumption of buildings and to decrease greenhouse gases emissions. In this work, for the first time, the technique of salt leaching has been used for the production of novel polyethylene foams containing different amounts of a microencapsulated phase change material (PCM) with a melting point of 24 °C, to be potentially applied in building insulation. The microstructural, thermal and mechanical properties of the produced foams have been comprehensively investigated. The prepared foams were characterized by high values of open porosity (about 60 %) and by density values around 0.4 g/cm 3 . Differential scanning calorimetry tests revealed that the adopted production process caused a partial loss of PCM, resulting in an effective PCM content of around 33 % for the sample with the highest PCM loading (56 wt%). Infrared thermography analysis demonstrated that the time required from the samples to reach a set temperature, thanks to the presence of PCM, was up to two times higher with respect to the reference foam. Shore-A measurements evidenced that the addition of PCM generally led to a softening of the foams. Tensile mechanical tests confirmed the softening effect provided by the addition of the microcapsules, with a decrease of the stiffness and of the strength of the material. Interestingly, strain at break values were considerably increased upon PCM introduction.
Materials able to store thermal energy can be a useful strategy in order to reduce energy consumption of buildings and to decrease greenhouse gases emissions. In this work, for the first time, the technique of salt leaching has been used for the production of novel polyethylene foams containing different amounts of a microencapsulated phase change material (PCM) with a melting point of 24 °C, to be potentially applied in building insulation. The microstructural, thermal and mechanical properties of the produced foams have been comprehensively investigated. The prepared foams were characterized by high values of open porosity (about 60 %) and by density values around 0.4 g/cm3. Differential scanning calorimetry tests revealed that the adopted production process caused a partial loss of PCM, resulting in an effective PCM content of around 33 % for the sample with the highest PCM loading (56 wt%). Infrared thermography analysis demonstrated that the time required from the samples to reach a set temperature, thanks to the presence of PCM, was up to two times higher with respect to the reference foam. Shore-A measurements evidenced that the addition of PCM generally led to a softening of the foams. Tensile mechanical tests confirmed the softening effect provided by the addition of the microcapsules, with a decrease of the stiffness and of the strength of the material. Interestingly, strain at break values were considerably increased upon PCM introduction.
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