A novel biodegradable flowerpot prepared by fermented straw fiber and urea‐formaldehyde adhesive modified with keratin from waste feathers

Abstract

The recycling and utilization of feather waste from animal husbandry and straw from agriculture is a worldwide problem. In this study, keratin was extracted from waste feathers and used to modify urea‐formaldehyde (UF) adhesive to obtain biodegradable adhesive for making straw flowerpots with high performance. The results showed that keratin could reduce free formaldehyde and improve the thermal stability of UF. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the flowerpot with keratin were greatly improved. The observed performance enhancements were attributed to the excellent adhesiveness of the bonding interface. In addition, the addition of keratin makes the flowerpot more hydrophilic and provides a better source of nutrients for microbes to grow and reproduce on the surface of the flowerpot, which is more conducive to the biodegradation of flowerpots after they are discarded. Our experiment suggests the great potential in terms of profitability and environmental protection by flowerpots prepared by fermented straw fiber and keratin‐modified UF.

Enhanced Interphase Adhesion from Bio-pretreated Straw Fiber in Biodegradable Composite Pot: In-Depth Investigation of Degradation Interphase Behavior

“…The greater hydrophobicity of CP5 compared to CP10 primarily be attributed to the higher crystallinity of SF5. Better hydrophobicity might be beneficial in extending the life of the bio-pot product but might also decrease its biodegradability by preventing hydrolysis of composite materials. , …”

“…The rice straw was obtained from the suburb of Nanjing in July, mechanically processed to achieve a length of 5–10 mm and a width of 0.1–1 mm and subsequently subjected to natural air-drying. Hydrolyzed keratin was derived from discarded chicken feathers, and the detailed extraction procedure can be found in our prior research . Microbial inoculum mainly including Bacillus subtilis , Enterococcus faecalis , yeast, protease, and cellulase was purchased from Ningliang Biological Engineering Co., Ltd (Nanjing, China).…”

“…Hydrolyzed keratin was derived from discarded chicken feathers, and the detailed extraction procedure can be found in our prior research. 24 Microbial inoculum mainly including Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, yeast, protease, and cellulase was purchased from Ningliang Biological Engineering Co., Ltd (Nanjing, China). Urea, formaldehyde (37 wt % in H 2 O), melamine, and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA-124) with alcoholysis of 98−99% and average molecular weights of 105,600− 110,000 were purchased from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China).…”

“…Better hydrophobicity might be beneficial in extending the life of the bio-pot product but might also decrease its biodegradability by preventing hydrolysis of composite materials. 24,37 Figure 3b displays the surface energy of CP, CP5, and CP10. The surface energy of CP5 and CP10 is lower than that of CP, which is due to the decrease of polar groups such as −OH on the fiber surface caused by biological pretreatment.…”

Influence of scutellaria baicalensis extract on the thermo‐oxidative and composting stability of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate)

“…In the last years, biodegradable polymers have attracted much attention due to their unique characteristics that support their potential application in agricultural mulch, 1–4 packaging, 5–11 medicine, 12–17 and other fields 18–25 . Among them, poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) is a promising biodegradable polymer and is widely used in film materials due to its excellent mechanical properties, ductility, toughness, degradation performance, etc 26,27 .…”