Characterization of the Mechanical, Biodegradation, and Morphological Properties of NBR/Biopolymer Blend, Integrated with a Risk Evaluation

Abstract

Biopolymer blends have attracted considerable attention in industrial applications due to their notable mechanical properties and biodegradability. This work delves into the innovative combination of butadiene-acrylonitrile (referred to as NBR) with a pectin-based biopolymer (NGP) at a 90:10 mass ratio through a detailed analysis employing mechanical characterization, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and morphology studies using SEM. Additionally, biopolymer's biodegradability under aerobic and anaerobic conditions is tested. The study's findings underscore the superior tensile strength and elongation at break of the NGP/NBR blend in comparison to pure NBR, while also exhibiting a decrease in puncture resistance due to imperfect bonds at the particle−matrix interfaces, necessitating the use of a compatibilizer. In anaerobic conditions, evaluation of biodegradable properties reveals 2% and 12% biodegradability in NBR and NGP/NBR blend, respectively. The degradation properties were also aligned with TGA results highlighting a lower decomposition temperature for NGP. Additionally, this research integrates the application of a conditional value-at-risk (CVaR)-based analysis of the blend's tensile properties to evaluate the uncertainty impact in the experiment. Under risk, a significant enhancement in the tensile performance (by 80%) of the NGP/NBR blend was shown compared to pure NBR. Ultimately, the study shows that adding pectin to the NBR compound amplifies the overall performance of the biopolymer significantly under select criteria.

Biodegradation of Nitrile Gloves as Sole Carbon Source of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Liquid Culture

“…Despite the nitrile glove industry benefiting from advantageous NBR properties, such as hydrophobicity and cytotoxicity towards microorganisms due to the acrylonitrile that minimizes bacterial growth on the surface of nitrile gloves, Akbarian-Saravi et al [ 54 ] concluded in their research that NBR is nonbiodegradable under aerobic conditions. However, their study utilized an aerobic inoculum from a wastewater treatment plant and did not account for the biofilm properties of bacteria.…”