Using glycerol produced from biodiesel as a plasticiser in extruded biodegradable films

Abstract

SbstractThe demand for renewably sourced biodegradable materials has increased the need to produce materials that combine appropriate functional properties at competitive costs. Thermoplastic starch and polyester blends are an interesting alternative to current materials due to the low cost of starch and the functional properties and processability of the resulting blends. Producing thermoplastic starch (TPS) requires using a plasticiser at concentrations between 20 and 30%wt (in relation to starch). Glycerol is the most common plasticiser due to its high plasticising capacity and thermal stability at processing temperatures. The objective of this study was to evaluate glycerol waste from the biodiesel industry, with different degrees of purification, as plasticisers for TPS / poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) blends. Different purities of glycerol produced films with similar mechanical, optical and barrier properties to those made with purified glycerol (99.7%). Therefore, crude glycerol is a renewable alternative plasticiser that reduces the cost of plasticisation by 6-fold.

Micro-contextual identification of archaeological lipid biomarkers using resin-impregnated sediment slabs

“…The experimental SC LS and DD samples also yielded presence of α-ω-dicarboxylic acids, specifically nonanedioic acid (azelaic acid), decanedioic acid (sebacic acid) and undecadioic acid. Such compounds are naturally present in plant oils or may form from heating of animal fats 23,51,59,61 , which is our case. Azelaic and sebacic acid are sometimes used in organic polymeric resin mixtures 63 , and specifically azelaic acid was identified among the resin control samples (R1 and R4), hindering the possibility of using α-ω-dicarboxylic acids as potential biomarkers in DD samples.…”

“…Regarding the presence of MAGs in the Axlor (LS and DD) and Crvena Stijena (LS and DD) samples, they are indicators of triacylglycerol degradation 21,49 . Here too, presence of glycerol and glycerol monostearate should be www.nature.com/scientificreports/ taken with caution, as they are sometimes added in certain organic resins, mainly saturated resins 50,51,56 . As the organic resins used for micromorphological thin section manufacture are usually unsaturated, they should not contain MAGs.…”

Production of Biodegradable Bioplastics Filled with Jordanian Olive Tree Leaves

“…The role of glycerol is that of a plasticizer that produces starch-based biodegradable films. Starch and glycerol melt and flow at temperatures between 90 and 180 °C under sheer pressure, producing thermoplastic starch, which allows their use in injection, blowing equipment, and extrusion [24]. In this study, olive tree leaves waste was also used as filler in the produced bioplastic.…”

Separation of lactic acid and by-products obtained by catalytic conversion of glycerol using high-performance liquid chromatography

“…Biodiesel has significant potential as an alternative diesel due to its biodegradability, renewable energy source, better lubricity, combustion efficiency, and low toxicity compared to other fuels (Tan et al, 2015). Glycerol is produced as a by-product, representing around 10% of the total volume of biodiesel produced (Bilck et al, 2015;Chi et al, 2007).…”