This study focused on the performance evaluation of clay and thermomechanical pulp (TMP) fiber to reinforce low- and high-density polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE) biocomposites. A 23 factorial experiment was designed using two levels of clay, TMP fibers, and PE as variables. Mechanical properties, thermal behavior, melt flow index, and water absorption were evaluated. In HDPE, the partial replacement of TMP fiber with 10 wt% clay increased the melting point. Clay also reduced the main polymer degradation temperature in both matrices (LDPE and HDPE). The mechanical properties of the samples with 20 wt% fiber and 10 wt% clay were similar to or better than those containing 30 wt% TMP, that is, tensile strength and modulus of 34 and 2700 MPa, compared to 30 and 2400 MPa, respectively. Although the water absorption increased with the addition of TMP fiber and clay, the water absorption of the composite with 20 wt% TMP and 10 wt% clay was relatively low and similar to the biocomposite containing 30 wt% TMP, that is, 1.15 and 1.07% after 30 days, respectively. The comparable properties of biocomposites with 30 wt% TMP and biocomposites with 20 wt% TMP and 10 wt% clay demonstrate the potential of clay to reduce the cost of the final product. Highlights: Clay enhances the tensile modulus and strength, and reduces the color darkening, compared to TMP. TMP fibers and clay reduce the melt flow index, elongation, and impact toughness. TMP fibers and clay increase the melting point and reduce the degradation temperature. Reduction in production costs of biocomposites by adding inorganic clay filler. 

Wood-derived components (e.g. fibers, lignin, nanofibers) are widely studied to develop thermoplastic biocomposites with, for example, improved mechanical properties and reduced global warming potential. Manufacturing of biocomposite products includes compounding and conversion processes (e.g., extrusion, injection molding, and 3D printing). These processes apply mechanical forces and heat to melt thermoplastic polymers and form a given product. However, in some cases, compounding and conversion stages may generate emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and/or ultrafine particles (UFP) and we must consider their effects on human health. Additionally, due to the nano-dimensions cellulose nanofibers are considered UFP. Therefore, its impacts on human health should be evaluated, especially when dried for biocomposite production. This review provides an overview of emissions generated in the production line of lignocellulose-based biocomposites, considering: wood preprocessing, extrusion, 3D printing, and injection moulding. Emissions of VOCs and UFP were considered, including the occupational exposure limits according to the current regulations and the potential health effects associated with such emissions 

Biomass-derived oligo- and polysaccharides may act as elicitors, i.e., bioactive molecules that trigger plant immune responses. This is particularly important to increase the resistance of plants to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this study, cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) gels were obtained by TEMPO-mediated oxidation of unbleached and bleached kraft pulps. The molecular structures were characterized with ESI and MALDI MS. Analysis of the fine sequences was achieved by MS and MS/MS of the water-soluble oligosaccharides obtained by acid hydrolysis of the CNF gels. The analysis revealed the presence of two families: one corresponding to homoglucuronic acid sequences and the other composed by alternating glucose and glucuronic acid units. The CNF gels, alone or with the addition of the water-soluble oligosaccharides, were tested on Chili pepper (Capsicum annuum). Based on the characterization of the gene expression with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of the C. annuum’s total messenger RNA, the differences in growth of the C. annuum seeds correlated well with the downregulation of the pathways regulating photosynthesis. A downregulation of the response to abiotic factors was detected, suggesting that these gels would improve the resistance of the C. annuum plants to abiotic stress due to, e.g., water deprivation and cold temperatures. 

Previous efforts to acetylate fibers and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are methodologically demanding and usually based on organic solvents catalyzed by acids. Hence, the purpose of this study was to introduce an improved method to acetylate unbleached (2 % and 5 % lignin) and bleached fibers (<1% lignin), and the corresponding CNFs, using a one-pot strategy in an aqueous alkaline medium. The lignin content in the pulp fibers (5 %) influenced the morphology of the corresponding fibrillated materials, i.e., increased secondary fines (92 %) and mean fibril area (36 %). Additionally, the pulps and CNFs (0 % and 5 % lignin content) were acetylated and compounded with high-density poly(ethylene) (HDPE). Acetylation improved the mechanical strength from 19 MPa (HDPE) to 30–40 MPa (when including acetylated fibers or CNFs). Finally, acetylation revealed a positive effect on melt-flow-index and elongation at break, and the water absorption of injection molded specimens was reduced to roughly 0.6 % after 10 days of testing. 

Single-use plastic products have been identified as an environmental challenge. When such products are not recycled, they may end up in nature and thus cause, e.g., marine littering. Thermoformed wood pulp fibre products are gaining more interest to replace fossil plastic products. However, beverage caps made of wood pulp fibres are challenging due to the hygroscopic nature of wood fibres, i.e., they absorb water, deform and loose functionality. Hence, the purpose of this study was to develop a fibre-based beverage cap that could replace plastic tethered cap systems. Both unbleached and bleached Kraft pulp and chemo-thermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP) fibres were tested in thermoforming trials, using tailor-made metal moulds. The results showed that Kraft pulp fibres formed denser structures, with more limited water absorption, compared to CTMP. The mechanical properties of thermoformed specimens were suitable for the application, i.e., the strength, modulus and elongation were between 32 and 36 MPa, 4–4.9 GPa and 1.6–1.9%, respectively, depending on the type of pulp fibre. Additionally, in order to secure that the caps were functional in relevant conditions in contact with liquids (water or milk), the caps were surface modified by silylation and esterification to increase the liquid barrier. The results indicate that surface esterification increased the contact angle to 95°. On the other hand, the surface-modified caps could not entirely limit the liquid absorption over longer periods of time (>∼1 h) when the caps were directly exposed to liquid. However, the liquid barrier was satisfactory when the products were exposed to increased relative humidity in refrigerated conditions (relative humidity >76% and temperature <7 °C). 

The aim of this study was to investigate new materials from organosolv fibers, organosolv lignin, kraft fibers, and their blends. The organosolv fibers showed reprecipitated lignin on the surface, a comparably low fiber length of 0.565 mm on average, and a high fines content of 82.3%. Handsheets were formed and thermopressed at 175 °C and 50 MPa, yielding dense materials (1050–1100 kg/m3) with properties different to that of regular paper products. The thermopressing of organosolv fibers alone produced materials with similar or better tensile strength (σb = 18.6 MPa) and stiffness (E* = 2.8 GPa) to the softwood Kraft reference pulp (σb = 14.8 MPa, E* = 1.8 GPa). The surface morphology was also smoother with fewer cavities. As a result, the thermopressed organosolv fibers exhibited higher hydrophobicity (contact angle > 95°) and had the lowest overall water uptake. Combinations of Kraft fibers with organosolv fibers or organosolv lignin showed reduced wetting and a higher density than the Kraft fibers alone. Furthermore, the addition of organosolv lignin to Kraft fibers greatly improved tensile stiffness and strength (σb = 23.8 MPa, E* = 10.5 GPa), likely due to the lignin acting as a binder to the fiber network. In conclusion, new thermopressed materials were developed and tested, which show promising potential for sustainable fiber materials with improved water resistance.

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) have been proposed as reinforcement for thermoplastic polymers due to their potentially superior mechanical properties. However, it seems still uncertain how the reinforcement ability of CNFs compares to cheaper pulp fibres, and how the suspected potential of CNFs can be fully utilized in biocomposites. Therefore, this study presents a direct comparative investigation of kraft pulp fibres and their fibrillated materials as reinforcement of high- or low-density polyethylene. Besides the experimental investigations, the tensile properties of the corresponding biocomposites were predicted by using micromechanical analysis. It was shown that considering the same fraction of fibrous materials (pulp fibres vs CNFs), the experimental and modelling results revealed that the highest tensile strength was obtained from the pulp fibre-reinforced biocomposites. Regarding the CNFs-reinforced biocomposites, the compatibilizer content had to be up to 20 wt% to experimentally achieve the tensile strength predicted by the model. © 2023 The Author(s)

The major advantage of cellular structures is the saving of material, energy, cost, and weight. Biocomposites are strong, lightweight materials and offer a high degree of design freedom. The purpose of this study was to characterise and compare the bending properties of various cellular structures for utilisation in panels made of a wood fibre/PLA biocomposite. Material extrusion (MEX) 3D printing is a highly flexible manufacturing method and well-suited for prototyping. Hence, MEX was applied to manufacture five different cell configurations that were mechanically tested. Additionally, numerical simulations were carried out to present a tool for optimising the structures for future requirements. Two material modelling approaches, a hyperelastic and a linear elastic, bimodular model were created and validated based on 3-point-bending tests. It is shown that a linear elastic, bimodular and perfectly plastic material model can adequately capture the elastic/plastic bending behaviour of the corresponding 3D-printed sandwich panels. © 2022 The Author(s)

Sandwich panels with unidirectional core stiffeners are known for their relatively high bending stiffness at low weight, stability under compressive and shear loads and energy absorption capability. In this study, 3D printing was used to screen biocomposite sandwich panels easily and preliminarily with different unidirectional core stiffener designs. Thermomechanical pulp (TMP) fibre-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was used in this study. A corrugated, trapezoid and arched cell structure were tested experimentally and numerically using a bimodular material model, accounting for different behaviour in tension and compression. The trapezoid structure showed the best flexural properties of the three 3D-printed sandwich beams. It was chosen to be explored further, manufacturing it by extrusion. Extrusion is a production process likely to be used in industry on a larger scale. Basic material properties of the biocomposites were obtained from injection moulded dogbone specimens. The flexural properties of the extruded panels were measured experimentally and simulated using finite element analysis. Simulations were done with a hyperelastic material model. Predictions and experiments were in adequate agreement, allowing such kind of simulation to be used for extruded biocomposite sandwich panels. © 2023 The Author(s)

New bone repair materials are needed for treatment of trauma- and disease-related skeletal defects as they still represent a major challenge in clinical practice. Additionally, new strategies are required to combat orthopedic device-related infections (ODRI), given the rising incidence of total joint replacement and fracture fixation surgeries in increasingly elderly populations. Recently, the convergence of additive manufacturing (AM) and bone tissue engineering (BTE) has facilitated the development of bone healthcare to achieve personalized three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds. This study focused on the development of a 3D printable bone repair material, based on the biopolymers poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and chitosan. Two different types of PLA and chitosan differing in their molecular weight (MW) were explored. The novel feature of this research was the successful 3D printing using biocomposite filaments composed of PLA and 10 wt% chitosan, with clear chitosan entrapment within the PLA matrix confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images. Tensile testing of injection molded samples indicated an increase in stiffness, compared to pure PLA scaffolds, suggesting potential for improved load-bearing characteristics in bone scaffolds. However, the potential benefit of chitosan on the biocomposite stiffness could not be reproduced in compression testing of 3D printed cylinders. The antibacterial assays confirmed antibacterial activity of chitosan when dissolved in acetic acid. The study also verified the biodegradability of the scaffolds, with a process producing an acidic environment that could potentially be neutralized by chitosan. In conclusion, the study indicated the feasibility of the proposed PLA/chitosan biocomposite for 3D printing, demonstrating adequate mechanical strength, antibacterial properties and biodegradability, which could serve as a new material for bone repair.