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Sunflower Oil Industry By-product as Natural Filler of Biocomposite Foams for Packaging Applications

Journal of Polymers and the Environment volume 29, pages 1869–1879 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

The use of agroindustry by-products as reinforcements and/or composites filler is an innovative and economically attractive option that is still under study. Hence, the present work aims to study composite foams based on cassava-starch and sunflower oil press cake (SOPC), an oil industry by-product, using urea as an additive to enhance the biocomposites foaming capacity. Filler content (0, 20, and 40 wt%) and urea addition effect on foam morphology, physical properties and mechanical behaviour were analysed and compared to a benchmark polystyrene (PS) foam. In comparison with conventional PS foams, biofoams containing urea presented comparable mechanical properties yet higher hydrophilicity. Besides, formulations containing SOPC resulted in denser and harder materials and higher water uptake capacity than starch-based foams. Results provide further insights into biobased biodegradable foams development using agroindustrial residues as raw material and urea as foaming agent, with promising characteristics for food packaging.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the financial support of the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT, Projects PICT 2015-0921 and 2014-2410) and the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Moreover, Florencia Versino wishes to acknowledge CONICET as well for a Postdoctoral Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos (CIDCA), UNLP-CONICET-CICPBA, 47 y 116, 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Florencia Versino & María Alejandra García

  2. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), 47 y 115, 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Florencia Versino

  3. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química, PLAPIQUI (UNS-CONICET), Departamento de Ingeniería Química, UNS, Camino La Carrindanga km. 7, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Argentina

    Olivia V. López

  4. Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), 47 y 115, 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    María Alejandra García

Authors
  1. Florencia Versino
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  2. Olivia V. López
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  3. María Alejandra García
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by FV, OVL, MAG. The first draft of the manuscript was written by FV and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Florencia Versino.

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10924_2020_1981_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Electronic supplementary material 1 (DOCX 3541 kb). SEM micrographs of the foams obtained at different processing conditions (temperature and time variations) for control starch-based foams with and without urea, and photograph of foams subjected to biodegradation under compositing conditions in soil before and after 60 days of burial

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Versino, F., López, O.V. & García, M.A. Sunflower Oil Industry By-product as Natural Filler of Biocomposite Foams for Packaging Applications. J Polym Environ 29, 1869–1879 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-020-01981-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-020-01981-8

Keywords

  • Starch foams
  • Renewable materials
  • Biodegradable
  • Fibrous fillers
  • Disposable packaging