Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Researchers develop a reusable HMA made from xylan

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Researchers develop a reusable HMA made from xylan

Professor Peng Feng's team from the School of Materials Science and Technology of Beijing Forestry University developed a high-performance, reusable bio-based hot melt adhesive (XA) using industrial byproduct crystalline xylan as raw material. This not only provides innovative ideas for the design of new biomass-based adhesives, but also provides new ideas and technologies for the high-value utilization of hemicellulose.

Xylan-based adhesive outperforms epoxies and EVAs

Xylan hemicellulose is an important natural polymer in plant cell walls, and together with cellulose and lignin, it constitutes the main component of wood fiber biomass. Hemicellulose is the second largest renewable carbohydrate resource after cellulose, and is abundant in crop straw and forest biomass. However, in the production process of pulp and paper industry and bioethanol industry, most of the #hemicellulose is degraded or dissolved after pretreatment, so it cannot be effectively utilized.

 

Professor Peng Feng's team reconstructed the molecules of #xylan through redox reactions, turning it into a new type of hot melt adhesive. The adhesive can be effectively cured under different heating conditions, including simple heating with a hair dryer or heating at 100°C for 5 minutes. 

 

According to tests, the bonding strength between wood substrates can reach about 31 MPa. Its mechanical properties are not only better than traditional petroleum-based commercial #epoxyresins and #EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) #hotmeltadhesives, but also significantly better than the various bio-based adhesives reported so far prepared from biomass such as polysaccharides, proteins and polyphenols. More importantly, the xylan hot melt adhesive exhibits excellent reusability: after 10 heating-cooling curing cycles, its bonding strength can still be maintained at more than 100% of the initial value. 

 

This feature is significantly different from most existing biomass-based adhesives, which are usually not recyclable, thus limiting their sustainability in practical applications.

 

The research work was supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fund Project, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the 111 Program of the Ministry of Education. In addition, it was also supported by the Innovation Platform for High-value Utilization of Forest Resources of #BeijingForestryUniversity.

source : Beijing Forestry University /SpecialChem

Turning Agri-food and Lignocellulosic Residues into Bioplastics and Sustainable Polyurethane Materials

In the face of growing environmental concerns and the urgent need to reduce dependence on fossil resources, the development of circular and bio-based solutions is becoming increasingly important. One of the most promising approaches is the transformation of agricultural and food industry residues into high-value bio-based materials, such as biodegradable plastics and sustainable components for industrial applications. These innovations not only help reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions but also support the transition toward a more resilient and resource-efficient European economy.

In this context, the PROMOFER project, coordinated by #AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, and funded by the European Union’s CBE-JU, aims to unlock the potential of agri-food and lignocellulosic residues by converting them into two high-value bio-based compounds: PHBV, a biodegradable plastic, and 2,3-BDO, a key ingredient in the production of sustainable polyurethanes.

PROMOFER project focuses on different strategies to overcome key industrial bottlenecks in the fermentation processes of these two high-value bio-based compounds. After its first year of activity, the project consortium met on June 17 at University College Dublin to review progress across the different work packages. Key achievements include promising results in enzymatic hydrolysis, near-completion of microorganism characterization, and the first outcomes in the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Work is also advancing on scaling up the fermentation processes and designing the production systems for PHBV and 2,3-BDO.

The second cycle of collecting agri-industrial waste is being organised, analysis of collected (agri and food) wastes has already been carried out. The project valorises a wide range of agri-food and lignocellulosic residues—including low-value starches, whey permeate, industrial wastewater, rice straw, wheat straw, and pruning waste.

Finally, analysing and supporting the social acceptance of circular bio-based products has been launched, whilst the project is being disseminated amongst stakeholders with the goal to achieve engagement and knowledge sharing.

The ambition of PROMOFER project is linked to the use of specific biobased wastes from different industries, generated in significant amounts in Europe and showing specific overcomes to be valorised into high-added value products and to improve fermentative processes to produce bioplastics (PHBV and PU), whose yield are often inefficient to compete with chemical synthesis processes.

On the one hand, agro-industrial wastes (low value starches, whey permeate, industrial wastewater) will be used to produce PHBV a biodegradable and biobased bioplastic. On the other hand, lignocellulosic biomass (rice straw, wheat straw and prune waste) will be used to produce 2,3-BDO a chain extender in thermoplastic polyurethanes.

PROMOFER will contribute to significant knowledge advancements of the state-of-the-art in biobased waste treatments, improvements of strain capacities, uses of biocatalysts, process designs and downstream processes.

PROMOFER is coordinated by AIMPLAS, and the Consortium counts 13 partners from 7 European Countries. The project will run for 48 months, until June 2028.

source: AIMPLAS

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Desert Plants new applications in various Industries

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Desert plants from Mexico may offer and attractive alternative to conventional fossil-based materials, with the potential to create innovative, high-value products.

#Nopal, a symbol of Mexican culture with approximately 300 species found in Mexico alone, plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance across many regions. Beyond its culinary value, nopal serves as a raw material for producing biodegradable plastics.

#Guayule, a desert shrub native to northern Mexico and the southern United States, is an important source of high-quality natural rubber (cis-1,4-polyisoprene). Similarly, natural fibers derived from desert plants provide sustainable reinforcement options for composite materials in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and construction.

For example, #Yucca filifera, a desert palm, yields fibers that enhance the tensile and flexural strength of polypropylene composites.

source: Roberto YANEZ

#polymers #DesertPlants #BioBasedMaterials #SustainableMaterials #NaturalFibers #Guayule #naturalrubber #mexico

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Heart Surgery with no cut on the chest

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

In a medical world-first, surgeons at Cleveland Clinic have successfully replaced a heart valve through a small neck incision, completely avoiding the need to open the chest.

Using robotic tools, Dr. Marijan Koprivanac led the team in performing transcervical aortic valve replacements on four patients, all of whom recovered quickly and with minimal pain. One patient even resumed running within a week.

The technique, adapted from robotic thymectomy, uses four small incisions and offers faster recovery, lower risk, and greater precision.

The team now aims to reduce surgery time and expand the procedure to other centers.

source: Eddie M

#ClevelandClinic #HeartValveReplacement #CardiovascularCare

Klöckner Pentaplast launches lightest-in-class MAP tray - kp Elite® Nova

#Klöckner Pentaplast (kp), a global leader in rigid and #flexiblepackaging and specialty film solutions, has announced the launch of kp Elite® Nova, a next generation modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) tray that is the lightest in its class.

The tray uses a unique ribbed design to add strength in critical areas, while keeping weight and material use to a minimum, making it around 10% lighter than any other tray in its category - without compromising on barrier performance, sealing integrity, or mechanical strength. Developed using finite element analysis, kp Elite® Nova is ideal for high-speed automated protein packing lines and represents a step forward in sustainable food packaging.

We’re proud to reveal kp Elite® Nova; a breakthrough tray that reflects over 60 years of packaging innovation and technical excellence,” said Paul Rawlings, Launch Manager at kp Food Packaging. “With kp Elite® Nova, food producers no longer need to compromise between sustainability and performance.

This solution delivers both. The design is endorsed for recyclability by the Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform (TCEP) and is aligned with European Design for Recycling (D4R) guidelines, while still offering remarkable sealing and shelf-life performance.

kp Elite® Nova is made with up to 100% recycled PET, including material from kp’s revolutionary Tray2Tray® initiative, which creates a closed recycling loop for food trays. It is available in a variety of sizes and depths and designed with the realities of food production and logistics in mind.

At kp, we’re committed to improving access to circular solutions, by removing barriers that might prevent customers from making the switch,” Paul added. “In a market where EPR fees are taking effect, every gramme of packaging material counts. kp Elite® Nova is leading the protein industry’s lightweight, recyclable pathway to a more sustainable future. It’s a tray that’s built for today but is ready for tomorrow.

source : Klöckner Pentaplast

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Toray makes breakthrough in photosensitive polyimide

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Toray makes breakthrough in photosensitive polyimide

#Toray Industries has developed the STF-2000, a photosensitive polyimide solution that enables high-aspect-ratio fine patterning with 30-micrometer line widths in films up to 200 micrometers thick.

 

This breakthrough came from applying advanced high-sensitivity negative-tone formulation and proprietary photoresist design technology, which controls curing stress.

High-performing and sustainable

 STF-2000 retains the inherent advantages of a polyimide structure. These include excellent resistance to heat and chemicals, mechanical strength, insulation, and X-ray durability. At the same time, it enables fine microfabrication with aspect ratios of up to 7.

 

Sustainability is also in the engineering of STF-2000. Toray formulated STF-2000 without PFAS and adopted an alkaline development process that avoids organic solvents. The new material is free of N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), helping to shrink the environmental footprints of electronic components, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, and other applications.

 

Thick film sheet version available

 While the standard formulation of this material is as a solution, Toray is developing a thick-film sheet version. Customer evaluations are underway with a view to commercialization during fiscal 2025.

STF-2000 has overcome four key challenges for thick-film photosensitive materials, including deformation and cracking, incomplete ultraviolet curing, inadequate development, and foreign particles and interlayer delamination.

 

Thick film for electronics industry

Applying the new material to form thick films could enhance insulation of electronic components and support high-aspect-ratio wiring. In structural material applications, it will offer engineers greater design flexibility for microstructures using #photolithography so they can develop more advanced MEMS devices.

 

The material will simplify manufacturing by forming thick-film patterns through a single coating, exposure, and development step, thus boosting productivity and helping cut process costs.

This material also delivers high-resolution patterning with line/space ratios of 4 micrometers or less in the 10-30 micrometer film thickness range traditionally served by conventional polyimides.

source : Toray/Adsale Plastics Network

 

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : innovative 3D-printed PEKK (poly-ether-ketone-ketone) technology for implants

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Medella Northwest:

We are thrilled to share a groundbreaking case recently performed in collaboration with Oxford Performance Materials (OPM), utilizing their innovative 3D-printed PEKK (poly-ether-ketone-ketone) technology. This case marks an advancement in orthopedic care, showcasing the remarkable benefits of PEKK implants over traditional metal implants.

Our commitment to cutting-edge solutions led us to partner with OPM to deliver a patient-specific PEKK implant tailored to address a complex orthopedic challenge.

Why PEKK Outshines Metal Implants:

Bone-Like Mechanics: Unlike metal implants, which can be overly rigid and cause stress shielding, PEKK’s mechanical properties closely mimic cortical bone. This promotes natural load distribution, reducing the risk of bone resorption and enhancing long-term implant stability.

Enhanced Osseointegration: PEKK’s unique surface promotes protein adsorption, facilitating superior bone cell attachment and growth. This leads to faster, more complete bone ongrowth compared to metal, accelerating healing and improving outcomes.

Metal-Free Biocompatibility: PEKK eliminates risks associated with metal hypersensitivity offering a safer option for patients with sensitivities. It does not corrode or produce metallic debris, ensuring long-term safety.

Radiolucency for Better Imaging: PEKK’s radiolucency allows for clear post-operative imaging, enabling precise monitoring of bone healing without the interference often seen with metal implants.

Inherent Antibacterial Properties: Studies show PEKK significantly reduces bacterial colonization compared to metal, making it ideal for high-risk cases like joint revisions or trauma, minimizing infection risks.

Modifiable in the OR: Unlike rigid metal implants, PEKK implants can be adjusted during surgery, offering surgeons flexibility to achieve a perfect fit for each patient.

source: Medella Northwest