In recent years, there has been a growing interest in high-porosity materials, such as polyurethane foams, used alone or in combination with other polymers, for applications in various fields, including hygienic-sanitary, biomedical, agricultural, and food packaging. To replace non-biodegradable plastic materials with new-generation bioplastics that meet consumer expectations in terms of both performance and eco-sustainability, this work developed and tested porous composite materials based on porcine plasma protein (PPP), a biowaste from the meat industry. The bioplastics were obtained by blending PPP with a plasticizer (i.e., glycerol), keeping a PPP/glycerol ratio equal to 1, and then injection moulding was employed using two different mould temperatures (60 and 120 degrees C). In particular, the impact of using three different salts (i.e., ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium carbonate) at 5 w/w% content on the absorption performances of the bioplastics was evaluated. Chemical-physical characterizations, mechanical and rheological analyses, as well as liquid absorption tests (in different media and/or conditions) on all the obtained bioplastics were carried out. The bioplastic including sodium carbonate moulded at 60 degrees C gave the best material in terms of water uptake values at 24 h (3000 +/- 200%), reaching similar values to those of a commercially available foam employed in female hygienic napkins (2800 +/- 100%). Water uptake values ranging from 400 to 2250% were obtained for the rest of the PPP-based systems. In saline solution, tests carried out following the official protocols supplied encouraging results (i.e., FSC = 10.6 +/- 0.4 g/g, CRC = 2.8 +/- 0.7 g/g, AUL = 3.0 +/- 0.1 g/g, and rewet = 0.86 +/- 0.06 g), although there is still a gap between commercially available products and proposed bioplastics in terms of CRC and AUL. SEM evaluation confirmed this similarity as this system displayed a complex microstructure, characterized by a porous and interconnected structure. Therefore, the obtained results represent a significant step towards creating eco-friendly superabsorbent materials that meet industrial requirements.
Effect of Salt Addition in Porcine Plasma Protein-based Bioplastics as a Strategy To Obtain Superabsorbent Materials
Liotino S.;De Giglio E.
2026-01-01
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in high-porosity materials, such as polyurethane foams, used alone or in combination with other polymers, for applications in various fields, including hygienic-sanitary, biomedical, agricultural, and food packaging. To replace non-biodegradable plastic materials with new-generation bioplastics that meet consumer expectations in terms of both performance and eco-sustainability, this work developed and tested porous composite materials based on porcine plasma protein (PPP), a biowaste from the meat industry. The bioplastics were obtained by blending PPP with a plasticizer (i.e., glycerol), keeping a PPP/glycerol ratio equal to 1, and then injection moulding was employed using two different mould temperatures (60 and 120 degrees C). In particular, the impact of using three different salts (i.e., ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium carbonate) at 5 w/w% content on the absorption performances of the bioplastics was evaluated. Chemical-physical characterizations, mechanical and rheological analyses, as well as liquid absorption tests (in different media and/or conditions) on all the obtained bioplastics were carried out. The bioplastic including sodium carbonate moulded at 60 degrees C gave the best material in terms of water uptake values at 24 h (3000 +/- 200%), reaching similar values to those of a commercially available foam employed in female hygienic napkins (2800 +/- 100%). Water uptake values ranging from 400 to 2250% were obtained for the rest of the PPP-based systems. In saline solution, tests carried out following the official protocols supplied encouraging results (i.e., FSC = 10.6 +/- 0.4 g/g, CRC = 2.8 +/- 0.7 g/g, AUL = 3.0 +/- 0.1 g/g, and rewet = 0.86 +/- 0.06 g), although there is still a gap between commercially available products and proposed bioplastics in terms of CRC and AUL. SEM evaluation confirmed this similarity as this system displayed a complex microstructure, characterized by a porous and interconnected structure. Therefore, the obtained results represent a significant step towards creating eco-friendly superabsorbent materials that meet industrial requirements.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
