Advances in Natural Fibers and Polymers

Natural Phenol Polymers: Recent Advances in Food and Health Applications

Natural phenol polymers are widely represented in nature and include a variety of classes including tannins and lignins as the most prominent. Largely consumed foods are rich sources of phenol polymers, notably black foods traditionally used in East Asia, but other non-edible, easily accessible sources, e.g., seaweeds and wood, have been considered with increasing interest together with waste m...

Physical and Degradable Properties of Mulching Films Prepared from Natural Fibers and Biodegradable Polymers

The use of plastic film in agriculture has the serious drawback of producing vast quantities of waste. In this work, films were prepared from natural fibers and biodegradable polymers as potential substitutes for the conventional non-biodegradable plastic film used as mulching material in agricultural production. The physical properties (e.g., mechanical properties, heat preservation, water per...

Upcycling Polymers and Natural Fibers Waste—Properties of a Potential Building Material

Composites of recycled high-density polyethylene and micro fibres of sugarcane bagasse were studied, in order to create an upcycled material to produce masonry bricks. We ranged the polymer/filler ratio from 100–0 to 60%–40%. The materials were assessed through scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, rheological measurements...

Advances in sensors based on conducting polymers

Conducting polymers with a blend of interesting optical and mechanical properties can be used in situations where inorganic materials are not suitable. Synthetic capabilities as well as fabrication techniques have been developed to such an extent that molecular electronic devices based on conducting polymers can be designed, marking evolution of a sophisticated technology in the field of microe...

Natural and Synthetic Biomedical Polymers