13.Invited – Design of closed-loop recyclable polymers derived from bio-based resources
Polymers are central to our present and future society, enabling improvements in nearly all aspects of daily life. However, our lifestyle also generates significant problems due to the way we use polymers. Most polymers are discarded after use, rarely recycled, and end up in landfills, rivers, and oceans. This fate exemplifies the current linear, fossil-based […]
13.Keynote – LIGNIN BASED COVALENT ADAPTABLE NETWORKS WITH ADDED FUNCTIONALITY.
The European Green Deal aims to transform the European economy into a sustainable, climate-neutral, and circular economy by 2050, driving research in polymer science. Beyond substituting fossil raw materials with biobased ones to reduce polymer material carbon footprints, attention shifts to thermoset circularity. Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) mark a vital development, incorporating reversible chemical bonds […]
13.5 Green Polymer Synthetic Methodology Development towards Sustainable and Biobased Circular Materials
Green material solutions are instrumental in our collective pursuit of a more sustainable society. The bio-based origin is central; however, if this does not connect to circularity and benign synthesis, we will face the same plastic waste problem as today. My research team is highly interdisciplinary, covering polymer, organic, and biopolymer chemistry, with a focus […]
13.4 Circular shapeable transparent paperboard with recyclability and marine biodegradability
To mitigate marine pollution from single-use plastics, it is imperative to transition to next-generation commodity materials that are biomass-derived, recyclable, and marine biodegradable in the event of accidental ocean release. Here, we report the development of an optically transparent, millimeter-thick paperboard—termed transparent paperboard (tPB)—produced via the dissolution and coagulation of cellulose. The tPB is composed […]
13.2 Structural contributions of polysaccharide and lignin in birch glucuronoxylans towards emulsion stabilization
Despite constituting roughly one-third of wood biomass, hemicelluloses have received less attention compared to cellulose and lignin. Such lack of spotlight has largely been attributed to the difficulty in understanding their behaviour, considering that different sources, extraction methods, and post-extraction treatments lead to a high level of structural complexity of the hemicelluloses. However, their complexity […]
13.1 Mycelium-Based Fibers: A Circular Approach to High-Performance Bio-Based Materials
Cellulose fibers have long been the backbone of bio-based materials, yet their production involves intensive resource use, chemical processing, and land dependency. In this work, we present mycelium-based fibers as a sustainable and circular alternative, offering high-performance material properties with significantly lower environmental impact. Through mild mechanical defibrillation of fungal biomass, these fibers form well-dispersed, […]
13.3 Strategic Functionalization of Cellulosic Fibers for the Circular Design of Fiber-based materials
Cellulose nanofibrils and nanocrystals are excellent materials for hydrogels and as reinforcers in polymer composites due to their high aspect ratio, mechanical strength and colloidal stability. Nonetheless, the production of these outstanding materials is expensive, energy demanding and, in most cases, it requires the use of chemicals that put into question their sustainability. This work […]
P13.1 – Improving Material Circularity by Designing Twice-Renewable Epoxy Resin Dynamic Systems
Epoxy resins are valued for their strong adhesion, durability, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and electricity. However, their reliance on bisphenol A (BPA) raises environmental and health concerns, and their crosslinked structure makes recycling difficult, often leading to incineration or landfill disposal. VITO’s SPOT group is enhancing epoxy resin sustainability through three strategies (Scheme 1). […]
P13.2 – Neutral and Alkaline Swelling Properties of Textile Cotton Waste- and Conventional Dissolving Pulps for Viscose Production
Regeneration of cellulose by means of a viscose process has been developed and optimized throughout the years for dissolving-pulp sources from special grade wood pulp and cotton linters. However, more recently, the undeniable environmental impact of the textile-industry has caused a growing urge for developing ways to tackle that pollution, such as the reuse of […]
P13.3 – Upcycling Agro-Food Waste into Advanced Mycelium Insulation: Insights into Structure, Mechanical Behavior, and Fire Performance
This study investigated the potential of mycelium-based biocomposites as sustainable insulation materials by employing Ganoderma lucidum to transform agro-food residues, including wheat bran, rice straw, and spent coffee grounds into medium-density composites with tunable mechanical and thermal properties. The influence of substrate composition, fermentation conditions and fungal growth dynamics on the final material properties was […]
