Inkjet-Printed UHF RFID Tags on Renewable Materials

Radio frequency identification (RFID) provides great potential for different Internet of Things (IOT) applications. In the future, material choices in these IOT devices will have a huge effect on the environment and thus use of renewable materials is a growing trend. In this paper, passive ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tags were inkjet-printed directly on wood, paper, and cardboard substrates, and their performance was evaluated by measuring two key properties: threshold power and theoretical read range. According to our measurements, the tags on wood showed read ranges of 7 - 8 meters, the tags on cardboard exhibited read ranges of 4 - 7 meters, and the tags printed on paper showed read ranges of 2 - 7 meters through the global UHF RFID band. According to these results, the performance of these inkjet-printed UHF RFID tags is sufficient for many IOT devices and potential applications e.g. in construction and packaging industry.

Biofuel Recovery from Plantain and Banana Plant Wastes:Integration of Biochemical and Thermochemical Approach

Globally,fossil fuel dependence has created several environmental challenges and climate change.Hence,creating other alternative renewable and ecologically friendly bio-energy sources is necessary.Lignocellulosic biomass has gained significant attention recently as a renewable material for biofuel production.The large amounts of plantain and banana plant parts wasted after harvesting,as well as the peels generated daily by the fruit market and industries,demonstrate the potential of bioenergy resources.This review briefly assesses plantain and banana plant biomass(PBB)generated in the developing,developed,and underdeveloped countries,the consumable parts,and feasible products yield.It emphasized the advantages and disadvantages of the commonly adopted treatment technologies of composting,incineration,and landfilling.Further,the utilization of PBB as catalysts in biodiesel synthesis was briefly highlighted.To optimize recovery of biofuel,different integration routes of pyrolysis,anaerobic digestion,fermentation,hydrothermal carbonization,hydrothermal liquefaction,and hydrothermal gasification for the valorization of the PBB were proposed.The complex compounds present in the PBB(hemicellulose,cellulose,and lignin)can be converted into valuable bio-products such as methane gas and bio-ethanol for bioenergy,and nutrients to promote bioactive ingredients.The investigation of the viability and innovation potential of the integrated routes’technology is necessary to improve the circular bio-economy and the recovery of biofuels from biomass waste,particularly PBB.

Research perspectives for catalytic valorization of biomass

Efficient utilization of biomass for the supply of energy and synthetic materials would mitigate the heavy reliance on fossil resources and the growing CO_(2) emission, thus contributing to establishing sustainable and carbon–neutral societies. Much effort has been devoted to catalytic transformations of lignocellulosic biomass, the most abundant and nonedible form of biomass.

Review of Cellulose Smart Material: Biomass Conversion Process and Progress on Cellulose-Based Electroactive Paper

Cellulose is a renewable biomass material and natural polymer which is abundantly available on Earth,and includes agricultural wastes,forestry residues,and woody materials.The excellent and smart characteristics of cellulose materials,such as lightweight,biocompatibility,biodegradability,high mechanical strength/stiffness and low thermal expansibility,have made cellulose a highpotential material for various industry applications.Cellulose has recently been discovered as a smart material in the electroactive polymers family which carries the name of cellulose-based electroactive paper(EAPap).The shear piezoelectricity in cellulose polymers is able to induce large displacement output,low actuation voltage,and low power consumption in the application of biomimetic sensors/actuators and electromechanical system.The present study provides an overview of biomass pretreatment from various lignocellulosic cellulose(LC)resources and nanocellulose production via TEMPO-mediated oxidation reaction,followed by the production of different types of EAPap versus its performance,and lastly the applications of EAPap in different areas and industries.Specifically,LC biomass consists mainly of cellulose having a small content of hemicelluloses and lignins which form a defensive inner structure against the degradation of plant cell wall.Thus,selective approaches are discussed to ensure proper extraction of cellulosic fibers from complex biomass for further minimization to nano-dimensions.In addition,a comprehensive review of the development of cellulose-based EAPap as well as fabrication,characterization,performance enhancement and applications of EAPap devices are discussed herein.

Synthesis of Photoactive Compounds from Tall Oil Fatty Acids

Photocurable systems are more effective,faster and require less energy than conventional thermal curing methods.To facilitate the ongoing transition toward a biobased economy,photoactive compounds were synthesized from tall oil fatty acids(TOFA)which is a by-product from wood pulping.In this study,photoactive monomers were synthesized by two different chemical pathways using oleic acid and TOFA as raw materials.Firstly,double bonds present in TOFA were epoxidized,followed by epoxy ring-opening with acrylic acid which introduced photoactive functional groups into the fatty acid backbone.Intermediates and final products were analysed using titration methods(acidic value,epoxy value,iodine value)and FTIR.The preferred final product(3-acryloyloxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-9-hydroxy-10-acryoyloxystearate(Acr-St)was synthesized by both pathways.In the case of oleic acid,a compound of Acr-St was yielded,while in case of TOFA,the Acr-St was present in mixture along with TOFA acryloyloxy derivates(TOFA-acr.der.).The final products were photopolymerized using UV irradiation(396 nm)and as a photoinitiator 3 wt%solution of TPO(2,4,6–trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide)was used.However,only the synthesis using oleic acid yielded a photocurable compound.

Cellulose Stabilized Polyvinyl Acetate Emulsion: Review

The global energy crisis and overconsumption of non-renewable resources have depleted natural resources, climatic changes with global warming, and rise in sea level. The research on alternate sources and chemicals has resulted in the usage of green materials. These biomaterials are sustainable sources, biodegradable, and are abundant in nature. The replacement of petrochemicals with biopolymers has gained much importance in this aspect. Conventionally, polyvinyl alcohol is employed as a protective colloid in polyvinyl acetate adhesive. Polyvinyl alcohol has the limitation of petroleum origin, is replaced by biopolymers. Starch being a biopolymer, has gained interest in replacing polyvinyl alcohol as a stabilizer. Cellulose has a low cost, and the most abundant biomaterial finds application as a reinforcing agent in conventional adhesives. Exploring cellulose as a stabilizer for polyvinyl acetate emulsion polymerization with reinforcement has created potential applicability of cellulose in adhesives. Surface hydroxyl groups in cellulose act as sites for functionalization, making it material for the adhesive sector. This review paper aims to showcase biomaterials, namely starch, and cellulose, in the adhesive field. A detailed review of cellulose as functional filler for polyvinyl acetate emulsion adhesives has been explained.

Isolation of Thermally Stable Cellulose Nanocrystals from Spent Coffee Grounds via Phosphoric Acid Hydrolysis

As the world's population exponentially grows,so does the need for the production of food,with cereal production growing annually from an estimated 1.0 billion to 2.5 billion tons within the last few decades.This rapid growth in food production results in an ever increasing amount of agricultural wastes,of which already occupies nearly 50%of the total landfill area.For example,is the billions of dry tons of cellulose-containing spent coffee grounds disposed in landfills annually.This paper seeks to provide a method for isolating cellulose nanocrystals(CNCs)from spent coffee grounds,in order to recycle and utilize the cellulosic waste material which would otherwise have no applications.CNCs have already been shown to have vast applications in the polymer engineering field,mainly utilized for their high strength to weight ratio for reinforcement of polymer-based nanocomposites.A successful method of purifying and hydrolyzing the spent coffee grounds in order to isolate usable CNCs was established.The CNCs were then characterized using current techniques to determine important chemical and physical properties.A few crucial properties determined were aspect ratio of 12±3,crystallinity of 74.2%,surface charge density of(48.4±6.2)mM/kg cellulose,and the ability to successfully reinforce a polymer based nanocomposite.These characteristics compare well to other literature data and common commercial sources of CNCs.

Surface Modification of Cellulose with Silanes for Adhesive Application: Review

There has been an increasing interest in research on using bio-renewable polymers as a replacement to traditional synthetic polymers based on petroleum resources for adhesive applications. Cellulose, which is the most abundant biopolymer finds application as a reinforcing agent in conventional adhesives. However, natural polymer cellulose suffers from a few drawbacks like poor water resistance, low mechanical strength, and compatibility within the hydrophobic matrix. For emerging as sustainable alternatives for synthetic polymers, cellulose and its derivatives must have comparable physical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties to those of synthetic polymers. To achieve this, cellulose has been chemically modified as it has free hydroxyl groups which act as a site for modification. Among various techniques used crosslinking and silane modification have shown better properties. Various silanes have been identified and used for modifying both micro-cellulose and nano-cellulose, by the formation of covalent bonds. Silanes have the ability to react with the low number of free hydroxyl groups present in the cellulose surfaces, therefore promotes surface modification. Hence referring to the increase in the research works related to the silane modification of cellulose and its applicability focusing on wood adhesives, the main aim of this review paper is to summarize various works relating to this field.

Innovative materials for renewable energy

Fossil fuels have sustained the prosperity of human civilization for centuries since the invention of internal combustion engine during the first industrial revolution. However, several drawbacks also come along with the wide-spread adoption of fossil fuels, namely, energy shortage, environmental pollution, global warm- ing, and so on. It is therefore highly desirable to conduct renewable and clean energy innovation, in an effort to power the world with alternative and affordable energy. To realize this goal,

Investigations on the aging behavior of transparent bioplastics for optical applications

In this study,the optical properties of transparent bioplastics have been investigated.The long-term technological goal is to establish biopolymers in a new market segment for demanding optical applications and to contribute to a more sustainable economy.A collection of transparent bioplastics has been tested with respect to the long-term stability and the possibility of an application in optical components for LED lighting.The focus of materials testing was on the influence of short wavelength visible radiation as well as thermal loads.The results show,that some materials may be candidates for subsequent feasibility studies.To the best of our knowledge,the application of such polymers in complex technical products and in particular in luminaires has not yet been realized.The use of bio-based plastics for optical components therefore represents a novelty and has a high development potential.