Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Mechanical properties of fibre/ filler based poly(Lactic Acid) (Pla) composites : A brief review

This review examines the mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-based composites reinforced with natural fibers and fillers, presenting PLA as a biodegradable alternative to conventional plastics in applications ranging from agriculture to biomedical devices. Improving the strength and durability of bio-based plastics is essential for replacing petroleum-based materials that generate persistent microplastic pollution.

2021 Acta Innovations 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Functionalization of slow-release fertilizers and “passive predation microplastics” mechanism for polylactic acid composites

Researchers developed a biodegradable fertilizer film made from polylactic acid (PLA) and modified lignin that can slowly release nutrients while breaking down naturally in soil, offering an alternative to conventional plastic mulch. The study also explored how plants absorb tiny fragments of bio-based plastics, which is important for understanding whether even biodegradable alternatives still pose risks to food safety.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

High-performance biodegradable poly(lactic acid) composites with xylan and lignin copolymer

Researchers developed high-performance biodegradable poly(lactic acid) composites by incorporating xylan and lignin derived from lignocellulosic biomass, improving PLA mechanical properties and addressing its brittleness limitations while maintaining biodegradability as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Article Tier 2

Modification of Poly(lactic acid) by the Plasticization for Application in the Packaging Industry

Researchers investigated the modification of poly(lactic acid) through plasticization to improve its mechanical properties for use in packaging industry applications as a biodegradable alternative to conventional plastics.

2021 Polymers 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Polylactic acid synthesis, biodegradability, conversion to microplastics and toxicity: a review

Researchers reviewed polylactic acid (PLA), a popular plant-based "biodegradable" plastic used in packaging and agriculture, finding that while it breaks down inside the body, it does not fully degrade under natural outdoor or aquatic conditions — and in fact fragments into microplastics faster than conventional petroleum-based plastics. This challenges the assumption that bioplastics are a straightforward environmental solution.

2023 Environmental Chemistry Letters 254 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of the Incorporation of Nano-Sized Cellulose Formate on the End Quality of Polylactic Acid Composite Film

Researchers found that incorporating nano-sized cellulose formate fillers, including cellulose nanofibrils and nanocrystals, into polylactic acid films significantly improved mechanical strength and barrier properties while maintaining the biodegradable character of the composite, offering a path toward higher-performance sustainable packaging.

2021 Nanomaterials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Materials with Enhanced Mechanical Properties Based on Industrial Polyhydroxyalkanoates Reinforced with Organomodified Sepiolite and Montmorillonite

Researchers developed a biodegradable composite material by adding natural clay minerals to industrial biopolymer (PHA), improving its strength and durability compared to plain PHA. Biodegradable plastics like this could help reduce the generation of persistent microplastics from conventional petroleum-based packaging.

2019 Polymers 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioabsorbable Characteristics of Poly (Lactic Acid) (PLA) for a Fundamental Solution to the Problem of Microplastics Tea Bag SOILON® Made from PLA Fibers

This review examines the biodegradation characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA) materials, discussing the enzymatic and environmental conditions needed for effective breakdown and evaluating PLA's potential as a genuinely biodegradable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics.

2025 Journal of Biomaterials
Article Tier 2

Study of PLA pre-treatment, enzymatic and model-compost degradation, and valorization of degradation products to bacterial nanocellulose

Researchers tested methods to break down polylactic acid (PLA), a common bio-based plastic, using chemical pre-treatment followed by enzymatic and composting processes. They then converted the degradation products into valuable bacterial nanocellulose. This work is relevant because even bio-based plastics can become microplastic pollutants, and finding ways to fully degrade them into useful materials helps close the loop on plastic waste.

2023 World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Polyelectrolyte Strength of Biopolymers for Fully Recyclable and Biodegradable Plastics

This study developed a biodegradable and fully recyclable plastic material by forming solid polyelectrolyte complexes from naturally occurring charged polymers, achieving stiffness comparable to conventional plastics while enabling composting or dissolution-based recycling — with no microplastic residue.

2025 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano/Micro Hybrid Bamboo Fibrous Preforms for Robust Biodegradable Fiber Reinforced Plastics

Researchers created strong, eco-friendly composite materials by combining nano- and micro-scale fibers from bamboo, producing a biodegradable plastic alternative with improved mechanical properties. This work contributes to developing sustainable materials that could replace conventional petroleum-based plastics and reduce microplastic generation.

2021 Polymers 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellulose Nanofibrils Dewatered with Poly(Lactic Acid) for Improved Bio-Polymer Nanocomposite Processing

This paper is not about environmental microplastics; it describes a manufacturing process for combining cellulose nanofibers with polylactic acid (a biodegradable bioplastic) to make stronger composite materials, with no relevance to plastic pollution or human health risk.

2024 Nanomaterials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Deep insights into biodegradability mechanism and growth cycle adaptability of polylactic acid/hyperbranched cellulose nanocrystal composite mulch

Researchers developed biodegradable polylactic acid mulch films reinforced with hyperbranched cellulose nanocrystals, demonstrating tunable degradation rates under soil burial, seawater, and UV aging conditions alongside enhanced mechanical strength and crop yield — offering a viable petroleum-free alternative to conventional agricultural plastic mulch.

2023 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Performance Spectrum of Home-Compostable Biopolymer Fibers Compared to a Petrochemical Alternative

Researchers compared home-compostable biopolymer fibers to conventional petrochemical alternatives, evaluating their mechanical performance and degradability to assess whether biobased materials can serve as viable substitutes that reduce microplastic pollution.

2023 Polymers 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Reed Fiber as a Sustainable Filler for Tuning the Biodegradability of Polylactic acid Composites

Researchers prepared reed fiber/polylactic acid (PLA/RF) composite films via melt blending and blow molding, finding that increasing reed fiber content tuned the biodegradation rate of PLA in the presence of proteinase K, with DSC, SEM, and FTIR analyses revealing changes in crystallization behavior and surface morphology during enzymatic degradation.

2024 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) Nanocomposites: Effect of Inorganic Nanoparticles Reinforcement on Its Performance and Food Packaging Applications

This review summarized approaches to reinforcing polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic with inorganic nanoparticles — including clay, silica, and metal oxides — to improve its mechanical strength, barrier properties, and thermal stability for food packaging applications while retaining biodegradability.

2021 Molecules 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Degradation of Polylactic Acid Bioplastic

This review covers how microorganisms degrade polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic under different environmental conditions. Understanding PLA biodegradation is important for assessing whether PLA products actually break down as intended in real-world environments rather than persisting as microplastics.

2021 Journal of Sustainability Science and Management 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing PolyelectrolyteStrength of Biopolymersfor Fully Recyclable and Biodegradable Plastics

Researchers developed a fully recyclable and biodegradable plastic material created through solid polyelectrolyte complexation of naturally occurring biopolymers, enhancing their polyelectrolyte strength to achieve mechanical properties competitive with conventional single-use packaging plastics. The study demonstrated that this approach addresses both the microplastic pollution problem and fossil fuel dependence while enabling end-of-life recyclability.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

High-strength alginate fibers wet-spun from pre-crosslinked sodium alginate solutions

Scientists developed a new method for making stronger alginate fibers from seaweed-derived materials as a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based synthetic fibers. The resulting fibers had breaking strength of 474 MPa, exceeding most plant-based fibers without additives. Replacing synthetic fibers like polyester with biodegradable alternatives is important because synthetic textiles are one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution through washing and wear.

2024 Carbohydrate Polymers 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Biaxial Stretching of PBAT/PLA Blends for Improved Mechanical Properties

Researchers used biaxial stretching to improve the mechanical properties of PBAT/PLA biodegradable polymer blends without chemical additives, demonstrating that anisotropic crystallization induced by stretching enhances tensile strength and flexibility. The approach offers a strategy for tuning biodegradable plastic performance to replace conventional plastics more effectively.

2025 Polymers 3 citations