Journal of Polymers and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"DOE-Driven Synthesis of Bio-based Itaconate Polyester: A Solvent-Free and Catalyst-Free Approach","authors":"Magdalena Miętus,&nbsp;Tomasz Gołofit,&nbsp;Agnieszka Gadomska-Gajadhur","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03971-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03971-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Producing polymeric products from renewable raw materials is desirable to reduce reliance on petrochemical-based materials. To date, toxic acrylic monomers and their derivatives are most commonly used in applications such as UV-crosslinked materials. Itaconate compounds are considered as potential “green alternatives” for acrylic compounds because of their similar chemical structure. For this, in this work, the DOE-based optimization of itaconate-based prepolymer derived from bio-based precursors - poly(dodecamethylene-<i>co</i>-hexamethylene itaconate) (abbreviation: PDDHItc) via catalyst-free and solvent-free polycondensation reaction from commercially available 1,6-hexanediol (1,6-HD), 1,12-dodecanediol (1,12-DDD), and itaconic anhydride (IAn) was performed. To date, to the best of our knowledge, no other examples of the synthesis of such a binary polyester have been reported. To optimize the reaction conditions (molar fraction of 1,12-DDD in the reaction system, time, and temperature of the prepolymer synthesis), the Design of Experiments (DOE) method, specifically a Box-Behnken plan, was used to limit the number of experiments and avoid conducting reactions under extreme conditions. The three selected product properties were as follows: percentage conversion of carboxyl groups -COOH, percentage of unreacted unsaturated C = C double bonds, and a complex variable related to the viscosity and appearance of the prepolymer. The obtained prepolymer was a viscous resin (𝜂 = 16.2 Pa ∙ s (25 °C), 3.2 Pa ∙ s (36.6 °C)) with an <i>M</i>_w of 1505 g/mol. The specific molecular weight, along with the structural irregularity introduced by the co-diol system, was strategically targeted to prevent premature crystallization and to achieve a viscosity range compatible with future solvent-free, UV-curable formulations. While actual validation of UV-crosslinking and 3D printing remains the subject of future studies, the successful preservation of reactive pendant C = C double bonds and the tailored rheological profile establish this PDDHItc prepolymer, derived from bio-based precursors and synthesized under catalyst-free, solvent-free conditions, as a promising base material for additive manufacturing applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03971-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149189787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Concentration-Driven Modification of Agar-Based Biodegradable Films Using Carpobrotus Glaucescens Phytochemical Extract","authors":"Rishi Ravindra Naik,&nbsp;Que Trinh Tran,&nbsp;Muhammad Bin Zia,&nbsp;Cordelia Selomulya","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-04015-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-04015-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Agar-based films are promising biodegradable materials, but their brittleness and moisture sensitivity limit practical use. In this study, a phytochemical extract from the Australian halophyte pigface (<i>Carpobrotus glaucescens</i>) was evaluated as a concentration-dependent modifier of agar films. CHNS, FTIR, ¹H NMR and untargeted LC-MS established a chemically complex, hydroxyl-rich composition; these analyses provide a baseline compositional context but do not directly demonstrate a specific agar-extract bonding mechanism. Across the formulation-screening matrix, P6 (agar-to-extract ratio, A:PF = 1:20, w/v) showed a 38% increase in tensile strength and an elongation at break of approximately 23% relative to the control, while water vapour permeability decreased from 2.91 × 10⁻¹¹ to 1.26 × 10⁻¹¹ g/m²·s·Pa (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). These property changes coincided with qualitative changes in film FTIR profiles, surface morphology, apparent glass-transition behaviour and drying kinetics; however, the independent contributions of agar and extract could not be isolated because both concentrations varied in the screening design. At higher extract loading, P9 (A: PF = 1:40, w/v) showed particulate surface heterogeneity and lower mechanical performance. Antioxidant activity was retained, with total phenolic content reaching 28.0 mg GAE/g. The selected intermediate films remained hydrophilic, and all formulations were highly water-soluble. The results identify a favourable intermediate formulation window for exploratory short-term, low-moisture or non-food biodegradable applications. Food-contact or edible use would require improved water resistance, arsenic speciation, migration testing and toxicological assessment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-04015-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149189785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cerium-based metal-organic framework linked chitosan with the aid of dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose as a biocompatible spacer: A new porous carrier for pH-sensitive daunorubicin delivery","authors":"Malihe Pooresmaeil,&nbsp;Hassan Namazi","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-04013-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-04013-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Considering the importance of controlled drug delivery in cancer therapy, this work aimed to design and prepare a new drug delivery system through the binding of chitosan (CS) to the cerium-based metal-organic framework (MOF(Ce)) with dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) (product denoted as MOF(Ce)-DCMC-CS) for study as a daunorubicin (DNR) carrier. The survey of published papers showed a lack of research regarding the MOF(Ce)-DCMC-CS preparation for use in controlled DNR delivery, supporting the novelty from the type of components and application viewpoints. The product was characterized using several physicochemical characterization techniques. The findings of the EDX-map analysis displayed the good distribution of the MOF(Ce) in the MOF(Ce)-DCMC-CS structure. Furthermore, the porous structure of the system, with a total pore volume of 0.061097 cm³/g and a mean pore diameter of 7.1189 nm, was verified by BET. DNR loading capacity and entrapment efficiency on MOF(Ce)-DCMC-CS were determined to be about 11.33% and 56.66%, respectively. Encouragingly, 67.59% of loaded DNR was released at pH 5.0 through the Higuchi kinetic model, while the DNR release percentage at pH 6.8 and pH 7.4 was 44.69% and 36.71% within 72 h. In vitro antibacterial studies specified the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 400 and 800 µg/mL toward <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. aureus</i>), respectively. The outcome of the MTT test showed that the MOF(Ce)-DCMC-CS has good cytocompatibility, but it can more efficiently kill the MDA-MB 231 cells after DNR loading, with an IC50 of 17.87 µg/mL. Ultimately, the results suggest that the developed MOF(Ce)-DCMC-CS has the potential to be proposed as a smart drug carrier in cancer treatment.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temperature-Dependent Swelling Kinetics and Thermodynamic Parameters of a Xanthan/Polyacrylamide-Based Hydrogel in Different Media","authors":"Shamo Tapdiqov,&nbsp;Birgit Huber,&nbsp;Christian W. Schmitt,&nbsp;Patrick Théato,&nbsp;Khidir Ibrahimov,&nbsp;Jamila Guliyeva,&nbsp;Dilgam Taghiyev,&nbsp;Samira Mammadova","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-04010-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-04010-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study addresses this gap by systematically evaluating temperature and contact time, providing insights essential for optimizing hydrogel performance in applications such as controlled release and water shut-off. In this study, a hydrogel with high-swelling capacity (max. 241 g/g) was synthesized via alkaline crosslinking of a homogeneous mixture of the biopolymer xanthan and polyacrylamide. The solution, containing a low concentration of reagents, was converted into a gel-forming material within 4–6 h at 40 °C through reaction with glutaraldehyde. The structure of the crosslinked macromolecular network was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, revealing that crosslinking predominantly occurs through the formation of bridges by glutaraldehyde between the -NH₂ groups of polyacrylamides and the -OH groups of xanthan. The swelling behavior of the hydrogel was investigated as a function of time in different pH media, as well as in NaCl, CaCl₂, and AlCl₃ solutions. To elucidate the swelling mechanisms, first- and second-order kinetic models, as well as the Ritger-Peppas, Weibull, and Peppas-Sahlin models, were applied. It was determined that the swelling process follows a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism at lower temperatures and in physiological solutions. The observed increase in swelling with temperature can be attributed mainly to the enhanced mobility of polymer chains, accelerated diffusion of water molecules into the polymer network, and increased accessibility of hydrophilic functional groups to water at elevated temperatures. The thermodynamic parameters of swelling in water and physiological solutions were evaluated, and the activation energy was calculated. The Gibbs free energy of swelling in water within the temperature range of 293–343 K was found to be ΔG° = -18.9 to (-36.1) kJ/mol, while in physiological solution it ranged from ΔG° = -8.04 to (-10.11) kJ/mol. The activation energy of swelling was determined to be E_a=17.42 kJ/mol in water and E_a=8.91 kJ/mol in physiological solution. The sensitivity of the hydrogel’s structure to temperature allows for its potential application in drug delivery and controlled release systems, as well as eco-friendly an in-situ gelation system for water shut-off operation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149189786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Screening of Stearate-Based Additives as Polylactide Clarifiers","authors":"Matthias Balthasar Kesting,&nbsp;Eric Terbrack,&nbsp;Bernd Ahrens,&nbsp;Stefan Schweizer,&nbsp;Jörg Meyer,&nbsp;Gunnar Seide","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-04008-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-04008-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A variety of stearate-based additives are tested for their clarifying properties in polylactide (PLA) compounds. The tested fatty acid derivatives include metallic soaps, stearate esters and fatty acid amides. PLA exhibits favorable optical properties in its amorphous state, rendering it a viable biobased and biodegradable alternative to conventional transparent polymers. However, its crystallization induces pronounced light scattering, thereby limiting the application temperature of transparent PLA components to their glass transition temperature of 55–60 °C. While the clarifying properties of fatty acid amides in PLA are known, the potential of structurally related stearate-based additives has not yet been comparatively assessed. PLA compounds with 0.5 wt% of stearate-based additives are prepared with standard injection molding procedures, ensuring consistency with industrial processing. Samples are temperature treated at nominal oven temperature of 65 °C to examine crystallization. UV/Vis spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction are applied to assess optical haze, crystallization kinetics, morphology, and crystal structure. The fatty acid amides show the strongest clarifying effect. Among the non-amide additives, zinc and glycerol distearate exhibit notable effects on haze formation and crystallization behavior. In contrast, sucrose distearate delays PLA crystallization. The results demonstrate that stearate-based additives can substantially modify PLA crystallization kinetics and optical properties, but also show that efficient PLA clarification is strongly dependent on additive chemistry. This comparative screening therefore provides insight into structure-dependent effects of fatty-acid-derived additives in PLA and identifies promising directions for further formulation development.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-04008-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149189445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrophobic Porous Polymer Films for the Degradation of Poorly Water-Soluble Dyes by Immobilization of Visible-Light-Responsive Photocatalysts","authors":"Komal Prajapati,&nbsp;Sreejith Sreenivasan,&nbsp;Bokyoung Shin,&nbsp;Do Sung Huh","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-04016-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-04016-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Hydrophobic porous polymer films immobilized with a visible-light-responsive ZnSe/ZnTe hybrid were fabricated using a modified breath figure method to create a reusable photocatalytic platform for poorly water-soluble pollutants. The key innovation of this platform lies in combining hydrophobic pore-confined enrichment of poorly water-soluble molecules with an immobilized visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, thereby increasing molecular accessibility to the active interfaces. Photocatalytic degradation was evaluated after adsorption–desorption equilibrium under dark conditions to exclude the contribution of initial dye adsorption. Using alizarin as a model poorly water-soluble dye, the porous films exhibited markedly enhanced visible-light degradation compared with compositionally identical flat films, demonstrating the functional advantage of the porous architecture. The immobilized porous films retained over 90% of their initial degradation efficiency after five consecutive reuse cycles. These results demonstrate that hydrophobic porous polymer architecture can function not only as a photocatalyst support but also as a confined interfacial environment that improves the accessibility and degradation of poorly water-soluble pollutants.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149189446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design and Development of Nanocomposite Hydrogel Beads From Tamarind Seed Gum and Graphene Oxide for the Sustained Delivery of Betamethasone Dipropionate","authors":"Bhavya Balakrishnan,&nbsp;Balladka Kunhanna Sarojini,&nbsp;Ashwini Prabhu","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-04006-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-04006-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The application of synthesized hydrogel can be important when using it as a transdermal drug delivery system to prevent skin inflammation. Inflammatory skin conditions are a significant clinical concern that requires an efficient delivery system and interventions. This work explores the use of nanocomposite hydrogel beads made from acrylamide-grafted-tamarind seed gum and graphene oxide as a potential drug delivery vehicle for the anti-inflammatory drug betamethasone dipropionate. The ability of hydrogel beads [AAm-<i>g</i>-TSG and GO (5%)] to swell in different pH solutions was investigated, and it was discovered that they were sensitive to pH, with a maximum swelling capacity of 64.3 g/g at pH 7.0. In the FTIR spectrum of AAm-<i>g</i>-(TSG and GO)-BMDP, the bands appeared at 3510 cm^− 1 (O-H), 3385 cm^− 1 (N-H) 1674 cm^− 1 (C = O) 1664 cm^− 1 (N-H bend), and a band at 959 cm^− 1 (C-F) due to stretching frequencies, confirming the formation of hydrogel beads as well as the possible H-bond interaction of the carrier matrix with the drug molecule. The FESEM characterization verified that the nanocomposite hydrogel matrix took on an egg-box-like configuration, which is typical of the ion gelation process. The findings from TGA demonstrated the enhanced thermal stability of the AAm-<i>g</i>-(TSG and GO)-BMDP compared to the AAm-<i>g</i>-(TSG and GO), while the PXRD studies showed changes in the crystalline characteristics following drug incorporation. The hydrogel exhibited potential anti-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages and good cytocompatibility in HEK293 cells under the tested conditions. The drug loading efficiency of the hydrogel matrix was found to be 86.57 ± 1.2%. Additionally, in an in-vitro model, the nanocomposite hydrogel demonstrated a release of 97.34 ± 1.4% of the loaded betamethasone dipropionate for 36 h, with R² (0.992) conforming to the Korsmeyer-Peppas model with a swelling exponent of 0.4341.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149189448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Sustainable Bioactive Glass-Ceramic/Gelatin/Collagen/Carboxymethyl Cellulose Biomedical Dressings via Tape Casting","authors":"Maria Eduarda Xavier da Silva,&nbsp;Isabela Karina Della-Flora,&nbsp;Karina Cesca,&nbsp;Patrícia Bulegon Brondani,&nbsp;Luciano Senff,&nbsp;Ana Paula Serafini Immich,&nbsp;Dachamir Hotza","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03996-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03996-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Chronic wounds require dressings that actively manage moisture, control infection, and support tissue repair, creating a demand for sustainable and effective scaffolds manufacturing. Although bioactive glass-based composites and gelatin/collagen systems have shown promise for biomaterials manufacturing, the development of bioactive dressings for wound care by tape casting remain underexplored. In this research, tape casting is used to develop bioactive and biodegradable dressings by incorporating bioactive glass (BG) -ceramic microparticles. Gelatin (GEL), collagen (COL), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are used as sustainable additives in the tape casting process, and genipin (GNP) as a natural crosslinking agent to replace the sintering process. The BG-ceramic suspensions are optimized using a Design of Experiments (DoE) with GEL and COL concentrations of 0, 3.25, 5, 6.5, and 10% (w/w). Among the tested formulations, a gelatin-based tape (BG-100) cast at 0.08 m/s produced porous, continuous, and easily handled dressings with a thickness of 0.5 ± 0.2 mm. Then, the dried BG-100 samples were crosslinked with genipin (BG-100-GNP). Genipin crosslinking increased toughness from 2.29 to 4.96 J/m³, elongation at break from 0.95 to 3.15%, and the contact angle decreased from 61.53 ± 2.79° to 0°, consistent with improved wettability relevant to wound contact. The crosslinked dressing was non-cytotoxic to L929 fibroblasts in indirect assay, inhibited <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> growth in 24 h, and showed about 60% mass loss over 7 weeks. These results demonstrate that genipin-crosslinked bioactive glass-ceramic-based dressings produced by tape casting represent a rapid, sustainable, and promising platform for further support soft tissue regeneration and wound healing.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03996-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149189082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biodegradation of a Cationic Polyaspartamide-based Flocculant and its Effect on Turbidity Removal in Highly Turbid Water","authors":"Aysel Mammadova,&nbsp;Rena Abbasova,&nbsp;Elchin Aliyev,&nbsp;Arzu Abdullayeva,&nbsp;Aliyah Laylabashova,&nbsp;Shamil Farzalizada,&nbsp;Narmin Nusalova,&nbsp;Elnur Islamov,&nbsp;Khadija Jafarova,&nbsp;Rima Quliyeva","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03976-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03976-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The present study investigates the biodegradability and water-treatment performance of cationic polyaspartamide (PA-DETA), a polysuccinimide derivative functionalised with diethylenetriamine. The biodegradation of PA-DETA was evaluated under simulated natural soil conditions and monitored using gravimetric mass loss, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) analyses. PA-DETA films exhibited progressive and statistically significant mass loss over 28 days, reaching 53.6 ± 2.0% under biotic conditions, significantly greater than the abiotic control (3.1 ± 0.4%, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001). COD decreased steadily from 120 ± 5 to 55 ± 2 mg L⁻¹ over the same period, and the strong correlation between gravimetric mass loss and COD-derived degradation rate (<i>r</i> = 0.999, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001) confirmed that physical degradation was accompanied by genuine microbial mineralisation. SEC analysis indicated a reduction in molecular weight consistent with polymer chain scission during microbial degradation. In turbidity removal experiments using kaolin suspensions, polymer doses of 30–40 mg L⁻¹ under near-neutral to mildly acidic conditions (pH 4–8) were identified as the statistically optimal operational range, achieving over 90% turbidity removal. Overall, the results demonstrate that PA-DETA demonstrated significant biodegradability under the tested conditions with performance characteristics consistent with environmentally compatible water-treatment applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Sustainable Thermoplastic Zein by Partial Substitution of Glycerol with Olive Oil or Oleic Acid: a New Route for Injection-Molded Biopolymers","authors":"Lluis Plasencia,&nbsp;Debora Puglia,&nbsp;Maria del Puig Vicente-Vinas,&nbsp;Jaume Gomez-Caturla,&nbsp;Luis Quiles-Carrillo,&nbsp;Luigi Torre","doi":"10.1007/s10924-026-03985-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-026-03985-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Thermoplastic zein formulations containing 25 wt% total modifier were processed by extrusion and injection molding. Glycerol was progressively replaced with oleic acid (OA) or olive oil (OO) at substitution levels ranging from 2.5 to 10 wt%, while maintaining the zein and total modifier contents at 75 and 25 wt%, respectively. The formulation containing 10 wt% OO could not be successfully processed. Partial substitution with OO increased tensile stiffness and strength, reaching 1294 MPa and 25.5 MPa, respectively, for ZEI-GLY-7.5OO, while maintaining elongation at break close to, but below, that of the glycerol-only control. Conversely, substitution with OA generally reduced tensile strength and elongation at break. All modified formulations exhibited lower impact strength than the control. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed low-temperature calorimetric transitions at 2.0–6.3 °C for the OA-containing formulations and − 17.4 to -14.2 °C for the OO-containing formulations, whereas DMTA showed a principal thermomechanical relaxation around 50–60 °C. Thermogravimetric analysis showed onset degradation temperatures of approximately 198 °C for the OO-containing materials, compared with 173 °C for the control and 154–172 °C for the OA-containing formulations. Water contact angles increased from 26° for the control to approximately 30–50° after OA or OO incorporation, indicating reduced surface wettability. Most formulations achieved complete disintegration within four weeks under simulated composting conditions, and all materials were completely disintegrated by week 5. Overall, among the compositions investigated, partial substitution of glycerol with OO produced a favorable tensile-property profile while retaining rapid disintegration. However, these responses reflect the combined effects of OO incorporation and the simultaneous reduction in glycerol content.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"34 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-026-03985-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}