Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05966-2
M. Murali, A. Kannan, K. Sudhaman, M. Anto Bennet
{"title":"Microwave shielding behavior of conductive silk fabric and bamboo fiber reinforced green-synthesized NiO particle epoxy composite at E, F, I and J band frequencies","authors":"M. Murali, A. Kannan, K. Sudhaman, M. Anto Bennet","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05966-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05966-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The primary aim of this study was to develop and assess the EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) shielding behavior of epoxy-based composites that incorporated silk fabric and bamboo fiber enriched with green-synthesized nickel oxide particles. The NiO nanoparticles are prepared from waste onion peels and confirmed using X-ray diffraction analysis. These composite laminates were created using the hand layup method, ensuring the uniform dispersion of their constituents within the epoxy matrix. The study involved characterizing the resulting composite according to ASTM standards, and its mechanical, dielectric, and EMI shielding properties were thoroughly investigated. The results of the mechanical analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in both tensile and flexural strength for the composite designated as ES2, with values of 180.4 MPa and 237.6 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, ES2 also exhibited enhanced hardness values along with impressive impact energy of 6.84 J. Dielectric analysis revealed remarkable dielectric constants of 6.16, 3.41, 1.98, and 0.75 across various frequency bands, such as E, F, I and J microwave frequency bands. In terms of EMI shielding, the composite designated as ES2 displayed notable values of 7.04 dB, 16.92 dB, 37.51 dB, and 53.13 dB for total EMI shielding across different frequency bands. These findings underscore the material's potential for versatile EMI mitigation properties. The study highlights the capabilities of Nickel oxide-enriched epoxy-composites with silk fabric and bamboo fiber as highly effective EMI shielding materials. Composites that offer good shielding, dielectric, and mechanical properties have extensive potential applications in fields, such as satellites, defense, industries, aerospace, and the electronic sector. The research demonstrates the importance of developing advanced materials to address the growing challenges of electromagnetic interference in various technological applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"11169 - 11185"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05973-3
Nur Safitri, Nurlaela Rauf, Dahlang Tahir
{"title":"Seashell-derived calcium for hydroxyapatite synthesis: a review enhancing mechanical and biological performance through advanced methods and modifications","authors":"Nur Safitri, Nurlaela Rauf, Dahlang Tahir","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05973-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05973-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Seashells are one of the natural materials widely used as a source of calcium (Ca). In addition to its many potentials, using shells can reduce solid waste in the environment. Thermal treatment of calcium carbonate (CaCO<sub>3</sub>) powder from seashells will decompose into calcium oxide. Calcium oxide (CaO) is used as a Ca reagent material in the synthesis of hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) can be synthesized by reacting Ca and P reagents. The characteristics of HAp depend on the nature of the source material and the method performed. Some important factors that must be considered in improving the performance of HAp are stoichiometry, crystallinity, morphology, particle size, and distribution. In addition, modification of HAp is also essential in expanding the range of potential applications of HAp. This review describes various methods of synthesizing CaCO<sub>3</sub> and HAp from seashells to improve the mechanical and biological performance of HAp in its applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"10639 - 10670"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05967-1
Alperen Aydemir, Jan Sena Altinay, Ozkan Ozmen, Erkan Yilmaz, Sumeyye Ustuntag, Mehmet Dogan
{"title":"Development of eco-friendly flame retardant TPU composites with organic phosphinate and melamine phytate","authors":"Alperen Aydemir, Jan Sena Altinay, Ozkan Ozmen, Erkan Yilmaz, Sumeyye Ustuntag, Mehmet Dogan","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05967-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05967-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, eco-friendly flame-retardant thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites were developed using aluminum diethyl phosphinate (AlPi) and melamine phytate (MPht) with different ratios. The materials were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 vertical burning tests, and mass loss calorimetry (MLC). The results revealed that MPht acted as an adjuvant filler with AlPi with enhanced flame-retardant properties. The highest LOI value of 30% and UL-94 V rating of V0 were obtained at AlPi to MPht ratio of 5:1. The presence of MPht also reduced the peak heat release rate (pHRR), total heat evolved (THE), and effective heat of combustion (EHC), indicating its adjuvant effect with AlPi in the condensed and gas phases. Ultimately, integrating MPht into AlPi in bio-based TPU composites provided a sustainable and effective flame retardant solution.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"11123 - 11136"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05970-6
Fatmanur İlhan, Mehmet S. Eroğlu, Müge Sennaroğlu Bostan
{"title":"Structural and functional insights into hydrolyzed bacterial cellulose reinforced chitosan–polyethylene oxide blends","authors":"Fatmanur İlhan, Mehmet S. Eroğlu, Müge Sennaroğlu Bostan","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05970-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05970-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents the innovative development of hydrolyzed bacterial cellulose (HBC)-reinforced polyethylene oxide (PEO) and chitosan (CH) composite blend films, showcasing significant advancements in their mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties. By incorporating HBC at varying ratios (2, 4, and 6% wt), the blend films demonstrated a remarkable improvement in tensile strength (from 2.86 to 4.46 MPa) and elongation at break (from 9.99 to 12.79%), attributed to enhanced chain entanglement and filler-reinforcement effects. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed an increase in storage modulus (<i>E'</i>) and glass transition temperature (<i>T</i><sub><i>g</i></sub>) with HBC addition, reflecting altered segmental dynamics and strengthened intermolecular interactions. Thermal analysis showed an elevation in thermal stability, with the decomposition temperature increasing by approximately 10 °C for PEO. Surface characterization using AFM and SEM highlighted the formation of a denser surface texture with increased roughness (RMS values rising from 18.8 to 26 nm), ensuring better dispersion and mechanical integrity. FT-IR and XRD confirmed modifications in PEO crystallinity, where CH addition initially reduced PEO crystallinity due to hydrogen bonding, while further HBC incorporation contributed to a partial recovery of ordered regions<b>.</b> Additionally, the entanglement density (N) increased from 230,840 to 582,580 mol.m<sup>−3</sup> supporting enhanced network formation. This research uniquely integrates HBC, PEO and CH, into a single system, filling a critical gap in material science and offering eco-friendly, high-performance materials for applications in biomedical devices, food packaging, and sustainable technologies.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"11091 - 11121"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-25DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05975-1
Baki Aksakal, Selma Gül, Kadir Turhan
{"title":"The mechanical and strain recovery properties of silk fibroin-reinforced rice starch/polyvinyl alcohol composite films for promising eco-friendly packaging materials","authors":"Baki Aksakal, Selma Gül, Kadir Turhan","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05975-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05975-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The use of natural polymers to obtain more natural and biodegradable packaging materials has the growing significance and leads to much research involving different properties such as mechanical and thermal. In addition to improve and modify especially the mechanical characteristics of the packaging films, it is quite important to understand the materials response under a fixed applied deformation to which the packaging material will be exposed in different applications and the strain recovery properties following the removal of the stretching or deforming effect. The present study mainly aimed to investigate the uniaxial tensile and strain recovery properties of rice starch (RS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites reinforced with silk fibroin (SF) as well as thermal, spectroscopic, and structural properties to obtain eco-friendly and more natural packaging materials with better characteristics. In order to examine these properties, tensile testing, stress-relaxation and strain recovery, FT-IR/ATR and UV–vis spectroscopy, DSC, XRD, SEM and determination of the degree of swelling (DS) and water solubility (WS) methods were used. For the contribution of RS to mechanical properties of RS/PVA films, it was revealed that with increasing RS ratio, the Young’s modulus (<i>E</i><sub><i>y</i></sub>) and stiffness of the films increased considerably unlike the decrease in the strain at break value (<i>ε</i><sub>b</sub>). The SF contribution enhanced the ultimate tensile strength (<i>σ</i><sub>u</sub>), <i>E</i><sub><i>y</i></sub> and rigidity, but reduced the extensibility of RS/PVA composite films at different mass ratios. The optimal RS/PVA mass ratio was considered as 20/80 for the case of SF addition. It was also observed that at each constant RS/PVA mass ratio, as SF ratio increased, like the decrease in the water swelling, the solubility of the SF/RS/PVA composite films in water decreased that indicated the SF improved the hydrophobicity and the resistance of the SF/RS/PVA composite films against water. The results of the strain recovery processes showed that as the preliminary extension level (<i>ε</i><sub>pe</sub>, %) increased from 2 to 10%, the complete recovery of the RS/PVA (20/80) films increased from around 4000–35,000 min. The SF contribution generally enhanced the recovery process compared to that of RS/PVA (20/80) composite films. Effective ratio of SF addition for the recovery process of RS/PVA (20/80) films was seen as 5%.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"11137 - 11167"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-23DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05968-0
R. Ashok Gandhi, V. Jayaseelan, S. Sambath, VijayAnanth Suyamburajan
{"title":"Production and characterization of epoxy based biocomposites using pectin biopolymer derived from Passiflora edulis husk and areca fibre","authors":"R. Ashok Gandhi, V. Jayaseelan, S. Sambath, VijayAnanth Suyamburajan","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05968-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05968-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Composites’ many desirable qualities—including low density, high rigidity, light weight, and improved mechanical performance—have prompted much research into composite manufacturing. Because of these qualities, composites have become the material of choice in many other industries, such as the automotive, building, sports, consumer goods, and engineering fields. Reinforcing epoxy-based composites with 30 vol. % areca nut fibre and pectin made from the husks of Passiflora edulis in different volume percentages for filler. In order to enhance interfacial bonding, the fibre and filler were surface modified before production with 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-APTMS), a silane coupling agent. The water absorption, mechanical, fatigue, and creep tests were carried out in compliance with the applicable ASTM standards. According to the results, composite produced with 30 vol. % of fibre and 3 vol.% of pectin outperformed in mechanical properties. Similarly, the same composite demonstrated improved fatigue resistance in terms of life counts. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the failure mechanisms verified the efficient connection between the fibres and the matrix, as well as the uniform distribution of the filler. On the other hand, the RAP2 composite with 5 vol. % filler, showed marginally higher water absorption (4.9%), and the highest hardness up to 92 Shore-D. Moreover the same composite outperformed in creep resistance with a lowest strain rate of 0.0256 at 15,000 s. These positive outcomes by the addition of pectin in the composite may lead high performance applications in automotives, defence, infrastructure and sports.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"11071 - 11090"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-22DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05982-2
Xiaolin Zhang, Xinmei Liu, Bin Cai, Jiangtao Dang, Xinyue Ma, Qian Luo, Xiangfeng Bo
{"title":"Properties and mechanism of amino acid esterification-modified laser-printed waste paper fibers/carbon fiber-reinforced PVA-based flexible conductive composite films","authors":"Xiaolin Zhang, Xinmei Liu, Bin Cai, Jiangtao Dang, Xinyue Ma, Qian Luo, Xiangfeng Bo","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05982-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05982-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Laser-printed waste paper fiber (WF), a high-quality secondary fiber, has gained attention for its potential in high-value recycling. In this study, we employed polyvinyl alcohol as the matrix polymer and systematically investigated three amino acid esterification agents (L-glutamic acid, lysine, and alanine) for WF surface modification. Additionally, high-performance carbon fiber (CF) was incorporated as the reinforcement material for flexible conductive film applications. The objective of this research was to investigate the mechanism behind the amino acid esterification modification of WF, as well as the enhancement effects of both amino acid-modified WF and CF incorporation on flexible conductive films. Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the amino acid esterification reaction did not alter the crystalline structure of cellulose; rather, it predominantly occurred on the surface of WF. Among the amino acids studied, the grafting rate of L-alanine on the surface of WF was the highest. The film prepared using 1.0 g of L-alanine-modified WF exhibited the maximum tensile strength, measuring 51.80 MPa. Furthermore, CF addition enhanced the tensile strength by 52.4% and established a conductive network, achieving a conductivity of 0.46 S/cm. This study demonstrates the feasibility of creating flexible conductive films from a combination of WF and CF, providing insights for promoting the high-value utilization of waste paper fibers and developing novel flexible conductive films.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"11051 - 11070"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-20DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05961-7
Suruj Chand
{"title":"Development of a UV- and thermally resistant biodegradable Starch–PVA nanocomposite for sustainable smartphone casings","authors":"Suruj Chand","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05961-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05961-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Starch-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) biodegradable nanocomposite film reinforced with SiO<sub>2</sub>, ZnO, and TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles was formulated for sustainable casing applications in smartphones. The optimized formulation yielded considerable improvements in functional properties, including 92% UV-B blockage, a 40 °C enhancement in thermal degradation initiation temperature (290 °C for the composite material selected, compared to 250 °C declared for the neat blend), and a tensile strength of 18 MPa with 45% elongation at break. The addition of glycerol (10 wt%) and Vaseline (2 wt%) as plasticizers improved flexibility and decreased water absorption by 30%. 7.5% v/v acetic acid served as an efficient crosslinker to give stability to its structure. Soil-burial tests indicated 80% biodegradation within 60 days. The material thus developed might provide a viable, eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based ABS/PC casing, thus combining environmental sustainability with competitive mechanical and thermal performance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"11039 - 11050"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-15DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05960-8
Emad Mousa, Rania Salama, Mohammad Abu-Abdeen, Gamal M. Nasr
{"title":"Lorentz-type negative permittivity of flexible ethylene–vinyl acetate/copper composites below the percolation threshold","authors":"Emad Mousa, Rania Salama, Mohammad Abu-Abdeen, Gamal M. Nasr","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05960-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05960-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polymer composites for flexible electronics and wearable devices are evolving to harness tunable negative permittivity, a key attribute for metamaterial design. However, while metal fillers boost negative permittivity, they can overshoot desired values and compromise the material’s flexibility, making the optimal filler balance a critical unresolved challenge in achieving integrated functionality. In this study, we address a critical research gap by demonstrating that weak negative permittivity can be achieved in polymer composite films using low metal content, below the percolation threshold, while retaining the polymer’s high elasticity and thermal stability. Ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA)/copper (Cu) composite films were fabricated at Cu loadings of (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt.% of EVA) through a multilayer casting-assisted hot pressing process. Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the effective preparation of the composites. Additionally, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that incorporating small amounts of Cu preserves EVA’s thermal resistance and flexibility. Dielectric properties were examined across a broad frequency range: from 0.1 Hz to 10 MHz using a broadband dielectric spectrometer, and from 20 MHz to 3 GHz using an impedance analyzer. While all samples maintained low dielectric losses and weak frequency dependence at low frequencies, the 40 wt.% (≈6 vol.%) Cu-loaded sample exhibited weak negative permittivity (up to –12 at 2 GHz) that was well captured by the Lorentz model. The findings of this research revealed that the synthesized flexible composites exhibit advanced electromagnetic properties.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"11019 - 11038"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00289-025-05960-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Polymer BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-11DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-05956-4
Wen Xia Ling Felicia, Kobun Rovina, Sarifah Supri, Patricia Matanjun, Siti Faridah Mohd Amin, Mohd Nazri Abdul Rahman
{"title":"Next-generation sodium alginate hydrogels for heavy metal ion removal: properties, dynamic adsorption–desorption mechanisms, and sustainable application potential","authors":"Wen Xia Ling Felicia, Kobun Rovina, Sarifah Supri, Patricia Matanjun, Siti Faridah Mohd Amin, Mohd Nazri Abdul Rahman","doi":"10.1007/s00289-025-05956-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00289-025-05956-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Heavy metal contamination constitutes a significant global environmental issue, primarily attributable to industrial operations. Adsorption is one of many techniques used to clean up pollution, and it has become an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to remove heavy metals from industrial wastewater. This review assesses the efficacy of sodium alginate hydrogels, a naturally sourced biopolymer, in eliminating heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and high adsorption capacity of sodium alginate hydrogels make it an attractive candidate for environmental applications, particularly in water treatment. The heavy metal elimination primarily occurs through adsorption, which involves mechanisms such as ion exchange, complexation, chelation, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonding. These processes work synergistically to enhance the hydrogels' effectiveness in capturing heavy metal ions. This review also highlights the regeneration and reusability of adsorbent that allows for multiple cycles of use without needing constant replacement. Besides laboratory studies, the practical applications of sodium alginate hydrogels in extensive environmental remediation, including wastewater treatment and industrial effluent management, are examined. The feasibility of incorporating these hydrogels into current water treatment systems is thoroughly evaluated alongside scalability considerations. Challenges and future directions are also addressed, emphasizing the need to enhance the performance of sodium alginate hydrogels through structural modifications, composite formation, and synergistic materials. This review aims to comprehensively understand sodium alginate hydrogels' role in heavy metal removal, providing valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in food science, technology, and environmental management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":737,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Bulletin","volume":"82 16","pages":"10587 - 10637"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00289-025-05956-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145284228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}