The synthesis and characterization of a novel fixative, guar gum-graftpoly(acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (GG-g-p(AM-coDADMAC)) polymer is described. The grafted polymer proved to be effective at adsorbing hydrophobic wood resin particles onto papermaking fibre surfaces, thus removing wood resins from the water phase where they have a tendency to aggregate and form troublesome ...

The present study prepares alkali lignin (AL) via acidification of black liquor, obtained from a pulp and paper factory. The average molecular weight of AL (equal to 2,530 g/mol) has been determined with gel permeation chromatography. AL has been modified by ethylene glycol, while lignin nanoparticles (LN) has been prepared through acid precipitation technology, their size being assessed by mea...

In the current scenario, natural fiber reinforced polymer nanocomposites are widely used in the areas of aerospace, automobile, sports and military sectors due to its multi-functional features like high specific strength, high corrosion resistance, flame resistance, improved mechanical properties and low cost when compared with artificial fiber reinforced composites. These polymer based nanocom...

A facile and green approach for the synthesis of amphibious fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) from natural polysaccharide is reported. Light-emitting polymer nanocomposites with excellent optical performance can be easily prepared by incorporation of the amphibious CDs into the polymer matrix.

Natural fibers have been used to reinforce materials for many years. More currently they have been employed in combination with plastics. Many types of natural fibers have been investigated for use in plastics including flax, hemp, jute, cotton and banana. Natural fibers have the advantage that they are renewable resources and have marketing appeal. These agricultural wastes can be used to prep...

Colour is one of the most important visual attributes of food and is directly related to the perception of food quality. The interest in natural colourants, especially β-carotene that not only imparts colour but also has well-documented health benefits, has triggered the research and development of different protocols designed to entrap these hydrophobic natural molecules to improve their stabi...

Considering the industrial interest of biodegradable polymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), the marine bacteria Neptunomonas antarctica was studied for its ability to accumulate PHB. The extracted polymer was confirmed to be PHB by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. In shake flask cultures using natural seawater as medium components, PHB was produced up to 2.12 g/L with a yield of 0.18 g PHB/g...

Water oriented by 14 natural and 8 synthetic polymers, and by I polypeptide, was studied for solubility effects on Na+, sucrose, free amino acids, and other solutes commonly present in living cells. Additional intensive investigation was made of 1 natural polymer (gelatin) and 4 synthetic polymers (methy lcellulose, poly vinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylmethly ether, and polyethylene oxide). Equilibr...

Research in the field of biomaterials and drug delivery is moving toward individually tailored intelligent therapeutic systems which are capable of responding to and correcting undesirable conditions, on a molecular level, within the body (1, 2). These systems will mimic natural biosystems in their size, structure, and function, and will therefore need to be synthesized using advanced nanofabri...