This study explored mycelium-based composites (MBCs) as a sustainable alternative to conventional materials, focusing on the role of lignocellulosic substrates in optimizing their physical, mechanical, and biodegradability properties. It also addressed the valorization of agroforestry by-products, particularly European hazelnut shells (HZ) and radiata pine sawdust (SW), in an effort to reduce waste and minimize environmental impacts. The MBCs were obtained using two formulations (HZ100 and HZ75-SW25) of local agroforestry by-products bound together with natural growth of fungal mycelium from Ganoderma sp. We examined the physical and mechanical properties of these novel materials, including the density, shrinkage, water absorption, hydrophobicity, moduli of rupture and elasticity, and internal bond strength. Additionally, we assessed the biodegradability of the MBCs in soil to estimate the time required for complete degradation. The results clearly indicated differences in performance between the MBCs from HZ100 and HZ75-SW25. In general, HZ75-SW25 demonstrated superior mechanical performance compared to HZ100. Water absorption was low in both cases, suggesting a degree of hydrophobicity on the surface. The biodegradation results indicated that the fabricated MBCs could fully decompose in less than one year when buried in soil, confirming that these biocomposites are entirely biodegradable.

Highlights What are the main findings? The bast fibers extracted from the second generation of energy crop L. biomass have consistent yield and stable productivity across different seasons; Sida hermaphroditaThe results revealed a favorable moisture content, strength, and toughness, suitable for storage and processing. What are the implications of the main findings? fibers are suitable for use in a wide range of industrial applications, where a combination of lightness, strength, and toughness is required; Sida hermaphroditaAccording to the circular economy principles, a high percentage of side streams after fiber isolation are successfully applied for biofuel production.Highlights What are the main findings? The bast fibers extracted from the second generation of energy crop L. biomass have consistent yield and stable productivity across different seasons; Sida hermaphroditaThe results revealed a favorable moisture content, strength, and toughness, suitable for storage and processing. What are the implications of the main findings? fibers are suitable for use in a wide range of industrial applications, where a combination of lightness, strength, and toughness is required; Sida hermaphroditaAccording to the circular economy principles, a high percentage of side streams after fiber isolation are successfully applied for biofuel production.Abstract Virginia mallow or Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby (SH) is a perennial plant from the Malvaceae family (mallows) that is used for medicinal purposes, reducing soil erosion, cleaning soil, and most recently for energy production. The potential of sustainable lignocellulosic agro-waste is immense as it represents Earth's most abundant organic compound. This paper explores fibers isolated from SH stems, a plant with significant industrial application potential, including technical textiles and biocomposites. The fibers were harvested in January, March, and November of 2020 and in January and March of 2021, and their yield, mechanical properties, moisture content, and density were thoroughly analyzed. The fiber yield showed slight variations depending on the harvest time, with consistent results observed across different years, suggesting stable productivity. The SH fibers demonstrated a favorable moisture content, making them suitable for storage and processing, and their density ranged between 1.52 and 1.58 g/cm3, comparable to that of other natural fibers. According to this research, the best mechanical properties were observed in the winter harvest. Furthermore, the high percentage of solid residue left after fiber extraction shows promise for sustainable utilization, primarily for biofuel production. This study underscores the versatility and sustainability of SH fibers, positioning them as a valuable resource for a wide range of industrial applications.

Plant-based macromolecules such as lignocellulosic fibers are one of the promising bio-resources to be utilized as reinforcement for developing sustainable composites. However, due to their hydrophilic nature and weak interfacial bonding with polymer matrices, these fibers are mostly incompatible with biopolymers. The current research endeavor explores the novel eco-friendly oxalic acid (C2H2O4. 2H2O) treatment of sisal fibers (SF) with different concentrations (2, 5, and 8 % (w:v)) and exposure duration (4, 8, and 12 h). Optimum treatment conditions were achieved through the single fiber strength testing of SFs. The tensile strength of the treated fiber with 8 % concentration and 12 h exposure duration (TSF/8/12) increased by approximately 60 % compared to untreated SF. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), morphological observation, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of untreated and treated fibers confirmed that TSF/8/12 has better mechanical and crystallinity behavior than its counterparts. The thermal stability and maximum degradation temperature of the TSF/8/12 are 232 degrees C and 357 degrees C. Sustainable composites were fabricated by introducing the treated SFs (30 wt%) as reinforcement in a bio-based poly (butylene succinate) (bio PBS) matrix. The experimental evaluation of mechanical properties, thermal degradation behavior, and water absorption established that treated fiber-reinforced biocomposites (bio PBS/TSF/8/12) have strong interfacial bonding between constituents that resulted in better thermal stability and decreased water uptake than untreated sisal fiber (USF)based composites (bio PBS/USF). The results of the soil degradation confirmed that SFs expedite the rate of degradation of composites due to the increased availability of hydroxyl groups.

The growing amount of plastic waste has significantly worsened environmental pollution, a problem made worse by population growth and non-sustainable manufacturing and consumption practices. This growing concern emphasises the need of developing materials that lessen traditional plastics' harmful impact on the environment. An effective substitute is offered by bioplastics, which are made from natural plant biomass such as lignin, starch, cellulose, and hemicellulose as well as bacterial polyester polymers. There is uncertainty over their actual environmental benefits as a consequence of the challenges associated with their identification, categorisation, and disposal. This study provides a thorough analysis of the biodegradation properties of bioplastics, highlighting how well they function in diverse environmental conditions. Our findings suggest that the pace at which bioplastics decompose varies significantly depending on the kind of material used as well as specific environmental factors like moisture level and microbial activity. These discoveries are crucial for developing waste management strategies and streamlining the production of bioplastics in order to increase sustainability. Subsequent endeavours have to prioritise the improvement of these bioplastics to ensure consistent biodegradation effectiveness and raising public awareness to promote their proper disposal, therefore magnifying their advantageous impacts on reducing plastic pollution.

Plant fibers' wide availability and accessibility are the main causes of the growing interest in sustainable technologies. The two primary factors to consider while concentrating on composite materials are their low weight and highly specific features, as well as their environmental friendliness. Pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) stands out among natural fibers due to its rich cellulose content, cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and good fiber strength. This review provides an intensive assessment of the surface treatment, extraction, characterization, modifications and progress, mechanical properties, and potential applications of PALF-based polymer composites. Classification of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, chemical composition, micro cellulose, nanocellulose, and cellulose-based polymer composite applications have been extensively reviewed and reported. Besides, the reviewed PALF can be extracted into natural fiber cellulose and lignin can be used as reinforcement for the development of polymer biocomposites with desirable properties. Furthermore, this review article is keen to study the biodegradation of natural fibers, lignocellulosic biopolymers, and biocomposites in soil and ocean environments. Through an evaluation of the existing literature, this review provides a detailed summary of PALF-based polymer composite material as suitable for various industrial applications, including energy generation, storage, conversion, and mulching films.

The energy absorption capacity (EAC) of earthen materials significantly influences the safety of civil projects. Furthermore, the development of machine learning techniques, including Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models, entails financial and non-financial benefits by reducing the need for performing expensive, exhausting and time-consuming laboratory tests. This study investigates the EAC of sandy soil reinforced by three different forms of processed lignocellulosic fiber pulps. The studied influence parameters included fiber type, curing time, effective confining pressure, and fiber content. Artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed to assess the EAC of the reinforced specimens and evaluate the impact of studied parameters. The analysis of each fiber type was carried out using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) methods. The specimens, subjected to a 7-day curing period and reinforced with 2% of lignocellulosic fibers of 1.5 mm in length, exhibited the greatest EAC values. Sensitivity analysis identified effective confining pressure as the most influential factor on the EAC of the reinforced specimens. This study demonstrates the advantageous impact of processed lignocellulosic fibers, which are environmentally harmless substances, in enhancing the EAC of sandy soil and its ductility response. As a result, this decreases the likelihood of unexpected and catastrophic failures. This research also demonstrates the high capability of ANN-based models in predicting EAC at various influence parameters.

Plastics thrown out as trash are an everlasting threat to our biosphere and ecosystem. A sustainable remedy within our reach is the use of agricultural biomass. Herein, the lignocellulosic residue of switchgrass biomass, extracted using alkaline and bleaching treatments and solubilized in ZnCl2 solution followed by crosslinking with calcium ions, is used to develop biodegradable films. The films have been characterized for color, transparency, thickness, moisture, water solubility, water absorption, water vapor permeability, tensile strength, elongation, and soil biodegradation. Mathematical modeling of the water absorption and biodegradation behavior have also been studied. The films are transparent, possess high tensile strength and low water vapor permeability, and biodegrade completely within 40 days at 30% soil moisture. The tensile strength and whiteness of films increase with CaCl2 concentration, but elongation, water absorption, water solubility, water vapor permeability, and biodegradation decrease. Overall, the strong and biodegradable switchgrass residue-based films open up a new window of opportunities to design and develop reusable, recyclable, and compostable films from underutilized, inexpensive, and abundant agricultural biomass contributing to the circular bioeconomy in a friendly and sus-tainable manner.

In recent years the concern of environmentalists has been growing due to the large use of products that have non-renewable fossil sources as raw material. An alternative adopted by the researchers is the production of thermoplastic matrix composites with lignocellulosic waste fibers. The oticica or oiti is a fruit rich in oil and is widely used for soap production. The co-product generated from this process is rich in fiber, oil and impurities and is currently widely used for animal feed and soil fertilizer. The objective of the present work is the production and evaluation of the properties of HDPE composites with Oiticica waste. As matrix was used a green HDPE supplied by Braskem and the dispersed phase was the pie de oiticica supplied by a soap factory. Compositions with 5, 10 and 20% of waste de oiticica were processed by double screw extrusion and the specimens made by the injection process. The composites were characterized by uniaxial tensile test to evaluate mechanical properties (deformation to rupture, modulus, and stress at maximum force). The interaction between pie and matrix was analyzed through the fracture surface using scanning electron microscopy and the analysis. Thermal analysis was assessed by DSC. The results showed decrease in the deformation for 10 and 20% waste compositions. There was a gradual decrease at the stress at the maximum strength of the composites when compared to HDPE. The micrographs showed little interaction between fiber and matrix and the presence of voids. Thermal analysis showed a decrease in the degree of crystallinity, concluding that the presence of the oiticica may have made it difficult to organize the chains, generating a greater number of amorphous regions.