Wheat straw biodegradation

Products of Wheat Straw Biodegradation by Cyathus stercoreus... 

Historically, pricing had been the biggest barrier to biodegradable polymer market development. However, growing volumes of production and the development of new technology should further allow bio-based resin makers to reduce costs. Using materials such as corn stover, wheat straw and rice straw, which remain in fields after crops are harvested, as resin feedstock, could also increase productivity and economic performance. 

AgroResin is a biodegradable packaging material from by-products of the palm oil industry. It can also be made from agricultural fibres, such as wheat straw. It is compatible with existing moulded pulp manufacturing processes. AgroResin has received Din-Certco certification for products made of compostable materials (DIN EN 13432 2000-12). 

Table III. GC-MS Identified TMS Derivatives of Biodegraded and Oxidized Wheat Straw ...

Biopolymers can be directly obtained [KOB 03] fiom hemicellulose in com or starch. Starch, a major polymer from arable crops, is a good candidate for the production of biodegradable packaging or objects. If combined with a compound of wheat straw, its potential apphcations could increase. 

Natural polymers such as starch and protein are potential alternatives to petroleum-based polymers for a number of applications. Unfortunately, their high solubility in water limit their use for water sensitive applications. To solve this problem thermoplastic starches have been laminated using water-resistant, biodegradable polymers. For example, polylactic acid and P(3HB-co-3HV) were utilised as the outer layers of the stratified polyester/PWS (plasticized wheat starch)/polyester film strucmre in order to improve the mechanical properties and water resistance of PWS which made it useful for food packaging and disposable articles [65]. Moreover, improved physic-chemical interactions between P(3HB-CO-3HV) and wheat straw fibres were achieved with high temperature treatment. It resulted in increased P(3HB-co-3HV) crystallization, increased Young s moduli and lowered values of stress and strain to break than the neat matrix of P(3HB-co-3HV). There was no difference in the biodegradation rate of the polymer [66]. 

Avella, M., Rota, G., Martuscelli, E., Raimo, M., Sadocco, P. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) and wheat straw fibre composites thermal, mechanical properties and biodegradation behaviour. J. Mater. Sci. 35, 829-836 (2000)... 

A. Alemdar, M. Sain, Biodegradable nanocomposites from wheat straw, in Proceedings of the AlChE 2006 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, Nov. 12-17, 2006. 

Le Digabel F, Boquillon N, Dole P et al (2004) Properties of thermoplastic composites based on wheat-straw lignocellulosic fillers. J Appl Polym Sci 93 428-436 Lee S -R, Park FI-M, Lim H et al (2002) Microstructuie, tensile properties, and biodegradability of aliphatic polyester/clay nanocomposites. Polymer 43 2495-2500 Lee SFI, Ohkita T, Kitagawa K (20(M) Eco-composite from poly(lactic acid) and bamboo fiber. Flolzforschung 58 529-536... 

Kaushik A, Singh M, Verma G (2010) Green nanocomposites based on thermoplastie starch and steam exploded cellulose nanofibrils from wheat straw. Carbohydr Pol5mi 82(2) 337-345 Khan RA, Salmieri S, Dussault D, Uiibe-Calderon J, Kamal MR, Safrany A, Lacroix M (2010) Production and properties of nanocellulose-reinforced methyleellulose based biodegradable films. J Agri Food Chem 58(13) 7878-7885... 

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