Poly(butylene succinate)-Based Composites with Technical and Extracted Lignins from Wood Residues
Elodie Melro, Hugo Duarte, Alireza Eivazi, Carolina Costa, Maria Leonor Faleiro, Ana M. Rosa da Costa, Filipe E. Antunes, Artur J. M. Valente, Anabela Romano, Magnus Norgren, Bruno Medronho
Abstract
Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) has been drawing attention as a reliable biodegradable and sustainable alternative to synthetic petroleum-based polymers. In this study, PBS-lignin composites were developed using a recently extracted lignin (LA-lignin) from pine wood residues employing an innovative sustainable approach. These composites were systematically compared with PBS-based composites formed with commonly used technical lignins. The molecular weight of the lignins was evaluated, along with various structural and performance-related properties. The LA-lignin/PBS composites display a remarkably low water solubility (ca. < 2%), water uptake (<ca. 1%), and high contact angle (>ca. 100°). Moreover, the rigidity and thermal stability of the LA-lignin-PBS composites were higher than those of the systems formed with technical lignins. Although all composites studied present remarkable antioxidant features, the novel LA-lignin-PBS systems stand out in terms of antiadhesion activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Overall, the systematic analysis performed in this work regarding the impact of various lignins on the formed PBS composites enables a better understanding of the essential structural and compositional lignin features for achieving biobased materials with superior properties.