[email protected] Correspondence: [email protected]: Jarpa-Parra, M.; Chen, L. Applications of Plant Polymer-Based Strong Foams: Current Trends within the Food Industry. Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 9605. https://doi.org/10.3390/ app11209605 Academic Editor: Isidoro Garcia-Garcia Received: eight September 2021 Accepted: six October 2021 Published: 15 OctoberAbstract: Foams are a type of material of good value, having an comprehensive variety of applications as a consequence of a combination of numerous qualities, such as ultra-low density, tunable porous architecture, and outstanding mechanical properties. The production of polymer foams worldwide is dominated by those determined by synthetic polymers, which might be biodegradable or non-biodegradable. The latter is usually a fantastic environmental concern and has turn into a major waste management dilemma. Foams derived from renewable sources have aroused the interest of researchers, strong foams made from plant polymers in distinct. This evaluation focuses around the development of plant polymer-based solid foams and their applications in the food market more than the last fifteen years, highlighting the relationship in between their material and structural properties. The applications of those foams fall mostly into two categories: edible foams and packaging materials. Most plant polymers utilized for edible applications are protein-based, whilst starch and cellulose are usually used to create meals packaging supplies for the reason that of their prepared availability and low expense. Having said that, plant polymer-based strong foams exhibit some drawbacks connected to their higher water absorbency and poor mechanical properties. Most investigation has concentrated on improving these two physical properties, even though handful of studies give a strong understanding and comprehension of your micro- to macrostructural modifications that would let for the proper handling and Xanthinol Niacinate Biological Activity design and style of foaming processes. You’ll find, as a result, several challenges to become faced, the control of strong foam structural properties getting the main 1. Keyword phrases: foams; cellulose; organic fibers; mechanical properties; microstructure1. Introduction Foams are a style of material of good importance with an in depth range of applications because of their combining many characteristics, for example ultra-low density and tunable porous architecture and mechanical properties. Industrial applications involve their being made use of in kinetic power absorbers, biomedical scaffolds, thermal insulation, building, separations, and devices for the storage and generation of energy [1]. The production of polymer foams worldwide is currently dominated by these based on synthetic polymers. They’re mainly low-cost and tailor-made to serve various purposes, having a wide range of applications where mechanical function is very important, each in the meals and non-food industries [2,3]. Synthetic polymers might be biodegradable (e.g., poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and their copolymers) or nonbiodegradable [4]. The latter can be a fantastic environmental concern, given that non-biodegradable polymer based-foams have Benfluorex supplier develop into a important portion of countries’ solid waste, posing a major waste management challenge [5,6]. Generally, non-biodegradable synthetic polymer-based foams are petroleum-derived, like polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyurethanes (PU), and polypropylene (PP) [6,7]. Biodegradable polymers decompose into CO2 , water, inorganic compounds, and biomasses that finally kind humus [8], which recommends them as a.
