[email protected] Correspondence: [email protected]: Jarpa-Parra, M.; Chen, L. Applications of Plant Polymer-Based Solid Foams: Current Trends within the Food Market. Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 9605. https://doi.org/10.3390/ app11209605 5-Methyl-2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde Epigenetic Reader Domain Academic Editor: Isidoro Garcia-Garcia Received: eight September 2021 Accepted: six October 2021 Published: 15 OctoberAbstract: Foams are a kind of material of fantastic significance, obtaining an substantial range of applications as a result of a combination of a number of traits, for instance ultra-low density, tunable porous architecture, and outstanding mechanical properties. The production of polymer foams worldwide is dominated by these based on synthetic polymers, which might be biodegradable or non-biodegradable. The latter is a great environmental concern and has become a significant waste management challenge. Foams derived from renewable sources have aroused the interest of researchers, solid foams created from plant polymers in distinct. This critique focuses on the development of plant polymer-based strong foams and their applications within the meals market over the last fifteen years, highlighting the connection in between their material and structural properties. The applications of these foams fall mostly into two categories: edible foams and packaging materials. Most plant polymers utilized for edible applications are protein-based, although starch and cellulose are commonly used to make meals packaging materials due to the fact of their prepared availability and low cost. On the other hand, plant polymer-based solid foams exhibit some drawbacks connected to their higher water absorbency and poor mechanical properties. Most study has concentrated on improving these two physical properties, though handful of studies give a solid understanding and comprehension with the micro- to macrostructural modifications that would allow for the correct handling and design and style of foaming processes. You can find, thus, quite a few challenges to be faced, the manage of strong foam structural properties getting the principle one particular. Keywords and phrases: foams; cellulose; organic fibers; mechanical properties; microstructure1. Introduction Foams are a type of material of wonderful value with an comprehensive assortment of applications because of their combining numerous traits, like ultra-low density and tunable porous architecture and mechanical properties. Industrial applications contain their being made use of in kinetic energy absorbers, biomedical scaffolds, thermal insulation, building, separations, and devices for the storage and generation of power [1]. The production of polymer foams worldwide is at the moment dominated by those 5-Hydroxy-1-tetralone Cancer according to synthetic polymers. They’re mostly economical and tailor-made to serve quite a few purposes, obtaining a wide variety of applications where mechanical function is essential, each in the food and non-food industries [2,3]. Synthetic polymers may be biodegradable (e.g., poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and their copolymers) or nonbiodegradable [4]. The latter is often a great environmental concern, given that non-biodegradable polymer based-foams have become a important element of countries’ strong waste, posing a significant waste management challenge [5,6]. Typically, non-biodegradable synthetic polymer-based foams are petroleum-derived, such as polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyurethanes (PU), and polypropylene (PP) [6,7]. Biodegradable polymers decompose into CO2 , water, inorganic compounds, and biomasses that lastly form humus [8], which recommends them as a.
