Erfan Kimiaei: Interfacial Engineering of Lignocellulosics: Manufacturing, Application, and End-of-life

Content of the thesis: 

Advancing wood-based materials: From creation to degradation

This thesis presents a sustainable approach to creating alternatives to plastics from natural wood components, specifically cellulose and lignin, without chemically altering their structure. While lignocellulosics are common in paper and board, challenges arise in adapting them as alternatives to plastics due to cellulose’s moisture sensitivity and lignin’s variability. This thesis addresses these challenges by strategically combining wood components with biodegradable polyesters like polycaprolactone. 

In light of this, emulsion-based systems were developed to enhance interfacial interactions between lignocellulosics and other polymers. These systems formed the basis for producing bioproducts as packaging and thermal insulator foams with properties comparable to synthetic options. Detailed analyses of surface and bulk interactions in both wet and dry conditions demonstrated the superior performance of these materials.Beyond the technical advancement, the developed materials maintained their natural biodegradability, with aquatic biodegradation tests confirming that they readily break down in water, ensuring environmental friendliness even in cases of improper disposal.

Overall, the integration of technological advancements with sustainability assessment across material production and end-of-life scenarios makes this research a holistic package addressing both engineering challenges and environmental imperatives.

Opponent: Professor Lars Evenäs, Chalmers University, Sweden

Supervisor: Professor Monika Österberg, Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering

Link to electronic thesis: LINK

Link to the remote defence: LINK