Innovation, nanotechnology and industrial sustainability by the use of natural underutilized byproducts

Pierfrancesco Morganti

Innovation, nanotechnology and industrial sustainability by the use of natural underutilized byproducts

Pierfrancesco Morganti

Abstract

Nanotechnology can have a positive impact on environmental problems and aid in the development of new green technologies. In this direction, two EU projects have been set up, called BioMimetic and n-Chitopack as well as an Italian one, named Chitofarma. Chitin nanofibrils (CN), coming from fishery waste, and biopolymers, extracted from vegetable biomass, are among the basic polymers used. These raw materials of natural origin are skin and environmentally-friendly. They can be conjugated or cross-linked by bio-mimetic processes to create innovative products, such as specialized cosmetics, food packaging and non-woven antiaging tissues. A description of these research projects together with their expected results will be briefly reported.

Keywords

nanoscience, nanotechnology, chitin nanofibrils, lignin

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