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Examines the seventeenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of functional properties of the polysaccharide-based component and their application in developing edible film and coating for the food processing sector.

In this review study, approximately 271 research and review articles focusing on studies related to polysaccharide-based components and their film-forming properties. This article also focused on the application of polysaccharide-based edible film in the food sector.

From the literature reviewed, polysaccharide components and components-based edible film/coating is the biodegradable and eco-friendly packaging of the materials and directly consumed by the consumer with food. It has been reported that the polysaccharide components have excellent properties such as being nontoxic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal and with good nutrients. The polysaccharide-based edible film has lipid and gas barrier properties with excellent transparency and mechanical strength. In various studies, researchers worked on the development of polysaccharide-based edible film and coating by incorporating plant based natural antioxidants. This was primarily done for obtaining improved physical and chemical properties of the edible film and coating. In future, the technology of developing polysaccharide-based edible film and coating could be used for extending the shelf life and preserving the quality of fruits and vegetables at a commercial level. There is more need to understand the role of edible packaging and sustainability in the food and environment sector.

Through this review paper, possible applications of polysaccharide-based components and their function property in the formation of the edible film and their effect on fruits, vegetables and other food products are discussed after detailed studies of literature from thesis and journal article.

The purpose of this paper is to present the review of natural fibre composites as well as a specific type of fibre, i.e., sugar palm fibre and its composites.

The approach of this review paper is to present previous work on natural fibres and their composites. Then a review of several important aspects such as history, origin, botanic description, distribution, application and characterisation of sugar palm tree, and its fibre is presented. Finally a review of properties and characterisation of sugar palm composites is presented.

Findings of this review include the potential application of natural fibres and their composites for engineering application, the use of sugar palm and its fibres, as well as the suitability of sugar palm composites in engineering application after conducting review of their performance and characterisation.

The value of this review is to highlight the potential of natural fibres, natural fibre composites, sugar palm, sugar palm fibres and sugar palm composites as materials for engineering applications.

Scaffolds are essentially required to have open porous structure for facilitating bone to grow. They are generally placed on those bone defective/fractured sites which are more prone to compressive loading. Open porous structure lacks in strength in comparison to solid. Selective laser sintering (SLS) process is prominently used for fabrication of polymer/composite scaffolds. So, this paper aims to study for fabrication of three-dimensional open porous scaffolds with enhanced strength, process parameters of SLS of a biocompatible material are required to be optimized.

Regular open porous structures with suitable pore size as per computer-aided design models were fabricated using SLS. Polyamide (PA-2200) was used to fabricate the specimen/scaffold. To optimize the strength of the designed structure, response surface methodology was used to design the experiments. Specimens as per ASTM D695 were fabricated using SLS and compressive testing was carried out. Analysis of variance was done for estimating contribution of individual process parameters. Optimized process parameters were obtained using a trust region algorithm and correlated with experimental results. Accuracy of the fabricated specimen/scaffold was also assessed in terms of IT grades. In vitro cell culture on the fabricated structures confirmed the biocompatibility of polyamide (PA-2200).

Optimized process parameters for open cell process structures were obtained and confirmed experimentally. Laser power, hatch spacing and layer thickness have contributed more in the porous part’s strength than scan speed. The accuracy of the order of IT16 has been found for all functional dimensions. Cell growth and proliferation confirmed biocompatibility of polyamide (PA-2200) for scaffold applications.

This paper demonstrates the biocompatibility of PA-2200 for scaffold applications. The optimized process parameters of SLS process for open cell structure having pore size 1.2 × 1.2 mm² with strut diameter of 1 mm have been obtained. The accuracy of the order of IT16 was obtained at the optimized process factors.

The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the readers with recent developments in biopolymer-based food packaging materials like natural biopolymers (such as starches and proteins), synthetic biopolymers (such as poly lactic acid), biopolymer blending and nanocomposites grounded on natural and synthetic biopolymers. This paper is an attempt to draw the readers towards the advantages and attributes of new era polymers to diminish the usage of traditional non-biodegradable polymers.

Plastic packaging for food and associated applications is non-biodegradable and uses up valuable and treasured non-renewable petroleum products. With the current focus on researching alternatives to petroleum, research is progressively being channelized towards the development of biodegradable food packaging, thereby reducing adverse impact on the environment.

Natural biopolymer-based nanocomposite packaging materials seem to have a scintillating future for a broad range of applications in the food industry, including advanced active food packaging with biofunctional attributes. The present review summarizes the scientific information of various packaging materials along with their attributes, applications and the methods for production.

This is an apropos review as there has been a recent renewed concern in research studies, both in the industry and academe, for development of new generation biopolymer-based food packaging materials, with possible applications in many areas.

The emergence of tissue engineering has led to the development of three‐dimensional cellular scaffolds that reconstruct the tissue structure. Research into the use of biodegradable materials in scaffolds has grown; the aim is that when tissue growth is complete, the scaffold degrades completely. This research aims to design novel scaffolds and investigates biodegradable polylactide (PLA) yarns; in particular, poly(l‐lactide) (PLLA) yarns extruded in‐house. To study degradation and determine the effect on the biodegradable yarns/textiles, they were immersed in phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH=7.4) for various durations at 37°C. Mechanical properties were evaluated on tensile testing rigs and they were observed, before and after the immersion period. Cells were then cultured (37°C, 5 per cent carbon dioxide in air) on the textiles for 1 week. As expected, after immersion, the yarns exhibit a decrease in elongation and tenacity. Initial results indicate that the yarn properties influence cell attachment and spreading.

This study aims to examine the young Malaysian consumers’ switching intention from synthetic to biodegradable plastics. This research shows the factors affecting young Malaysian consumers’ switching intention towards biodegradable plastic rather than traditional plastic (synthetic plastics). In this study, there are three factors to be considered whether they influence the young consumers in Malaysia to change their intention towards biodegradable plastic. The three factors are environmental concern, knowledge and the perceived value of biodegradable plastic. However, biodegradable plastic’s switching intention is also affected by biodegradable plastic’s attitude, where the three factors influence this attitude. Thus, all variables are considered in this research to investigate the reasons for switching intention from synthetic to biodegradable plastics among young Malaysian consumers.

In line with the recent economic growth, especially in developing countries, human concern for the environment has increased over time. This paradigm shift has influenced Malaysians to pay more attention to the issues related to synthetic plastics, especially in Malaysia itself. To reduce the use of synthetic plastic in Malaysia, this research is conducted to identify the young consumer’s behaviour in Malaysia towards the use of biodegradable plastics. In this study, the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is broadened into three additional factors that potentially enhance the young consumer’s attitude and increase switching intention towards biodegradable plastics: environmental concern, knowledge and perceived value. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire via an online survey method. The structural equation modelling with SmartPLS 3 was used to analyse the data from a total of 162 respondents. The study’s key findings confirmed that switching intention towards biodegradable plastics is significantly influenced by environmental concern, perceived value, and attitude. This study also provided empirical evidence that the attitude acts as a mediator for the relationship between environmental concern and perceived value towards the switching intention. These results could help the government establish a new policy to encourage citizens to use biodegradable plastics while reducing environmental pollution.

The study’s key findings confirmed that switching intention towards biodegradable plastics is significantly influenced by environmental concern, perceived value and attitude. Furthermore, this study extends the TPB to include the intention to switch from synthetic to biodegradable plastics, where attitudes towards the environment, environmental concern and perceived value all have an impact on the intention to switch from synthetic to biodegradable plastics in the first place. As an additional contribution to the existing body of knowledge, this study provides empirical data about the variables influencing decision-makers’ intentions towards the transition from synthetic to biodegradable plastics. The findings of this study may also be useful for future research by academic institutions, the Department of Research and Development and the government. As a result, this research is important for future academics who want to better understand the intentions of young Malaysian consumers when it comes to biodegradable plastics.

This research might provide direction to a firm considering implementing a new business strategy to develop creative and sustainable products that will contribute to the protection of the environment. More importantly, this research contributes to improving government policy and regulation in environmental preservation by integrating environmental knowledge and attitude into Malaysian cultural practices. Also possible are even greater levels of environmental awareness and environmentally friendly activities on the part of the government and the commercial sector, such as various initiatives and events to encourage green and environmentally friendly purchasing habits. As a result, given that sustainability has emerged as one of the most pressing issues facing society today, this research is important in that it provides insights for stakeholders (policymakers, marketers and others) to strategise the government’s plan to reduce the use of synthetic plastics and promote the use of biodegradable plastics. As the analysis of consumer behaviour is one of the most important aspects of improving the profitability of businesses, the collaboration between marketing and the research and development department to examine consumer behaviour is extremely important to meet the needs of consumers. This research could serve as a reference for them during the decision-making process, particularly in the plastics industry, which is highly recommended. Aside from that, the findings of the study may be used as a guide for the government in developing new policies to attain the objective of sustainable development in the future. As a result, it can aid in introducing environmentally friendly products and raising public knowledge about them.

Rapid prototyping (RP) technology has been widely applied in biomedical research. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a scaffold composite drug delivery system (DDS) was fabricated using a nano composite deposition system (NCDS).

A biocompatible and biodegradable thermoplastic polymer (poly(DL‐lactide‐co‐glycolide acid)) was used as the matrix, and a mixture of anti‐cancer drug (5‐fluorouracil) and bio‐ceramic (hydroxyapatite – HA) was added to the polymer to form a bio‐composite material for the DDS. An in vitro drug release test showed that the release rate of the drug composite could be controlled by the amount of HA for 50 days.

Faster release was observed for the DDS with higher weight percent of HA. The relationship between release rate and the amount of HA showed a bi‐linear manner, and bi‐linear drug release models were developed based on the experimental results.

Cylindrical scaffolds were fabricated with polymer/drug/additive using an NCDS. A series of in vitro drug release tests was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the additive, HA. Drug release models were developed based on the experimental results.

The purpose of this paper is to report the preparation and characterisation of nanocomposites, which are made of biodegradable poly(vinyl‐alcohol‐co‐ethylene) and wood dust. These nanocomposites can aptly be termed as green by nature as they are totally non‐toxic and ecofriendly.

Sample films containing 5, 10 and 15 wt% fillers are prepared by conventional solvent casting technique using glass plates as casting surfaces. The dispersion of filler in the polymer matrix is investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis. Physical and chemical properties of the films are studied by various characterisation techniques (FTIR, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), TEM and TGA).

TEM analysis reveals that the average particle size of the nanodispersed filler in the nanocomposite materials is in the range of 12‐25 nm, which shows that a greater extent of matrix penetrated into fibre capillaries of wood dust. These results are supported by the XRD findings also. Wood enhances the thermal stability of the as synthesised nanocomposites.

The mechanical properties of the as synthesised nanocomposites can be improved further by modifying wood dust.

The method developed provides a simple and practical solution to improve the biodegradability, as well as the thermal stability of the composite films.

The nanocomposites so developed can be used in automotive parts like front door liners, boot liners, parcel shelves, headliners, etc. also as mulching films in agriculture.