From lemon waste to bioplastic: new research on Haloferax mediterranei highlights PHBV potential
A new research article published in Polymers presents an new approach to transforming lemon processing residues into biopolymers
The study, authored by CETEC, was published in collaboration with partners from ViSS and the related projects ANIPH and PHAntastic.
The research explores the use of by-products from the lemon processing industry as carbon sources for producing PHBV through the halophilic archaeon Haloferax mediterranei. This approach demonstrates how agricultural residues can be valorised within a circular bioeconomy framework while supporting the production of biodegradable plastics.
The study explains how the resulting polymer is supplemented with nucleating agents: orotic acid, boron nitride, and theobromine, to improve its crystallisation properties. Among these, orotic acid showed the most promising results, significantly enhancing crystallisation kinetics. The use of nucleating agents also improved the material’s crystallisation behaviour and mechanical stiffness, expanding the potential applications of the produced PHBV.
To evaluate its performance, the new PHBV was compared with a commercial PHBV grade (Enmat Y1000) under identical conditions. The results showed that the material obtained from lemon waste exhibited greater flexibility, lower crystallinity, and a high hydroxyvalerate content, contributing to improved ductility.
Overall, the research highlights an efficient pathway for producing PHBV through waste valorisation, delivering a biopolymer with physicochemical properties that are competitive with commercial alternatives.