Dr. Mohd. Maniruzzaman is born in Ekuri, Gangni, Meherpur, Bangladesh dated on 01, January 1968. He passed Secondary School Certificate examination from Gangni Pilot School, Meherpur and Higher Secondary Certificate from Kushtia Government College, Kushtia and secured 1st division in both examination. He secured 1st Class in both B. Sc. (Hons) and M. Sc. Degree in Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in 1987 and 1988 respectively from Rajshahi University, Bangladesh and he was awarded University scholarship for brilliant result. He joined as Process Officer (Urea plant) Karnaphuly Fertilizer Company limited (KAFCO) and then Research Officer in Bangladesh Tariff Commission for protection of domestic Industries and inter alia vise-versa, Bangladesh and then moved Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science at Shahajalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet as lecturer in 1994. After that he moved Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushita, Bangladesh in 1995. After his joining at Islamic University he joined Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan and obtained Doctor of Engineering degree (D. Eng.) in Functional Materials and Engineering. His filed of specialization is synthesis, characterization and applications of Living radical Macromolecular Chemistry and Bio degradable natural fiber reinforced nano-composites. Dr. Maniruzzaman joined in Islamic University, Kushtia as an assistant professor and was soon promoted to the post Associate Professor and then Professor of the same University. He is a fellow of Monobusho and JASSO as doctor of Engineering (D.Enng.) and post-doctoral student. He became Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Technology 2004-2006 and Chairman Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chairman, Department of Pharmacy, Islamic University, Kushita, Bangladesh. After his joining as professor at Islamic University he joint at Max-Planck Institut for Eisenforchusing, Duesseldorf, Germany by the financial support of Alexander von Humboldt from 2008 to 2010. He has numerous publications to his credit both in the form of books and research articles. He supervised a very large number of research projects at the Polymer chemistry, Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushita, Bangladesh by the financial support of University, UGC and Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Dr. Maniruzzaman visited many countries of the world and participated in conferences, seminars and symposia on various topics.

Polymer synthesis, Macromonomer Design, Bio-degradable natural fibers composites, Bio-plastic from renewable sources, Wastewater treatment

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohd-Maniruzzaman

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ikyv9qAAAAAJ&hl=en

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• Natural Products Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, & Biotechnology

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https://scholar.google.com/citations?pli=1&user=lRR9Nz4AAAAJ

Nanoparticle synthesis, Composite, Materials Characterization, Property, Adsorption, Degradation of Organic Pollutants, Photocatalysis,

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https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1wJO-i8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

• F doped Co₃O₄/Co₃O_3.69F_0.31 working under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm) was synthesized through facile substitution method.

• The composite demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic activity in decomposing organic pollutants from aqueous medium.

• Depending on observation, possible mechanism of enhancing photocatalytic efficiency of the Co₃O₄/Co₃O_3.69F_0.31 was proposed.

Covering the BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl composite with a monolayer of WO₃ resulted in a significant increase in the photocatalytic activity of WO₃/BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl in the presence of visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm). The decomposition of gaseous isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and aqueous salicylic acid (SA) in the presence of visible light was maximized when 0.2 mol% of WO₃ was attached to the surface of BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl. On the surface of BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl, the function of WO₃ is to offer increasing OH⁻, H₂O or organics towards WO₃/BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl by increasing the adsorption affinity of WO₃/BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl. Furthermore, the chemical durability of BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl was increased due to the covering of BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl with WO₃. Considering the above findings, the role of WO₃ in enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency of BiOCl/Bi₃O₄Cl has been explained in detail.

• Visible-light active (λ ≥ 420 nm) WO₃/TiO₂ composite was prepared utilizing cis-butenedioic as a sharing molecule.

• Au-WO₃/TiO₂ has been synthesized and Au nanoparticles were homogeneously deposited on to surface of WO₃/TiO₂ nanojunction.

• Both the prepared composites are highly effective to degrade organic pollutants from industrial wastewater.

• A possible degradation mechanism of organic pollutants with the composites has been established.

Graphitic-C₃N₄/TiO₂ nanocomposite was prepared as a photocatalyst (PC) active under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm) by preparation of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) from melamine followed by an effective easy impregnation method. Several g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ composites containing 1 to 12 wt% g-C₃N₄ were synthesized . The composite demonstrated higher photocatalytic activity compare to individual components in decomposing organic in aqueous phase under visible-light irradiation. A photocatalytic mechanism is proposed based on the relative positions of the energy bands of the two constituents. 

• CdS has been successfully anchored on to the surface of BiOCl/Bi₂O₃ composite photocatalyst.

• CdS/BiOCl/Bi₂O₃ composite photocatalyst demonstrated higher absorption towards visible light.

• Recombination of photoexcited electrons (e⁻) and holes (h⁺) has been effectively inhibited.

• Photoinduced hole (h⁺) and hydroxyl radical (OH) has been experimentally proved.

• Photocatalytic activity has been remarkably enhanced under visible light.

A highly efficient and visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm) responsive composite photocatalyst, Co₃O₄/FeWO₄ was prepared by simple impregnation method. The heterojunction semiconductors Co₃O₄/FeWO₄ demonstrated notably high photocatalytic activity over a wide range of composition than the individual component Co₃O₄ or FeWO₄ for the complete degradation of 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB) in aqueous phase under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of Co₃O₄/FeWO₄ composite has been discussed on the hole (h⁺) as well as electron (e⁻) transfer mechanism between the VB and CB of individual semiconductors.

A photocatalytic fiber was prepared by modifying the surface of jute fiber with a Bi2O3/TiO2 composite. Maleic acid was used as an organic linker, and the coating process was conducted with heat-treatment at 240 °C. At first, the Bi2O3/TiO2 composite was synthesized by incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles onto a Bi2O3 phase.

A novel visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm) active WO₃/TiO₂/In₂O₃ composite photocatalyst was prepared by a two-step process. At first, TiO₂/In₂O₃ was synthesized utilizing maleic acid as an organic linker. The photocatalytic activity of the composite was evaluated through the decomposition of organic pollutants in gas and aqueous phases. Based upon the observations, the mechanistic role of WO₃ in enhancing the photocatalytic activity of WO₃/TiO₂/In₂O₃ has been suggested.

A nanoheterojunction composite photocatalyst Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ working under visible-light (λ ⩾ 420 nm) was prepared by combining two semiconductors Bi₂O₃ and TiO₂ varying the Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ molar ratio. Maleic acid was employed as an organic binder to unite Bi₂O₃ and TiO₂ nanoparticles. The nanocomposite exhibited unusual high photocatalytic activity in decomposing 2-propanol in gas phase and phenol in aqueous phase and, evolution of CO₂ under visible light irradiation while the end members exhibited low photocatalytic activity. The remarkable high photocatalytic efficiency originates from the unique relative energy band position of Bi₂O₃ and TiO₂ as well as the absorption of visible light by Bi₂O₃.

Rubiadin dye extracted from Swietenia mahagoni has been applied onto silk fabric and its dyeing properties are evaluated using metallic mordants MgCl₂ and FeSO₄ as a function of dye concentration, dyeing temperature, dyeing time and pH.

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https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=efhjfvQAAAAJ&hl=en

Natural Product, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry

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Professor Dr. Md. Minhaz-Ul Haque was born in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Dr. Haque completed his school and college education under Rajshahi Education Board. Dr. Haque acquired his Bachelor of Science (Honours) (B.Sc) and Master of Science (M.Sc) degrees in Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology from University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. He secured the third position in B.Sc (1999) and the first position in M.Sc (2000) in First Class. After successfully completing those programs he joined at Islamic University in 2004. Dr. Haque started his job as a lecturer at Islamic University in 2004. Thereafter he has been promoted to assistant professor (2007), associate professor (2013) and finally full professor (2016), respectively. In the meantime, Islamic University authority allowed him to acquire the PhD degree in Chemical and Materials Engineering from University of Pisa, Italy (April, 2012). His PhD thesis reported the preparation, chemical modification and characterization of different types of thermoplastic polymers and their blends - such as PCL, EVA, PLA, Mater-Bi and polyolefins (PE, PP, PS) composites – containing various natural fibres (hemp, micro- and nano-fibrillated cellulose). Dr. Haque has one and half years (Aug 2014 to Jan 2016) postdoctoral research experience at Lulea University of Technology, Sweden. His Postdoctoral research work at Lulea University of Technology mainly focused on the preparation and characterization of interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) based cellulose nanocomposites. Dr. Haque has also one and half years (Dec 2017 to Mar 2019) postdoctoral research experience at Yamaguchi University of Japan. He carried out an extensive research work on the fatigue life of wood/polypropylene composites at Yamaguchi University. Dr. Haque has written the 2nd chapter in the book of Polypropylene-Based Biocomposites and Bionanocomposites published by John Wiley & Sons and 4th chapter in the book of Wood Polymer Composites: Recent Advancements and Applications published by Springer as well as 10th chapter Effect of modifications on natural rubber, Handbook of Natural Polymers, Volume 2, Functionalization, Surface Modification, and Properties, edited by, M. S. Sreekala, L Ravindran, K. Goda, S. Thomas, Elsevier 2024. Dr. Haque has also published more than 28 research articles in several international journals. He has also received the Best Paper Award 2014 for a research article published in Polymers journal and a Highly Cited Article Award 2020 for a research article published in Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research. Dr. Haque has also been appointed as Topic Editor (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jcs/topic_editors) for Journal of Composite Science. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7685-8287 Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=36610076100 ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Md-Haque-82

Polymer composites and nanocomposites, synthesis of cellulose derivatives and polymers, polymer blends

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https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=b-7mRvYAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

Fatigue analysis and fatigue reliability of polypropylene (PP)/wood flour (WF) composites were studied. The composites were prepared by incorporating wood flour with and without maleic anhydride and peroxide (MAPO) into cellulose nanofibres impregnated polypropylene. The prepared composites were then characterized by tensile and fatigue analyses. The tensile strength and fatigue life of MAPO mixed composites were lower compared with the composites without MAPO. It was also found that the fatigue experimental data of the composites were widely scattered regardless of the type of composites. Hence, in this study, a fatigue reliability of the composites was sought. Based on the fatigue experimental data, 95% confidence band were created. Since 95% confidence lower band ensure 95% survivability and only 5% failure of the composites, hence, from this study, it is suggested that the fatigue life obtained from 95% confidence lower band can be used as a material reliability index for safe fatigue design of the composites.

In this paper, we exclusively studied the effects of dry and wet pulverization of different wood flours on the fatigue performance of polypropylene (PP)/wood flour (WF) composites. Wood flours obtained from cypress and Scots pine trees were pulverized in both dry and wet conditions at two different mill-plate gaps, 200 µm and 350 µm, and were used as reinforcement in PP matrices. Master batches of PP with different types of pulverized WF were compounded before processing in an extruder. The PP/WF composites of initial WF were also prepared for comparison. The prepared composites were analyzed by tensile and fatigue tests. It was found that the tensile properties of wood/polypropylene composites were affected by the pulverization of WF. Fatigue test results displayed that wet pulverization of short cypress flour had a negative effect on the fatigue life of PP/WF composites, while wet pulverization of long cypress flour and pine flour had a positive effect on the fatigue life of PP/WF composites.

Nanocomposites of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were prepared by dispersion of CNCs in aqueous poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) emulsion followed by melt extrusion with PLA. Functionalization of PVAc by radical grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (PVAc-GMA) was carried out during PVAc polymerization by using ammonium cerium (IV) nitrate as the initiator. The morphology, phase interactions, thermal and mechanical properties and degradability in composting of blends (PLA/PVAc, PLA/PVAc-GMA) and nanocomposites (PLA/PVAc/CNC, PLA/PVAc-GMA/CNC) containing 3 wt% CNC were examined by FESEM, AFM, FT-IR, DSC and tensile tests. The study of degradability demonstrated that the disintegration rate of PLA/PVAc-GMA/CNC in soil was higher than that of PLA/PVAc/CNC, likely because the epoxy groups of GMA accelerated the biodegradation rate through the formation of radicals.

The aim of this study was to develop bionanocomposites of biopolyurethane (PU), benzyl starch (BS), and cellulose nanofibers (CNF) with semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (S‐IPN) structure of improved properties. Morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of S‐IPN blends and nanocomposites were studied and compared with the neat polymers. Microscopy study showed that PU and BS were partially miscible as well as CNF were dispersed in both PU and BS phases in the nanocomposites. Dynamic mechanic thermal analysis demonstrated that BS decreased the tan δ peak of the PU while CNF increased it_. The positive shifting of tan δ peak in the S‐IPN nanocomposite also indicated the presence of CNF in the PU phase. It was also noticed that S‐IPN nanocomposite displayed two tan δ peaks at higher temperature, indicating molecular interaction among BS, PU, and CNF. Furthermore, the S‐IPN nanocomposites displayed significantly higher E‐modulus and tensile strength compared with the neat PU.

The structure of cellulose-based nanocomposites significantly influences their final mechanical properties. However, obtaining a good dispersion of hydrophilic nanocellulose materials in a hydrophobic polymer matrix is challenging. In this study, two unique methods were developed to improve the dispersion of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) in a poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) matrix. One method was the crosslinking of PVAc by sodium tetraborate (borax), which is expected to prevent agglomeration of CNCs during the drying process, and the other method was the in-situ polymerization of vinyl acetate in the presence of CNCs to generate good compatibility between CNC and PVAc. The results showed that the crosslinking degree of PVAc could be varied by tuning the pH. The atomic force microscopy images illustrate that after drying, the in-situ polymerized PVAc/CNC composite was much better dispersed than the composite produced using mechanical mixing. The mechanical and thermo-mechanical characterizations indicate that the in-situ nanocomposite with 10 wt% of CNC had a higher strength and storage modulus compared with the mixed composite with the same CNC concentration. Further investigations of the restriction effect caused by the crosslinker are required.

Polylactide reinforced with 3 wt% of organo-modified montmorillonite, 5 wt% of stearic acid-modified calcium carbonate nanoparticles, 15 wt% of cellulose fibers (PLA/MMT, PLA/NCC, PLA/CF) and hybrid composites containing 15 wt% of fibers in addition to montmorillonite (PLA/MMT/CF) or calcium carbonate (PLA/NCC/CF) were prepared and examined. The nanoparticles were dispersed in polylactide almost homogeneously; montmorillonite was exfoliated during processing. T_g of polylactide remained unaffected but its cold crystallization was enhanced; the cold-crystallization behavior of the hybrid composites was dominated by nanofillers nucleating ability. The fibers and calcium carbonate decreased whereas exfoliated montmorillonite improved the thermal stability of the materials. Polylactide, PLA/NCC and PLA/MMT exhibited ability to plastic deformation, although the latter the weakest. Tensile behavior of the hybrid composites was strongly influenced by the fibers and similar to that of PLA/CF. All the fillers increased the storage modulus below T_g; that of PLA/MMT/CF and PLA/NCC/CF was improved with respect to polylactide by 50% and 45%, respectively.

 In the present study, pulque (Agave cantala) fibers treated with acetic anhydride were grafted with styrene monomer by free radical graft copolymerization techniques. The grafted fibers were then characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile mechanical tests. Untreated raw pulque fibers were also taken as control for comparison. FTIR analysis confirmed the grafting of styrene monomer onto pulque fibers. It was also found that polystyrene graft acetic anhydride-treated pulque fibers displayed higher thermal resistance, improved tensile properties, and lower moisture content as compared to untreated raw pulque fibers.

The effect of addition of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer modified with glycidyl methacrylate (EVA–GMA) on the structure and properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites with cellulose micro fibres (CF) was investigated. Binary (PLA/CF) and ternary (PLA/EVA–GMA/CF) composites obtained by melt mixing in Brabender mixer were analysed by SEM, POM, WAXS, DSC, TGA and tensile tests. The miscibility and morphology of PLA/EVA–GMA blends were first examined as a function of composition: a large rise of PLA spherulite growth rate in the blends was discovered with increasing the EVA–GMA content (0–30 wt%) in the isothermal crystallization both from the melt and the solid state. PLA/EVA–GMA/CF ternary composites displayed improved adhesion and dispersion of fibres into the matrix as compared to PLA/CF system. Marked changes of thermodynamic and tensile parameters, as elastic modulus, strength and elongation at break were observed for the composites, depending on blend composition, polymer miscibility and fibre-matrix chemical interactions at the interface.

In this work, blends of MaterBi K (MBK), a starch based biodegradable polymer with polypropylene (PP), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polystyrene (PS) were prepared in an intensive mixer PP-g-MA; HDPE-g-MA and SEBS-g-MA were incorporated at 2 wt.% to corresponding matrix respectively in order to analyze the effect of compatibilizer amount on the morphology and final properties. The composites, with 20 wt.% of alkaline treated hemp fibers, were prepared by injection molding. Fracture and water absorption of matrices and composites were studied and the effect of each component was established. Blending of the MB matrix with PP and HDPE did not raise the Jc, with the exception of the MB-S3 blend which has a slight improvement in fracture energy. On the other hand, the fiber incorporation to blends improves significantly the Jc values for all samples compared with their respective matrices. The best result was obtained for the B8-S2 blend and the B8-P2 compatibilized blend. The water absorption of equilibrium was also studied, resulting from 0.3 % to 0.9 % for the polymer blends and raises from 5 % to 7 % for the fiber reinforced blends.

A novel method for the preparation of PLA bio-nanocomposites containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) is reported. In order to enhance interfacial adhesion and dispersion of nanocrystals into PLA matrix, functionalization of PLA and CNCs by radical grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and pre-dispersion of CNCs in poly (vinyl acetate) (PVAc) emulsion were applied. Morphologies, thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites for CNCs content of 1–6 wt.% were examined. Addition of functionalized components (PLA-GMA, CNC-GMA) and/or PVAc dispersed CNCs both improved the phase distribution of nanofiller and tensile properties, compared to the binary PLA/CNC nanocomposites. Thermal analyses demonstrated that glass transition, melting temperature and crystallinity of PLA were affected by the PVAc amount. Nanocomposites with PVAc dispersed CNCs exhibited higher thermal resistance than other composites. The filler effectiveness (CFE) was evaluated for all samples on the basis of storage modulus values: CNC-GMA and PVAc dispersed CNCs (3 wt. %) resulted the most effective fillers.

Acylation of fibres can provide a route to have materials with better water proofing capability. In our present study, silk fibres were treated with various concentration (5, 10 and15 wt.%) of acetic anhydride aqueous solution and then thermal properties, tensile mechanical behaviour and moisture content of acetic anhydride treated silk fibres were studied. Raw silk fibres were taken as control for comparison. It was found that elastic modulus and tensile strength of silk fibres were increased with increasing acetic anhydride concentration while elongation at break was decreased with increase of acetic anhydride content in solution. Silk fibres treated with 15 wt. % of acetic anhydride solution exhibited about 141% (from 17 GPa to 41 GPa) improvement in elastic modulus. It was also found that acetic anhydride treated silk fibres displayed higher thermal resistance and lower moisture content as compared to untreated silk fibres.

The properties and biodegradation behavior of blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and ethylene-vinyl acetate-glycidylmethacrylate copolymer (EVA-GMA), and their composites with cellulose microfibers (CF) were investigated. The blends and composites were obtained by melt mixing and the morphology, phase behavior, thermal and rheological properties of PLA/EVA-GMA blends and PLA/EVA-GMA/CF composite films were investigated as a function of the composition. The disintegrability in composting conditions was examined by means of morphological, thermal and chemical analyses to gain insights into the post-use degradation processes. The results indicated a good compatibility of the two polymers in the blends with copolymer content up to 30 wt.%, while at higher EVA-GMA content a phase separation was observed. In the composites, the presence of EVA-GMA contributes to improve the interfacial adhesion between cellulose fibers and PLA, due to interactions of the epoxy groups of GMA with hydroxyls of CF. The addition of cellulose microfibers in PLA/EVA-GMA system modifies the rheological behavior, since complex viscosity increased in presence of fibers and decreased with an increase in frequency. Disintegration tests showed that the addition of EVA-GMA influence the PLA disintegration process, and after 21 days in composting conditions, blends and composites showed faster degradation rate in comparison with neat PLA due to the different morphologies induced by the presence of EVA-GMA and CF phases able to allow a faster water diffusion and an efficient PLA degradation process.

A comparative study of the preparation and properties of composites of PCL with cellulose microfibres (CFs) containing butanoic‐acid‐modified cellulose (CB) or PCL grafted with maleic anhydride/glycidyl methacrylate as compatibilizers, is reported. The composites are obtained by melt mixing and analyzed using SEM, DSC, TGA, XRD, FT‐IR, NMR and tensile tests. An improved interfacial adhesion is observed in all compatibilized composites, as compared to PCL/CF. The crystallization behavior and crystallinity of PCL is largely affected by CF and CB content. Composites with PCL‐g‐MAGMA display higher values of tensile modulus, tensile strength and elongation at break.

Ternary composites of a biodegradable thermoplastic matrix, Mater-Bi® (MB), with various polyolefins (PP, HDPE and PS) and hemp fibres (H) were obtained by melt mixing and characterized by SEM, OM, DSC, TGA and tensile tests. The properties of composites were compared with those of MB/polyolefin and MB/H blends. Maleic anhydride functionalized polyolefins were employed as compatibilizers. Crystallization behaviour and morphology of the composites were found to be affected by the composition, phase dispersion and compatibilizer. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the thermal stability of the polyolefin phase and fibres was influenced by the composition and phase structure. A significant improvement of tensile modulus and strength was recorded for composites of MB with PE and PS as compared to MB/H composites. The results indicate that incorporation of polyolefins in the biodegradable matrix, compared to binary matrix/fibre system, may have significant advantages in terms of properties, processability and cost.

Composites of polystyrene (PS) with cellulose microfibres and oat particles, obtained by melt mixing, were examined. The compatibilization of the composites was carried out by addition of maleic anhydride-functionalized copolymers (SEBS-g-MA, PS-co-MA) and poly(ethylene glycol) to improve the fibre–matrix interfacial interactions. The plain components and their composites were characterised by FT-IR, DSC, TGA, SEM microscopy and mechanical tests. The properties of the various systems were analysed as a function of both fibre and compatibilizer amount. The compatibilized PS composites showed enhanced fibre dispersion and interfacial adhesion as a consequence of chemical interactions between the anhydride groups on the polymer chains and the hydroxyl groups on the fibres, as demonstrated by FT-IR spectroscopy. DSC analysis pointed out a neat increase of T _g of composites on addition of SEBS-g-MA, as compared to PS-co-MA. The thermal stability of composites was also influenced by the type and amount of fibres, as well as by the structure and concentration of compatibilizer. The effect of the reactive copolymers on the composites properties was accounted for on the basis of the polymer–polymer miscibility and chemical interactions at the matrix/filler interface.

The article is focused on analyzing the effect of functionalization and reactive processing on the morphological, thermal, rheological and mechanical properties of composites of isotactic polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) (EVA), with cellulose fibers, hemp or oat as natural fillers. Both polymers and fibers were modified with bi-functional monomers (glycidyl methacrylate, GMA; maleic anhydride, MA) capable of facilitating chemical reactions between the components during melt mixing. Polyolefin copolymers containing reactive groups (PP-g-GMA, SEBS-g-MA, PS-co-MA, etc.) were used as compatibilizers. Optical and SEM microscopy, FTIR, RX, DSC, TGA, DMTA, rheological and mechanical tests were employed for the composites characterization. The properties of binary and ternary systems have been analyzed as a function of both fiber and compatibilizer content. All compatibilized systems showed enhanced fiber dispersion and interfacial adhesion. The phase behavior and the thermal stability of the composites were affected by the chemical modification of the fibers. Marked changes in the overall crystallization processes and crystal morphology of PP composites were observed owing to the nucleating effect of the fibers. The tensile mechanical behavior of the compatibilized composites generally resulted in a higher stiffness, depending on the fiber amount and the structure and concentration of compatibilizer.

Composites based on ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) functionalised with reactive groups (maleic anhydride, glycidyl methacrylate) and cellulose fibres (Cell) of different type were obtained by melt mixing, in the composition range 0–50 wt% Cell. The phase behaviour, the morphology and matrix–fibre interactions of the composites were analysed by DSC, DMTA, TGA, SEM and FT-IR spectroscopy. FT-IR analysis indicated the chemical interactions between the functional groups (MA, GMA) of EVA and the hydroxyl groups of cellulose. Accordingly, SEM microscopy pointed out an improved adhesion between cellulose and matrix in both EVA–MA/Cell and EVA–GMA/Cell composites, as compared to EVA/Cell composites. Glass transition behaviour and filler effectiveness (C_FE) were analysed by DMTA. T_gof EVA and EVA–GMA changed markedly by the incorporation of cellulose. Cellulose was found to be more effective filler for EVA–GMA (C_FE = 0.02) than EVA–MA (C_FE = 0.22). Thermal resistance and tensile properties were significantly improved for GMA functionalised systems.

Cellulose microfibers were modified with two different bi‐functional monomers. Composites of EVA copolymer with modified and unmodified cellulose were prepared by melt mixing. The samples were analyzed by SEM, XRD, FT‐IR, DSC, TGA, DMTA and tensile mechanical tests. SEM showed that the presence of reactive groups on cellulose surface enhanced the compatibility, improving the fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion. FT‐IR disclosed the occurrence of chemical reactions between the functionalized cellulose and polymer chains. The incorporation of fibers affected the crystallization behaviour and crystallinity of the polymer matrix. Composites with GMA modified cellulose displayed better compatibility, higher thermal and mechanical properties.

The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate and ethyl methacrylate monomers onto jute fiber was carried out in an aqueous medium with potassium persulfate as an initiator under the catalytic influence of ferrous sulfate in the presence of air. The effects of parameter variables, such as the monomer, initiator, and catalyst concentrations, the reaction time, and the temperature, on grafting and the effect of grafting the monomers onto jute constituents were studied. The degree of grafting depended on the kinds of monomers and the parameter variables. The maximum graft yield percentages with methyl methacrylate and ethyl methacrylate under optimized conditions were 18.9 and 38.8%, respectively, and the grafting onto jute fiber was largely affected by one of its main constituents, such as hemicellulose. The graft copolymers were characterized, and their improved properties were also examined.

My research interests are preparation (synthesis, chemical treatments, and blending), characterization, crystallization behavior and hydrolytic degradation properties of biodegradable polymers, copolymers or blend.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Md_Hafezur_Rahaman2

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=K2S5JaEAAAAJ&hl=en

Natural fiber, polymer and biocomposite materials

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/G_M_Khan

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=oB1b54sAAAAJ

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Polymer synthesis, Macromonomer Design, Bio-degradable natural fibers composites, Wastewater treatment

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Nanotechnology, Polymer science

Dr. Rafiquel Islam is a distinguished Environmental Scientist specializing in environmental toxicology and the remediation of emerging contaminants and heavy metals. He earned his PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Newcastle, Australia, where he conducted pioneering research on assessing endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and their adverse effects on marine organisms, particularly in molluscs. His work spans transgenerational toxicology, utilizing multi-omics approaches to evaluate the mechanistic pathways and investigating the impacts of climate change and the microbial degradation of emerging contaminants and heavy metals. Dr. Islam joined the Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of the University as a Lecturer in 2010. He was Associate Professor in 2022 and received numerous accolades, including the SETAC AU Postgraduate Research Publication Award (2021) and the University of Newcastle’s Best Teaching Award (2019). With over 35 publications in leading scientific journals, his research focuses on aquatic toxicology, metabolomics, transcriptomics, environmental chemistry, and bioremediation approach.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs); Wastewater Treatments Works (WWTWs); Transgenerational Toxicology; Climate change & multi-stressor effects ; OMICs, Bioremediation of Emerging contaminants and Heavy metals

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rafiquel-Islam-2

https://scholargoogle.com/citations?user=RQpZyDkAAAAJ&hl=en

High temperature PEM fuel cell, Electrochemistry, Materials characterization

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Md_Ahsanul_Haque

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EO3oG08AAAAJ&hl=en