Towards green chemicals and edible coatings from barks and peels with near critical extraction of suberin

Abstract

Due to their complex structures, industrial suberoligneous by-products such as barks and peels remain poorly exploited. In this study, we demonstrated the efficient extraction of suberin from barks (11.3%) and peels (20.85%) via supercritical and near-supercritical transesterification without the need for catalysts. When applied in non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) foams, suberinic extracts allowed the increase of the biomass content by up to 20% and facilitated the foaming process by improving pre-curing viscosity. When sprayed on fruits, the suberinic extracts effectively reduced the water loss rate by 25%, extending the shelf-life of the produce. A life cycle analysis for the latter application confirmed the competitive potential of our process against plastic sealing. This work uncovers the potential of suberoligneous biomass (SBM) to provide sustainable solutions to emerging societal challenges.