Members of the BDDC attended the 2026 Canadian Societies for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 2026 Conference and Exhibition (CSChE 2026) on May 24th to May 28th, 2026. The conference was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Professors Mohanty and Misra acted as organizers/chairs for the two-day session titled ‘Biodegradable Plastics, Sustainable Composites and Circular Bioeconomy’. In this session, researchers and students presented work surrounding sustainable polymeric materials derived from bio-/waste/recycled resources and their combinations. Several BDDC members presented their work during this session in both oral and poster formats.Oral presentations: Malik Hassan, “Upcycling Diaper and Toothpaste Waste into Geometrically Optimized Auxetic Structures from Recycled Polyolefin Blends and Biocarbon Based Composites” Arturo Rodriguez-Uribe, “Studies on the effects of rheological control modifiers (RC) on the recyclability of polypropylene (PP) and biocarbon reinforced composites” Matias Menossi, “Green Crosslinking Strategy Using Tannic Acid to Achieve Tailored Toughness in Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/Plasticized Cellulose Acetate Blends” Kehinde Olonisakin, “Sustainable High Performance Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polyamide 6,6 Composite for Automotive Parts” Ehsan Pesaranhajiabbas, “Processing-Driven Nanoclay Dispersion and Its Effect on Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate)/Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxy valerate) Blends” Alice Corfa, “Overcoming brittleness and slow crystallization of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs): effect of blends and nucleating agents” Suman Kumar Ghosh, “Sustainable Recycled Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polyamide 6 Composites for Lightweight Automotive Applications” Debarshi Nath, “Engineering High-Performance Biodegradable Blend Films from PBAT/PLA and PBSA/PBAT via Uniaxial Orientation for Sustainable Packaging” Reshma Krishnan, “Injection Molded Biocomposites from Cellulose Acetate with Mineral Fillers: Performance Evaluation” Ikechukwu E. Okonkwo, “Tailoring the Molecular Architecture of Maleic Anhydride-Grafted PBAT for High-Loading Rigid Biocarbon Composites for Biodegradable Packaging Application” Hugh MacFarlane, “Graphitization of Argo-residue Based Biocarbon for Supercapacitor Applications” Posters: Hugh MacFarlane, Sustainable Biocomposites with Reduced Flammability from Engineering Plastic and Hemp-Hurd Pyrolyzed Biocarbon Matias Menossi, “Sustainable Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)-Wood Biocarbon Composites for Flexible Packaging: Role of Extrusion Methodologies in Tailoring Material Performance” Alice Corfa, “Improved interfacial interaction and toughness of maleic anhydride-grafted polylactic acid (PLA)/polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) blends” Suman Kumar Ghosh, “Sustainable Flame-Retardant Polyamide 6 Biocomposites Reinforced with Lignin-Derived Biocarbon for Automotive Applications (3231) Ehsan Pesaranhajiabbas, “Toughness Enhancement in Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hyrdoxyvalerate)/Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Blends through Reactive Melt Processing” Malik Hassan, “Selective Laser Sintering of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate): Printing Parameters Optimization and the Effect of Wood-Derived Biocarbon Reinforcement” Kehinde Olonisakin, “Light-weight Sustainable Composite from Recycled Polypropylene for Automotive Part Application” Reshma Krishnan, “Evaluation of the Effect of Edible Coating on the Fruit Quality and Shelf Life of Pears and Bell Peppers” Debarshi Nath, “Comparative Study of Single and Tri-layer Poly(Butylene Adipate-co-Terephthalate) Films with Mineral Fillers: Effect of Uniaxial Stretching on Properties” Alisha Alisha, “A Review of Sustainable and Biodegradable Circular Materials Produced from Protein Waste: Recent Advances and Challenges” To learn more about the conference, visit this link. ...
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Congratulations to BDDC members for being recognized in RSC Polymers’ Sustainable Development Goals Collection.The featured paper is titled “Study of uniaxially stretched single-layer and multi-layer blown films based on poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) and inorganic fillers for food and agriculture applications”. The article was authored by Debarshi Nath, Matias Menossi, Ehsan Pesaranhajiabbas, Michael R. Snowdon, Amar K. Mohanty and Manjusri Misra.The publication was hand-selected for the special collection to highlight impactful research taking place across the world that supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, the paper was featured under Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.To read the article, please visit this link. More from the themed collection. ...
Members of the BDDC attended the 2026 Canadian Food Engineering Conference (CFEC 2026) on May 14th and May 15th. The conference was held at the University of Guelph and promotes meaningful collaboration among academia, industry, and government, to address global challenges related to food safety, sustainability, processing, and more. Prof. Misra acted as a conference co-chair, and several BDDC members presented their research. Poster presentations by BDDC members: Reshma Krishnan: best poster presentation winner “Impact of Edible Coating Treatments on the Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of Pears and Bell Peppers” Hugh MacFarlane: “Graphitization of Argo-residue Based Biocarbon for Supercapacitor Applications” Myra Mead: “Biodegradable Polymers-Based Food Packaging”Thomas Karlovich, “Selective Laser Sintering of Polyhydroxybutyrate Bioplastic: Powder Reuse and Influence of Processing Parameters” Oral Presentations by BDDC members: Emmanuel Okonkwo: “Compatibilized PBAT/Wood Biocarbon Biocomposites for Sustainable Food Packaging Application” Debarshi Nath: best oral presentation winner “"Development of High-Performance Biodegradable PBAT/PLA and PBSA/PBAT Blend Films through Uniaxial Orientation for Food Packaging Applications" To learn more about the conference, please visit this link......
Congratulations to many BDDC members on their articles being recognized as top-viewed papers published within various journals in 2024. Three separate papers submitted to different journals have been ranked among their top 10% most-read papers. Dayna McNeill, Akhilesh Kumar Pal, Amar K. Mohanty, and Manjusri Misra for their paper titled “Injection molding of biodegradable polyester blends filled with mineral and sustainable fillers: Performance evaluation”. This was published in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science. To read this paper, visit this link. Peter Zynter, Akhilesh Kumar Pal, Amar K. Mohanty and Manjusri Misra for their paper titled “Performance evaluation of biodegradable polymer PHBV and PBAT blends with adjustable melt flow behaviour, heat deflection temperature, and morphological transition”. This work was published in The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. To read this paper, please visit this link. Blessing Itabana, Amar K. Mohanty, Phil Dick, Mohini Sain, Atul Bali, Mike Tiessen, Loong-Tak Lim and Manjusri Misra for their paper titled “Poly (Butylene Adipate-Co Terephthalate) (PBAT) – Based Biocomposites: A Comprehensive Review”. This paper was published in Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. To read the article, please visit this link. Congratulations to the authors on their high impact publications. ...
Prof. Mohanty, Prof. Misra and research associate Dr. Rodriguez attended the OCI DiscoveryX innovation event held in Toronto on April 29th-30th, 2026. This event brings together entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, government and industry leaders to showcase and discuss Ontario’s innovation ecosystem. The BDDC was invited to showcase its research as part of the University of Guelph Research Innovation Office’s larger exhibition booth, highlighting BDDC research focused on developing and commercializing greener bioproducts to substitute non-renewable materials in manufacturing sectors. Click here to learn more about the event......
The second annual research team meeting for the ORF-RE11 project, “Commercialization of compostable and soil biodegradable, single-use coffee capsules,” was held on April 21, 2026. A total of 38 researchers, trainees, industry partners, and government representatives attended to share progress and discuss project activities. The meeting brought together stakeholders across the value chain to support coordination on the development and commercialization of biochar and compostable coffee pods. Thank you to the three keynote speakers who presented: Jordan Hatton (Director of Economic Development, Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek Nation), Atul Bali (CEO, Competitive Green Technologies), and Julia Ramos (Vice-President of Innovation, Club Coffee). Trainees from the University of Guelph delivered oral and poster presentations. ...
Congratulations to Blessing Itabana and all co-authors on their article being recognized as one of the journal's top 10 most-cited papers published in 2024. The article "Poly (Butylene Adipate‐Co‐Terephthalate)(PBAT)–Based Biocomposites: A Comprehensive Review," was published in the journal "Macromolecular Materials and Engineering." The article is authored by Blessing Itabana and co-authored by Amar K. Mohanty, Phil Dick, Mohini Sain, Atul Bali, Mike Tiessen, Loong-Tak Lim, and Manjusri Misra.To read the article, please visit this link......
Congratulations to Dr. Debarshi Nath, who on April 2nd, 2026, successfully defended his PhD thesis, titled ‘Design, Processing, and Performance Evaluation of Biodegradable Packaging Materials Developed Using Injection Molding and Blown Film Techniques’. Nath’s research focused on developing cost-effective, high-performance biodegradable materials by integrating material design with scalable processing such as injection molding and blown film extrusion. It involved the use of low-cost fillers, multilayer film design, orientation, and controlled compatibilization to improve material performance. By improving the performance and processability of biodegradable materials using industry-relevant manufacturing techniques, this research contributes to the transition toward more environmentally responsible packaging and manufacturing solutions for commercial applications. During his PhD, Nath was awarded 2nd place for the poster presentation competition at SPE ANTEC 2025 and 1st place at CSChE in 2024. The BDDC congratulates and wishes all the best to Dr. Nath. ...
Congratulations to Dr. Malik Hassan, who on March 31, 2026, successfully defended his PhD thesis titled “Additive Manufacturing of Sustainable Thermoplastic Polymers, their Blends and Composites: Processing–Structure–Property Relationships and Applications”. Hassan’s research investigated developing sustainable, high-performance materials for additive manufacturing by integrating recycled and biodegradable polymers with optimized processing and structural design. To successfully create these thermoplastic polymers, Hassan used biomass-derived biocarbon, controlled printing parameters, and auxetic geometries to enhance several factors associated with performance and manufacturing: printability, interlayer bonding, mechanical performance, and energy absorption. This work provides a practical pathway for advancing sustainable additive manufacturing systems while supporting circular economy strategies and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Hassan has received several awards and recognitions during his PhD journey, including the Irv Poston Detroit Section Scholarship, SPE Automotive & Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE) Scholarship, and SPE Foundation Scholarship (TPO Division) from the Society of Plastics Engineers. Additionally, Hassan won 3rd Place in the 3-Minute Pitch Presentation Competition at the Canadian Conference of Chemical Engineering 2024. The BDDC commends Dr. Hassan’s hard work and wishes him luck in future endeavors. ...
Congratulations to Fatemeh Jahangiri, a BDDC PhD student who, on March 24, 2026, completed her thesis defense titled, "High-Barrier Coatings and Plasticized Cellulose Acetate-Based Composites for Sustainable Biodegradable Packaging."Her thesis investigates "material- and process-level solutions for biodegradable packaging, with a focus on high-barrier coatings for plastic and paper substrates, as well as plasticized cellulose acetate composites. Through various complementary studies employing reactive extrusion, film casting, injection molding, and coating technologies, the work addresses key challenges related to barrier performance, mechanical properties, processability, and thermal stability in bio-based materials. The biomaterials developed in this thesis exhibit enhanced performance and represent promising alternatives to conventional petroleum-based packaging materials."""...
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