{
  "abstract": "Low-grade sheep wool is an underused, keratin-rich by-product whose cystine-derived sulphur could be returned to agricultural soils. Carded wool was bonded with sprayed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) hot-melt to obtain porous wool–PLA biocomposite mats, which were exposed in field soil, in a pasture-grass composter and under soil-free outdoor conditions. The elemental composition of the wool, soil, forage, composting material and exposed mats was determined by ICP-OES after 60 days of exposure; each reported value is the mean of at least three analytical determinations, whereas the field layout comprised one plot per treatment. Forage from the plot with buried mats contained 47.8% more S and 21.9% more K than forage from the untreated plot, whereas Ca, Mg, B and Mo concentrations were lower; because the plots were not replicated, these differences are reported as preliminary observations rather than as demonstrated treatment effects. After composting, the mats retained only 17–23% of their initial storage modulus between −30 and 50 °C, while the relaxation of the PLA phase shifted by 7–10 °C towards higher temperatures. The water contact angle decreased from 72.3 ± 10.0° to 55.7 ± 12.1° (six droplets on one mat per condition), while the stylus roughness did not change appreciably. Digital microscopy revealed swelling, fissuring, cavities and fibre exposure along wool–PLA interfaces. A coupled mechanism of PLA ester hydrolysis and keratinolytic release of sulphur is proposed as a working hypothesis that is consistent with, but not yet proven by, the present data. The results support wool–PLA mats as temporary, degradable carriers of keratin-bound sulphur; replicated field trials with yield, nutrient uptake and soil measurements, together with direct degradation markers, are required before any fertilising or soil-improving effect can be claimed.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Glass Technology and Amorphous Coatings, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland",
    "Department of Animal Biotechnology, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture in Krakow, A. Mickiewicz 24/28 Av., 30-059 Krakow, Poland",
    "Łukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials, 31-983 Krakow, Poland",
    "Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Krakow, Poland",
    "Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 31-120 Kraków, Poland"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jakub Barwinek",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-6440-4091"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Zuzanna Flis"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Andrzej Czulak"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Katarzyna Pamin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Bogna Napruszewska",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4356-0393"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Edyta Molik",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0648-9471"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Marcin Niemiec"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Piotr Szatkowski",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0861-6195"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/crrxbywzevzbg.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/molecules31203777",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13707434/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "crrxbywzevzbg",
  "issns": [
    "1420-3049"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3777",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2502|biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223095724",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13707434/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13707434",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/crrxbywzevzbg.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:42Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/molecules31203777",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3777"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:34Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13707434",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13707434"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2502|biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Wool–Poly(lactic acid) Biocomposite Mats as Degradable Sulphur Carriers: Effects on Forage Elemental Composition and Material Degradation",
  "title_text": "Wool–Poly(lactic acid) Biocomposite Mats as Degradable Sulphur Carriers: Effects on Forage Elemental Composition and Material Degradation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:34Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/crrxbywzevzbg",
  "venue": "Molecules",
  "versions": []
}