Wool–Poly(lactic acid) Biocomposite Mats as Degradable Sulphur Carriers: Effects on Forage Elemental Composition and Material Degradation
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Glass Technology and Amorphous Coatings, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
- 2Department of Animal Biotechnology, Faculty of Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture in Krakow, A. Mickiewicz 24/28 Av., 30-059 Krakow, Poland
- 3Łukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials, 31-983 Krakow, Poland
- 4Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Krakow, Poland
- 5Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
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.
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BibTeX
@article{barwinek2026woolpolylactic,
title = {{Wool–Poly(lactic acid) Biocomposite Mats as Degradable Sulphur Carriers: Effects on Forage Elemental Composition and Material Degradation}},
author = {Jakub Barwinek and Zuzanna Flis and Andrzej Czulak and Katarzyna Pamin and Bogna Napruszewska and Edyta Molik and Marcin Niemiec and Piotr Szatkowski},
journal = {Molecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/molecules31203777},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3777},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Wool–Poly(lactic acid) Biocomposite Mats as Degradable Sulphur Carriers: Effects on Forage Elemental Composition and Material Degradation
AU - Jakub Barwinek
AU - Zuzanna Flis
AU - Andrzej Czulak
AU - Katarzyna Pamin
AU - Bogna Napruszewska
AU - Edyta Molik
AU - Marcin Niemiec
AU - Piotr Szatkowski
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Molecules
DO - 10.3390/molecules31203777
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/20/3777
AB - 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.
SN - 1420-3049
ER -