Ramani Narayan
Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science | Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI, UNITED STATES
Expert in biodegradable plastics, biobased and recyclable composites
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Biography
Polymeric materials from renewable resources; biodegradable polymer systems; engineering and design of natural-synthetic polymer graft and block copolymers; polymer blends; studies in reactive extrusion processing, biobased and recyclable composites.
Industry Expertise (5)
Education/Learning
Chemicals
Biotechnology
Plastics
Renewables and Environmental
Areas of Expertise (5)
Renewable Resources
Biodegradable Polymers and Materials
Engineering
Polymers and Plastics
Biobased and Recyclable Composites
Accomplishments (3)
Award of Excellence, ASTM Committee (professional)
2006
Withrow Distinguished Scholar. MSU Department of Engineering (professional)
2005
Governor's University Award for Commercialization Excellence, State of Michigan (professional)
2005
Education (2)
Bombay University: Ph.D., Organic Chemistry (Polymer Science & Eng.) 1975
Bombay University: M.S., Organic Chemistry 1969
Links (2)
News (5)
Why compostable plastic is not a silver bullet for eliminating plastic waste
ABC News online
2024-12-18
Modern humans rely on plastic in their everyday lives. They eat off plastic and use plastic for packaging and transport, Ramani Narayan, a university distinguished professor of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University, told ABC News.
New Thinking About Compostable Packaging
Yale E360 online
2022-12-13
“The concept that we could use it, throw it away, and it doesn’t matter where you throw it, and it’s going to safely disappear, that does not exist,” said Ramani Narayan, a professor at the School of Packaging at Michigan State University. “Nobody could engineer something like that, not even nature.”
Beyond paper and plastic, the quest for the perfect straw continues
NBC News online
2022-07-30
According to Yale Environment 360, bioplastics like PHA and PLA represent a $9 billion share of the $1.2 trillion plastic market. Ramani Narayan, distinguished professor in the department of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University, said while traditional plastics have backbones made of very strong carbon-carbon bonds, bioplastics like PHA and PLA have a weaker ester backbone, which allows them to be consumed by microbes and thus degrade much more quickly than traditional plastics.
The fungus and bacteria tackling plastic waste
BBC online
2021-08-01
Like other plastic-eating organisms, Pseudomonas breaks down the polyurethane using enzymes; and the team has now carried out a genomic analysis of the bacterium with the aim of identifying the particular genes that code for these enzymes. But some question whether such techniques will ever be commercially viable. "Enzyme or microbial conversion of PET to its constituent building blocks is interesting science and needs to be explored. However, the technology will have to compete with proven, commercial conversion technologies using mundane, less exciting water-catalyst systems," said Professor Ramani Narayan of Michigan State University.
Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags Might Be Too Good To Be True
Discover Magazine online
2020-10-21
Maybe this frustration has piqued your interest in “compostable” or “biodegradable” dog waste bags. But odds are, whatever you think will happen with eco-friendly poop bags isn’t panning out. “Biodegradability is the most used and abused term,” says Ramani Narayan, a chemical engineer at Michigan State University. The word carries little regulatory oversight, and when slapped on products, it can leave customers thinking their purchase — whether it be plastic cups, forks or dog poop bags — leaves a smaller impact on the environment than it does.
Journal Articles (5)
Humidity Resistant Biodegradable Starch Foams Reinforced with Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) and Chitosan
Polymers2024 In this study, water-insoluble, moisture-resistant starch foams were prepared using an optimized one-step extrusion-foaming process in a ZSK-30 twin screw extruder. The extrusion parameters, including temperature, screw configuration, die diameter, water content, and feeding rates, were optimized to achieve foams with the lowest density and controlled expansion. A screw configuration made up of three kneading sections was found to be the most effective for better mixing and foaming. Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) acted as a plasticizer, resulting in foams with a density of 21 kg/m3 and an expansion ratio of 38.7, while chitosan served as a nucleating agent, reducing cell size and promoting a uniform cell size distribution.
Biobased Compostable Plastics End-of-Life: Environmental Assessment Including Carbon Footprint and Microplastic Impacts
Polymers2024 In this paper, we examine how traditional life-cycle assessment (LCA) for bio-based and compostable plastics overlooks issues surrounding carbon sequestration and microplastic persistence. To outline biased comparisons drawn from these omitted environmental impacts, we provide, as an example, a comparative LCA for compostable biobased vs. non-compostable fossil-based materials. In doing so we (1) demonstrate the proper way to capture carbon footprints to make fair comparisons and (2) identify the overlooked issues of microplastics and the need for non-persistent alternatives. By ensuring accurate biogenic carbon capture, key contributors to CO2 evolution are properly identified, allowing well-informed changes to formulations that can reduce the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions
Immunometabolic cues recompose and reprogram the microenvironment around implanted biomaterials
Nature Biomedical Engineering2024 Circulating monocytes infiltrate and coordinate immune responses in tissues surrounding implanted biomaterials and in other inflamed tissues. Here we show that immunometabolic cues in the biomaterial microenvironment govern the trafficking of immune cells, including neutrophils and monocytes, in a manner dependent on the chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) and the C-X3-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1). This affects the composition and activation states of macrophage and dendritic cell populations, ultimately orchestrating the relative composition of pro-inflammatory, transitory and anti-inflammatory CCR2+, CX3CR1+ and CCR2+ CX3CR1+ immune cell populations.
Regulating the proinflammatory response to composite biomaterials by targeting immunometabolism
Bioactive Materials2024 Composite biomaterials comprising polylactide (PLA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) are applied in bone, cartilage and dental regenerative medicine, where HA confers osteoconductive properties. However, after surgical implantation, adverse immune responses to these composites can occur, which have been attributed to size and morphology of HA particles. Approaches to effectively modulate these adverse immune responses have not been described. PLA degradation products have been shown to alter immune cell metabolism (immunometabolism), which drives the inflammatory response. Accordingly, to modulate the inflammatory response to composite biomaterials, inhibitors were incorporated into composites comprised of amorphous PLA (aPLA) and HA (aPLA + HA) to regulate glycolytic flux.
Antimicrobial Solid Starch–Iodine Complex via Reactive Extrusion and Its Application in PLA-PBAT Blown Films
Polymers2024 In this study, a solid masterbatch of starch–iodine complex with 6.7 wt.% iodine was prepared in pellet form using a ZSK-30 twin-screw extruder. Thermogravimetric (TGA) and isothermal TGA analysis of the pellets revealed that there was no significant loss of iodine due to sublimation during reactive extrusion. These solid pellets demonstrated antifungal properties when applied to strawberries via dip coating in an aqueous solution, extending their shelf life from two days to eight days, thereby reducing fungal growth and visual decay. Furthermore, the solid pellets displayed antibacterial activity against E. coli, as evidenced by the clear zone of inhibition observed in the Kirby–Bauer test.
