The purpose of this study was to assess the potential for biocomposite films to biodegrade in diverse climatic environments. Biocomposite films based on polyethylene and 30 wt.% of two lignocellulosic fillers (wood flour or flax straw) of different size fractions were prepared and studied. The developed composite films were characterized by satisfactory mechanical properties that allows the use of these materials for various applications. The biodegradability was evaluated in soil across three environments: laboratory conditions, an open field in Russia, and an open field in Costa Rica. All the samples lost weight and tensile strength during biodegradation tests, which was associated with the physicochemical degradation of both the natural filler and the polymer matrix. The spectral density of the band at 1463 cm⁻¹ related to CH₂-groups in polyethylene chains decreased in the process of soil burial, which is evidence of polymer chain breakage with formation of CH₃ end groups. The degradation rate of most biocomposites after 20 months of the soil assays was greatest in Costa Rica (20.8–30.9%), followed by laboratory conditions (16.0–23.3%), and lowest in Russia (13.2–22.0%). The biocomposites with flax straw were more prone to biodegradation than those with wood flour, which can be explained by the chemical composition of fillers and the shape of filler particles. As the size fraction of filler particles increased, the biodegradation rate increased. Large particles had higher bioavailability than small spherical ones, encapsulated by a polymer. The prepared biocomposites have potential as an ecofriendly replacement for traditional polyolefins, especially in warmer climates.

The influence of the relative position of Ag metallic nanoparticles (Ag MNPs) embedded in a 100 nm SiO_x Antireflection Coating (ARC) for specular polished c-Si substrates is studied. It is demonstrated that this Plasmonic ARC (PARC) can achieve lower average reflectivities than the optimised SiO_x ARC. This has been done for different sizes of Ag nanoparticles. An alternative for PECVD to encapsulate Ag MNPs with SiO_x is presented, avoiding the risk of metallic contamination in the reactor chamber as well as its effect on the size and shape of the self-aggregated Ag MNP. It is demonstrated, however, that this PARC is not suitable for silicon solar cells as a substitute for traditional ARC because it presents a high loss related with Fano destructive interference.

In this study the role of the content of filler, its nature (particle geometry in particular) and the type of the copolymer matrix were examined. For the study three grades of ethylene-octene copolymer were chosen. Composites were mixed in proportion from 70 to 30 wt % of the polymer matrix content. Water absorption was determined; thermal oxidative degradation was studied; and a biodegradation test on recovered soil was carried out. It was concluded that water absorption and weight loss correlate with the filler content. It was found that biocomposites with oil flax straw are more prone to water absorption and weight loss than the same ones with wood flour. The most stable matrix to oxidation was Lucene 370, then Lucene 670 and Lucene 760. Therefore, biocomposites based on Lucene 760 should be more biodegradable than others.