This review presents the advances in polymeric materials achieved by extrusion and injection molding from lignocellulosic agroindustrial biomass. Biomass, which is derived from agricultural and industrial waste, is a renewable and abundant feedstock that contains mainly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. To improve the properties and functions of polymeric materials, cellulose is subjected to a variety of modifications. The most common modifications are surface modification, grafting, chemical procedures, and molecule chemical grafting. Injection molding and extrusion technologies are crucial in shaping and manufacturing polymer composites, with precise control over the process and material selection. Furthermore, injection molding involves four phases: plasticization, injection, cooling, and ejection, with a focus on energy efficiency. Fundamental aspects of an injection molding machine, such as the motor, hopper, heating units, nozzle, and clamping unit, are discussed. Extrusion technology, commonly used as a preliminary step to injection molding, presents challenges regarding fiber reinforcement and stress accumulation, while lignin-based polymeric materials are challenging due to their hydrophobicity. The diverse applications of these biodegradable materials include automotive industries, construction, food packaging, and various consumer goods. Polymeric materials are positioned to offer even bigger contributions to sustainable and eco-friendly solutions in the future, as research and development continues.

The conventional method of employing low temperatures for storage and distribution has long been the standard approach for preserving most fruits and vegetables. This practice is likewise prevalent in the retail industry, which relies on similar methods for transporting and maintaining the quality of perishable products on their shelves. The aim was to preserve bananas (Musa paradisiaca) using an ethylene scavenger, potassium permanganate, which is contained in small paper bags, to increase the storage and distribution time at low cost. The bananas were distributed in four plastic containers at a temperature of 23C, three of the treatments contained different concentrations of potassium permanganate, and one was potassium permanganate free. The experimental period was 19 days, and the variations in weight loss, pH, titratable acidity, texture, color, and total soluble solids were analyzed. Potassium permanganate effectively reduced the changes in their physiological ripening.

Supercritical fluids’ extraction (SFE) and conventional solvent extraction (CSE) for defatting of quinoa flour as pretreatments to produce the quinoa protein hydrolysate (QPH) were studied. The objective was to extract the oil and separate the phenolic compounds (PC) and the defatted quinoa flour for subsequent quinoa protein extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis. The oil extraction yield (OEY), total flavonoid content (TFC), and QPH yield were compared. SuperPro Designer 9.0^® software was used to estimate the cost of manufacturing (COM), productivity, and net present value (NPV) on laboratory and industrial scales. SFE allows higher OEY and separation of PC. The SFE oil showed a higher OEY (99.70%), higher antioxidant activity (34.28 mg GAE/100 g), higher QPH yield (197.12%), lower COM (US$ 90.10/kg), and higher NPV (US$ 205,006,000) as compared to CSE (with 77.59%, 160.52%, US$ 109.29/kg, and US$ 28,159,000, respectively). The sensitivity analysis showed that the sale of by-products improves the economic results: at the industrial scale, no significant differences were found, and both processes are economically feasible. However, results indicate that SFE allows the recovery of an oil and QPH of better nutritional quality and a high level of purity-free organic solvents for further health and nutraceutical uses.

The production of quinoa protein hydrolysate (QPH) using two technologies to extract the oil and separate the phenolic compounds (PC) prior to enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated: (1) Supercritical fluids extraction (SFE), and (2) Conventional solvent extraction (CSE). A economic evaluation and sensitivity study was performed using SuperPro Designer^® 9.0 software; quinoa grain batches of 1.5 kg (laboratory) and 2500 kg (industrial scale) were considered. The results revealed that SFE allows for higher yields and the separation of PC, however, both processes are economically promising, especially when the QPH and by-products are produced on a large scale and sold at the current market price.