We are very happy to share our latest work, just published in Food Hydrocolloids: “From seaweed biorefinery residues to functional films: how H₂O₂/UV-assisted pigment removal reshapes polymer networks and material performance”.
In this study, we explored something that is central to our approach to circular materials: instead of isolating and purifying individual biopolymers, can we take advantage of the complexity that is already present in a residue?
We investigated solid residues remaining after the extraction of valuable compounds from three very different seaweeds — Furcellaria lumbricalis, Saccharina latissima and Ulva lactuca — and transformed them into films by extrusion and hot pressing.
And one of the most interesting lessons was that cleaner is not necessarily better.
Removing pigments with an H₂O₂/UV treatment improved the optical appearance of the residues, but it also modified the protein–polysaccharide networks responsible for keeping the material together. Depending on the seaweed, this could preserve film performance… or even destroy its film-forming ability.
The key is therefore not simply to purify or whiten the residue, but to preserve the molecular interactions that give the residual matrix its functionality.
For us, this is another step towards a different way of thinking about biorefineries: not only extracting valuable compounds, but also designing value into what remains.
This work has been possible thanks to the SEAFOODTURE and UPRISING projects and, above all, to a fantastic team from CSIC. Congratulations to everyone involved!
Read the article here: