At the 2025 The Korean Society of Wood Science and Technology Fall Academic Conference held in Buyeo, Chungcheongbuk-do on October 16-17, 2025, Park Jong in (Ph.D. candidate 25), a student from the Green Composites and Bio-based Materials Research Laboratory in the Department of Forest Products & Biotechnology at Kookmin University, presented a paper titled ‘Study on the Industrial Potential of PLA/PHA/PBAT Bio-Composites’. Under the guidance of his advisor, Professor Kim Birm June, he was awarded The Korean Society of Wood Science and Technology Outstanding Paper Award.

Bio-based plastics are proposed as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Among these, PLA (polylactic acid), derived from corn starch, and PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), made from microbial sources, are representative biodegradable bio-plastics. PBAT (polybutylene co-adipate co-terephthalate) is a petroleum-based plastic but is biodegradable as a bio-plastic. By adding MCC (microcrystalline cellulose), a renewable material, and a chain extender to this, filaments were manufactured as bio-plastics. These were then applied to FDM 3D printing to find the optimal formulation. To verify the industrial applicability of the produced filament, two types of commercial filaments containing PHA were selected as comparators. Specimens were fabricated via FDM 3D printing, and their mechanical properties were evaluated. This demonstrated the industrial utilization potential of the produced filament. Student Park Jong in plans to conduct future research on developing high-value-added bio-based materials by applying renewable forest-derived substances and various bioplastics.

The Green Composite and Bio-based Materials Research Laboratory (https://cst.kookmin.ac.kr/biotechnology/laboratory) in the Department of Forest Products & Biotechnology at Kookmin University, where Park Jong in is affiliated, processes woody/non-woody natural fibers and wood constituents using various physical, mechanical, and chemical techniques, then fusing them with bioplastics and functional nanomaterials. This research aims to develop eco-friendly composites for construction and automotive applications, as well as high-value-added bio-based materials.