Biopolymers and Bioplastics

Bio-polymer Manufacturing from Novel Resource

Biodegradable polymers are one of the most advantageous alternatives for synthetic polymers in terms of eco-friendly solutions for material production. Some of those advantages include, manufacturing from renewable resources, thus eliminating the problem of exhaustion. Secondly, they exhibit biodegradability, the polymer in will ultimately decompose and used as compost. The most utilized biopolymers include lignin, starch, chitin, cellulose, etc. They are available in abundance in the environment, but the sources vary and selecting the most reliable and developing efficient method of extraction is matter of importance. Lignin and starch are the readily available sources as they are available in tons as a result of waste product from pulp and paper industries.

Plants and crop waste are also an abundant source for biopolymers and they produce it in large amounts for the purpose of maintenance and structural integrity and carbon storage. The stored biopolymers can be utilized in bulk material production such as plastics and elastomers, in the response to depleting oil resources and climate change. This is a technical and bottlenecks in production of novel or improved materials in transgenic or alternative crop plants. If plant sources aren’t sufficient researchers can look into the animal kingdom for more resources. Crustacean exoskeletons have been used and researched for a long time as a viable source for chitosan, it is also available in waste from the fishing industry. Several similar novel resources can be exploited for biopolymers extraction and processing for economic and bulk production.

• Functional Bio-nanocomposites from the Assembly of Clays and Biopolymers
• Biodegradable biopolymers its precursors and production processes
• Sugarcane bagasse cellulose as a source for hydrogel drug carrier
• Producing of chitosan-TiO2 composite film with anti-microbial properties
• Functional lignocellulosic materials from wood
• Agro-waste as biomass for bioplastic production
• Microbial monomers for synthesis of aromatic polymers