The world faces significant challenges as the population and consumption continue to grow while nonrenewable fossil fuels and other raw materials are depleted at ever-increasing rates. This informative volume provides a technical approach to address these issues using green design and analysis. It takes an interdisciplinary look at concepts that can be applied across engineering disciplines in the development of products, processes, and systems to minimize environmental impacts across all life cycle phases. Topics include polymers for pollutant removal, wood-based biopolymers, bio-based polymers for drug formulations, biomaterial-based medical implants, biodegradabilty of biopolymer materials, bio-based polymers for food packaging applications, biodegradable polymers for tissue engineering applications, and more.
Biopolymers are attracting immense attention of late because of their diverse applications that can address growing environmental concerns and energy demands. The development of various biomaterials creates significant advancements in the medical field as well, and many biopolymers are used for the fabrication of biomaterials. Together, biopolymers and biomaterials create great potential for new materials, applications, and uses. This new volume, Biopolymers and Biomaterials, covers the science and application of biopolymers and biomaterials. It presents an array of different studies on biopolymers and biomaterials, along with their results, interpretation, and the conclusions arrived at through investigations. It includes biopolymer synthesis, their characterizations, and their potential applications. The book begins with an explanation of the different biopolymers used in the textile industry, their advantages and disadvantages, and their applications.
In the past 25 years, plastic products have gained universal use not only in food, clothing and shelter, but also in the transportation, construction, medical and leisure industries. Whereas previously synthetic plastics were developed as durable substitute products, increasing concern for the global environment and solid waste management has resulted in an urgent demand for biodegradable plastics. The main topics of the Third International Scientific Workshop were as follows: 1. Biodegradation of polymers and plastics 2. Environmental degradation of plastics 3. Synthesis and properties of new biodegradable plastic materials 4. Biodegradation and morphologies of polymer blends 5. Development of biodegradation test methods 6. Governmental policy, regulation and standards.
Bio-Based Packaging Bio-Based Packaging An authoritative and up-to-date review of sustainable packaging development and applications Bio-Based Packaging explores using renewable and biodegradable materials as sustainable alternatives to non-renewable, petroleum-based packaging. This comprehensive volume surveys the properties of biopolymers, the environmental and economic impact of bio-based packaging, and new and emerging technologies that are increasing the number of potential applications of green materials in the packaging industry. Contributions address the advantages and challenges of bio-based packaging, discuss new materials to be used for food packaging, and highlight cutting-edge research on polymers such as starch, protein, polylactic acid (PLA), pectin, nanocellulose, and their nanocomposites. In-depth yet accessible chapters provide balanced coverage of a broad range of practical topics, including life cycle assessment (LCA) of bio-based packaging products, consumer perceptions and preferences, supply chains, business strategies and markets in biodegradable food packaging, manufacturing of bio-based packaging materials, and regulations for food packaging materials. Detailed discussions provide valuable insight into the opportunities for biopolymers in end-use sectors, the barriers to biopolymer-based concepts in the packaging market, recent advances made in the field of biopolymeric composite materials, the future of bio-plastics in commercial food packaging, and more. This book: Provides deep coverage of the bio-based packaging development, characterization, regulations and environmental and socio-economic impact Contains real-world case studies of bio-based packaging applications Includes an overview of recent advances and emerging aspects of nanotechnology for development of sustainable composites for packaging Discusses renewable sources for packaging material and the reuse and recycling of bio-based packaging products Bio-Based Packaging is essential reading for academics, researchers, and industry professionals working in packaging materials, renewable resources, sustainability, polymerization technology, food technology, material engineering, and related fields. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs
Continuous research advances have been observed in the field of environmentally-friendly polymers and polymer composites due to the dependence of polymers on fossil fuels and the sustainability issues related to plastic wastes. This book compiles the most recent research works in biopolymers, their blends and composites, and the use of natural additives, such as vegetable oils and other renewable and waste-derived liquids, with their marked environmental efficiency devoted to developing novel sustainable materials. Therefore, Environmentally Friendly Polymers and Polymer Composites provides an overview to scientists of the potential of these environmentally friendly materials and helps engineers to apply these new materials for industrial purposes.
Collating otherwise hard-to-get and recently acquired knowledge in one work, this is a comprehensive reference on the synthesis, properties, characterization, and applications of this eco-friendly class of plastics. A group of internationally renowned researchers offer their first-hand experience and knowledge, dealing exclusively with those biodegradable polyesters that have become increasingly important over the past two decades due to environmental concerns on the one hand and newly-devised applications in the biomedical field on the other. The result is an unparalleled overview for the industrial chemist and materials scientist, as well as for developers and researchers in industry and academia alike.
Over the few coming decades, bio-based and biodegradable plastics produced from sustainable bioresources should essentially substitute the prevalent synthetic plastics produced from exhaustible hydrocarbon fossils. To the greatest extend, this innovative trend has to apply to the packaging manufacturing area and especially to food packaging implementation. To supply the rapid production increment of biodegradable plastics, there must be provided the effective development of scientific-technical potential that promotes the comprehensive exploration of their structural, functional, and dynamic characteristics. In this regard, the transition from passive barrier materials preventing water and oxygen transport as well as bacteria infiltration to active functional packaging that ensures gas diffusion selectivity, antiseptics' and other modifiers' release should be based on the thorough study of biopolymer crystallinity, morphology, diffusivity, controlled biodegradability and life cycle assessment. This Special Issue accumulates the papers of international teams that devoted to scientific and industrial bases providing the biodegradable material development in the barrier and active packaging as well as in agricultural applications. We hope that book will bring great interest to the experts in the area of sustainable biopolymers.
This book offers a detailed presentation of the principles and practice of life cycle impact assessment. As a volume of the LCA compendium, the book is structured according to the LCIA framework developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)passing through the phases of definition or selection of impact categories, category indicators and characterisation models (Classification): calculation of category indicator results (Characterisation); calculating the magnitude of category indicator results relative to reference information (Normalisation); and converting indicator results of different impact categories by using numerical factors based on value-choices (Weighting). Chapter one offers a historical overview of the development of life cycle impact assessment and presents the boundary conditions and the general principles and constraints of characterisation modelling in LCA. The second chapter outlines the considerations underlying the selection of impact categories and the classification or assignment of inventory flows into these categories. Chapters three through thirteen exploreall the impact categories that are commonly included in LCIA, discussing the characteristics of each followed by a review of midpoint and endpoint characterisation methods, metrics, uncertainties and new developments, and a discussion of research needs. Chapter-length treatment is accorded to Climate Change; Stratospheric Ozone Depletion; Human Toxicity; Particulate Matter Formation; Photochemical Ozone Formation; Ecotoxicity; Acidification; Eutrophication; Land Use; Water Use; and Abiotic Resource Use. The final two chapters map out the optional LCIA steps of Normalisation and Weighting.
Considering the deleterious impacts of fossil fuels on the environmental and natural ecosystems, it has become imperative to make a paradigm shift towards renewable fuels, chemicals and materials. The exhaustive everyday usage of fossil fuels and processed petrochemical products are the leading cause for the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, climate changes, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, pollution of air, water and soil as well as accumulation of non-biodegradable materials in the soil and oceans. On the contrary, biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials derived from renewable wastes such as non-edible plant biomass (e.g., agricultural and forestry biomass), energy crops, microalgae, municipal solid waste, sewage sludge and other biogenic residues seem to be carbon neutral. Therefore, the global interest in biorefining technologies, especially thermochemical and biological conversion processes are gaining momentum in academic and industrial perspectives. The book offers all-inclusive coverage of the most crucial topics as follows: State-of-the-art information on the production and utilization of biofuels through thermochemical biorefining technologies Conversion of waste biomass through pyrolysis, liquefaction, torrefaction, carbonization, gasification, reforming and other clean technologies Waste-to-energy/chemical generation Fuel upgrading technologies Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment of biorefining processes Persistently fabricated to be instantly applicable, this volume serves as a reference book for undergraduate and graduate students, scientific investigators and research scholars working in the areas relating to energy and fuels.
Biodegradable polymers have experienced strong growth over the last three years and are set to make further inroads into markets traditionally dominated by conventional thermoplastics in future. Four main classes of biodegradable polymers are analysed in this report, polylactic acid (PLA), starch-based polymers, synthetic biodegradable polymers, such as aromatic aliphatic co-polyesters, and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). The report analyses their key performance properties, applications development, market drivers and future prospects. Each product section also contains an estimate of market size by world region and end use market, plus forecasts to 2010. There is also an analysis of key suppliers and their products.
