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Title: Assessment of biobased materials

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7151941· OSTI ID:7151941

Biobased materials are polymers derived from renewable resources by chemical or combined chemical and mechanical methods, or produced directly in biological processes. Combinations of renewable and conventional fossil-fuel-derived plastics are also biobased materials. This assessment reviews materials from renewable resources and their properties including major biopolymers produced by plants and selected animal sources. Examples discussed are wood, its polymeric components such as cellulose and lignin, related polymers such as chitin, other carbohydrate polymers such as starch, which when combined with plastics can impart environmental degradability to the resulting material. The conventional role of inexpensive wood flour as a filler is reviewed as well as the future research necessary to bring these materials into a higher value use as a reinforcing material for composites. Automotive, building, and packaging materials applications are considered. Bioproduction of materials is reviewed for selected polymers such as cellulose, other plant cell wall polymers, and proteins, with emphasis on silk and wool. These materials can be produced with specific properties such as biodegradability (e.g., polyhydroxybutyrate and valerate copolymers, polylactide polymers) or specific mechanical properties.

Research Organization:
Solar Energy Research Inst. (SERI), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/CE
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-83CH10093
OSTI ID:
7151941
Report Number(s):
SERI/TR-234-3610; ON: DE90000300
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English