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Selected Biopolymers' Processing and Their Applications: A Review.
María Flórez1, Patricia Cazón1, Manuel Vázquez1
1Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain.
Polymers
|February 11, 2023
Summary
Discover eco-friendly biopolymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. This review explores production methods and applications for biodegradable polymers, reducing plastic waste.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Petroleum-based polymers present significant environmental challenges due to contamination and non-biodegradability.
- There is a growing need for sustainable and green alternatives to reduce plastic waste.
- Biopolymers derived from natural sources offer a promising solution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of biopolymer production methods.
- To discuss parameters influencing biopolymer processing and applications.
- To highlight the potential of biopolymers in various industries.
Main Methods:
- Review of widespread production techniques for biopolymers.
- Analysis of factors affecting biopolymer development, including temperature, humidity, solvents, and processing time.
- Identification of key biopolymers, focusing on polysaccharides and proteins.
Main Results:
- Common production techniques include solvent casting, coating, electrospinning, 3D printing, compression molding, and graft copolymerization.
- Polysaccharide and protein-derived biopolymers are extensively studied.
- Optimized production methods enhance biopolymer properties and modify their chemical structure.
Conclusions:
- Biopolymers offer a viable, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastics.
- Various production techniques can be tailored to improve biopolymer characteristics for specific applications.
- Biopolymers have broad applications in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, food packaging, and scaffold engineering.
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