Sustainable Polylactide-Based Composites integrates fundamental knowledge pertaining to manufacturing and characterization of polymer composites with a thorough and critical overview of the state-of-the-art in PLA-based composites, including significant past and recent advances. The book begins with insights into the basics of polymer composites, with special reference to sustainable composites, as well as fundamental knowledge related to PLA. This is followed by chapters on manufacturing methods, morphological characterization techniques, and the mechanical models used for polymer composites. A comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in PLA-based sustainable composites of all extensively used fillers is then presented. After providing fundamental knowledge related to PLA and polymer composites, including structure-property-processing relationship, the book focuses on recent research efforts and key research challenges in the development of PLA-based composites, as well as lifecycle assessment and recycling. Presents fundamentals, processing techniques, characterization methods, and modeling Offers comprehensive coverage of a broad range of polylactide composites Addresses key issues that could shape future research and industrial application for sustainable future development

Sustainable Polylactide-Based Blends provides a critical overview of the state-of-the-art in polylactide (PLA)-based blends, addressing the latest advances, innovative processing techniques and fundamental issues that persist in the field. Sections cover the fundamentals of sustainable polymeric materials, polylactide and polymer blends, current and upcoming processing technologies, structure and morphology characterization techniques for PLA and PLA-based blends, and the processing, morphology development, and properties of polylactide-based blends. Final chapters focus on current and future applications, market potential, key challenges and future outlooks. Throughout the book, theoretical modeling of immiscible polymer blends helps to establish structure-property relationships in various PLA-based polymer blends. With in-depth coverage of fundamentals and processing techniques, the book aims to support the selection of each processing method, along with an understanding of surface chemistry to achieve improved compatibility between phases. Explains fundamental aspects of polylactide-based blends, including characterization methods and property measurement techniques Offers comprehensive and detailed coverage of processing, morphology and properties, all organized by blend material Analyzes novel methods and addresses challenges associated with PLA-based blends, with a focus on applications and market potential

Multiphase Polylactide Blends: Toward a Sustainable and Green Environment guides the reader through fundamentals, science, preparation, and key areas of innovation in polylactide (PLA) blends. Bio-based polymers, and notably PLA, have not only gained increasing interest as a more sustainable alternative but also bring challenges in terms of mechanical, rheological, thermal and physical properties, processability, shapability, and foamability. The use of blends looks to address these, with the development of new types of economically viable and environmentally friendly systems. This is a valuable book for academic researchers, scientists, and graduate students across bio-based polymers, polymer science, chemistry, and materials science, as well as engineers, R&D professionals, and all those in industry with interest in PLA-based blends, biopolymers, and sustainable materials and products. More specifically, the first three chapters of this book overview the fundamentals of thermoplastic polymers, polymer blends, and structure and properties of PLA. These chapters could technically be used as a valuable textbook on the noted topics. The rest of the chapters inclusively study the fundamentals, investigations, and achievements in PLA-based blends with various types of polymers. These include miscible blends of poly L-lactide and poly D-lactide, binary immiscible/miscible blends of PLA with other thermoplastics and elastomers, PLA-based ternary blends and blend nanocomposites, as well as PLA-based blend foams. Overall, this book provides a thorough and critical overview of the state of the art in PLA-based blends, including significant past and recent advances, with the aim of supporting and shaping further research and industrial application of these materials for the development of a green and sustainable future. Overviews the fundamentals of thermoplastic polymers, polymer blends, and the structure and properties of PLA. Provides detailed coverage of the fundamentals and science of PLA blends, including phase miscibility, thermal and mechanical properties, interface and rheological properties, the use of compatibilizers, and phase morphological analysis. Offers a thorough critical overview of the state of the art in processing and development of PLA-based blends, addressing key challenges and future perspectives. Covers the latest advances, including PLA-based ternary blends, blend nanocomposites, and PLA-based blend microcellular foams.

The sustainability of any process lies in the eco-friendly and economical production of products for applications. Bio-based materials are emerging as raw materials for different products and applications. The book covers cellulose, chitosan, silk, collagen and gelatin bio-based materials. It describes their use in biomedical applications, such as orthopaedic implant, drug delivery, tissue culture, biosensor and engineering applications such as fuel cells, energy storage and packaging. It concludes with the use of bio-based materials as precursors for biorefinery, biolubricants, membranes and adsorbents.

Towards more sustainable packaging with biodegradable materials! The combination of the continuously increasing food packaging waste with the non-biodegradable nature of the plastic materials that have a big slice of the packaging market makes it necessary to move towards sustainable packaging for the benefit of the environment and human health. Sustainable packaging is the type of packaging that can provide to food the necessary protection conditions, but at the same type is biodegradable and can be disposed as organic waste to the landfills in order to biodegrade through a natural procedure. In this way, sustainable packaging becomes part of the circular economy. ?Sustainable Food Packaging Technology? deals with packaging solutions that use engineered biopolymers or biocomposites that have suitable physicochemical properties for food contact and protection and originate both from renewable or non-renewable resources, but in both cases are compostable or edible. Modified paper and cardboard with increased protective properties towards food while keeping their compostability are presented as well. The book also covers natural components that can make the packaging functional, e.g., by providing active protection to the food indicating food spoilage. * Addresses urgent problems: food packaging creates a lot of hard-to-recycle waste - this book puts forward more sustainable solutions using biodegradable materials * State-of-the-art: ?Sustainable Food Packaging Technology? provides knowledge on new developments in functional packaging * From lab to large-scale applications: expert authors report on the technology aspects of sustainable packaging

The book covers such diverse topics as cellulose fibers in cement paste and concrete, biodegradable materials for dental applications, coconut and pineapple fiber composites, biodegradable plastic composites, durability against fatigue and moisture, physical and mechanical characterization of fiber composites, improving the hydrophobic nature of fiber composites, and hybrid natural fiber composites. Keywords: Fiber Reinforced Composites, Biodegradable Composites, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cellulose Fibers, Coconut Fibers, Biocomposites, Resol-Vegetable Fibers, Pineapple Natural Fiber Composite, Dental Applications, Cement Paste, Concrete, Thermoplasticity, Fatigue, Moisture, Thermal Conductivity.