Recent Developments in Biobased Polymers for General and Engineering Applications

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The Recent Developments in Biobased Polymers toward General and
Engineering Applications: Polymers that Are Upgraded from Biodegradable
Polymers, Analogous to Petroleum-Derived Polymers, and Newly Developed
by
Hajime Nakajima, Peter Dijkstra and Katja Loos
For the past few years, there have been debates concerning the increasing wastes
that pollute the environment and that makes lives unbearable. Notably, the use of
plastics have been a major concerns in the modern world in its efforts to make the
environment greener and cleaner. Traditionally, polymers including polyethylene and
polypropylene had been used for a while but unfortunately they stay for many years
without decomposing and hence they are considered as threats to the environment.
Plastics are used for just a short period of time but after being disposed, they do not
decompose. Nakajima and his colleagues, brings about a discussion on the
development of biobased polymers. Audrey, et al also notes that development of bio-
based polymers and the upgrading they are going through are arguably among the
innovations in the modern engineering sector (15). The world is concerned with
consumption and conservation of energy and there are efforts in ensuring that there is
efficient use of energy which is among efforts of reducing global warming (the major
challenge of the world).

Bio-based polymers are arguably new in the modern science and they are formed
from the micro-organisms, plants, and from animals. Due to the public demand about
waste management, bio-based polymers have come in place as a means of ensuring
that the world focus on the organic materials. Major areas in which biodegradable
polymers are found include medical, bioengineering and pharmaceutical. Sindhu, et al
asserts that one of the benefits of using bio-degradable polymers is that they allow
efficient production and hence they lead to desired functionalities as well as physical
properties (429). Nevertheless, there are chemical and biochemical processes that are
used in the production of polymers. Of important about these polymers is due to their
environmental impacts and in particular the reduction of the carbon footprint (Aguilar
and San Roman 8). In addition to this, bio-based polymers have also been used in the
improvements in the physical durability as well as the processability of PLA. Also
they are greatly used for bottles, films and also in other packaging materials especially
in the foods and also in the beverage industries. There have been rigorous campaigns
on waste management and this has invited innovations in the polymers engineering
sector and for use it have had great impacts in the world we are living in.
Apart from bio-based polymers, there have also been petroleum derived polymers
such as bio-ethylene. However, the use of petroleum based polymers have various
disadvantages and these include the rise of oil prices and there are also environmental
awareness. In fact, fossil fuels have been the major contribution to the global warming
and hence they have faced criticisms and thus the world are encouraging people to use
renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar and hydro power. All the same,
petroleum derived polymers have the benefits which include complete combustion
and they can also be recycled. Motivation for the development of polymers is to
enhance sustainability in the production and also in the use of resources around the