Archive | 2021
Advantages of biopolymers over synthetic polymers
Abstract
Abstract Polymeric materials have been thriving in global industries over the past 5\xa0decades because of their adaptability, durability, and price, so much so that now we cannot imagine a product that does not contain them. However, many synthetic polymers that have been developed are mainly derived from petroleum and coal as raw material, which make them incompatible with the environment, since they cannot be included in what is a natural recycling system. Aware of the environmental impacts that produce synthetic polymers, a solution could be mixtures with different types and sources of biological materials, called biopolymers, such as starch, cellulose, chitin, chitosan, zein, and gelatin among others, which could gradually replace synthetic polymers to address and resolve these problems. The naturally obtained and synthetic biopolymers possess huge advantages over petroleum-based polymers by means of cost effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and user-friendly materials. In this chapter, we discuss the advantages of biopolymers over synthetic polymers in social, economic, and environmental aspects. The life cycle assessment of various biopolymers is compared with the petroleum-based biopolymers and the results show that biopolymers have certain advantages. Furthermore, the impact created on the environment by petroleum-based plastics is higher than that of biopolymers. The discussion is further extended to the composite materials of biopolymers with synthetic polymers to reduce impacts on the environment. Moreover, the utilization of turmeric nanofibers and ginger nanofibers derived from biowastes such as turmeric and ginger spent and their composites with different biopolymers and metal oxides in environmental applications, drug delivery, and antibacterial studies is also elaborated. Advanced applications of biopolymers in medical, tissue-engineering, military, and environmental applications suggest that biopolymers are a boon for the Earth over synthetic polymers.