Edited by
Mohamed Belgacem, École Française de Papeterie et INPG, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés Papetiers, Saint Martin d'Hères, France
Alessandro Gandini, University of Aveiro, CICECO, Chemistry Department, Portugal
Description
The progressive dwindling of fossil resources, coupled with the drastic increase in oil prices, have sparked a feverish activity in search
of alternatives based on renewable resources for the production of energy.
Given the predominance of petroleum- and carbon-based
chemistry for the manufacture of organic chemical commodities, a similar preoccupation has recently generated numerous initiatives aimed
at replacing these fossil sources with renewable counterparts. In particular, major efforts are being conducted in the field of polymer
science and technology to prepare macromolecular materials based on renewable resources. The concept of the bio-refinery, viz. the rational
exploitation of the vegetable biomass in terms of the separation of its components and their utilisation as such, or after suitable chemical
modifications, is thus gaining momentum and considerable financial backing from both the public and private sectors.
This collection
of chapters, each one written by internationally recognised experts in the corresponding field, covers in a comprehensive fashion all
the major aspects related to the synthesis, characterization and properties of macromolecular materials prepared using renewable resources
as such, or after appropriate modifications. Thus, monomers such as terpenes and furans, oligomers like rosin and tannins, and polymers
ranging from cellulose to proteins and including macromolecules synthesized by microbes, are discussed with the purpose of showing the
extraordinary variety of materials that can be prepared from their intelligent exploitation.
Particular emphasis has been placed
on recent advances and imminent perspectives, given the incessantly growing interest that this area is experiencing in both the scientific
and technological realms.
Audience:
This book is suitable for university chemistry, materials science and physics departments, research institutions dealing with the use
of natural resources and with materials science, industrial laboratories involving polymer science and academic, research and industrial
libraries.
