Biomaterials

Biomaterials

Interest in biodegradable, sustainable and environmentally-friendly materials has driven research in industrial biomaterials. Biopolymers, derived from plant matter such as non-food crops, form the basis of a variety of new biomaterials that can be used in place of toxic and non-degradable plastics, resins and adhesives. The natural feedstocks that are currently being used to produce bioplastics include starch, wheat fibre, lignin and bagasse. As well as utilising nature’s polymers, fermentation products such as ethanol and lactic acid can also be converted into polyethylene and polylactic acid based bio-plastics.