BIOBASED PLASTICS

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Concepts

There is no standardised definition of a bioplastic. Within the currently most widely accepted meaning (European Bioplastics e.V.), a plastic material is defined as a bioplastic if it is either biobased, biodegradable, or features both properties. Therefore, it is a term used to define two different characteristics of plastics.

Biobased plastics
- Plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources. Their constitutional units are totally or partly from biomass.
- The focus is the origin of the raw material used.
- They can be biodegradable or not.
This section is focused on biobased plastics.

Biodegradable plastics
- Plastics materials that can be completely assimilated by the microorganisms present in a defined environment as food for their energy. The process of biodegradation depends on the surrounding environmental conditions, on the material and on the application.
- The focus is the biodegradability of the final product.
- They can be based on renewable and/or fossil resources.

Drop-in biobased plastics
They have identical structure and properties to their fossil counterparts.

Types of biobased plastics

Naturally derived biomass polymers
Direct use of biomass as polymeric material (including chemically modified polymers).
- Cellulose-based plastics
- Cellulose acetate
- Starches
- Chitin
- Alginates

Bioengineered polymers
Biosynthesized by using microorganisms and plants.
- Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)
- Poly(glutamic acid)

Synthetic biopolymers
Conventional synthesis from biobased monomers.
Biobased polyamides
Biobased polyesters
- Biobased poly(butylene furandicarboxylate) (Bio-PBF).
- Biobased poly(butylene succinate) (Bio-PBS).
- Biobased poly(butylene terephthalate) (Bio-PBT).
- Biobased poly(ethylene furanoate) (Bio-PEF).
- Biobased poly(ethylene terephthalate) (Bio-PET).
- Biobased poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (Bio-PTT).
- Poly(lactic acid) (PLA).
Biobased polyurethanes
Biobased synthetic rubbers
Biobased vinyl polymers
- Biobased poly(acrylic acid) (Bio-PAA).
- Biobased polyethylene (Bio-PE).
- Biobased poly(methyl methacrylate) (Bio-PMMA).
- Biobased polypropylene (Bio-PP).
- Biobased polystyrene (Bio-PS).
- Biobased poly(vinyl acetate) (Bio-PVA).
- Biobased poly(vinyl chloride) (Bio-PVC).

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