Taylor & Francis Handbook of Sustainable Polymers: Structure and Chemistry

Sustainable polymers play an indispensable role in the emergence of green materials, and the 21st century is an era of sustainable polymeric materials. Sustainable polymer–based materials have attracted considerable interest because of the energy crisis and ecological concerns as well as the potential to substitute certain petroleum-derived materials. This book covers the fundamentals of sustainable polymers and presents guidelines in a logical and clear manner for students and researchers to follow. It is a milestone that will help accelerate the progress and advancement in the field of sustainable polymers. The text explores the structure and chemistry of various sustainable polymers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, chitosan, starch, guar gum, pectin, and protein, for the possible development of green sustainable materials. Review "This unique book offers up-to-date studies on biorenewable polymers: from fundamental aspects to technology and applications. It comes at the right time when materials industries worldwide are undergoing a revolutionary shift to developing environmentally sustainable materials. A concentrate of the most recent scientific discoveries written by recognized authors in the field, this is an excellent book for inspiring scientists and students."―Prof. João Paulo Borges, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal "The subject of this book, sustainable polymers, is of foremost importance nowadays, and interest in this area is expected to grow much further. The chapters cover a very interesting collection of related subjects and are written by influential groups around the world. As presented in the book, these materials may be applied in a variety of fields, and more research in the area will help reduce dependence on fossil fuels for the production of competitive polymers."―Dr. Sandro Campos Amico, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil About the Author Vijay Kumar Thakur is staff scientist in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University, USA. He has published more than 90 research articles in SCI journals, 25 books, and 30 book chapters and holds one US patent. Some of his significant appointments include associate editor for Materials Express and advisory editor for SpringerPlus. He also serves on the editorial advisory boards of Polymers for Advanced Technologies, Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part A: Pure and Applied Chemistry, International Journal of Industrial Chemistry, and Energies. Manju Kumari Thakur is assistant professor of chemistry in the Division of Chemistry, Government Degree College Sarkaghat, Himachal Pradesh University, India. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry, botany, and zoology, master’s and MPhil in organic chemistry, and PhD in polymer chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, Himachal Pradesh University. She has published more than 30 research papers in international journals, co-authored 7 books, and authored 25 book chapters in the field of polymeric materials.