Assess the current development in the use of biopolymers.
This may well be a 6-7 mark question since there were no quetsion relating to it last yr. Heres my response:
Natural biopolymers such as starch and cellulose have a wide range of potential applications in markets currently dominated by petroleum-based products. These include biodegradable plastics, adhesives, cosmetics, textiles etc. In addition to opening up new markets, the use of grain products would provide positive environmental benefits by reducing the levels of pollution generated during the current manufacture and disposal of petroleum-based products. Biopolymers have the advantage of biodegradability and petroleum is also a limited resource. One approach to building biodegradability into synthetic polymers has been to blend biopolymers with the synthetics. More recently, the development of biopolymers that have similar properties to the synthetic polymers but which will retain biodegradability has been undertaken.
Despite their many advantages such as renewability, low cost, abundance, biodegradability and less pollution, natural polymers are only slowly being used up in the manufacture of consumer goods. Problems associated with their use include water sensitivity, manufacturing cost, lack of understanding of how natural polymers behave in industrial processing and how natural polymers interact with other ingredients, and the need for non-traditional processing equipment and processes. Much development is still needed: biopolymers that are being developed from biological sources still cost about ten times as much as polymers made from fossil fuels. The processes that are used to make biopolymers also have a fossil fuel input in the transport of materials, the manufacture of equipment and the chemicals used in processing.
Comments welcome...am i missing anything.
This may well be a 6-7 mark question since there were no quetsion relating to it last yr. Heres my response:
Natural biopolymers such as starch and cellulose have a wide range of potential applications in markets currently dominated by petroleum-based products. These include biodegradable plastics, adhesives, cosmetics, textiles etc. In addition to opening up new markets, the use of grain products would provide positive environmental benefits by reducing the levels of pollution generated during the current manufacture and disposal of petroleum-based products. Biopolymers have the advantage of biodegradability and petroleum is also a limited resource. One approach to building biodegradability into synthetic polymers has been to blend biopolymers with the synthetics. More recently, the development of biopolymers that have similar properties to the synthetic polymers but which will retain biodegradability has been undertaken.
Despite their many advantages such as renewability, low cost, abundance, biodegradability and less pollution, natural polymers are only slowly being used up in the manufacture of consumer goods. Problems associated with their use include water sensitivity, manufacturing cost, lack of understanding of how natural polymers behave in industrial processing and how natural polymers interact with other ingredients, and the need for non-traditional processing equipment and processes. Much development is still needed: biopolymers that are being developed from biological sources still cost about ten times as much as polymers made from fossil fuels. The processes that are used to make biopolymers also have a fossil fuel input in the transport of materials, the manufacture of equipment and the chemicals used in processing.
Comments welcome...am i missing anything.
