rahul sen
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Recent advancement and need of Bioplastics & Biocomposites over
Petroleum based plastics- A review
Rahul Sen*Asst.Professor, Dept of Mechanical Engg, Poornima College of Engineering, Jaipur
*
Contact Author: [email protected],[email protected]
Abstract
Plastics (petroleum based)are treated as unique and
versatile materials since the properties of` these
materials can be tailored to get specific demands by
varying their molecular weight, molecular weight
distribution and side chain branching. Due to their versatile properties, they have become the
extensively used materials. But they are not
biodegradable due to which their waste creates lot
problems and pollution in the environment.
Bioplastics are good option for such problems, butthey have limited mechanical properties. So in thistime, there is a great need of such materials which
are durable, have good corrosion resistance, light
weighted, better mechanical properties than the
traditional ones. At the same time the material
should be environment friendly and bio-
degradable. In this paper we have discussed nature,
properties, application of plastics and problems in
environment due to use of petroleum based
plastics. Highlighted how and why bioplastics and
biocomposites are better than conventional
petroleum based plastics. Also shown the
limitations of bioplastics which are overcame by biocomposites and discussed the recent
advancement in biocomposites as useable in
various domestic and industrial applications
Keywords: Plastics, Bio-degradable, Bioplastics,Biocomposites
1 Introduction
Plastics are very versatile and have a range of
properties; for example, they are relatively cheap,
light and easily processed, which has led to their
widespread use. In many cases they can be tailored
to have good durability and functionality thatcannot be easily or economically replaced by other
materials .Although petroleum-based plastics fulfill
a multitude of uses, their extended use presents twomajor issues. Firstly, it is predicted that global oil
reserves will eventually decline and therefore
alternative methods to produce plastic products
must be pursued. Secondly, petroleum-based
plastics that are used for bulk-commodity products
are non-biodegradable and present numerous wastedisposal issues that result in a number of
environmental problems [1]. Ecological concerns
have resulted in a renewed interest in natural and
compostable materials, and therefore issues such as biodegradability and environmental safety are
becoming important. Tailoring new products within
a perspective of sustainable development or eco-
design is a philosophy that is applied to more and
more materials. It is the reason why material
components such as biocomposites (green
composites) and biodegradable polymers can beconsidered as „interesting‟ environmentally safe
alternatives to the petroleum plastics [2]
2. Literature Review
2.1 PlasticsPlastics are a vital asset for humanity, often
providing functionality that cannot be easily or
economically replaced by other materials. Most
plastics are robust and last for hundreds of years.
They have replaced metals in the components of
most manufactured goods, including for such
products as computers, car parts and refrigerators,
and in so doing have often made the products
cheaper, lighter, safer, stronger and easier to
recycle. Plastics have taken over from paper, glass
and cardboard in packaging, usually initial cost and
maintenance, while also providing better care of
the items that they protect. But we all know aboutthe counterbalancing disadvantages. Plastic litter
disfigures the oceans and the coastlines. Ingestion
of plastic kills marine creatures and fish. Perhaps
5% of the world‟s cumulative output of plastic
since 1945 has ended up in the oceans. Shopping bags and other packaging are strewn across the
streets and fields of every country in the world.
• Plastics use valuable resources of oil
•The plastics industry uses large amounts of
energy, usually from fossil fuel sources which
therefore adds to the world‟s production of
greenhouse gases.
•The durability of plastics means that withouteffective and ubiquitous recycling we will see
continuing pressure on landfill. Although plastics
do not represent the largest category of materialsentering landfill – a position held by construction
waste – they are a highly visible contributor to the
problems of waste disposal.
•The manufacturing of conventional plastics uses
substantial amounts of toxic chemicals.
•Some plastics leach small amounts of pollutants,including endocrine disruptors, into the
environment. These chemicals can have severe
effects on animals and humans. (The solution to
this problem is to avoid using original rawmaterials - either monomers or plasticizers -that
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might produce such compounds when the plastic is
in use or has been discarded).
The world needs to find a solution that gives us
continued access to plastics but avoids these
serious problems [3].
2.2 Bioplastic
A bioplastic is a plastic that is made partly or wholly from polymers derived from biological
sources such as sugar cane, potato starch or thecellulose from trees, straw and cotton. Bioplastics -
partly or wholly made from biological materials
and not crude oil - represent an effective way of
keeping the huge advantages of conventional
plastics but mitigating their disadvantages.. Some
bioplastics degrade in the open air, others are madeso that they compost in an industrial composting
plant, aided by fungi, bacteria and enzymes. Others
mimic the robustness and durability of
conventional plastics such as polyethylene or PET.
Bioplastics can generally be directly substituted for their oil-based equivalent. Indeed, they cangenerally be made to be chemically identical to the
standard industrial plastics [3]
Disadvantage of Bioplastics
Bio-degradable polymers have very low strength
and ductility which affect its area of applications.
Alternative to conventional plastics , biodegradable
plastics, such as polylactic acid (PLA), have been
developed. A drawback to such materials is that
they are brittle and currently expensive due to
processing techniques. Bio-degradable polymers
are not very stable at high temperatures. Complex
disadvantages include- brittleness in the absence of suitable plasticizers, hydrophilic nature and poor
water resistance, deterioration of mechanical
properties upon exposure to environmental
conditions like humidity. [4]
Need of high strength Bio degradable materialsDue to environment and sustainability issues, and
with durability need, there is a great demand for
materials which good strength to weight ratio, high
corrosion or wear resistance as well as environment
friendly in nature which leads to the research on
Bio composites
2.3 Biocomposite
Biocomposites are composite materials comprisingone or more phase(s) derived from a biological
origin. In terms of the reinforcement, this could
include plant fibres such as cotton, flax, hemp andthe like, or fibres from recycled wood or waste
paper, or even by-products from food crops.
Regenerated cellulose fibres (viscose/rayon) are
also included in this definition, since ultimately
they too come from a renewable resource, as are
natural „nano fibrils‟ of cellulose and chitin.Matrices may be polymers, ideally derived from
renewable resources such as vegetable oils or
starches. Alternatively, and more commonly at the
present time, synthetic, fossil-derivedpolymers preponderate and may be either „virgin‟ or recycled
thermoplastics such as polyethylene,
polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride,
or thermosets such as unsaturated polyesters,
phenol formaldehyde, isocyanates and epoxies.[5]
Classification of Bio Composites
Bio Composite mainly classified as in Table2 as:
Bio-fiber being biodegradable and traditional
thermoplastics (like polypropylene)/ thermosets
(like unsaturated polyester) being non-
biodegradable; the bio-composites from such fiber reinforced polymer come under “Partial
biodegradable” type. If the matrix resin/polymer is
biodegradable, the bio-fiber reinforced bio-polymer
composites would come under “Completely
biodegradable” type. Two or more bio-fibers incombination on reinforcement with polymer matrix
results “hybrid” bio-composites. The purpose of
hybrid composites is to the manipulation of
properties of the resulting bio-composites.Bio-
composite consists of reinforcing bio-fibers and
matrix polymer system
The reinforcement/filler
Fibers provide strength and stiffness and act as
reinforcement in fibre-reinforced composite
materials; ultimately the properties of a composite
are governed by the inherent properties of these
fibres. Natural fibres can be subdivided into
vegetable, animal and mineral fibresClassification of biofibers
.
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Limitations of Bio-Composites
Biocomposites have some limitations also like,
moisture absorption and photochemical
degradation because of the UV radiations, but they
can be modified and used with addition suitable
plasticizers and adhesives, according to the area of
application. 3.1 Application and advancement
i) In AutomobilesAutomakers now see strong promise in natural
fiber composites (bio composites or green
composites). Natural fiber like Hemp has higher
strength to weight ratio than steel and is also
considerably cheaper to produce. Natural fiber
composites are emerging as a realistic alternative toglass-reinforced composites. While they can
deliver the same performance for lower weight,
they can also be 25-30 percent stronger for the
same weight. Moreover, they exhibit a favorable
non-brittle fracture on impact, which is another important requirement in the passenger compartment.
Comparison with other materials in automobile
The main motivation of using natural/bio-based
composites is the low cost, low density (~ ½ of
glass), acceptable specific strength properties,
enhanced energy recovery, CO2 sequesterization,
and biodegradability. Auto companies are seeking
materials with sound abatement capability as well
as reduced weight for fuel efficiency. It is
estimated that ~75% of a vehicle‟s energy
consumption is directly related to factors associated
with vehicle‟s weight, and it identifies as criticalthe need to produce safe and cost-effective light-
weight vehicles. To reduce vehicle weight; a shift
away from steel alloys towards aluminum, plastics
and composites has predicted that in near future
polymer and polymer composites will comprise~15% of a car weight (6).
ii) In Construction
Biocomposites are structural materials made from
renewable resources that biodegrade in an
anaerobic environment after their useful service life
to produce a fuel or feedstock to produce a
biopolymer for a new generation of composites.
These materials are being researched anddeveloped to replace less eco-friendly structural
and non-structural materials used in the
construction industry.
Industrial Flooring, Composite Panel
Wood fiber bio-composites are used in making in
industrial floorings, surface board sand card boards
and composite panels. These byproducts are
utilized as, deck, dock surface boards, landscape
timbers, picnic tables and industrial flooring.Potential applications for biocomposites within
buildings include framing, walls and wallboard,
window frames, doors, flooring, decorative
paneling, cubicle walls and ceiling panels. In
construction, biocomposites could be used for
formwork and scaffolding, for instance.[7]
Roof-structure
Bio-based composite materials have been
manufactured and tested for suitable building of
roof structures. Structural beams made up of
different type of bio composites have beencontinuously used, designed and manufactured in
place of conventional roof panels or full wood roof surfaces for e.g. roof structure at colder areas may
be manufactured by using soya oil based resins
and cellulose fibers, in form of paper sheets which
are made from recycled cardboard. These bio-
sourced flax/epoxy resin sections are appropriate
for window and door fabrication, passive housesand very low-energy-consumption homes. They are
much cheap and light weighted, thermally and
electrically insulating in comparison to that of
conventional PVC and aluminum made window
sections. For e.g. many manufacturers use woodfiber made biocomposites as an alternative for aluminum and solid wood in protective and
insulating components [].
Bridge Making
Stay-in-place bridge forms (SIP) are utilized to
span the distance between bridge girders. The SIP
forms made from Biocomposites have many
benefits in comparison to steel forms.
Biocomposite-based SIP forms are porous or
breathable. Therefore, this lets water to evaporate
through the form and to avoid any rebar corrosion.
A bio-based form has the potential to break down
in the future, allowing underside inspection of the bridge deck. In addition, the form is lighter
compared to a steel form, allowing faster and
cheaper installations [8].
Fiber Cement
Among the different types of fibers used in cement- based composites, natural fibers offer distinct
advantages such as availability, renewability, low
cost, and current manufacturing technologies. One
promising and often-used natural fiber is wood
pulp. Wood pulp fiber-cement composites offer
numerous advantages when compared to both non-
fiber-reinforced cement materials as well as other
fiber-reinforced cement-based materials. Fiber-cement composites exhibit improved toughness,
ductility, flexural capacity, and crack resistance as
compared to non-fiber reinforced cement-basedmaterials. Today, pulp fiber-cement composites can
be found in products such as extruded non-pressure
pipes and non-structural building materials, mainly
thin-sheet products. Fiber cement composite
products can be made use of in exterior and interior
of a building such as roofing, internal lining siding,floors, walls, external cladding, building boards,
bracing, fencing, bricks and decorative elements.
Fiber cement is also used in construction works
such as dams, bridge decks, road building,sidewalk, flagstone paving, and so on [9].
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iii) Biomedical application
Biodegradable polymers have been widely used
and have greatly promoted the development of
biomedical fields because of their biocompatibility
and biodegradability. The development of
biotechnology and medical technology has set
higher requirements for biomedical materials. Thegeneral criteria of polymer materials used for
medical devices include mechanical properties anda degradation time appropriate to the medical
purpose. In addition, the materials should not evoke
toxic or immune responses, and they should be
metabolized in the body after fulfilling their tasks
.In general synthetic polymers and metal alloys are
used in medical applications which the researchersare now trying to replace by biomaterials. Below
the table shows different type of synthetics
polymers used in medical application [10]
Orthopedic devicesOrthopedic devices made from biodegradable
materials have advantages over metal or non-
degradable materials. They can transfer stress over
time to the damaged area as it heals, allowing of
the tissues, and there is no need of a second surgery
to remove the implanted devices. Manycommercial orthopedic fixation devices such as
pins and rods for bone fracture fixation, and screws
and plates for maxillofacial repair are made of
PLLA, poly(glycolide) and other biodegradable
polymers[10,11]
Gene Delivery
Polyphosphoester-based degradable polymers PPE-
based degradable polymers such as PPA, PPE and
polyphosphazene (PPZ) are known to be
biodegradable and biocompatible in gene delivery.
Biodegradable microparticle-based polymers suchas poly[d,l-(lactide-co-glycolide)] are commonly
used for gene delivery systems. Poly[D,L-(lactide-
co-glycolide)] is able to interact with DNA to form
DNA-coated particles,which protects DNA from
nuclease attacks and promotese delivery into cells
Other medical devicesBiodegradable polymers have also been used to
prepare anastomosis rings used for intestinal
resection,drug delivery devices, in situ forming
implants and stents used in urology [11]iv) Packaging Industry
Bioplastics and biocomposites are largely being
used in packaging industry , due to their light
weight and degradable nature. The different bulk
packaging systems where they are generally used
as: Metal packaging (steel drums and barrels, large
cans) ,rigid plastic packaging (Plastic barrels,
IBCs, large bottles) , flexible packaging systems(Sacks, woven sacks, FIBCs, films for stretch
wrapping, shrink wrapping) ,paper-based
packaging (corrugated fiberboard, multiwall layer
sacks, fiber drums), bag-in-box and bag-in-drum
systems , aseptic bulk packaging wooden
packaging (pallets and cases) . Due to biological
biodegradability the use of bioplastics is especially popularizing in the packaging sector. The use of
bioplastics for shopping bags is very common.
Certain characteristics of bioplastics- such as their
aroma barrier and ease of molding make them
particularly suitable for use with cosmetics and are
continually being developed to make bioplastics better alternatives for such packaging. PLA offers
good-moisture barrier properties and is able to
withstand the rigors of injection-moulding and
blow- or vacuum-forming processes. It is used for
loose fill packaging food packaging. PLA has
similar characteristics as cellophane, oriented polypropylene (OPP) or oriented polyethylene
(OPE). Its performance include high clarity and
gloss and high stiffness. Bottles made from PLA
can show characteristics similar to PET. Its
containers are rigid, strong and have high aroma
barrier suitable to pack cold delis items such as
fruit, pasta, salads and cheese. PHA's can beincorporated into packaging components such as
coatings, laminations and biodegradable printing
inks. It is currently being considered for flexible
packaging.
Conclusion
Plastics are very useful materials in human life, and
used in many forms. Due to their degree of
versatility, have many advantages and applications,
due to which they have become most dependentmaterial for the human society. But these are made
from petroleum, which itself is very crucial, non
renewable source. Plastics wastes creates many problems and pollution in the environment , so it
necessary for to find the materials with similar or
near about properties so as to fulfill the demands of human society with minimum pollution.
Bioplastics shown wide range of properties and
application where in general the conventional
petroleum based plastics are used. Bioplastics are
made from plants, they have environment friendly
processing, easy to manufacture, easily degradable
by micro organisms and cheaper in cost.
Bioplastics find their applications in packaging
industries, used for making kitchen appliances,
house hold items, bags, disposals etc. Bioplasticshave limited mechanical properties, which are
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overcome by bio-composites. They have better
physical and mechanical properties and widened
area of application, reducing carbon dioxide
emission, and generating more economical
opportunities for the agricultural sector.
Furthermore, Biocomposites offer opportunities for
environmental gains, reduced energy consumption,insulation and sound absorption properties. They
have replaced many materials like wood, metalsand alloys, plastics in many application like house
hold items like doors, windows, roofs, furniture‟s
etc. and with research widening its area day by day.
So , Biocomposites and bioplastics in general are
used in many day today life materials either in
domestics items like kitchen utensils, cateringitems, carpets, table, chairs, beds, doors, windows
panels , partition boards as well as at industrial
level like automobile interior parts, as building and
construction materials , medical industry
,packaging industries etc.
4 Refrences
[1] Green composites: Polymer composites and the
environment, Chapter 13- Reprocessing, pp 3; 2007
[2] Biocomposites based on plasticized starch:
thermal and mechanical behaviors L.Averousa,,N.
Boquillon; Carbohydrate Polymers pp1; 2004
[3] THE WHITE PAPER SEPTEMBER 2011,
Biome Bioplastics, Bioplastics: an importantcomponent of global sustainability, pp 1 Author:
Chris Good all , [email protected]
[4] “ Green” Composites: An alternative to
petroleum-based materials; Author-LaDean M.Cooley, Kenyon College, Cornell Center for
Materials Research; pp 1, 2008
[5] Review Biocomposites: technology,
environmental credentials and market forces; Paul
A Fowler, J Mark Hughes and Robert M Elias,
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture J
Sci Food Agric 86:1781 – 1789; 2006
[6] Bio-Composite Materials as alternatives to
Petroleum-based composites for Automotiveapplications; Lawrence T. Drzal, A. K. Mohanty,
M. Misra, Composite Materials and Structures
Center, pp1-8; 2005
[7] Sustainable Biocomposites for Construction;
Sarah Christian, Sarah Billington StanfordUniversity; COMPOSITES & POLYCON 2009,
American Composites Manufacturers
Association,January 15-17, 2009
[8] Yatim.M.J, Khalid.N.H.B.Abd, Mehjoub.R.
(2011), “Biocomposites for the construction
materials and structures”, review paper,pp1-29
[9] B.J. Mohr, N.H. El-Ashkar, and K.E. Kurtis,
Fiber-Cement Composites for housing
construction: State-of-the-Art Review, pp2;2006
[10] Biodegradable synthetic polymers:Preparation, fictionalization and biomedical
application; Huayu Tian, Zhaohui Tang, Xiuli
Zhuang, Xuesi Chen, Xiabin Jing.; J Elsevier,
Progress in Polymer Science pp 266-267;(2012)
[11] Biocomposites reinforced with natural fibers:
2000–2010; Omar Faruka, Andrzej K. Bledzki,
Hans-Peter Fink, Mohini Sain; J Elsevier, Progress
in Polymer Science 37 (2012) 1552 – 1596
Application of bioplastics in bulk packaging: A
revolutionary and sustainable approach; Ambrish pandey, Pankaj Kumar, Vikas singh, 2012