Polymers
composite mixtures of molecules that are
large/long and self repeating

Polysaccharide materials

Protein based

Cellulose based ingredients

Wood ~50% cellulose

Bacterial cellulose
Nata de coco

Bamboo

Orange pith
or other waste products

Cotton ~99% cellulose

Chitin
[kai.tn]

Starch
Water soluble

cellulose extraction
(Kraft process)

Viscose process

Lyocell process

Tencel

Modal

Rayon

Bamboo viscose

Mechanical fibre separation

Grasses

Flax

Reed

Linen

Ramie

Sisal

Bamboo linen
(not common)

viscose

Fibrils

Fibre / Fabric

Nanofibril cellulose
(NFC)

additives

Thickeners

Paper

Adhesives

Powder

Microfibril cellulose
(MFC)

Paint

Microcrystalline cellulose
(MCC)

Methyl cellulose
(MC)

Carboxy Methyl cellulose
(CMC)

Cellulose Acetate
(CA)

Plastics

Semi Aromatic Plastic

Aromatic Plastic
circular or ring structure
(generally tough to break open
less biodegradable)

Polyamide - Nylon

Polyaramid (Polyparaphenylene terephthalamide)

click to edit

Aliphatic Plastics
(non aromatic) linear structure
generally biodegradable

PLA

PCL

PHA's

Bacteria feeds on a carbon source
(diesel byproduct, waste water, sugarcane, glucose, glycerol...)

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

Polypropelene

Bacteria feeds on starch or cellulose base material
(different bacterial strains are used depending on feedstock)

Lactic acid is produced and extracted

most commonly forms lactide rings

can form straight lactic acid chains (aliphatic)

Ring-opening polymerization
Converts lactide to PLA

Polylactic acid (PLA)

Starch can be added now to make a PLA starch copolymer

REF Polylactic acid : a practical guide for the processing, manufacturing, and applications of (PLA 2019)

Other (bio)additives could be cellulose or chitosan

PGA

Fatty acids are produced in cells
Cell walls need to be broken down to extract PHA's

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)

Shorter polymers than PHA, brittle due to it's crystalline structure (shorter polymers)

Longer polymers than PHB, has more elasticity.

Can be combined with PLA, PCL, Starch and Cellulose

Can be combined with PLA,PCL, Starch and Cellulose

REF Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) based blends, composites and nanocomposites (2015)

condensation of glycolic acid or
ring opening through heat

Polyglycolide or polyglycolic acid (PGA)

The simplest aliphatic polymer

Derived from chemical synthesis of crude oil

Ring-opening polymerization of caprolactone

Polycaprolactone (PCL)

Low melt point

Biodegradable but from petrochemical source

Chitosan is made from deacetylising chitin.

Scleroproteins
Structural or fiborous proteins
Not really soluble in water

Keratin

Water soluble

Prolamin groups
(Alcohol soluble but not water soluble)

Gluten

Fibroin
Silk Protein

Elastin

Fibrin
blood clotting protein

Casein

Fibronectin
binding protein

Soy protein

Kafirin
Sorghum protein

Whey

Zein
Corn protein

Gliadin
Wheat protein

Avenin
Oat protein

Secalin
Rye protein

Hordein
Barley protein

Reflectin

Collagen

Gorgonia
Coral protein

Lipids, Oil and Resins

Starch bioplastics

Found in mushroom cell walls

prawn and Insects exoskeleton

Extraction of chitosan from shrimp shells was performed as per the procedure earlier reported [26]. The raw shrimp shells were washed thoroughly with water, dried under vacuum and then grinded in a mortar with pestle. The shrimp shells powder so obtained was then soaked in 1 M NaOH for 24 h, washed and dried. The shrimp shells powder was then demineralized using 1 M HCl, deproteinized using 1 M NaOH, discoloured using KMnO4 and Oxalic acid to get chitin powder. The chitin obtained was then subjected to deacetylation using 50% NaOH which was repeated to get higher degree of deacetylation in chitosan.

Second most abundant natural polymer after cellulose

By adding an acid (vinegar) to Chitosan a paste can be formed once the paste evaporates a Chitosan bioplastic is produced. This bioplastic is water soluble

Molecularly very similar to cellulose

polysaccharides extracted from

Agar agar

Sodium Alginate

Carrageenan

Extracted from red seaweed (also known as Irish moss)
3 common variations

iota carrageenan

lambda carrageenan

kappa carrageenan

strong rigid gels from with potassium ions

soft gels formed with calcium ions

does not gel used as a thicker

Enzymes

Glycerin

Beeswax

Urea