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