Addresses a Growing Need for the Development of Cellular and Porous Materials in IndustryBuilding blocks used by nature are motivating researchers to create bio-inspired cellular structures that can be used in the development of products for the plastic, food, and biomedical industry. Representing a unified effort by international experts, Biofoams

Lignin - Trends and Applications consists of 11 chapters related to the lignin structure, modification, depolymerization, degradation process, computational modeling, and applications. This is a useful book for readers from diverse areas, such as physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, and engineering. It is expected that this book may expand the reader's knowledge about this complex natural polymer.

Issues in Fossil Fuel Energy Technologies / 2013 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ book that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Oil and Gas Research. The editors have built Issues in Fossil Fuel Energy Technologies: 2013 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Oil and Gas Research in this book to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Fossil Fuel Energy Technologies: 2013 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

Bio-based Plant Oil Polymers and Composites provides engineers and materials scientists a useful framework to help take advantage of the latest research conducted in this rapidly advancing field—enabling them to develop and commercialize their own products quickly and more successfully. Plant oil is one of the most attractive options as a substitute for non-renewable resources in polymers and composites, and is producing materials with very promising thermomechanical properties relative to traditional, petroleum-based polymers. In addition to critical processing and characterization information, the book assists engineers in deciding whether or not they should use a plant oil-based polymer over a petroleum-based polymer, discussing sustainability concerns, biodegradability, associated costs, and recommended applications. The book details the advancements in the development of polymeric materials and composites from plant oils, and provides a critical review of current applications in various fields, including packaging, biomedical, and automotive applications. Also includes the latest progress in developing multifunctional biobased polymers—by increasing thermal conductivity or adding antibacterial properties, for example. Essential coverage of processing, characterization, and the latest research into polymeric materials and composites derived from plant oils (thermoplastics, thermosets, nanocomposites, and fiber reinforced composites) Critically reviews the potential applications of plant oil-based polymers, including sensors, structural parts, medical devices, and automotive interiors Includes the latest developments in multifunctional bio-based polymer composites

Presents new and innovative bio-based monomers to replace traditional petrochemical-based building blocks Featuring contributions from top experts in the field, this book discusses new developments in the area of bio monomers and green polymeric composite materials. It covers bio monomers, green polymeric composites, composites from renewable resources, bio-sourced polymers, green composites, biodegradation, processing methods, green polymeric gels, and green polymeric membranes. Each chapter in Bio Monomers for Green Polymeric Composites Materials presents the most recent research and technological ideas in a comprehensive style. It examines bio monomers for green polymer and the processing methods for the bio nanocomposites. It covers the preparation, characterization, and applications of bio-polymeric materials based blends, as well as the applications of biopolymeric gels in medical biotechnology. The book also explores the properties and applications of gelatins, pectins, and carrageenans gels. Additionally, it offers a plethora of information on green polymeric membranes; the bio-degradation of green polymeric composites materials; applications of green polymeric composites materials; hydrogels used for biomedical applications; and the use of natural aerogels as thermal insulations. Introduces readers to the innovative, new bio-based monomers that are taking the place of traditional petrochemical-based building blocks Covers green polymers, green composites, bio-sourced polymers, bio nanocomposites, biodegradable polymers, green polymer gels, and membranes Features input from leading researchers immersed in the area of study Bio Monomers for Green Polymeric Composites Materials is suitable for academics, researchers, scientists, engineers and advanced students in the field of bio monomers and green polymeric composites materials.

This book discusses the development of bio-based plastics and associated nanocomposites in order to achieve targeted structural morphologies, and physical and chemical properties for use in food-packaging applications. In line with bio-based and/or biodegradable plastic matrices, the current status of the development of multifaceted bionanofillers is also explored in detail.This book begins by addressing the past, present and future prospects of bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers in specific food-packaging applications, and the importance and advantages of such packaging over fossil polymer-based packaging materials. Furthermore, this book also examines the current commercial overview of bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers and nanocomposites, and the structure-property relationship required for various advanced applications.Individual chapters detail bio-based polymers, bio-derived and microbial-derived plastics, which include exclusive investigations on the most promising polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and their bionanocomposites, for food-packaging applications. Detailed discussions highlight the various properties of polymers for food-packaging applications including bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers and nanocomposites. The processing of blends using bio-based and/or biodegradable polymers and non-degradable polymers for food-packaging applications are also featured.In addition, extensive discussions include different edible biopolymer-based coatings on food items which can act as effective carriers for improving the shelf life of food. Moreover, various end-of-life solutions of plastics such as recycling, reuse, composting and so on, for the safe disposal of plastic waste are reviewed. Finally, this book discusses migration studies, and safety legislation and regulations of such packages in contact with food, which are currently being performed by various organisations across the world. Throughout the book, detailed case studies are included on sustainable polymers, and associated nanocomposites, along with different perspectives on their industrial applications, and critical challenges and opportunities for developing biopolymer nanocomposites for food-packaging applications.

The valorization of lignocellulosic biomass, in the form of forest and agricultural wastes, industrial processing side-streams, and dedicated energy crops, toward chemicals, fuels and added-value products has become a major research area with increasing exploitation potential. The efficient and tailored depolymerization of biomass or its primary structural components (hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin) to platform chemicals, i.e., sugars, phenolics, furans, ketones, organic acids, etc. is highly dependent on the development of novel or modified chemo- and bio-catalytic processes that take into account the peculiarities and recalcitrance of biomass as feedstock, compared for example to petroleum fractions. The present Research Topic in Frontiers in Chemistry, Section of Green and Sustainable Chemistry, entitled “Nano-(bio)catalysis in lignocellulosic biomass valorization” aims to further contribute to the momentum of research and development in the (bio)catalytic conversion of biomass, by featuring original research papers as well as two review papers, authored and reviewed by experts in the field. The Research Topic addresses various representative reactions and processes in biomass valorization, highlighting the importance of developing novel, efficient and stable nano-(bio)catalysts with tailored properties according to the nature of the reactant/feedstock and the targeted products.