Circular economy in biocomposite development: State-of-the-art, challenges and emerging trends (original) (raw)
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T HE biocomposite materials which serve for present nation or civilization without affecting our future generation is called as sustainable biocomposite i.e., it does not affect our environment and save our environment from toxic and hazardous effect. The sources and production of the raw materials, material Processing, the service-life of the product and waste management should be evaluated in terms of energy, chemical consumption, emissions of gaseous materials, toxicology upon use and disposal of a biocomposite are considered as sustainable bio-composites. This can be formed by different manufacturing process like filament winding, lay up method, extrusion moulding, Injection moulding, compression moulding, Resin transfer moulding, Sheet moulding compound etc. Sustainable biocomposite has several advantages like light weight, high specific stiffness, high strength, low electrical conductivity, easily bondable, good fatigue resistance, internal energy storage and release, low thermal expansion, easily moulded to complex and design flexibility etc. These biocomposites have huge applications in several fields like in the field of domestic sector, building materials, aerospace industry, circuit boards and automobile applications. It supports our sustainable environment by using natural fibres like jute, hemp, sisal, knead, flax etc. which is the cause of biodegradation and can also be used in the industrial scale. It not only saves our environment but also made our life easier and more comfortable.
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Many of the petroleum-based materials and products are causing problems with sustainability of resources and disposal at the end of their lives. Such problems can be solved if biodegradable materials from renewable resources are used in product design. For a material to be fully biodegradable, all its constituents must be biodegradable and should come from renewable resources if it is to be sustainable. Starchplant fiber composites satisfy both conditions. In addition to their environmental benefits, materials from renewable resources can also be economically advantageous in certain applications, such as motorcar and packaging industries. This chapter starts with a review of the characteristics of biodegradable materials and uses case studies to illustrate their use in the design of sustainable products. The concept of design for a life (DFL), in which the material used in making a given product that will biodegrade at the end of its useful life, will also be explored.
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Journal of Polymers and the …, 2002
Sustainability, industrial ecology, eco-efficiency, and green chemistry are guiding the development of the next generation of materials, products, and processes. Biodegradable plastics and bio-based polymer products based on annually renewable agricultural and biomass feedstock can form the basis for a portfolio of sustainable, eco-efficient products that can compete and capture markets currently dominated by products based exclusively on petroleum feedstock. Natural/Biofiber composites (Bio-Composites) are emerging as a viable alternative to glass fiber reinforced composites especially in automotive and building product applications. The combination of biofibers such as kenaf, hemp, flax, jute, henequen, pineapple leaf fiber, and sisal with polymer matrices from both nonrenewable and renewable resources to produce composite materials that are competitive with synthetic composites requires special attention, i.e., biofiber-matrix interface and novel processing. Natural fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites have attained commercial attraction in automotive industries. Natural fiber-polypropylene or natural fiber-polyester composites are not sufficiently eco-friendly because of the petroleum-based source and the nonbiodegradable nature of the polymer matrix. Using natural fibers with polymers based on renewable resources will allow many environmental issues to be solved. By embedding biofibers with renewable resource-based biopolymers such as cellulosic plastics; polylactides; starch plastics; polyhydroxyalkanoates (bacterial polyesters); and soy-based plastics, the so-called green bio-composites are continuously being developed.