Soy protein- and starch-based green composites/nanocomposites: Preparation, properties, and applications

Abstract

With the environmental appeal around the planet for a sustainable development, there is the need to develop new materials from renewable resources, which can be degraded in a short time in the environment, thereby maintaining the proper balance of the carbon cycle. Biopolymers from various natural botanical resources can act as a substitute for petroleum-based synthetic polymers because of their low cost, ease of availability, and biodegradability along with other organic wastes to soil humic materials. Materials which are biodegradable and fully sustainable are termed as “Green Composites”. This development not only solves the white pollution problem but also stops the overdependence on petroleum products. Development of Green Composites made from soy protein and starch has been a great challenge for the scientific community, since these materials do not possess all the desirable characteristics of the synthetic polymers, being mostly often, highly hydrophilic and also presenting poor mechanical properties to be used as engineering’s materials. Cellulose macro- and nano-fibers can be used as reinforcement in composite materials to enhance mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation properties of the composites. In this chapter we will be dealing mainly with the preparation, properties, and applications of cellulose fiber-reinforced green composites based on soy protein and starch.