Mass Multiplication, Production Cost Analysis and Marketing of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)

Abstract

The polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of biopolymers with the advantage of biodegradability. The properties of PHAs make them an interesting candidate for replacement of petrochemical-based plastics. The microbial PHA production process flow will give clarity about scope of equipment, machinery and accessories requirement for establishment of full fledge production unit. The PHA production price is much higher than the conventional plastics. The various efforts for mass production and techno-economical studies for PHA production will give better idea for designing or starting the work in the same direction. This chapter aims to cater the information regarding various strategies for cost-competitive large-scale production of PHAs, its cost and global pricing assessment. The information about marketing and product placement of PHAs challenging with cheaper traditional plastic polymers in global market may give insight for future of bioplastic industry.