Biodegradable Polymers

Abstract

In the recent years, bio-based and biodegradable products have raised great interest since sustainable development policies tend to expand with the decreasing reserve of fossil fuel and the growing concern for the environment. These polymers bring a significant contribution to the sustainable development in view of the wider range of disposal options with minor environmental impact. As a result, the market of these environmentally friendly materials is in rapid expansion, 10-20 % per year. Consequently, biodegradable polymers are the topics of much research. Biodegradable polymers can be mainly classified as agro-polymers (starch, chitin, protein...) and biodegradable polyesters [polyhydroxyalkanoates, poly(lactic acid)...]. These latter, also called biopolyesters, can be synthesized from fossil resources but main productions are obtained from renewable resources. This chapter intends to present these polymers regarding the synthesis, the structure, properties and their applications.