Materials from Renewable Resources
- PDF / 1,197,465 Bytes
- 9 Pages / 612 x 792 pts (letter) Page_size
- 95 Downloads / 224 Views
Stephen J. Eichhorn and Alessandro Gandini, Guest Editors Abstract The drive for greater use of renewable materials is one that has recently gained momentum due to the need to rely less heavily on petroleum. These renewable materials are defined as such since they are derived from plant-based sources. Some renewable materials also offer properties that conventional materials cannot provide: hierarchical structure, environmental compatibility, low thermal expansion, and the ability to be modified chemically to suit custom-made applications. Nature’s materials, particularly from plant- and animal-based polysaccharides and proteins, have hierarchical structures, and these structures can be utilized for conventional applications via biomimetic approaches. This issue begins with an article covering renewable polymers or plastics that can be used to generate block copolymers (where two polymers with specific functions are combined) as an alternative to conventional materials. Applications of renewable polymers, such as cellulose from plants, bacteria, and animal sources, are also covered. Also presented are the use of bacterial cellulose and other plant-based nanofibers for transparent electronic display screens and, in a wider sense, the use of cellulose nanofibers for composite materials, where renewable resources are required to generate larger amounts of material. Finally, this issue shows the use of biomimetic approaches to take the multifunctional properties of renewable materials and use these concepts, or the materials themselves, in conventional materials applications.
Introduction Recently, a large emphasis has been placed on the need to better utilize resources such as oil, mostly for energy purposes, but also for the generation of plastics. At present, the human race is thought to be at or near peak oil consumption, depending on which theory is used.1 After peak oil consumption, it is predicted that the use of this resource will decline dramatically as a result of the dwindling supply. At the same time, the price of oil is volatile, often increasing dramatically at times of economic and/or supply uncertainty. It is envisaged that as supplies decrease, the cost will increase. This places an onus on the human race to utilize other resources, even if we just want to maintain our productivity and consumption at current levels. As the worldwide population continues to grow, more strain will be placed on declining oil resources due to increased consumption. Oil is derived from plant material, which is formed under high pressure over
many millions of years, and so, in a sense, oil is renewable when viewed over a long period of time. This large time-disparity between the renewability of this resource and the rapid industrial expansion and consumption of oil has led to its further depletion. Energy is the most consumptive use of oil. The International Energy Agency has warned that the demand for energy will increase by 45% between now and 2030, and this will put further pressure on this resource. Typical levels of o
Data Loading...
