Natural Renewable Raw Materials for Green Polymer Synthesis and Biocomposite Fabrication

Polymers and their composites are indispensable materials in science and technology. The syntheses of polymer have been relying on the fossil fuel resource for decades. However, increasing concerns on the exhaustion of such feedstock and the negative impact of the non-biodegradable polymeric materials to our planet have propelled numerous scientific studies to discover alternative sustainable monomers and polymers from renewable biomass. The development of renewable polymeric materials has offered undeniable benefits such as valorising abundant natural polymer resources, minimizing the dependence on petroleum fuel, decreasing the environmental pollution, thus improving global health and sustainability. This chapter will discuss the recent development of sustainable green polymer synthesis and biocomposite fabrication from natural renewable raw materials, with a focus on most abundant organic bio-based macromolecules- cellulose and lignin. A wide range of renewable monomers can be obtained by the depolymerization processes of the biomass constituents’ cellulose and lignin. This chapter will discuss various kinds of monomers that can be derived from depolymerization of cellulose and lignin, and their repolymerization to deliver a new generation of advanced engineered polymers. The development of smart and active cellulose-based biocomposites in combination with green house gas-derived polymer will be also highlighted. Furthermore, the sustainable and greenness aspect in the synthesis processes themselves and fabrication strategies of both monomers and polymers will be critically assessed. In addition, the performances of these green polymers and their biocomposites are also intensively discussed. With development of greener polymerization technologies, it is believed that these renewable polymeric materials will potentially replace the fossil-based materials in several high-performance and advanced applications. By the advancement of novel green chemistry techniques, the design of plant-based polymers and composites having high percentages of biomass in the final materials is getting closer.