Preface xix
1 Rice Husk and its Composites: Effects of Rice Husk Loading, Size, Coupling Agents, and Surface Treatment on Composites' Mechanical, Physical, and Functional Properties 1
A. Bilal, R.J.T. Lin and K. Jayaraman
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites 3
1.3 Rice Husk and its Composites 5
1.4 Effects of Coupling Agents on the Properties of RH Composites 12
1.5 Summary 15
References 16
2 Biodegradable Composites Based on Thermoplastic Starch and Talc Nanoparticles 23
Luciana A. Castillo, Olivia V. López, M. Alejandra García, Marcelo A. Villar and Silvia E. Barbosa
2.1 Introduction 23
2.2 Thermoplastic Starch-Talc Nanocomposites 27
2.3 Use of Talc Samples with Different Morphologies 40
2.4 Packaging Bags Based on TPS-Talc Nanocomposites Films 49
2.5 Conclusions 54
References 54
3 Recent Progress in Biocomposite of Biodegradable Polymer 61
Vicente de Oliveira Sousa Neto and Ronaldo Ferreira do Nascimento
3.1 Introduction 61
3.2 Biodegradable Polymers: Natural Origin and Development 63
3.3 Polysaccharides 63
3.4 Chemical Synthesis Produced Polymer 77
3.5 Polyesters Produced by Microorganism or by Plants 83
3.6 Concluding Remarks 87
References 88
4 Microbial Polyesters: Production and Market 95
Neha Patni, Yug Saraswat and Shibu G. Pillai
4.1 Introduction 95
4.2 Polyhydroxy Alkanoates 96
4.3 Bacterial Cellulose 100
4.4 Polylactic Acid or Polylactide 102
4.5 Polyglycolic Acid 102
4.6 Brief Overview of the Local and World Scenario of Bioplastics 103
4.7 Summary 103
References 104
5 Biodegradable and Bioabsorbable Materials for Osteosynthesis Applications: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives 109
Sandra Carolina Cifuentes, Rosario Benavente, Marcela Lieblich and José Luis González-Carrasco
5.1 Introduction 109
5.2 State-of-the-Art 111
5.3 Future Perspectives 117
5.4 Conclusions 131
References 132
6 Biodegradable Polymers in Tissue Engineering 145
Silvia Ioan and Luminita Ioana Buruiana
6.1 Introduction 145
6.2 Biodegradable Materials for Bone Tissue Engineering 146
6.3 Biocompatibility and Biodegradation of Polymer Networks 147
6.4 Biomaterial Reaction to Foreign Bodies 153
6.5 Design of Immunomodulatory Biomaterials 154
6.6 Applications Potential of Polyurethanes in Engineering Tissues 154
6.7 Application Potential of Polycarbonates 160
6.8 Poly(amido Amine) 164
6.9 Polyester Amine 168
6.10 Polypyrrole-based Conducting Polymers 172
6.11 Remarks and Future Directions 175
Acknowledgment 176
References 176
7 Composites Based on Hydroxyapatite and Biodegradable Polylactide 183
Pau Turon, Luís J. del Valle, Carlos Alemán and Jordi Puiggalí
7.1 Introduction 183
7.2 Bone Tissues and Mineralization Processes 184
7.3 Polylactide and its Copolymers 187
7.4 Calcium Phosphate Cements Reinforced with Polylactide Fibers 188
7.5 Nanocomposites of Polylactide and Hydroxyapatite: Coupling Agents 189
7.6 PLA/HAp Scaffolds for Tissue-Engineering Applications 191
7.7 Scaffolds Constituted by Ternary Mixtures Including PLA and HAp 198
7.8 Bioactive Molecules Loaded in PLA/HAp Scaffolds 200
7.9 Hydrogels Incorporating PLA/HAp 204
7.10 Conclusions 206
References 207
8 Biodegradable Composites: Properties and Uses 215
Daniel Belchior Rocha and Derval dos Santos Rosa
8.1 Introduction 215
8.2 Biodegradable Polymers Applied in Composites 217
8.3 Composites Using Matrices by Biomass Polymers 220
8.4 Composites Using Matrices by Biopolymers Synthesized from Monomers 230
8.5 Composites using matrices by biopolymers produced by microorganism 239
8.6 Conclusion 241
Acknowledgments 242
References 243
9 Development of Membranes from Biobased Materials and their Applications 251
K. C. Khulbe and T. Matsuura
9.1 Introduction 251
9.2 Membranes from Biopolymer or Biomaterials 253
9.3 Summary 274
References 275
10 Green Biodegradable Composites Based on Natural Fibers 283
Magdalena Wróbel-Kwiatkowska, Mateusz Kropiwnicki and Waldemar Rymowicz
10.1 Introduction 283
10.2 Plant Fibers Composition 284
10.3 Fiber Modifications 285
10.4 Composites Based on Different Plant Fibers 289
10.5 Future and Perspectives of Composites 293
10.6 Conclusions 295
References 295
11 Fully Biodegradable All-Cellulose Composites 303
Fabrizio Sarasini
11.1 Introduction 303
11.2 Self-Reinforced Composites 305
11.3 All-Cellulose Composites 306
11.4 Conclusions and Future Challenges 315
References 316
12 Natural Fiber Composites with Bioderivative and/or Degradable Polymers 323
Kamila Salasinska and Joanna Ryszkowska
12.1 Introduction 323
12.2 Materials 325
12.3 Methods for the Manufacture of Composites 326
12.4 Research Methodology of Plant Component and Composites 328
12.5 Test Results 332
12.6 Comparison of the Properties of Composites with Different Types of Polymer Matrices 350
12.7 Summary and Conclusive Statements 351
Acknowledgments 352
References 352
13 Synthetic Biodegradable Polymers for Bone Tissue Engineering 355
Jiuhong Zhang, Zhiqiang Xie, Juan Yan and Jian Zhong
13.1 Introduction 355
13.2 Synthetic Biodegradable Polymers 356
13.3 Physicochemical Characterizations of Polymeric Scaffolds 363
13.4 Definition and Clinical Needs of Bone Tissue Engineering 365
13.5 Application of Synthetic Biodegradable Polymers in Bone Tissue Engineering 367
13.6 Summary 369
Acknowledgments 370
References 370
14 Polysaccharides as Green Biodegradable Platforms for Building-up Electroactive Composite Materials: An Overview 377
Fernanda F. Simas-Tosin, Aline Grein-Iankovski, Marcio Vidotti and Izabel C. Riegel-Vidotti
14.1 Introduction 377
14.2 Main Chemical and Physical Chemical Properties of the Polysaccharides Used in the Synthesis of Electroactive Composites 379
14.3 Electroactive Materials 394
14.4 Spectroscopic Characterization of Colloidal Gum Arabic/Polyaniline and Gum Arabic/Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene) 401
14.5 Polysaccharides/Conducting Polymer: Final overview 406
References 409
15 Biodegradable Polymer Blends and Composites from Seaweeds 419
Yolanda Freile-Pelegrín and Tomás J. Madera-Santana
15.1 Introduction 419
15.2 Seaweed Resources: World Scenario 420
15.3 Seaweed Polymers with Potential Materials Applications 422
15.4 Potential Biopolymer Blends and Composites from Seaweeds 426
References 433
16 Biocomposite Scaffolds Derived from Renewable Resources for Bone Tissue Repair 439
S. Dhivya and N. Selvamurugan
16.1 Introduction 439
16.2 Polysaccharide-Based Polymers 440
16.3 Glycosaminoglycans 455
16.4 Protein-Based Polymers 459
16.5 Polyesters 463
16.6 Polyhydroxyalkanoates 465
16.7 Others 466
16.8 Conclusions and Future Direction 467
Acknowledgment 468
Abbreviations 468
References 470
17 Pectin-based Composites 487
Veronika Bátori, Dan Åkeson, Akram Zamani and Mohammad J. Taherzadeh
17.1 Introduction 487
17.2 Pectin 488
17.3 Biosynthesis of Pectin Polymers during Cell Differentiation 495
17.4 Production of Pectin 495
17.5 Pectin-based Biocomposites 499
17.6 Conclusions 513
References 513
18 Recent Advances in Conductive Composites Based on Biodegradable Polymers for Regenerative Medicine Applications 519
Ilaria Armentano, Elena Fortunati, Luigi Torre and Josè Maria Kenny
18.1 Introduction 519
18.2 Regenerative Medicine 520
18.3 Biodegradable Polymers 521
18.4 Conductive Nanostructures 524
18.5 Polymer Nanocomposite Approach 526
18.6 Conclusions and Future Perspectives 535
References 536
19 Biosynthesis of PHAs and Their Biomedical Applications 543
K.-S. Heng, Y.-F. Lee, L. Thinagaran, J.-Y. Chee, P. Murugan and K. Sudesh
19.1 Introduction 543
19.2 Genetic and Metabolic Pathway of PHA Production 545
19.3 PHA Production from Sugars 548
19.4 PHA Production from Oils 554
19.5 Exploration and Application of PHAs as Biomaterials 566
19.6 Future Perspectives 573
Acknowledgments 574
References 574
20 Biodegradable Soy Protein Isolate/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Packaging Films 587
Jun-Feng Su
20.1 Introduction 587
20.2 Experimental 589
20.3 Results and Discussion 597
20.4 Conclusion 620
References 621
21 Biodegradability of Biobased Polymeric Materials in Natural Environments 625
Sudhakar Muniyasamy and Maya Jacob John
21.1 Introduction 625
21.2 Biobased Polymers from Renewable Resources 629
21.3 Biodegradable and Compostable Polymeric Materials from Renewable Resources 632
21.4 Overview of Biodegradation Studies of Biobased Polymers in Different Environmental Conditions 640
21.5 Biodegradation Mechanisms of Biobased Polymeric Materials 645
21.6 Concluding Remarks 648
References 649
