The progressive dwindling of fossil resources, coupled with the drastic increase in oil prices, have sparked a feverish activity in search of alternatives based on renewable resources for the production of energy. Given the predominance of petroleum- and carbon-based chemistry for the manufacture of organic chemical commodities, a similar preoccupation has recently generated numerous initiatives aimed at replacing these fossil sources with renewable counterparts. In particular, major efforts are being conducted in the field of polymer science and technology to prepare macromolecular materials based on renewable resources. The concept of the bio-refinery, viz. the rational exploitation of the vegetable biomass in terms of the separation of its components and their utilisation as such, or after suitable chemical modifications, is thus gaining momentum and considerable financial backing from both the public and private sectors. This collection of chapters, each one written by internationally recognised experts in the corresponding field, covers in a comprehensive fashion all the major aspects related to the synthesis, characterization and properties of macromolecular materials prepared using renewable resources as such, or after appropriate modifications. Thus, monomers such as terpenes and furans, oligomers like rosin and tannins, and polymers ranging from cellulose to proteins and including macromolecules synthesized by microbes, are discussed with the purpose of showing the extraordinary variety of materials that can be prepared from their intelligent exploitation. Particular emphasis has been placed on recent advances and imminent perspectives, given the incessantly growing interest that this area is experiencing in both the scientific and technological realms. - Discusses bio-refining with explicit application to materials - Replete with examples of applications of the concept of sustainable development - Presents an impressive variety of novel macromolecular materials.

Foreword -- Contributors -- -- 1. The State of the Art (A. Gandini, M.N. Belgacem) -- 2. Terpenes: major sources, properties and applications (A.J.D. Silvestre, A. Gandini) -- 3. Materials from vegetable oils: major sources, properties and applications (M.N. Belgacem, A. Gandini) -- 4. Rosin: sources, properties and applications (A.J.D. Silvestre, A. Gandini) -- 5. Sugars as monomers (J.A. Galbis P̌rez, M.G. Garcia Mart̕n) -- 6. Furan Derivatives and Furan Chemistry at the Service of Macromolecular Materials (A. Gandini, M.N. Belgacem) -- 7. Surfactants from renewable sources: synthesis and applications (T. Benveghu, D. Plusquellec, L. Lemïgre) -- 8. Tannins: major sources, properties and applications (A. Pizzi) -- 9. Lignins: major sources, structure and properties (G. Gellerstedt, G. Henriksson) -- 10. Industrial commercial lignins: sources, properties and applications (J. Lora) -- 11. Lignins as Components of Macromolecular Materials (A. Gandini, M.N. Belgacem) -- 12. Partial or total oxypropylation of natural polymers and the use of the ensuing materials as composites or polyol macromonomers (M.N. Belgacem, A. Gandini) -- 13. Hemicelluloses: major sources, properties and applications (I. Spiridon, V.I. Popa) -- 14. Cork and suberins: major sources, properties, applications (A.J.D. Silvestre, C. Pascoal Neto, A. Gandini) -- 15. Starch: major sources, properties and applications as thermoplastic materials (A.J.F. Carvalho) -- 16. Cellulose Chemistry: Novel Products and Synthesis Paths (T. Heinze, K. Petzold) -- 17. Bacterial Cellulose from Glucanacetobacter xylinus: Preparation, Properties and Applications (E. Pecoraro, D. Manzani, Y. Messaddeq, S.J.L. Ribeiro) -- 18. Surface modification of cellulose fibres (M.N. Belgacem, A. Gandini) -- 19. Cellulose-based composites and nano-composites (A. Dufresne) -- 20. Chemical modification of wood (M.N. Belgacem, A. Gandini) -- 21. Polylactic acid: synthesis, properties and applications (L. Av̌rous) -- 22. Polyhydroxyalkanoates: origin, properties and applications (I. Chodak) -- 23. Proteins as sources of materials (L. Zhang, M. Zeng) -- 24. Polyelectrolytes derived from natural polysaccharides (M. Rinaudo) -- 25. Chitin and chitosan: major sources, properties and applications (C. Peniche, W. Argelles-Monal, F.M. Goycoolea).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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