Biopolymers: various families, properties and applications

In recent years, the manufacture of plastics from renewable resources has emerged as a new economic challenge. This is linked to the growing awareness of the impact of plastic materials, whose polluting nature due to poor recycling poses a risk to our planet. Polymer chemistry was born of the knowledge of a common biopolymer: cellulose, better known as wood. In fact, cellulose belongs to the polysaccharide family, which is one of the biopolymer families. Biopolymers are polymers derived exclusively from living organisms, or from polymers synthesized from renewable resources. Over the past few years, these polymers have experienced a real boom, thanks to their biological origins and, above all, their biodegradable nature. Their use as substitutes for, or even blends with, other polymers synthesized from hydrocarbons offers interesting applications. Indeed, in a world where recyclable or biodegradable materials are becoming increasingly important, biopolymers are being put to ever greater use.