Bioplastics: Sustainable Materials and Market Trends

This lecture covers the fundamentals of polymer science, focusing on the most common classes of polymeric materials such as polyolefins and polyesters. It explores the differences between step-growth and chain-growth polymerization, as well as the structure-property relationship in polymers. The discussion extends to bioplastics, including definitions of biobased, biodegradable, and biodegradable polymers. The lecture delves into the global bioplastics market trends, emphasizing the shift towards sustainable development and the use of renewable feedstock. It also addresses the concept of 'drop-in' bioplastics and novel bioplastics with unique properties and production methods. The instructor presents a research vision and plans for designing new thermoplastic polyesters with programmable degradation profiles, highlighting the importance of sustainable material development and societal impact.