BIOPOLYMERS

What is a Biopolymer ?
The name “Biopolymer” indicates that it is a bio-degradable polymer.
Biopolymers are naturally occurring polymers, which are produced by
living organisms and from renewable resources. They are distinct
from synthetic biodegradable polymers.
This polymer has been present on earth for billions of years. It is
older than synthetic polymers such as plastics.
 Types of Biopolymers

Produced from
Produced from Renewable resources
Living Organisms which needed to be
Polymerized
 CELLULOSE
 Cellulose is the main component of the plant cell wall and is synthesized
from glucose present in plants.
 Cellulose is a polysaccharide, built out of sugar monomer.
 Sources of cellulose includes wood, cotton, corn, wheat and others.
 Cellulose is the most abundant carbohydrate in the world, 40% of all
organic matter is cellulose.
 It has β-glucose as the repeat unit.
 Cellulose is insoluble in water and most of the organic solvents.
 It is processed and is mostly used in production of rayon.
Cellulose : Structure

Source
 STARCH
 Starch is a polysaccharide, which is soft, white and tasteless powder that
is insoluble in cold water, alcohol and other solvents.
 Starch is stored in plant tissues and is not found in animal tissues. It found
in corn(maize), potato, wheat, tapioca(cassava), and some other plants.
 It has β-glucose as the repeat unit.
 Annually starch is produced over 70 billion pounds in the world, most of it
is being used on non-food purposes such as paper-production,
cardboards, textile - sizing and adhesives.
The basic chemical formula of the starch molecule is (C6H10O5)n.
 POLYESTERS
 Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group
in every repeat unit of the main chain.
 Polyesters are naturally occurring chemicals in plants and insects as well as
synthetic such as polybutyrate.
 It is produced by bacteria and through fermentation process can be
produced commercially on large scale.
 Polyesters are now being used in biomedical applications.
 Pet is the most widely used polyester, majorly in the textile and the
packaging industries.
Ester group
 Casein
 Casein is a slow-digesting diary protein that people often take as
a supplement.
 It is commercially produced mainly from cows skimmed milk.
 Sheep and Buffalo milk have higher casein content than other
types of milk with human milk having a particularly low casein
content.
 Several studies have shown that it helps to boost muscle growth,
along with a ton of other benefits.
 Casein is used in paints, adhesives, cheese-making and protein
supplements.
Casein Structure
 Soy Protein
 Soy Protein is a protein that is isolated from soy bean meal that has been
dehulled and defatted.
 Soy protein and zein (from corn) are abundant plant proteins.
 Soy Protein product has benefits such as improved diet and cardiovascular
status, prevention of certain types of cancer, improved health following
menopause and obesity prevention/control.
 It is used for making adhesives and coatings for paper and cardboard.
Soy Protein isolated structure
 Lactic Acid
 Lactic acid, also called lactate is a chemical byproduct of anaerobic
respiration. It is typically produced from fermentation of sugar
feedstocks such as beets, sugarcane and by converting starch in
corn, potatoes, cassava or other starch products.
 Lactic acid can appear as colorless to yellow, odorless syrupy liquid.
 It is used to make cultured diary products, as a food preservative
and used to make chemicals.
 It is polymerized to produce Polylactic acid (PLA), a polymer that is
used to produce plastic.
 PLA has become a popular material due to it being economically produced
from renewable resources.
 The PLA end product can be used for injection moulding, film intrusion and
forming, blow moulding, thermoforming and fiber spinning.

Lactic Acid Structure

 Triglycerides
 Triglycerides are tri-esters consisting of a glycerol bound to three fatty acid
molecules.
 Triglycerides is a type of common fat found in human beings as body-fat and
vegetable fat.
 The widely used form of triglyceride is the Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT)
which are used as medicines for critically ill patients as it gives them sufficient
weight.
 Early research shows that giving MCTs to premature infants at the risk of yeast
infection in the gut, can help treat the infection.
Triglyceride Structure
 Uses of Biopolymers
 Starch based biopolymers can be used for creating conventional
plastic by extruding and injection moulding.
 Cellulose based Biopolymers, such as cellophane, are used as a
packaging material.
 Biopolymers based on synthetic are used to manufacture
substrate mats.
 Sugar based polymers, such as Polyactides , are used for medical
purposes. Polyactides are commonly used as surgical implants.
Environmental Impacts of Biopolymers
 Biopolymers are biodegradable, and some are also compostable.
 Biopolymers can be sustainable, carbon neutral and are always
renewable, because they are made from plant materials which can be
grown indefinitely.
 Its total biodegradation by bacteria that produce, fungi, and algae yield
products such as CO2, water and then composted is a great advantage
over synthetic.
 The naturally obtained and synthetic biopolymers possess huge
advantages over petroleum-based polymers by means of cost
effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and user-friendly materials.
THANK YOU

By :
Akanksha [098]
Yuktika Duggal [082]