Handbook of Sustainable Polymers

Vijay Kumar Thakur is staff scientist in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University, USA. He has published more than 90 research articles in SCI journals, 25 books, and 30 book chapters and holds one US patent. Some of his significant appointments include associate editor for Materials Express and advisory editor for SpringerPlus. He also serves on the editorial advisory boards of Polymers for Advanced Technologies, Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part A: Pure and Applied Chemistry, International Journal of Industrial Chemistry, and Energies.Manju Kumari Thakur is assistant professor of chemistry in the Division of Chemistry, Government Degree College Sarkaghat, Himachal Pradesh University, India. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry, botany, and zoology, master’s and MPhil in organic chemistry, and PhD in polymer chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, Himachal Pradesh University. She has published more than 30 research papers in international journals, co-authored 7 books, and authored 25 book chapters in the field of polymeric materials.

• Sustainable Polymers: A Perspective to the Future. Properties of Natural Cellulose Fibers and Methods of Their Modifications for the Purpose of Paper Quality Improvement. New Uses for an "Old" Polysaccharide: Pectin Based Composite Materials. Lignin from Biomass Waste to Oil & Gas Drilling Industry. Consolidation of Natural Polymer Powder by Severe Shear Deformation. Crystal Structure of Wild and Domestic Silk Fibres Using Linked-Atom-Least Squares Method. Cellulose: Structure and Properties Relationships. Guar Gum and Its Derivatives: Versatile Materials for Controlled Drug Delivery. Depolymerization Properties of Bio-Based Polymers. Biofiber Reinforced Biopolymer Composites. Novel Smart Chitosan Grafted Alginate Microcapsules PH Sensitive Hydrogel for Oral Protein Delivery: Release and Bio-Evaluation Studies. Kinetics and Mechanistics Orientation to the Nature of Electron-Transfer Process in Oxidation of Biodegradable Water-Soluable Polymers by Chromic Acid in Aqueous Perchlorate Solutions. A Linear Free-Energy Correlation. Biopolymers Directly Developed from Biomasses from Agrowaste Sources. Preparation of Self-Assembled Chitin Nanofibers and Nanocomposites Using Ionic Liquid. Chitosan-Starch Eco-Composites: Sustainable Biopolymer Matrix Reinforced with Green Fibers. Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Protein-Based Hydrogels. Biodegradable Polymer Loaded Nanoparticles: An Overview on Synthesis and Its Biomedical Applications. Nano-Particles in Biochemical Engineering: Synthesis and Chemistry. Bagasse Sustainable Polymers for Cellulose Hydrogel Sheets Showing Tissue Regeneration. Smart Polymers in Targeted Drug Delivery. Novel Nanocellulose Based Biocomposites. Supercritical Antisolvent Process as Green Alternative in Polymer Optimization.

"This unique book offers up-to-date studies on biorenewable polymers: from fundamental aspects to technology and applications. It comes at the right time when materials industries worldwide are undergoing a revolutionary shift to developing environmentally sustainable materials. A concentrate of the most recent scientific discoveries written by recognized authors in the field, this is an excellent book for inspiring scientists and students."—Prof. João Paulo Borges, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal"The subject of this book, sustainable polymers, is of foremost importance nowadays, and interest in this area is expected to grow much further. The chapters cover a very interesting collection of related subjects and are written by influential groups around the world. As presented in the book, these materials may be applied in a variety of fields, and more research in the area will help reduce dependence on fossil fuels for the production of competitive polymers."—Dr. Sandro Campos Amico, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil