Green Polymer Chemistry and Bio-Based Plastic

Introduction

Green chemistry is the development of chemical products and processes that decrease or eliminate the usage of hazardous chemicals. The term “sustainability” refers to growth that fulfills current demands without jeopardizing future generations' ability to satisfy their own. These ideas have gained attraction in recent years and have become major study subjects. Several books and review papers on toxicity reduction in polymers have been published in recent years (Mat lack et al, 2021), and there is growing interest in green chemistry. Many recent symposia on this issue have been held at national ACS meetings, demonstrating this.

Polymer is the only substance on the planet that is both highly appreciated for its use and widely reviled. We have conflicting, contradictory, and vacillating sentiments regarding polymers, and we've never determined whether they're good, terrible, or ugly. Their newness is possibly one of the reasons behind their ambivalence. The fast expansion of polymer manufacture was a twentieth-century phenomenon, and anything less than a century old is considered new in historical terms. Polymers are newbies among materials, and we haven't had enough time to form opinions about them. It would be unintelligent not to give polymers due attention because of their obvious use. They are frequently not only less expensive than other materials, but they often offer better characteristics. Their cheap cost has life-saving implications, such as in drought-prone parts of Africa, where lightweight plastic water pails have replaced clay and stone containers, allowing people to bring water in even from remote wells during acute water scarcity. Polymers are also well-suited to the modern information-age applications of cell phones, bank cards, and laptops. Even when it comes to basic comfort, no one can disagree that polymers are remarkable performers (Stevens et al, 2002).

Modern polymer technology has green routes. Polymers have an important part in both natural and man-made technologies as structural and multifunctional macromolecular materials that are extremely adaptable and diverse. Polymers ensure a good quality of life and act as pacemakers for contemporary technology, thus modern life would be impossible without them.

In a green economy, reduced demand for resources and energy, as well as waste minimization, prevention of pollution and dangers, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, optimization of industrial processes, and effective waste recycling are all critical. These components are essential to sustainable chemistry, often known as green chemistry, which was coined in the 1990s. Biomaterials and biotechnology are not synonymous with “green” in this sense. In fact, many existing polymers and polymerization processes meet the demands of green chemistry. Polyolefins are well-known examples of effective sustainable materials like polyethylene and polypropylene, which account for almost half of worldwide polymer output. Polymers have become key components of nearly any consumer product that satisfies human society's diverse demands. (Andrade et al, 2003)

Most polymers have unique property combinations that no other class of materials can match.

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  Lightweight

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  Excellent corrosion resistance

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  Reasonable cost

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  High flexibility in terms of characteristics and applications

During the twentieth century, a wide range of synthetic polymers became commercially available. Petrochemistry, which first appeared in the 1950s, has a strong technological foundation. The use of oil and gas as fossil raw resources in the chemical industry and polymer synthesis has considerably increased cost-effectiveness and simplified macromolecular material manufacturing. Since then, the polymer has been defined by its appealing mix of low cost, ease of production, and innovation.