Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes
Algae Based Renewable, Sustainable, Biodegradable and Recyclable Materials

An overview of algae, polyurethanes (PUs) and their use in everyday materials, including their biodegradability and recyclability

Robert S. Pomeroy (Volume editor)

9780323999823, Elsevier Science

Paperback / softback, published 25 April 2023

318 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.45 kg

Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes: Algae Based Renewable, Sustainable, Biodegradable and Recyclable Materials explains how and why bio-based materials, specifically algae, will change the polymer industry. The book provides background on algae, polyurethanes (PUs), and their everyday use. It covers the biology and chemistry behind how and why these materials are engineered to be both biodegradable and, through the process of depolymerization, fully recyclable. Chapters cover Re-evaluating the Sources, Redefining the Analytics, Reformulating Polyester Polyurethanes, and The Future. The latter part of the book describes the landscape of bio-based materials, the eco-consumer, and insights into the industry problem of “greenwashing.?

This book is a valuable resource for industry professionals who use polyurethanes in the supply chain for manufactured products, those in sales and marketing or regulatory roles who wish to better understand the unique advantages of bio-based materials, and researchers studying R&D of biobased polyurethanes or remediation of microplastics pollution on land and in bodies of fresh and saltwater worldwide.

1. Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes

Section A. Re-evaluating the Sources
2. Why Algae and Plant Oils?
3. Renewable, Sustainable Sources and Bio-Based Monomers

Section B. Redefining the Analytics
4. Biodegradation: The Biology
5. Biodegradation and Recycling: The Analytical Chemistry
6. TEAs and LCAs of Bio-Based Polyurethanes

Section C. Reformulating Polyester Polyurethanes
7. Polyurethanes: Foam and TPUs
8. Coatings, Adhesives, and Sealants
9. Bio-Based Composite Materials

Section D. Reimagining Polyester Polyurethanes
10. Recycling – The Bioloop
11. Commercialization and the Eco-Consumer
12. The Future of Biodegradable Polyurethanes

Subject Areas: Analytical chemistry [PNF]