Industrial Agricultural Products Center
Biopolymers, Biochemicals, Biofuels, Biopower
"Polymers are large molecules consisting of repeated chemical units (`mers') joined together, usually in a chain, like beads on a string. Each `mer' is typically made up of more than 5 and less than 500 atoms; the word `polymer' is applied when you have more than about 50 `mers' stuck together. Most of the plastics that make up the pieces of junk that fill our lives are made of polymers." --John Mer, Cornell University.
Biopolymers are derived from animals and plants. They represent the most abundant organic compounds in the biosphere and constitute the largest fraction of cells. Technical applications for biopolymers include products and techniques used in medicine such as; tissue engineering, surgical gels and adhesives, medical devices and drug release systems, and in food products such as; soft drinks, yoghurts, ice creams, baked products, confectionery and pet foods. Biopolymers are used to modify texture by thickening or gelling, emulsify oils such as flavour components, stabilise complex mixtures of components, and improve shelf life. There are many other applications as well, such as; cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, printing inks, fabric finishes, adhesives, agricultural sprays, oil well drilling and recovery materials, and photographic products.
". . .the role of renewable resources and natural processes diminished rapidly and significantly in the chemical industry as we went successively into the coal and petroleum based eras. We have come full circle and now recognize that neither of these two resources is forever and each is associated with negatives that encourage the search for alternative routes to commercially viable polymers and materials for select applications. This search, not really unexpectedly, has taken us back to our roots, natural renewable resources and natural processes." --Graham Swift, GS Polymer Consultants.
