Synthesis of Polymers for Plastic Materials

Abstract

This chapter deals with the preparation of products from material based on plastic polymers from fossil origin (Bruckner et al. 2001). The production route of traditional plastic polymers starts from available monomers, followed by the reaction for converting them into polymers and successive processing to obtain objects. This synthetic description is considered necessary for the general objective of the book devoted to the comparison between plastics from fossil origin and from renewable sources. Indeed, the alternative use of plastics from renewable source is first of all depending on the evaluation of the real capacity of the bio-related plastics to be produced in adequate amount with sustainable processes. Clearly, this problem arises when monomers with different structures and new polymers are made available from bio-related starting compounds. On the other side, the bio-related monomers and polymers will be clearly submitted to the same production technology as the corresponding fossil products, the problem becoming obvious when the monomer structure is the same as in the case of ethylene from oil or from fermentation. Then, this chapter has the role to resume the state of the art in polymer technology and the scenario of polymerization reactions and material processing encountered by monomers and polymers from renewable sources to be converted in the so-called bioplastics.