50th Anniversary Perspective: There Is a Great Future in Sustainable Polymers

Abstract

It is likely that a half-century ago even enthusiastic and optimistic proponents of the synthetic polymer industry (Mr. McGuire included) could not have predicted the massive scale on which synthetic polymers would be manufactured and used today. Ultimately, the future success of this industry will rely on the development of sustainable polymersmaterials derived from renewable feedstocks that are safe in both production and use and that can be recycled or disposed of in ways that are environmentally innocuous. Meeting these criteria in an economical manner cannot be achieved without transformative basic research that is the hallmark of this journal. In this Perspective we highlight five research topicsthe synthesis of renewable monomers and of degradable polymers, the development of chemical recycling strategies, new classes of reprocessable thermosets, and the design of advanced catalyststhat we believe will play a vital role in the development of sustainable polymers. We also offer our outlook on several outstanding challenges facing the polymer community in the broad area of sustainable polymers.

Studies on why the heat deflection temperature of polylactide bioplastic cannot be improved by overcrosslinking

“…Biodegradable polymers are believed to be able to reduce the burden on the environment via replacing certain traditional petrol‐based plastics in our daily life . Polylactide (PLA), as one of the most important biodegradable plastics, has been widely researched and used in various applications . The application of this material at high temperature (>60°C) has, however, been greatly limited because of its poor thermal properties, for example, low HDT .…”

Sustainable Polymers from Renewable Resources: Polymer Blends of Furan‐Based Polyesters

“…Recently, there has been an increasing interest in polymers derived from renewable resources as a result of environmental and economic concerns. The only abundant source of sustainable polymers is biomass . One can arrive to polymers from renewable resources by modification of natural polymers, by biomass conversion into monomers followed by polymerization or by using microorganisms and plants …”

Investigations on the aging behavior of transparent bioplastics for optical applications

“…If plastics are classified according to their raw material base and their degradation behavior, bioplastics fulfill at least one, at best both of the following criteria: They can be made from short‐term renewable sources and are degraded by biological processes, releasing non‐toxic products. Obviously, biodegradable plastics derived from fossil sources as well as non‐biodegradable biogenic materials meet one of the above criteria and can be categorized as bioplastics …”