Preface xi
1 Monomers and Polymerization Methods 1
1.1 Types of Monomers and Synthesis Methods 2
1.2 Polymerization Methods 28
1.3 Future Trends in Summary 29
2 Automotive Industry, Hemp and Sustainable Polymers 33
2.1 Plastics Industry 33
2.2 Fields of Application 35
2.3 Evolution 35
2.4 Material Safety 36
2.5 Environmental Sustainability of Plastics 36
2.6 Future Directions for Sustainable Polymers 37
2.7 Circular Economy 40
2.8 Automotive Industry 47
2.9 Future Trends in Summary 65
3 Plastic Waste 73
3.1 Valorization of Plastic Waste 73
3.2 Origin of Plastic Waste 74
3.3 Waste Accumulation 81
3.4 Conversion of Plastic Waste into Fuel 84
3.5 Future Trends in Summary 96
4 Plastic Pollution in the Environment 101
4.1 Ingestion of Macroplastics by Odontocetes of the Greek Seas 101
4.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Plastics Consumption 103
4.3 Sustainability of Plastic Types 103
4.4 Plastic Industry in China 105
4.5 Carbon Footprint 108
4.6 Global Greenhouse Gas Emission from Both Traditional Plastics and Bioplastics 109
4.7 Future Trends in Summary 110
5 Recycling 113
5.1 The Frontier of Plastics Recycling 113
5.2 Recycling Technologies 113
5.3 Plastic Waste Generation 128
5.4 Recycled Plastics in Food Contact 128
5.5 Enzyme Discovery and Engineering for Sustainable Plastic Recycling 129
5.6 Special Compositions 129
5.7 Bottle Recycling 131
5.8 Recycling of Post-Consumer Polyolefins 134
5.9 Recycling of Multi-Material Multilayer Plastic Packaging 135
5.10 Future Trends in Summary 139
6 Renewable Energy 147
6.1 Plastic Waste 147
6.2 Future Trends in Summary 154
7 Methods of Characterization 157
7.1 Polymer Identification Techniques 157
7.2 Identification of the Materials 158
7.3 Future Trends in Summary 160
8 Medical Uses 163
8.1 Optical Applications 163
8.2 Materials 165
8.3 Surgery 170
8.4 Polymer Implants 173
8.5 Orthopedic Applications 176
8.6 Sutures 178
8.7 Biomedical Uses 178
8.8 Drug Delivery 180
8.9 Self-Healing Materials 180
8.10 Surgical Instruments 181
8.11 Microplastics 182
8.12 Future Trends in Summary 183
9 Restoration 191
9.1 Deterioration of Cultural Heritage 191
9.2 Science 192
9.3 Layer-by-Layer Architectures 197
9.4 Future Trends in Summary 198
10 Food Applications 201
10.1 Molecularly Imprinted Polymers 201
10.2 Self-Assembled Carbohydrate Polymers 206
10.3 Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensors 206
10.4 Analysis of Problematic Additives 221
10.5 Food Packaging 223
10.6 Food Container 238
10.7 Future Trends in Summary 238
11 Additive Classes 247
11.1 Compatibilizers 247
11.2 Contaminants 248
11.3 Legacy Additives 253
11.4 Chain Extenders 253
11.5 Nucleating Additives 256
11.6 Food Additives 258
11.7 Antioxidants 263
11.8 Future Trends in Summary 266
12 Manufacturing 271
12.1 Wood-Plastic Composites 271
12.2 Single-Use Plastics 278
12.3 Future Trends in Summary 280
References 280
Index 283
Acronyms 283
Chemicals 286
General Index 292
