Chemical Structures, Properties, and Applications of Selected Crude Oil-Based and Bio-Based Polymers

Abstract

The growing perspective of running out of crude oil followed by increasing prices for all crude oil-based materials, e.g., crude oil-based polymers, which have a huge number of practical applications but are usually neither biodegradable nor environmentally friendly, has resulted in searching for their substitutes—namely, bio-based polymers. Currently, both these types of polymers are used in practice worldwide. Owing to the advantages and disadvantages occurring among plastics with different origin, in this current review data on selected popular crude oil-based and bio-based polymers has been collected in order to compare their practical applications resulting from their composition, chemical structure, and related physical and chemical properties. The main goal is to compare polymers in pairs, which have the same or similar practical applications, regardless of different origin and composition. It has been proven that many crude oil-based polymers can be effectively replaced by bio-based polymers without significant loss of properties that ensure practical applications. Additionally, biopolymers have higher potential than crude oil-based polymers in many modern applications. It is concluded that the future of polymers will belong to bio-based rather than crude oil-based polymers.

Synthesis and electrical characterization of poly[(linoleic acid)‐g‐(styrene)‐g‐(ε‐caprolactone)] graft copolymers as gate insulator for OFET devices

“…In this respect plant oils/fatty acids are classified as natural polymers and have become popular in recent years as an alternative to materials of limited resources 18, 19 . Block/graft copolymers synthesized by adding functional monomers to plant oils/fatty acids have a flexible, simpler, and cheaper production process, and due to their structure, large surface area, mechanical flexibility, and high compatibility with various flexible substrates (glass, paper, plastic) they show promise for new application areas 20 . To synthesize plant oil/fatty acid polymers, 8 one of the most general routes is the auto‐oxidation of polyunsaturated oil/oily acids 21 .…”

“…18,19 Block/graft copolymers synthesized by adding functional monomers to plant oils/fatty acids have a flexible, simpler, and cheaper production process, and due to their structure, large surface area, mechanical flexibility, and high compatibility with various flexible substrates (glass, paper, plastic) they show promise for new application areas. 20 To synthesize plant oil/fatty acid polymers, 8 one of the most general routes is the autooxidation of polyunsaturated oil/oily acids. 21 Recent years have seen the effective application of a one-pot approach for the synthesis of block or graft copolymers, 22 which offers significant benefits over other frequently used methods.…”