Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes: Algae Based Renewable, Sustainable, Biodegradable and Recyclable Materials explains how and why bio-based materials, specifically algae, will change the polymer industry. The book provides background on algae, polyurethanes (PUs), and their everyday use. It covers the biology and chemistry behind how and why these materials are engineered to be both biodegradable and, through the process of depolymerization, fully recyclable. Chapters cover Re-evaluating the Sources, Redefining the Analytics, Reformulating Polyester Polyurethanes, and The Future. The latter part of the book describes the landscape of bio-based materials, the eco-consumer, and insights into the industry problem of “greenwashing.
This book is a valuable resource for industry professionals who use polyurethanes in the supply chain for manufactured products, those in sales and marketing or regulatory roles who wish to better understand the unique advantages of bio-based materials, and researchers studying R&D of biobased polyurethanes or remediation of microplastics pollution on land and in bodies of fresh and saltwater worldwide.
1. Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes Section A. Re-evaluating the Sources 2. Why Algae and Plant Oils? 3. Renewable, Sustainable Sources and Bio-Based Monomers Section B. Redefining the Analytics 4. Biodegradation: The Biology 5. Biodegradation and Recycling: The Analytical Chemistry 6. TEAs and LCAs of Bio-Based Polyurethanes Section C. Reformulating Polyester Polyurethanes 7. Polyurethanes: Foam and TPUs 8. Coatings, Adhesives, and Sealants 9. Bio-Based Composite Materials Section D. Reimagining Polyester Polyurethanes 10. Recycling – The Bioloop 11. Commercialization and the Eco-Consumer 12. The Future of Biodegradable Polyurethanes
Robert S. “Skip Pomeroy is a Teaching Professor at UC San Diego. He is an analytical chemist and works in several research centers within the university (CAICE, CalCAB, FF21, and the Center for Renewable Materials) serving as an educational lead and chemical analyst. He obtained his BA in chemistry from UC San Diego, MS in Analytical Chemistry from Cal Poly Pomona, and Ph.D in analytical chemistry from the University of Arizona, and was a postdoctoral student in the Marine Physical Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Dr. Pomeroy also served as the R&D lead for Southern Grouts and Mortars for 10 years.