Biocomposites : Biomedical and Environmental Applications

This book is aimed at beginners and students in materials science and researchers in the fields of bionanocomposites, nanotechnology, and analytical chemistry, especially those with an interest in materials for analytical applications. Advanced polymer-based nanocomposite materials continue to become increasingly popular and important for a wide range of science and engineering applications. In the race to exploit the unique mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of nano- and biocomposite materials, researchers must also address new challenges in predicting, understanding, and managing the potentially adverse effects these materials could have on the environment and human lives.

Biocomposites, formed by a matrix and a reinforcement of natural fibers, often mimic the structure of living materials and offer the strength of the matrix as well as biocompatibility. Being renewable, cheap, recyclable, and biodegradable, they have witnessed rapidly growing interest in terms of industrial and fundamental applications.

This book focuses on fiber-based composites applied to biomedical and environmental applications. It presents a comprehensive survey of biocomposites from the existing literature, paying particular attention to various biomedical and environmental applications. The text describes mechanical designs and manufacturing aspects of various fibrous polymer matrix composites and presents examples of the synthesis and development of bionanocomposites and their applications. The book is the first of its kind to present all these topics together unlike most other books on nano-/biocomposites that are generally limited to their fundamentals, different methods of synthesis, and applications.