5th International Conference on Bioplastics
Paris, France
Biography
Biography: Eric Leroy
Abstract
The recent concerns for carbon management (including fossil fuels use and CO2 emissions) have drawn attention on biobased plastics, including natural polymers. When compared to petroleum based plastics, these polymers obtained from plants are generally considered as relatively weak, with low mechanical performances and more complex processability, due to water sensitivity and/or low thermal stability. Nevertheless, this current objective of replacing petroleum based commodity plastics may hide other opportunities for the use of natural polymers as structural and/or functional materials in applications that would take advantage of their specific properties. This approach will be illustrated by different examples of our recent research involving the use of ionic liquids as processing aids and functional additives for the design of functional and bioinspired materials from starch, cellulose and natural rubber.