Biodegradable Polymers and Its Applications

In recent years, there has been a marked increasein interest in biodegradable materials for use in packaging,agriculture, medicine, and other areas in India. In particular,biodegradable polymer materials (known as biocomposites) areof interest. Polymers form the backbones of plastic materials,and are continually being employed in an expanding range ofareas. As a result, many researchers are investing time intomodifying traditional materials to make them moreuser-friendly, and into designing novel polymer composites outof naturally occurring materials. A number of biologicalmaterials may be incorporated into biodegradable polymermaterials, with the mostcommon being starch and fiberextracted from various types of plants. The belief is thatbiodegradable polymer materials will reduce the need forsynthetic polymer production (thus reducing pollution) at a lowcost, thereby producing a positive effect both environmentallyand economically. This paper is intended to provide a briefoutline of work that is under way in the area of biodegradablepolymer research and development, the scientific theory behindthese materials, areas in which this research is being applied,and the major advantages of this biodegradable polymermaterials in India.