Synthetic materials to bionanocomposites: an overview

Abstract Bionanocomposites are a novel class of advanced biohybrid materials. Today, industrialists and researchers are looking toward bionanocomposites to solve environmental problems and to find alternative sources for petroleum-based chemicals. They have developed bionanocomposite materials with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, by using excellent green technology. However, biopolymers present relatively poor mechanical and barrier properties, which currently limit their industrial use. There is a growing interest in developing bio-based polymers and innovative process technologies that can reduce the dependence on fossil fuel and move to a sustainable raw materials base. Bionanocomposites open an opportunity for the use of new, high-performance, lightweight, green nanocomposite materials to replace conventional nonbiodegradable petroleum-based plastic packaging materials. This chapter provides a broad overview of the literature of synthetic materials to bionanocomposites, their properties, their processing, and their applications.