Green Plastics (book)
From GreenPlastics
| This is the article about the book called Green Plastics. To view the article describing green plastics, see green plastics. To view a list of different types of green plastics see Green plastics (list). |
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| Author | E.S. Stevens |
| Genre(s) | Materials Science |
| Publisher | Princeton University Press |
| Publication date | November 1, 2001 |
| Media Type | hardcover |
| Pages | 272 |
Green Plastics is a book by E.S. Stevens. From the description on Amazon.com:
- Plastics are everywhere. Bags, bank cards, bottles, and even boats can all be made of this celebrated but much-maligned material. Yet most of us know next to nothing about plastics. We do know that they are practical and cheap--but they also represent a huge environmental problem, for they literally take ages to decompose. In this engaging book, E.S. Stevens tells us everything we have always wondered about plastics and of the efforts, in America, Europe, and Asia, to develop a new breed of environmentally friendly plastics. He points to a possible future where plastics will no longer be made of petroleum, but of plants. [...]
- Nonspecialists will find Green Plastics a concise introduction to this exciting interdisciplinary topic an introduction otherwise not available. For students it provides easy entry to an area of science with wide appeal and current importance; for teachers, excellent background reading for courses in various sciences. The prospect of depleted fossil fuel supplies, and the potential benefits of bioplastics to the environment and to rural areas that could supply the raw materials, make this book a compelling presentation of a subject whose time has come.
Contents |
Book Summary
Part One describes the growing concern over the environmental effects of using plastics in ever increasing amounts. It also introduces the chemical nature of synthetic polymers and the notion of environmental degradability.
Part Two describes natural polymers as alternative plastics feedstocks, contrasting them with synthetic polymers, and introduces some emerging bioplastics technologies.
The book ends with instructions for making cast-film samples of bioplastics using nothing more than commonly available items. The preparations vividly illustrate the potential of bioplastics, and are easily adapted for use in instructional laboratories.
Table of Contents
PART ONE. PLASTICS
Chapter 1 The Age of Plastics
- The New Kids on the Block, How Do We Use All That Plastic?
Chapter 2 Plastics as Materials
- Materials Science, Composites and Laminates, The Distinction of Plastics as a Material, Materials and the Ecosystem
Chapter 3 Plastics and the Environment
- Raw Materials, Plastics Waste, Managing Plastics Waste, Environment Friendly Plastics?
Chapter 4 The Chemical Nature of Plastics
- Polymers, Plastics, Additives, Common Thermoplastics, Common Thermosets, Biodegradable Synthetics, Fibers and Elastomers
Chapter 5 Plastics Degradation
- Plastics After Use-An Introduction, Thermodynamics and Kinetics, Biodegradation-Nature's Recycling, Degradation of Plastics, Tests and Standards
PART TWO. BIO-PLASTICS
Chapter 6 Biopolymers
- Nature's Polymers, Carbohydrates, Lignin, Proteins, Polyesters, Synthetic "Biopolymers," Nature's Fibers, Nature's Composites
Chapter 7 The Reemergence of Bioplastics
- What are Bioplastics?, Early Bioplastics, The New Bioplastics
Chapter 8 Factors Affecting Growth
- Biomass Raw Materials, Benign Technology, Biodegradable Products, Properties, Cost
Chapter 9 Prospects For The Future
- Raw Materials, Markets, Technological Advances, Environmental Concern, Paradigm Shift
Appendix Make Your Own
- Preparation of Cast-film Bioplastics, Supplies, Equipment, Procedure, Formulations: Bioglass-Laminate-Biowrap-Buttons-Decorations, Varying the Recipes, "1-2-3 Plastic," Other Possibilities, Standard Tests, Glass Temperature, Tensile Strength, Designing Science Projects
NOTES
GLOSSARY
READING LIST
SUBJECT INDEX
AUTHOR/NAME INDEX
Reviews
Journal of Chemical Education, September 2002
- “a well written book …a strong plug for the development and commercialization of bioplastics”
“Chapter 7, The Reemergence of Bioplastics, is worth the price of the book. It contains a fascinating section on early bioplastics that is enhanced with photos of bioplastic objects, from horn spoons to celluloid knick-knacks, to Henry Ford’s 1941 “soybean plastic” automobile. Teachers at all levels and historians of science and technology will find much of interest in this section.” “The 20-page Appendix, Make Your Own, is an excellent resource for teachers. It contains detailed directions for preparing numerous and interesting cast-film bioplastics, including a bioglass picture frame, laminate card-covers, and a degradable, homemade root-ball wrap for a tree. Ideas for science projects are suggested aswell.” “a thought provoking book that should find a variety of applications in classrooms, from high schools to science museums to universities.”
Choice. Books for College Libraries July/August 2002
- “…a very nice introduction to the field of biodegradable polymers….a very readable book….several very useful appendixes….Recommended for general readers, lower-division undergraduates, and two-year technical program students.”
American Scientist, May-June 2002
- “…an introduction to the subject, along with a brief overview of the chemistry of plastics. Rounding out the book are a helpful glossary, a reading list for those interested in exploring the topic in greater depth and an appendix of recipes for making your own bioplastics from common ingredients.”
The Alchemist―ChemWeb.com, April 2002
- “Readers of The Alchemist who teach chemistry to high school or college students probably have at least a few environmentalist-idealists in their classes and they ought to assign them to read Green Plastics... It promotes the creation and use of both bioplastics and plastics of all kinds which are biodegradable, but does so in a clear, non-polemical way.”
Science News, February 9, 2002
- “…an interesting look at how chemists are developing plastics made from plants instead of petroleum. Stevens provides a chemistry lesson on how plastics are currently manufactured….Then, he shifts his focus to the future of environmentally friendly plastics―how they’re made and how economically viable they could be.”
About the Author
E.S. Stevens is Professor of Chemistry at the State University of New York at Binghamton. He has conducted research on biopolymers for more than thirty years and has published more that one hundred papers dealing with the conformational behavior of biomolecules, a topic he has explored through chiroptic methods.
On The Web
- Buy the book on Princeton University Press
- Buy the book on Amazon.com
- Discuss the book on LibraryThing.com