Polymers from Plant Oils

This book provides an update on the field of polymers derived from vegetable oils. It highlights the remarkable progress achieved in all aspects of the discipline over the last decade, ranging from direct exploitation of triglycerides to their conversion into novel monomeric species and their polymerisation (including the properties and potential applications of the ensuing materials). After a general introduction that 'sets the stage' for better understanding of the various strategies and mechanist approaches, each one of them is discussed in detail in the appropriate chapter. Rather than attempting an uncritical comprehensive coverage of the large body of recent published work, the book purposely focuses on the originality of several systems in which novel mechanisms are being explored successfully (e.g., application of the thiol-ene reaction, metathesis, and Diels-Alder reactions to oils and their derivatives). Additional emphasis is placed on straightforward and technically viable processes that call upon utilisation of readily available precursors. The other important aspect of this book relates to the properties of the different materials: thermal transitions and stability; mechanical performances; biodegradability; aptitude for further chemical modification; readiness to form blends and composites. Readers who should find this book useful include polymer scientists and engineers working in academic and industrial sectors, as well as vegetable-oil chemists and researchers involved in the broader sustainability of exploitation of renewable resources, 'green' chemistry and implementation of bio-refineries.