Use of Microalgae Biomass to Synthesize Marketable Products. Part 6: Production of Bioplastics from Microalgae

This paper is a part from the series of reviews focused on the use of microalgae biomass to synthesize products for a wide range of applications. In this review, microalgae are discussed as potential renewable feedstocks for producing functional materials that have found application in the polymer industry. Strong, stable, and biodegradable microalgae bioplastics are an alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Approaches to producing bioplastics from microalgae both directly from biomass (polyhydroxyalkanoates, starch, cellulose, organic acids) and by blending biomass with other polymers are discussed. Data on the prospects of using bioplastics synthesized from microalgae, in particular, by integrated biomass biorefinery, are described.