An Overview of Synthesis and Characterization Techniques of Biopolymer Composites

Abstract: Over the past few decades, there has been a growing interest in biopolymer- based composites to reduce the reliance on petroleum-based plastics and promote a clean, pollution-free environment because of the unique properties of biopolymers, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ease of processing. Biopolymers are natural polymers produced chemically or biosynthesized by living organisms. Generally, biopolymers exhibit suboptimal mechanical properties, short fatigue life, low chemical resistance, restricted durability, and constrained processing capabilities. These properties can be modified by adding fillers or nanofillers to overcome the shortcomings and create biocomposites or bionanocomposites. Biopolymer-based composites are commonly referred to as "green composites" as they can be degraded by the action of environmental factors, such as air, light, heat, or microorganisms. Thus, researchers have made numerous efforts to develop environmentally friendly composite goods with improved performance. Herein, we summarize various approaches for the synthesis of biopolymer composites, characterization techniques, applications, and recent advances in the synthesis of environmentally friendly and biodegradable biopolymer composites and nanocomposites.