The use of microalgae biomass for the production of marketable products. Part 6: Bioplastic from microalgae

Abstract

This article is part of a series of reviews devoted to the using microalgae biomass to obtain widely used products. In this review, microalgae are considered as a potential and renewable feedstock for producing functional materials that have found their application in the polymer industry. Strong, stable and biodegradable bioplastics from microalgae are an alternative to traditional petroleumbased plastics. The ways of obtaining bioplastics from microalgae, using the biomass directly (polyhydroxyalkanoates, starch, cellulose, organic acids), as well as using it blending with other polymers, are considered. Data are presented on the prospects of using bioplastics from microalgae, including as a result of biomass biorefinery.