Carbohydrate-based resources

Within the framework of a research project together with Dutch based paint producer SigmaKalon, the development of alkyd resins with low intrinsic viscosity was aimed for. In order to achieve this, we explored the potential of two types of renewable, carbohydrate derived resources as the polyhydric alcohol part of alkyd resins, i.e. sucrose and inulin. " These carbohydrate based resources were chosen because of various reasons ... 

Some of the potential uses of the fats and oils found in plants have been reviewed and some uses of carbohydrate-based polymers briefly discussed. Plants contain a whole variety of other chemicals including amino acids, terpenes, flavonoids, alkaloids, etc. When the potential for these naturally occurring materials are combined with the secondary products that can be obtained by fermentation or other microbial processes or by traditional chemical transformations, the array of chemicals that can readily be created from renewable resources is huge. In this section a few of the more interesting examples are considered. 

Okada et al. have worked extensively on biodegradable polymers based on dianhydroalditols as carbohydrate renewable resources. A series of polyesters were synthesized by the bulk polycondensation of the respective three stereoisomeric dianhydroalditols (DAS, DAM, and DAI) with aliphatic dicarboxyUc acid dichlorides of 2-10 methylene groups [21, 22]. It was found that the biodegradability of the polyesters varied significantly depending on their molecular structures. 

The expanding interest in alternative surfactants made from renewable resources has been driven somewhat by the perceived environmental benefits that these materials have over those from nonrenewable sources. While it is true that these aspects have been a significant driver in the level of interest in carbohydrate-based surfactants in particular, the unique physicochemical properties of these materials offer significant advantages over other materials in some applications. 

Carbohydrate-based surfactants are the final result of a product concept that is based on the greatest possible use of renewable resources. While the derivatisation of fats and oils to produce a variety of different surfactants for a broad range of applications has a long tradition and is well established [1, 2], the production of surfactants based on fats and oils and carbohydrates on a bigger industrial scale is relatively new. Today the most important carbohydrate-based surfactants are alkyl polyglycosides, sorbitan esters and sucrose esters [3]. 

A batch process is customary for producing antibiotics. Submerged culture is used to propagate fungus with suitable carbohydrate resources. This assumption is based on simplicity in calculations and the normal use of penicillin in die pharmaceutical industry. Assume we... 

In anticipation of a more balanced discussion on renewable and fossil resources for surfactants a consensus on the coexistence of petrochemically derived products and products based on, for instance, oils, fats, and carbohydrates can be predicted. 

The development of surfactants based on carbohydrates and oils is the result of a product concept based on the exclusive use of renewable resources. In industry, saccharose (sucrose), glucose and sorbitol, which are available in large amounts and at attractive prices, are used as the preferred carbohydrate raw materials. 

This volume, together with the first volume entitled Carbohydrates and Sustainable Development, Part 1 - Renewable Resources for Chemistry and Biotechnology, demonstrates that a variety of industrial products can be accessed using renewable and low-cost biomass. Both volumes are based on selected papers presented at Carbohydrates as Organic Raw Materials V - Building a Sustainable Future (CORM V), held in Lisbon in January 2009. The conference was chaired by Amelia Pilar Ranter (University of Lisboa) and Yves Queneau (University of Lyon, INSA Lyon), in collaboration with Frieder W. Lichtenthaler (Technische... 

Since the oil shortages of the 1970s, there has been a sustained search for materials to replace the petroleum-based resins used as durable adhesives for exterior wood products. Such alternatives are considered important, because supplies of petrochemicals for use in the wood industry could again become undependable. Ideally, the source of material for an adhesive would be readily available, possibly from materials already found near or used by wood processing plants, for example, agricultural or wood-based renewable resources. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the use of carbohydrates as constituents in water-resistant adhesives. 

---