ABSTRACT
The materials encountered in biological systems are often well-designed composites, frequently anisotropic, and usually subject to changes over time as the requirements of the living organism change. To develop technologically useful polymeric materials derived from microorganisms is an attractive and exciting goal, particularly if in doing so we emulate the highly optimised use of materials in biological structures themselves. This chapter concentrates on structural polymers materials analogous to the common plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene and poly(vinyl chloride). As a thermoplastic, PHB can be melt-processed and hence used in injection moulding, blow moulding, and the production of films and fibres, as well as being incorporated into polymer blends and composite materials. An urgent need was perceived for materials able to replace commodity polymers derived from petrochemicals and the similarity of PHB to some conventional plastics made it an obvious candidate.
