ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the research activities in the area of nanocomposites using biopolymers as prime materials for environmental protection. It discusses the general preparation methods and biodegradability aspects of bionanocomposites with their possible environmental applications. Bionanocomposites based on several nanofillers are found to be useful for a broad range of applications as these can be processed by similar techniques used for conventional polymer processing. Materials stemmed from natural resources are now being extensively studied as the demand for environmental sustainability has increased significantly. Synthesis of novel bionanocomposites has gained exclusive attention and is expected to open green areas for applications in food packaging, biomedical sphere, composites, electronics, automotive sector, construction, and other areas. Environmental applications of bionanocomposites have been known since ancient Rome. Bionanocomposites are called super-absorbents because they show extremely high adsorption capacity when used with water. Bionanocomposites can also be of interest for developing other functional materials for uses in environmental remediation.
