Sustainable polymers play an indispensable role in the emergence of green materials, and the 21st century is an era of sustainable polymeric materials. Sustainable polymer–based materials have attracted considerable interest because of the energy crisis and ecological concerns as well as the potential to substitute certain petroleum-derived materials. This book covers the fundamentals of sustainable polymers and presents guidelines in a logical and clear manner for students and researchers to follow. It is a milestone that will help accelerate the progress and advancement in the field of sustainable polymers. The text explores the structure and chemistry of various sustainable polymers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, chitosan, starch, guar gum, pectin, and protein, for the possible development of green sustainable materials.

Vijay Kumar Thakur is staff scientist in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University, USA. He has published more than 90 research articles in SCI journals, 25 books, and 30 book chapters and holds one US patent. Some of his significant appointments include associate editor for Materials Express and advisory editor for SpringerPlus. He also serves on the editorial advisory boards of Polymers for Advanced Technologies, Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part A: Pure and Applied Chemistry, International Journal of Industrial Chemistry, and Energies.

Manju Kumari Thakur is assistant professor of chemistry in the Division of Chemistry, Government Degree College Sarkaghat, Himachal Pradesh University, India. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry, botany, and zoology, master’s and MPhil in organic chemistry, and PhD in polymer chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, Himachal Pradesh University. She has published more than 30 research papers in international journals, co-authored 7 books, and authored 25 book chapters in the field of polymeric materials.