Biomaterials Engineering (PhD)
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Description
Various composites incorporating materials derived from bioresources such as lignocellulosics are critical to the future of sustainable development. This research area is focused toward training students on the design and performance of various composites engineered from sustainable and renewable materials. Biopolymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are of particular interest for production from plant- or tree-based resources. These polymers, besides being produced from sustainable resources, degrade quickly in the environment and reduce the environmental footprint of the products. Therefore they contribute to sustainable living besides incorporating green processing principles. They also avoid the use of fossil carbon sources helping mitigate climate change effects in the environment.