Materials and the Environment, Third Edition - Chapter 11: Renewable materials, natural materials

Could renewable materials, derived wholly or in part from nature, play a larger role in the engineering economy of the 21st century? The question is explored in Chapter 11, which reviews bio-based polymers and composites, and surveys the field of fibers, comparing synthetic fibers with those originating from plants and animals, which, until 1960, dominated the market. The chapter ends with a survey of mineral, vegetable, and animal-based materials with renewable potential.