Value-Added Biocomposites: Technology, Innovation, and Opportunity

Value-Added Biocomposites: Technology, Innovation, and Opportunity explores advances in research, processing, manufacturing, and novel applications of biocomposites. It describes the current market situation, commercial competition, and societal and economic impacts and advantages of substituting biocomposites for conventional composites, including natural fibers and bioplastics.

FEATURES

• Discusses manufacturing and processing procedures that focus on improving physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, and biological properties and achieving required specifications of downstream industries and customers
• Analyzes the wide range of available base materials and fillers of biocomposites and bioplastics in terms of the strength and weaknesses of materials and economic potential in the market
• Displays special and unique properties of biocomposites in different market sectors
• Showcases the insight of expert scientists and engineers with first-hand experience working with biocomposites across various industries
• Covers environmental factors, life cycle assessment, and waste recovery

Combining technical, economic, and environmental topics, this work provides researchers, advanced students, and industry professionals a holistic overview of the value that biocomposites add across a variety of engineering applications and how to balance research and development with practical results.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Malinee Sriariyanun is a Vice-Director of Science and Technology Research Institute (STRI), the main research institute of King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Thailand. She received her Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from University of California, Davis, USA in 2011. Currently, she works as a lecturer for Chemical and Process Engineering Program at The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), KMUTNB. She has been promoted to Associate Professor at KMUTNB and became the consultant to the president office of KMUTNB in 2018. Her research interests in biorefinery and biocomposite materials. She has been working as the principle investigator (PI) and Co-PI of more than 55 research projects supported by governmental and industrial sectors in Thailand and other countries with values of more than 2.2 million USD. She has been supervised and co-supervise more than 40 graduate students. She is Editorial member of KMUTNB International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, Applied Science and Engineering Progress and Oriental Journal of Chemistry and the author of more than 45 peer reviewed Journal Articles. She has participated in presentations and as a plenary speaker and invited speaker at more than 65 international conferences and has contributed as reviewer of more than 25 peer reviewed international journals.

Dr. Sanjay Mavinkere Rangappa received the B.E (Mechanical Engineering) from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, India in 2010, M.Tech (Computational Analysis in Mechanical Sciences) from VTU Extension Centre, GEC, Hassan, in 2013 and Ph.D (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Science) from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, India in 2017. He is a Life Member of Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) and Associate Member of Institute of Engineers (India). He is a reviewer for many international journals and international conferences. In addition, he has published more than 50 articles in journals, book chapters and also presented research papers at national/international conferences. His current research areas include natural fiber composites, polymer composites, and advanced material technology.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Suchart Siengchin is President of King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Thailand. He received his Dipl.-Ing. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Applied Sciences Giessen/Friedberg, Hessen, Germany in 1999, M.Sc. in Polymer Technology from University of Applied Sciences Aalen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany in 2002, M.Sc. in Material Science at the Erlangen-Nürnberg University, Bayern, Germany in 2004, Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (Dr.-Ing.) from Institute for Composite Materials, University of Kaiserslautern, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany in 2008 and Postdoctoral Research from Kaiserslautern University and School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, USA. In 2016 he received the habilitation at the Chemnitz University in Sachen, Germany. He worked as a Lecturer for Production and Material Engineering Department at The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), KMUTNB. He has been full Professor at KMUTNB and became the President of KMUTNB. He won the Outstanding Researcher Award in 2010, 2012 and 2013 at KMUTNB. His research interests in Polymer Processing and Composite Material. He is Editor-in-Chief: KMUTNB International Journal of Applied Science and Technology and the author of 87 peer-reviewed Journal Articles. He has participated with presentations in more than 39 international and national conferences with respect to Materials Science and Engineering topics.

Hom Nath Dhakal is Professor, School of Mechanical and Design Engineering, University of Portsmouth, UK. He has 30 years’ experience in teaching, research and publishing in the area of material processing, design, properties, and the lifecycle of materials including metals, lightweight composites, polymers, wood and biomaterials. He is one of the leading scholars in the area of sustainable, bio and lightweight composites/nanocomposites with high impact factor journal publications. He has 3117 citations with an h-index of 27; i10-index of 49; (as of 09/06/2020 Google Scholar). His ResearchGate score is 34.53, higher than 92.5% of ResearchGate members scores (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hom_Dhakal/scores). Prof. Dhakal has successfully supervised 9 PhDs to completion as the Director of Studies (first supervisor); an internal examiner 14 PhDs and as an external examiner for 24 PhDs. Prof. Dhakal has delivered many internationally invited talks and is a member of international scientific research committees, editorial boards, and established national/international industrial professional and academic networks and has held several leadership roles.