Sustainable Applications of Coir and Other Coconut By-products (eBook)

This book provides detailed information on the methods and techniques that can be used to process coir, cocopeat and other coconut byproducts for developing various bioproducts. Coir is a unique raw material in that it is abundant, green, and sustainable. The most common industrial application of coir is to use it as a reinforcement of composites with other natural or synthetic fibers and resins. Coir-based composites are used in automotive, construction, and packaging, among other applications. Recently cocopeat, coconut shells and other byproducts have been used for energy, environmental remediation and agricultural applications. This is the first reference describing the properties, processability, and applications of all the coconut byproducts. Properties of the products developed are also covered with a major focus on industrial applications.

• Provides a single, comprehensive reference source on the biorenewable material coir and other coconut byproducts
  
• Addresses properties, processing and a broad range of industrial applications
  
• Enables researchers spanning the materials, polymer, agricultural, composites and environmental areas to identify unique and useful applications of coir and other coconut byproducts
  

Narendra Reddy has been working in the biofibers/biopolymers area for the last 15 years, and he is a well-known expert on biofibers. He has published more than 125 research papers, holds a United States patent related to biofibers and has authored two books and several book chapters. He did pioneering work on using agricultural residues such as cornhusks, cotton stalks and wheat and rice straw for industrial applications as part of his PhD dissertation at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA. His research has been covered by major news agencies such as CNN, Discovery News, and the American Chemical Society. Currently, he is recipient of the highly prestigious Ramalingswamy Fellowship from Government of India.