What could be greener than composites made from polysaccharides?

Composites prepared from several polysaccharides represent a new category of environmentally safe materials for applications to explore. Up to date synthetic polymers are predominantly used for composite preparation prior to polysaccharides. It is related to environmental problems due to use of organic solvents in the process as well as due to the crisis of petrochemical industry-related plastics. Materials produced in this way are not biodegradable and their production costs are high. If the constituents of composites could be solubilized and chemically bonded than the formed insoluble composite could be prepared from a single type of polysaccharide. Mixing of polysaccharicles that are isolated from different sources is recommended. Cyclodextrin-based composites are also considered as member of polysaccharide-composite family. There is a need to compare properties of composites with differing polysaccharide composition to make an optimal choice. Economical aspects also speak for the choice of cheaper polysaccharides to reach comparable properties in relation to the more costly possibilities of composite production. Films, foams, gels, artificial tissues, drug components, building materials or components for civil engineering, medical, paper or food applications, are potential end products without environmental drawbacks. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.