Biobased Synthetic Alternatives to Natural Rubber

Natural rubber is influenced and limited by the latitude and climate by which it is grown. Therefore, the demand for synthetic rubber has grown exponentially. Due to rising environmental and health concerns related to rubber, biobased and sustainable alternatives are necessary. This presentation explores the current mitigation strategies to combat conventionally used synthetic rubbers. Specifically, focus will be given to innovative solutions such as the development of biobased plasticizers, noncovalent crosslinking strategies, and monomers derived from biomass for use in thermoplastic elastomers. These emerging approaches aim to improve performance of rubbers while reducing environmental impact. The talk will highlight structure–property relationships, challenges in scalability, and the potential for replacing petroleum-derived rubber components with biobased counterparts.