BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS

Abstract
Biodegradable polymers are designed to degrade upon disposal by the action of living
organisms. Extraordinary progress has been made in the development of practical processes
and products from polymers such as starch, cellulose, and lactic acid. The need to create
alternative biodegradable water-soluble polymers for down-the-drain products such as
detergents and cosmetics has taken on increasing importance. Consumers have, however, thus
far attached little or no added value to the property of biodegradability, forcing industry to
compete head-to-head on a cost-performance basis with existing familiar products. In
addition, no suitable infrastructure for the disposal of biodegradable materials exists as yet.

Introduction
Over the years we have brutally damaged our planet with so much pollution produced. The
main problem with this is garbage, of which millions of tons are produced every day.
Fortunately, with the evolution of technology and science new projects or things have been
produced which minimize this great problem of pollution, such as: ​BIODEGRADABLE
POLYMERS.
The biodegradable polymers are in full development to try to alleviate the problem of the
environment. In this way, new alternatives based on natural polymers have been developed in
recent years. Currently, we are using stories in various places such as plastic bags, industrial
packaging, medicine, etc.

Methodology
The increase in international oil prices, the instability of the geopolitical situation of the
regions that have large world reserves and the global consensus on the need to promote the
development of technology that reduces the emission of greenhouse gases, such as CO2 ,
have promoted the production of chemical products from raw materials based on renewable
sources.
Recycling is and will be a solution, but it is produced on the waste already generated and,
besides, it is not an effective alternative for all plastics. Biopolymers, on the other hand,
suppose a solution from the origin of the problem. Biopolymers, which mostly come from
renewable resources, become an interesting alternative for the plastics industry. These
bioplastics can be processed using the same technologies as conventional thermoplastic
materials, such as extrusion, injection or blowing. Thus, polymers based on renewable or
biodegradable resources are generating a growing interest, both in society in general and in
the plastics industry, as well as in the agricultural sector, since it would mean an exit of their
products towards different markets.
Biopolymers are divided into those based on renewable and degradable resources that meet
all the criteria of scientifically recognized standards for biodegradability and composting of
plastics and plastic products. The former are not necessarily biodegradable or compostable,
although most are. Those in the second group do not necessarily have to be based on
renewable raw materials to meet the standard, since biodegradability is more directly related
to the chemical structure than to the origin of the raw materials.
The biopolymers can be classified according to their source, from which the most important
biopolymers of the market divided into three subgroups will be analyzed: polymers based on
renewable resources (starch and cellulose), biodegradable polymers based on bio-derived
monomers (vegetable oils and lactic acid) and biopolymers synthesized by microorganisms
(polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)).

Results

Biopolymers extracted directly from biomass.

Starch-based biopolymers: Among the biologically based products, most of the research has
been done on starch. It consists of a mixture of two polymers, amylose and amylopectin.
Amylose is a linear molecule and amylopectin is a branched molecule.
Schroeter et al studied the effect of starch as filler in polycaprolactone systems. The modulus
of elasticity of the polycaprolactone / starch system was increased with the increase in the
starch content. Starch has also been used as a reinforcing agent in polyurethane (PU)
elastomers. Desai et al. Used starch as a crosslinking agent in polyurethane elastomers.
Seung-Kyu incorporated starch granules in a polyurethane system. In said works, cassava
starch was added to castor oil and derived polyols, in order to increase the functionality of the
oil by incorporating cassava starch granules due to the hydroxyl groups present in the
structure of the starch. It was determined that the main effect of the starch is reinforcing.
Subsequent studies evaluated the degree and speed of biodegradation of polyurethane / starch
systems, depending on their crosslink density, using enriched soil as a means of degradation
and cultures of microorganisms extracted from it. It was found that the polyurethanes
synthesized from polyols, resulting from the physical incorporation of starch, were more
susceptible to microbial attack, because the starch granules of the structure are degraded more
easily because of the microorganisms.

Biopolymers obtained from bio-derived monomers.

Vegetable oils. Nowadays, vegetable oils are one of the most important sources in the
synthesis of biopolymers. Vegetable oils can be obtained from plants and, for the most part,
are composed of triglycerides. A triglyceride is an ester product obtained from one molecule
of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acids. Triglycerides are highly functional molecules,
and, therefore, have been used in the synthesis of crosslinked polymers through two main
strategies. The first is to take advantage of the functional groups present in triglycerides, such
as internal double bonds, alcohols, or epoxides, which can be polymerized using different
methods. The second strategy depends on chemical modifications before polymerization.
Some types of polymers prepared from triglyceride oils are listed below: polyesters,
polyurethanes, polyamides, acrylic resins, epoxy resins and polyester amides. The coatings
obtained from the polyol glycosides have greater resistance to chemical attack, greater
adhesion resistance, greater resistance to abrasion, better tensile properties and provide a
good protection to the substrate subjected to a biodegradation environment. A second aspect
is related to the fact that the coatings obtained from polyol-suspensions presented the lowest
values in the stress tests, because the stiffness of the starch granules generates critical stress
concentration points which cause the failure of the material under tension.

Polymers produced by organisms directly.

Poly (hydroxyalkanoates) (PHA): Polyhydroxyalkanoate-type biopolymers are polyesters
synthesized by certain bacteria that accumulate them as carbon and energy reserves, in the
form of intracytoplasmic granules, constituted by repetitive units of various hydroxy acids or
mixtures thereof, produced by fermentation of renewable raw materials. PHAs are attractive
substitutes for polyesters of petrochemical origin, since in nature, microorganisms are able to
degrade them to CO2 and water, under aerobic conditions, and even methane, under
anaerobic conditions, by the action of PHA despolymerase enzymes and PHA hydrolases.
Another advantage of these biopolymers is associated with the substrates used for their
synthesis: while for the production of synthetic plastics raw material of petrochemical origin
is required, the PHAs can be obtained from different agroindustrial wastes, which constitute
low cost organic materials.

PHAs have a high degree of polymerization, with a degree of crystallinity in the range of 60
to 80%, they are optimally active (since they have a chiral carbon), isotactic and insoluble in
water. These characteristics make them highly competitive with polypropylene and other
petroleum-based plastics. Despite the obvious advantages of PHAs over petroleum-based
plastics, their current use is very limited due to their high production cost. For this reason,
much of the research conducted on PHAs in recent years has focused on reducing production
costs and increasing productivity using various strategies.

Conclusion
The awareness among consumers and the population in general about the advantages that
these materials can contribute to the saving of energy resources and the reduction of pollution
is important to increase their demand in various sectors such as the producer of food and
household products , the electronic and, in this way, reach market shares that make their
production profitable. Thus, the joint work of the research groups in environmental
management and new materials can achieve advances in this field.