Biodegradability of Polymers and Fibers - A Review of the Literature

Enhanced Absorbent Products Incorporating Cellulose and Its Derivatives: A Review

“…Several studies have recommended the use of cellulose-based materials in absorbent products in order to achieve suitable biodegradability (Cooke 1990;Lokhande and Gotmare 1999;Fei et al 2000;Dutkiewicz 2002;Lionetto et al 2003Lionetto et al , 2005Chang et al 2008;Demitri et al 2008;Singha and Rana 2011). In particular, various studies have demonstrated biodegradable character of hydrogels that contain a cellulose-derived component (Bin et al 2000;Wach et al 2001Wach et al , 2002Lionetto et al 2003;Sahoo et al 2005;Yoshimura et al 2005Yoshimura et al , 2006Wang et al 2008;Feng et al 2010a;Kono and Fujita 2012;Xie et al 2012).…”

Characteristics of L-lactic Acid Production byRhizopus oryzaemutant RL6041

“…L {-h)-lactic acid produced by Rhizopus oryzae can be polymerized to form polylactic acid, a polymer used in the manufacture of new biodegradable plastics (Vert et al, 1992). PLA may play an increasing role in industry in the near future because it is environmentally friendly (Cooke, 1990) and is considered as a substitute for plastics derived from petrochemical materials. However, it is important to isolate a h3^er productivestrain, to optimize medium conditions and the process.…”

New ways to enhance the functionality of paperboard by surface treatment – a review

“…PVOH is readily degraded in waste water-activated sludges through enzymatic oxidation followed by hydrolysis, resulting in chain cleavage. 61 The material can also be recycled or combusted to carbon dioxide and water. Chemically modifi ed PVOH (Kuraray R-polymers and Exceval TM ) has a biodegradability of >90% measured by the ZahnWellens test and >70% measured by the method OECD 301 A, according to the manufacturer.…”

“…68 Polyolefi ns, polystyrene, styrene-butadiene copolymers and polyacrylates are resistant to biodegradation. 61 However, biodegradable polymer units can be combined with non-biodegradable units by block copolymerization or grafting, thus giving a polymer that is partially degradable.…”

“…101 In case of cellulose and starch derivatives, steric hindrance from the substituent groups can prevent the enzymes from attacking the polymer. 61 The environmental conditions that promote effi cient biodegradation after disposal must, however, be avoided during storage in order to maintain the performance of the packaging material and to prevent deterioration of the packaged food. 26 A trend towards an increasing demand for transparency, i.e.…”