Biodegradable polymer, microbial origin

Like polymers, biodegradable polymers have been classified using distinct methods, including methods based on polymer origin (synthesis), renewability content, and biodegradability level. The most prominent and well-established method is the classification based on synthetic procedmes. In broad terms, these polymers are classified into two main categories (i) agropolymers (obtained from biomass) and (ii) biopolyesters (natural or synthetic biopolymers). Biopolyesters is itself a broad term that includes three subclasses (a) microbially produced polymers (b) polymers synthesized... 

Poly-P-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) A Biodegradable Polymer of Microbial Origin... 

The depolymerization of fibers or films leads to the formation of water-soluble small molecules this results in the dissolution of the fiber or film, accounting for the holes in the film in Fig. 1.1. This type of biodegradation can also be observed by placing a polymer on the surface of an aqueous medium or in an agar plate. As an example, Ratajska et al. [46] floated chitosan (A-deacetylated chitin comprised of chains of o-glucosamine) in liquid medium containing mixed microbial community from a wastewater. Initially, the polymer covered essentially the entire surface of the liquid. Over a 5-week incubation period, dissolution caused the diameter of the polymer mat to decrease until it was about one-fifth of its original size. 

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