Biodegradable polymers potential solutions

The concept of biodegradable synthetic polymers was first proposed in the 1960s as a potential solution to the problem of plastics litter. This was initially welcomed by environmentally aware public, particularly in the USA, since it was perceived to be a possible solution to the landfill problem. Packaging producers in collaboration with corn growers were quick to respond to the public mood by adding corn starch to polyethylene. Carrier bags made from this material were claimed, without experimental evidence, to be biodegradable but the... 

A solution to this problem would be to reduce unnecessary usage of plastics and to recycle used plastic materials. These conservational efforts could be further aided by replacing some pefrochemical-based plastics with biodegradable material possessing similar properties. One such potential candidate is PHA. This biodegradable polymer with thermoplastic properties is an ideal substitute for conventional plastics. 

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the blends of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers in view of their potential environmental and biomedical applications. Song et al. [127] fabricated polylactide (PLA) nanofibers and the formation of nanocomposites with Ti02 via solution blending. The results... 

As shown in Table II, blends of native and modified xylan hemicellulose were prepared with a compositionally diverse group of biobased and potentially biodegradable polymers and resulting Tg values, determined by DSC, were compared to the individual polymers. If two blended polymers form a true thermodynamic solution, then a single Tg is observed for the resulting blend... 

Biodegradable polymers have the potential to be the solution to a range of environmental concerns associated with conventional, non-degradable polymers. Of primary concern is the solid waste problem associated with the decreasing availability of landfills around the world. Other concerns include the benefits of sustainable or renewable raw material sources rather than petrochemical sources and the issue of global warming caused by increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

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