Hydrocarbon waxes, biodegradation

Fig. 2. Extensively biodegraded oils may not appear to contain any n-hydrocarbons, but by applying the wax concentration process homologous series of well preserved n-alkanes (nC2o- C35) and a complex mixture of long-chain methylbranched- and alkylcyclo-alkanes (nC2 -nCf ) could be isolated from this sample (Hsieh...

Microbial degradation of synthetic rubbers will be a subject of fiirther study. A rubber product is made from a number of complex ingredients, and smaller molecules in a synthetic polymer (e.g., stearate, process oils, and waxes in vulcanized synthetic rubber) may be decomposed by microorganisms. A clear distinction must be made between the superficial growth of microorganisms on non-rubber constituents in a synthetic polymmrs and the biodegradation of the rubber hydrocarbon [23]. 

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