Synthetic polymer microbial degradation

Membranes used for the pressure driven separation processes, microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO), as well as those used for dialysis, are most commonly made of polymeric materials. Initially most such membranes were cellulosic in nature. These ate now being replaced by polyamide, polysulphone, polycarbonate and several other advanced polymers. These synthetic polymers have improved chemical stability and better resistance to microbial degradation. Membranes have most commonly been produced by a form of phase inversion known as immersion precipitation.11 This process has four main steps ... 

Cain, R. B. (1992). Microbial degradation of synthetic polymers. In Microbial Control of... 

TABLE 9.1. Synthetic polymers resistant to microbial degradation... 

Biological degradation refers to the microbial breakdown of macromolecules of polymers by bacteria during storage or in the reservoir. Although the problem is more prevalent for biopolymers, biological attack may also occur for synthetic polymers. It has been found that HPAM can provide nutrition to sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). As the number of SRB increases, HPAM viscosity decreases. For example, when the number of SRB reaches 36000/mL, the viscosity loss of HPAM of 1000 mg/L is 19.6% (Luo et al., 2006). 

In addition to chemical hydrolysis, hydrolysis by enzymes can operate as an alternative degradation process. It has become widely accepted that biodegradable synthetic polymers tend to be designed to mimic those structures prevailing in nature, since enzymes produced by microbial populations may not discriminate between polymers of similar structure.11 Synthetic nonpolypeptidic, chiral polyamides could mimic natural peptides or proteins, resulting in biodegradable products useful in biomedicine. 

Some synthetic polymers like, polyurethanes, specifically polyether-polyurethanes, are likely to be degraded by microbes but not completely. However, several polymers such as, polyamides, polyfluorocarbons, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polycarbonate are highly resistant to microbial degradation. Natural polymers are generally more biodegradable than synthetic polymers specifically, polymers with ester groups like aliphatic polyesters [1]. Therefore, several natural polymers such as cellulose, starch, blends of those with synthetic polymers, polylactate, polyester-amide, and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have been the focus of attention in the recent years [3]. 

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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