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Recent Developments on biodegradable polymers and their future trends
Authors: Panchal Shivam
Number of views: 445
Bio-based polymers are attracting increased attention due to environmental concerns and the realization that global petroleum resources are finite. Plastic is one of the major pollutants at present time around the world, which is used for daily use like packaging materials, carry bags, manufacturing of different types of materials etc. So, to replace the use of synthetic plastic as well as to reduce the increasing environmental pollution an alternative must be developed. This need of synthetic plastic can be fulfilled by use of bioplas tics. Bioplastics, such as Polyhydroxyalkanoates are polymers produced by bacteria among which Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is one major group. The property of PHB is similar to synthetic plastics. So, it can be used as a suitable alternative to the present day conventional practices for sustainability. Several bacterial species like Actinobacillus, Azotobacter, Agrobacterium, Rhodobacter and Sphaerotilius have been under focus for their ability of converting organic waste to bacterial PHA. For industrial production of PHB, some bacterial species like Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Aeromonas spp., Cupriavidus spp. have been extensively used for their potential to produce PHB. Since the production of bio-plastic is expensive many techniques have been adopted for large scale production. But, to obtain PHB in large amount the selection of proper strains of bacteria, capable of producing or accumulating PHB is necessary. Marine ecosystem is one of the largest ecosystems on Earth and still required to be explored. So in this study, comparison of the production of PHB (Bio- Plastic) in Marine and Soil bacteria has been done to find out which one has the potency to accumulate more PHB.Bio-based polymers not only replace existing polymers in a number of applications but also provide new combina-tions of properties for new applications. A range of bio-based polymers are presented in this review, focusing on general methods of production, properties, and commercial applications. The review examines the technological and future challenges discussed in bringing these materia-ls to a wide range of applications, together with potential solutions, as well as discusses the major industry players who are bringing these materials to the market.For bio-based polymers like PLA and PHA, additives are being developed to improve their performance, by blending with other polymers or making new copolymers.