Biodegradable Bioplastics

Dr. Chamil Nayanakantha

▪ The massive accumulation of plastics in the natural
environment is threatening the sustainability of our planet.

▪ It is predicted that by 2030, 90 Mt/year of plastics will enter

the aquatic ecosystem under the scenario where the current
plastic production trend continues without improvements in
the waste management system.
▪ Bioplastics refer to synthetic polymers that are biodegradable
[e.g., poly(lactic acid) (PLA)] and/or are derived from bio-based
materials [e.g., bio-based poly(ethylene) (bio-PE)].

▪ Biodegradable plastics are one of the fastest-growing segments

within the global plastics market.
Biodegradable bioplastics
▪ Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable feedstocks,
such as starch, cellulose, vegetable oils and vegetable fats.

▪ They may or may not be biodegradable and some are only

partially biobased, that is they contain both renewable and
fossil-fuel-based carbon.

▪ Both the amount of biobased constituents and the

conditions under which these polymers biodegrade can vary
widely.

▪ Depending upon the composition, degree of crystallinity,

and environment, degradation times can range from several
days to several years.
▪ The development of biodegradable bioplastics has gained
a lot attention in recent years.

▪ Whether these new plastics will gain a significant market

share will partly depend on how strongly society is
committed to protect the environment, i.e. to reduce
waste, and to conserve irreplaceable fossil fuels.

▪ Many obstacles such as high(er) price and limited

production capacity have to be overcome before biobased
and biodegradable polymers will gain a significant market
share.
Thermoplastic Starch
▪ Starch is one of the most abundant biopolymers. It is completely
biodegradable, inexpensive, renewable and can be easily
chemically modified.

▪ Like cellulose, starch can be considered a condensation polymer

because its hydrolysis yields glucose molecules.

▪ The cyclic structure of the starch molecules together with strong

hydrogen bonding gives starch a rigid structure and leads to
highly ordered crystalline regions.

.
▪ To reduce its brittleness and to improve its mechanical and
physical properties, starch is often chemically modified and
blended with other biopolymers.

▪ Starch based bioplastic are mainly used for packaging such as

cups, bowls, bottles, cutlery, egg cartons, and straws.

▪ Other applications include disposable bags and trash liners as

well as compostable films for agriculture
Polylactic Acid
▪ Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most important
biodegradable and biobased thermoplastics.

▪ Most commercial high-purity grades are semicrystalline,

have high transmittance (> 90 %), and high yield and tensile
strength.

▪ Many commercial grades are specifically designed for

thermoforming, and extrusion / injection molding.
▪ Typical applications of PLA are disposable tableware articles
like drinking cups, cutlery, trays, food plates and food
containers.

▪ Some other (potential) applications include soil retention

sheathing and other agriculture films, waste and shopping
bags, and the use as packaging material in general.

▪ PLA can also be spun into fibers which could be used for the
manufacture of woven and non-woven biodegradable one-
use fabric articles such as disposable garments, feminie
hygine products, and diapers.
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)
▪ Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a melt-processable, semi-
crystalline thermoplastic produced from microorganisms by
fermentation of renewable carbohydrate feedstocks.

▪ PHBs are macromolecules synthesized by bacteria and are

inclusion bodies accumulated as reserve material when the
bacteria grow under different stress conditions.
▪ They are polymers possessing properties similar to
various synthetic thermoplastic like polypropylene.

▪ This makes them useful for extensive applications and

future commercial mass production of biodegradable
plastics that can replace plastic materials currently
obtained from petroleum bases.
▪ In the case of PHB producing micro-organisms, synthesis takes
place when suitable carbon source is available in excess amount
and cellular growth is limited due to other nutrient limitation.

▪ More than 75 bacterial genera have been reported so far for PHB
accumulation as intracellular granules.

▪ However, the most common studied organisms for PHB

accumulation include genera of Alcaligenes, Azotobacter, Bacillus,
Rhizobium, Rhodospirillum, Pseudomonas and Ralstonia.
The biosynthesis of bacterial PHB is a set of catalyzed chemical
reactions that convert the initial carbon source, generally a
sugar, into the PHB biopolymer by the action of three main
enzymes:

Acetyl-CoA
β-ketothiolase

Acetoacetyl-CoA
acetoacetyl-CoA reductase

(R)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (PhaB)
PHB synthase

PHB
▪ During imbalanced growth (stress) conditions, the level of
acetyl-CoA increases while the level of Co-A decreases.

▪ This triggers the enzyme β-ketothiolase to start the three-step

process for the synthesis of PHB.

▪ On the other hand, when the level of Co-A increases the first
enzyme, β-ketothiolase, is inhibited and the synthesis of the
biopolymer stops.

▪ This activation and deactivation process of the PHB synthesis

is regulated by the enzyme β-ketothiolase which is a key
catalyst of the synthesis of PHB.
▪ PHB is a truly biodegradable and biocompatible plastic and an
attractive environmental-friendly alternative to fossil-based
thermoplastics.

▪ Commercial grades of PHB have properties that are very similar

to those of polypropylene (PP).

▪ Typical applications of PHB are disposable tableware articles,

soil retention sheathing, waste and shopping bags, and the use
as a packaging material in general.

▪ PHB can also be spun into fibers which could be used as

surgical sutures. Other (potential) biomedical applications
include drug delivery systems and biodegradable implanted
medical devices.