STATE OF ART

“NATURE TO NATURE” TECHNOLOGY

TO ADDRESS

POLYOLEFIN’S BIODEGRADATION

OBSTACLES
 LAW OF UNIVERSE
 The Law of Conservation of Mass, discovered by Antoine Lavoisier in 1785
“MATTER IS NEITHER CREATED NOR DESTROYED”

 In 1842, Julius Robert Mayer discovered the Law of Conservation of Energy, First
Law of Thermodynamics:
“ENERGY IS NEITHER CREATED NOR DESTROYED”

In 1907, Albert Einstein discovered the equation E = mc2,

The two laws above were merged into the Law of Conservation of Mass-Energy
“THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MASS AND ENERGY IN THE
UNIVERSE IS CONSTANT”
NATURE TO NATURE TECHNOLOGY
Technology
intervention

PLASTIC
BIODEGRADAB
LE
PLASTICS

CO2
 POLYOLEFINIC POLYMERS BIODEGRADATION
OBSTACLES
 The major obstacles for the hydrophobic polyolefinic polymers, like polyethylene,
polypropylene, biodegradation arise from its high molecular mass and the presence of
non-polar groups of C-C and C-H bonds.
 These non-polar macromolecular chains are densely aligned by forming semi-
crystalline regions, which impart additional hindrance to biodegradation, as there is
practically no diffusion of water or oxygen into these regions and the biofilm
formation on the hydrophobic surface.
 Combination of these factors contributes to the inertness of polyolefin’s for
biodegradation in the natural environment.
 Moreover, an antioxidant package is usually added to the polymer to prevent
degradation during processing, which further decreases the susceptibility towards
biodegradation.
 Apart from this inertness the other physical factors also contribute and affects the
degradation, include morphology and the surface properties of the material.
MICROBIODEGRADATION STAGES
MICROBIODEGRADATION STAGES
ENZYAMATIC MICROBIODEGRADATION
MICROBIODEGRADATION MECHANISM
 MICROBIAL BIODEGRADATION STAGES
Long Term Microbial Biodegradation

PLASTICS Catalytic Catalytic Catalytic Biochemical

(CH2-CH2)n Oxygenation Oxidation Chain Bracking mineralisation CO2
+NH2 
Amino Acids
Synthesis
Long Chain
Alcohols Long Chain Fatty
Acids Cn/C10/C8/C6 Acetic
Fatty Acids Acid (C2)

New Cell
Formation
MECHANISM OF AEROBIC BIODEGRADATION

Polymeric Hydrocarbon
Complex enzymatic
degradation and
metabolism
Initial attack by oxygenase

Degradation of polymer surface CO2

NH4 +
PO4 -3 C2
SO4 -2 C6 H2 O
Fe 3+ C3

Intermediates of TCA
cycle molecules
O2

C4 C5
RESPERATION
BIOMASS BIOSYNTHESIS
TCA CYCLE
BIOFILM FORMATION
ENZYME BASED HYDROPHILIC POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

Hydrophilic surfaces
ENZYMES
ENZYME BASED HYDROPHILIC POLYMER
TECHNOLOGY
MICROBIODEGRADATION OF POLYETHYLENE

Biofilm formation by Rhodococcus ruber on the surface of Polyethylene, observed under scanning electron microscope.
Initiation of biodegradation detected within 3 days. Control: Surface non-inoculated
 ADVANTAGES
 Cost Effective
 Easy to implement drop-in additive - at 1%
 Landfill biodegradable - from microbial process
 Does NOT breakdown from oxygen or UV (not oxo-degradable)
 FDA compliant and safe for food contact
 No loss in physical properties or shelf-life
 Maintains recyclability
Provides an end-of-life solutions for both recycling and/or
landfill options
 PEPZYMETM HYDROPHILIC POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

Non-Hydrophilic surface

Microorganisms

O
HYDROGEN BONDING O
H H H
H
OH CONHR COOH SH NH2 CH2OH
Hydrophilic surface
 AMINO ACIDS CLASSIFICATION

Non polar or Hydrophobic - Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine,

Proline

Polar uncharged - Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine

Polar charged - Serine, Threonine (OH-), Cysteine, Methionine (sulphur),

Asparagine, Glutamine (acid amide)

Positively charged - Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid

Negatively charged - Arginine, Lysine, Histidine

MICROBIAL ATTACHMENT TO POLYMER
SURFACE
 ENZYME – I AMINO ACID SEQUENCE
NH2-Iie-Pro-Glu-Trp-Val-Asp-Trp-Arg-Gln-Lys-Gly-Ala-Val-Thr-Pro-Val-
Lys-Asn-Gln-GLy-Ser-CyS-Gly-Ser-CyS-Trp-Ala-Phe-Ser-Ala-Val-Val-Thr-
Iie-Glu-Gly-Ile-Ile-Lys-Ile-Arg-Thr-Gly-Asn-Leu-Asn-Gln-Tyr-Ser-Glu-Gln-
Glu-Leu-Leu-Asp-CyS-Asp-Arg-Arg-Ser-Gly-CyS-Asp-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Pro-Trp-
Ser-Ala-Leu-Gln-Leu-Val-Ala-Gln-Tyr-Gly-Iie-His-Tyr-Arg-Asn-Thr-Pro-
Tyr-Tyr-Glu-Gly-Val-Gln-Arg-Tyr-CyS-Arg-Ser-Arg-Glu-Lys-Gly-Pro-Tyr-
Ala-Ala-Lys-Thr-Asp-Gly-Val-Arg-Gln-Val-Gln-Pro-Tyr-Asn-Gln-Gly-Ala-
Leu-Leu-Tyr-Ser-Iie-Ala-Asn-Gln-Pro-Val-Ser-Val-Val-Leu-Gln-Ala-Ala-Gly-
Lys-Asp-Phe-Gln-Leu-Tyr-Arg-Gly-Gly-Iie-Phe-Val-Gly-Pro-CyS-Gly-Asn-
Lys-Val-Asp-His-Ala-Val-Ala-Ala-Val-Gly-Tyr-Asn-Pro-Gly-Tyr-Iie-Leu-Iie-
Lys-Asn-Ser-Trp-Gly-Thr-Gly-Trp-Gly-Glu-Asn-Gly-Trp-Iie-Arg-Iie-Lys-
Arg-Gly-Thr-Gly-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Val-CyS-Gly-Leu-Tyr-Thr-Ser-Ser-PheI-
Tyr-Pro-Val-Lys-Asn-COOH