Biodegradable Polymers
- A large number of polymers are quite resistant to the environmental degradation processes and are thus responsible for the accumulation of polymeric solid waste materials.
- Aliphatic polyesters are one of the important classes of biodegradable polymers.
- Some important examples are given below:
- Poly β-hydroxybutyrate – co-β-hydroxy valerate (PHBV)
- It is obtained by the copolymerisation of 3-hydroxybutanoic acid and
3 - Hydroxypentanoic acid.
- PHBV is used in speciality packaging, orthopaedic devices and in controlled release of drugs. PHBV undergoes bacterial degradation in the environment.
