Abstract
Degradation of atactic poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (a-PHB) binary blends with natural poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV, 12 mol% of 3HV units), has been investigated and compared with plain PHBV in the compost containing activated sludge and under marine exposure conditions in the dynamic water of the Baltic Sea. Characteristic parameters of compost and the Baltic Sea water were monitored during the incubation period (6 weeks) and their influence on the degree of biodegradation is discussed. After specified degradation times of the experiments the weight loss of the samples, surface changes, changes in molecular weight and polydispersity as well as changes of the composition and thermo-mechanical properties of the blends have been evaluated. Macroscopic observations of the samples were accompanied by investigations using optical microscopy, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and tensile testing. The degree of degradation of blends of a-PHB with PHBV depends on the blend composition and environmental conditions. In both environments studied the weight loss of plain PHBV was more significant than changes the molecular weight. In both environments only enzymatic degradation of the blends, which proceeds via surface erosion mechanisms, was observed during the incubation period.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
(2001) Biodegradable Plastics: North America, Europe, Asia. Market-Technology Report PO119, New York
Kessler B, Witholt B (1998) Macromol Symp 130:245–260
(a) Doi Y (1990) Microbial polyesters. VCH Publishers, New York; (b) Zagar E, Krzan A (2004) Biomacromolecules 5:628–636
Arkin AH, Hazer B, Adamus G, Kowalczuk M, Jedliński Z, Lenz RW (2001) Biomacromolecules 2:623–627
Allmendinger M, Eberhardt R, Luinstra G, Rieger B (2002) J Am Chem Soc 124:5646–5647
Coulembier O, Lohmeijer BGG, Dove AP, Pratt RC, Mepouille L, Culkin DA, Benight SJ, Dubois Ph, Waymouth RM, Hedrick JL (2006) Macromolecules 39:5617–5628
Jedliński Z, Kurcok P, Kowalczuk M, Kasperczyk J (1987) J Macromol Chem 188:1651–1656
(a) Jedliński Z, Kowalczuk M, Kurcok P, Adamus G, Matuszowicz A, Sikorska W, Gross R, Xu J, Lenz R (1996) Macromolecules 29:3773–3777; (b) Jedliński Z, Kurcok P, Lenz RW (1998) Macromolecules 31:6718–6720; (c) Kurcok P, Śmiga M, Jedliński Z (2002) J Polym Sci Part A Polym Chem 40:2184–2189
Schmidt JAR, Lobkovsky EB, Coates GW (2005) J Am Chem Soc 127:11426–11435
Scandola M, Focarete ML, Adamus G, Sikorska W, Baranowska I, Świerczek S, Gnatowski M, Kowalczuk M, Jedliński Z (1997) Macromolecules 30:2568–2574
Scandola M, Focarete ML, Gazzano M, Matuszowicz A, Sikorska W, Adamus G, Kurcok P, Kowalczuk M, Jedliński Z (1997) Macromolecules 30:7743–7748
Kurcok P, Dubois Ph, Sikorska W, Jedliński Z, Jerome R (1997) Macromolecules 30:5591–5595
Focarete ML, Ceccorulli G, Scandola M, Kowalczuk M (1998) Macromolecules 31:8485–8492
Abe H, Matsubara I, Doi Y (1995) Macromolecules 28:844–853
He Y, Shuai X, Cao A, Kasuya K, Doi Y, Inoue Y (2000) Macromol Rapid Commun 21:1277–1281
He Y, Shuai X, Cao A, Kasuya K, Doi Y, Inoue Y (2001) Polym Degrad Stab 73:193–199
He Y, Shuai X, Kasuya K, Doi Y, Inoue Y (2001) Biomacromolecules 2:1045–1051
Na YH, He Y, Nishiwaki T, Inagawa Y, Osanai Y, Matsumura S, Saito T, Doi Y, Inoue Y (2003) Polym Degrad Stab 79:535–545
Handrick R, Reinhardt S, Focarete ML, Scandola M, Adamus G, Kowalczuk M, Jendrossek D (2001) J Biol Chem 276(39):36215–36224
Kapetaniou EG, Braaz R, Jendrossek D, Papageorgiou AC (2005) Acta Crystallogr F61:479–481
Wang Y, Inagawa Y, Osanai Y, Kasuya K, Saito T, Matsumura S, Doi Y, Inoue Y (2002) Biomacromolecules 3:894–898
Focarete ML, Scandola M, Jendrossek D, Adamus G, Sikorska W, Kowalczuk M (1999) Macromolecules 32:4814–4818
Chiellini E, Corti A, Kowalczuk M, Solaro R (2001) In: Chiellini E et al (eds) Biorelated polymers: sustainable polymer science and technology. Kluwer Academic, Plenum Publishers, New York, pp 329–340
Piddubnyak V, Kurcok P, Matuszowicz A, Głowala M, Fiszer-Kierzkowska A, Jedliński Z, Juzwa M, Krawczyk Z (2004) Biomaterials 25:5271–5279
Rychter P, Biczak R, Herman B, Smyłła A, Kurcok P, Adamus G, Kowalczuk M (2006) Biomacromolecules 7:3125–3131
Jedliński Z, Kurcok P, Lenz RW (1995) J Macromol Sci Pure Appl Chem A32:797–810
Adamus G, Dacko P, Musioł M, Sikorska W, Sobota M, Biczak R, Herman B, Rychter P, Krasowska K, Rutkowska M, Kowalczuk M (2006) Polimery 51:539–546
(a) Stolt M, Krasowska K, Rutkowska M, Janik H, Rosling A, Sodergard A (2005) Polym Int 54:362–368; (b) Rutkowska M, Krasowska K, Steinka I, Janik H (2004) Pol J Environ Stud 13(1):85–89; (c) Rutkowska M, Krasowska K, Heimowska A, Kowalczuk M (2003) Macromol Symp 197:421–429
Rutkowska M, Krasowska K, Heimowska A, Steinka I, Janik H, Haponiuk J, Karlsson S (2002) Pol J Environ Stud 11(4):413–420
PN-82/C-04616 08 Woda i ścieki. Badanie specjalne osadów. Oznaczanie aktywności dehydrogenaz w osadzie czynnym metodą spektrofotometryczną z TTC
Lenz WR (1993) Biodegradable polymers in advances in polymer science. Springer-Velay, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp 1–40
Rutkowska M, Krasowska K, Heimowska A, Kowalczuk M (2001) In: Chiellini E et al (eds) Biorelated polymers: sustainable polymer science and technology. Kluwer Academic, Plenum Publishers, New York, pp 313–320
Haug RT (1993) The practical handbook of compost engineering. Lewis, London, p 121
Rutkowska M, Krasowska K, Heimowska A, Steinka I, Janik H (2002) Polym Degrad Stab 76:233–239
Degli-Innoceti F (2000) In: Weber CJ (ed) Biobased packaging materials for the food industry. KVL Department of Dairy and Food Science, Frederiksberg, Denmark, pp 107–113
Nayaran R, Mojo S (1999) Summary of ASTM D6400-99 test methods and specyfications. Correlation of test methods to real world. International Biodegradable Products Institute, pp 3–9
Cox MK (1990) In: Vert M (ed) Biodegradable polymers and plastics. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge
(a) Rutkowska M, Krasowska K, Kowalczuk M, Dacko P (2002) In: Proceedings of the international symposium on advanced materials for biomedical applications (SAMBA). Montreal, pp 41–48; (b) Rutkowska M, Krasowska K, Kowalczuk M, Dacko P (2004) In: Proceedings of polymer fibres. Manchester, pp 1–4
Tsuji H, Suzuyoashi K (2003) J Appl Pol Sci 90:587–593
Tsuji H, Suzuyoashi K (2002) Polym Degrad Stab 75:357–365
Kowalczuk M, Dacko P, Weiner M (2002) Inżynieria Materiałowa 2:76–79
Acknowledgments
This work was partially supported by the European Community’s Fifth Framework Programme under Wheypol project G5RD-CT-2001-00591 and by a Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge Fellowship of the European Community’s Sixth Framework Programme under the contract number MTKD-CT-2004-509232.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rutkowska, M., Krasowska, K., Heimowska, A. et al. Environmental Degradation of Blends of Atactic Poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate] with Natural PHBV in Baltic Sea Water and Compost with Activated Sludge. J Polym Environ 16, 183–191 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-008-0100-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-008-0100-0