Abstract
Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate- co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was produced using a co-culture of activated sludge. When butyric acid was used as sole carbon source, PHB was produced. When valeric acid was added to the medium, PHBV was produced. The 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) mole fraction in the PHBV reached a maximum of 54% when valeric acid was used as sole carbon source. When the 3HV units in the co-polymer increased from 0.0 to 54.0 mol%, the melting temperature ( T m ) decreased from 178 to 99°C. The composition, and hence the mechanical properties, of the co-polymer produced by activated sludge can be controlled by adjusting the medium composition.
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Hu, W., Chua, H. & Yu, P. Synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) from activated sludge. Biotechnology Letters 19, 695–698 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018307402891
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018307402891