Question

What kind of structural characteristics regulate the biodegradation rate of polymer materials?

please write it computer...not handwriting..

Answer 1

The biodegradation rate of the polymer material are depended on some of its structural characteristics. The biodegradable polymers are those which are degraded due to the decomposition by the bacteria and as it degrades, it tends to produce natural byproducts like CO2, N2 etc. The have bonds which are easily broken due to biodegradation like the ester, ether, or the amide bonds. Most of the biodegradable polymers are aliphatic in nature and hence it is easy for the micro-organisms to break down the aliphatic compound. The biodegradable polymers have a very strong carbon backbone and this is the reason why the process of degradation starts from the end groups and hence there is a surface area which is easily accessible via the microbe. They are mostly even hydrophilic in nature and hence this allows more reaction to take place that helps in initiating the process of degradation.