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Biodegradation of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)‐Based Different Fiber Bionanocomposites
Original title: Biodegradation of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)‐Based Different Fiber Bionanocomposites
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Regular PVC plastic (used in everything from packaging to medical products) barely breaks down in nature, which means it piles up in landfills and oceans for decades. This review looks at how mixing PVC with natural fibers like jute, wool, or silk can create sturdier plastics that also break down more easily through microbial action, offering a potential path toward less plastic waste that lingers in our environment. Since plastic pollution is linked to microplastics contaminating our food and water, developing materials that degrade more completely could ultimately reduce human exposure to these particles.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely used synthetic polymers due to its versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. However, its environmental impact has raised significant concerns, primarily due to its resistance to natural degradation processes, contributing to long-term pollution in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, making it essential to explore alternative solutions. In recent years, PVC-based natural fiber–reinforced bionanocomposites have emerged as a promising alternative. By incorporating natural fibers like jute, rice straw, sisal, silk fiber, wool fiber, and cashmere and nanoparticles such as nanoclays and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) to these PVC bionanocomposites, it enhances the material's strength, thermal stability, and environmental benefits. This chapter explores the potential of these composites as sustainable alternatives to conventional PVC, focusing on their biodegradation processes and associated mechanisms. The biodegradation mechanism of PVC-based bionanocomposites is a complex process influenced by the interaction between environmental and biological factors with the biocomposites. Key stages including colonization, biodeterioration, biofragmentation, assimilation, and mineralization are discussed along with types of microbes and enzymes associated with the biodegradation process. The role of microbial activity, enzymatic reactions, and external conditions (like physical, chemical, and synergistic effects) in breaking down the polymer matrix and natural fibers is highlighted. Since PVC-based bionanocomposites have various applications in automobile, construction, packaging, and medical fields, a better understanding of the biodegradation mechanism will facilitate the development of highly biodegradable and superior quality PVC-based bionanocomposites which will aid in the management of such plastic wastes for a sustainable environment.
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