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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Characterization of biodegradable polymers: A review
ClearSynthesize and Applications of Biodegradable Plastics as a Solution for Environmental Pollution Due to Non-Biodegradable Plastics, a Review
This review examines biodegradable plastics as alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics, covering materials like polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and polycaprolactone. Researchers detail how these polymers are synthesized from renewable resources and can be modified for various applications. The study highlights both the promise and remaining challenges of biodegradable plastics in reducing environmental pollution from non-degradable plastic waste and microplastic formation.
Biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) and poly(ε-caprolactone) via biological carbon cycles in marine environments
The marine biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) biopolymers was tested through biological degradation assays, evaluating their potential as truly marine-degradable plastic alternatives. Both polymers showed evidence of marine biodegradation, though rates varied with environmental conditions, offering promise as plastics that would not persist in ocean environments.
Biodegradable Polymers: The Future of Sustainable Plastic Alternatives
This review examines biodegradable polymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, evaluating their potential to reduce microplastic pollution and ecological degradation. The authors assess the performance, environmental fate, and scalability of current biodegradable materials, identifying key challenges for widespread adoption across packaging and consumer product applications.
Effects of biodegradable plastics on soil properties and greenhouse gas production
Biodegradable plastics made from polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate were found to affect soil physicochemical properties and increase CO2 and N2O gas production during decomposition in soil, raising questions about whether they truly avoid the environmental impacts of conventional microplastics.
Plastic Alternatives: Biodegradable Solutions and Their Real-World Impact
This review examines biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics, evaluating biopolymers such as polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and starch-based composites for their practical performance, cost-efficiency, and real-world environmental impact as substitutes for petroleum-based plastic packaging.
Biodegradability of bioplastic blown film in a marine environment
Researchers tested the biodegradability of bioplastic blown films made from polybutylene succinate and polylactic acid in marine environments, finding these materials degrade more readily than conventional plastics but at rates that still pose concerns for marine ecosystem impacts.
Properties and Degradation Performances of Biodegradable Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Blends and Keratin Composites
Researchers tested biodegradable blends of polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate with added keratin waste as fillers, assessing how well the composites degrade. The work contributes to developing plastic alternatives that break down in the environment rather than persisting as microplastics.
Bioplastics: Environment-friendly materials and their production technologies
This review analyzes recent developments in bioplastics as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastics, examining raw material sources, production technologies, and biodegradation assessment methods, with special emphasis on polylactic acid (PLA) as the most widely used biodegradable polymer.
Degradation of Polylactic Acid/Polypropylene Carbonate Films in Soil and Phosphate Buffer and Their Potential Usefulness in Agriculture and Agrochemistry
Researchers studied how blends of polylactic acid and polypropylene carbonate, two biodegradable plastics being promoted as eco-friendly alternatives, break down in soil and in laboratory conditions over time. The degradation was slow and incomplete, with the films losing weight and molecular structure gradually over 24 months. This raises concerns that even biodegradable plastics may persist in the environment long enough to fragment into microplastics before fully breaking down.
Behind the Green Promise: Eco-Innovation or Commercial Illusion?
This review critically examines the gap between the environmental promise of biodegradable packaging materials such as polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate and their real-world degradation performance. The authors found that most biodegradable plastics require specific industrial composting conditions to degrade as marketed and may perform no better than conventional plastics when disposed of in landfill, soil, or marine environments.
Bioplastics and biodegradable plastics: A review of recent advances, feasibility and cleaner production
Researchers systematically reviewed over 280 articles on bioplastics and biodegradable plastics, finding that while polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoates reduce fossil fuel dependence, their higher production costs, lower durability, and tendency to form microplastics when improperly composted remain significant barriers to replacing conventional plastics.
The fate of biodegradable polyesters in the marine environment
Researchers tracked the degradation of five biodegradable plastics in simulated marine environments over nearly a year, including materials like polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate. While all materials showed signs of degradation such as surface cracking and weight loss from hydrolysis, they also released polymer fragments into surrounding sand, indicating that even biodegradable plastics can generate microplastic pollution. The findings suggest that labeling a plastic as biodegradable does not guarantee it will fully break down in ocean conditions.
Biodegradation Studies of Polyhydroxybutyrate and Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-Polyhydroxyvalerate Films in Soil
Researchers studied the biodegradation properties of two bioplastic polymers, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-polyhydroxyvalerate (PHBV), in soil under different moisture conditions. Both polymers degraded completely in fully saturated soil, with the study tracking changes in appearance, chemical signatures, mechanical properties, and molecular weight, supporting these materials as viable biodegradable alternatives to conventional petrochemical-derived plastics.
The Possibility of Using Polylactic Acid and Polyhydroxyalkanoates to Replace the Normal Plastics in Life
This review examines the potential of polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoates as biodegradable replacements for conventional plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene, evaluating their properties and discussing their capacity to reduce microplastic pollution in major river systems.
Assessing the Biodegradation Characteristics of Poly(Butylene Succinate) and Poly(Lactic Acid) Formulations Under Controlled Composting Conditions
Researchers assessed the biodegradation of PLA and PBS biopolymer films and granules under controlled composting conditions over six months. PLA-based materials showed limited degradation while PBS degraded more substantially, highlighting that compostability varies significantly among bioplastics and may be insufficient under real-world composting conditions.
Bioabsorbable Characteristics of Poly (Lactic Acid) (PLA) for a Fundamental Solution to the Problem of Microplastics Tea Bag SOILON® Made from PLA Fibers
This review examines the biodegradation characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA) materials, discussing the enzymatic and environmental conditions needed for effective breakdown and evaluating PLA's potential as a genuinely biodegradable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics.
Improving the marine biodegradability of poly(alkylene succinate)-based copolymers
Researchers synthesized novel marine-biodegradable copolymers based on poly(ethylene succinate) and poly(butylene succinate) by incorporating different dicarboxylic acid units. They found that even small amounts of longer-chain acid units enabled the polymers to biodegrade in seawater while maintaining tunable mechanical and thermal properties. The findings offer a design strategy for creating plastics that can replace conventional polymers while breaking down naturally in marine environments.
A critical review of the overlooked challenge of determining micro-bioplastics in soil
This review addresses the overlooked challenge of detecting and measuring micro-bioplastics, which are microplastic fragments derived from biodegradable plastics like polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate. Researchers found that because biodegradable plastics rarely encounter the specific conditions needed for complete decomposition in natural environments, they may paradoxically generate microplastics even faster than conventional plastics. The study concludes that new analytical methods, particularly thermoanalytical approaches, are urgently needed to assess the environmental fate and toxicity of these increasingly common materials.
Microbial Degradation of Polylactic Acid Bioplastic
This review covers how microorganisms degrade polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic under different environmental conditions. Understanding PLA biodegradation is important for assessing whether PLA products actually break down as intended in real-world environments rather than persisting as microplastics.
State of the art on biodegradability of bio-based plastics containing polylactic acid
This review examines whether bio-based plastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) actually break down in the environment as intended. While certain microorganisms can degrade PLA, the process is slow and depends heavily on conditions like temperature and moisture. The findings matter because if bio-based plastics do not fully break down, they can still fragment into microplastics, posing many of the same environmental and health risks as conventional plastics.
Polylactic acid synthesis, biodegradability, conversion to microplastics and toxicity: a review
Researchers reviewed polylactic acid (PLA), a popular plant-based "biodegradable" plastic used in packaging and agriculture, finding that while it breaks down inside the body, it does not fully degrade under natural outdoor or aquatic conditions — and in fact fragments into microplastics faster than conventional petroleum-based plastics. This challenges the assumption that bioplastics are a straightforward environmental solution.
Exploring biopolymer degradation: Environmental effects and future insights
This review examines how biopolymers degrade in the environment and evaluates their potential as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. While biopolymers offer environmental benefits like reduced pollution, the study notes challenges including slower-than-expected degradation in natural settings, potential microplastic generation, and the need for better standardized testing and supportive policies.
A Sustainable Approach to Plastics; Bioplastics
This review examines bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics, comparing bio-based and biodegradable options against traditional plastics on environmental impact, biodegradability standards, and performance, finding that while bioplastics offer potential solutions to microplastic generation and soil toxicity, standardization and lifecycle assessment remain key challenges.
Polylactic Acid/Polycaprolactone Blends: On the Path to Circular Economy, Substituting Single-Use Commodity Plastic Products
This study tested blends of polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) — two biodegradable plastics — as potential replacements for conventional oil-based plastics like polypropylene. Results showed these bioplastic blends can achieve comparable mechanical properties, supporting their use in circular economy applications.