BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS

By :

Madhuri Phute

INTRODUCTION
Biodegradation
Biodegradation is the process of converting polymer material into harmless, simple, gaseous products by the action of enzymes, micro-organisms and water.

Biodegradable Polymer
Biodegradable polymers degrade as a result of natural biological processes, eliminating the need to create a disposal system which can cause harm to our environment.

NEED FOR BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS

Polymers have become an essential part of our daily
life. Having its numerous advantages, it finds it use in every field. But these polymer products account for approx. 150 million tons of non biodegradable waste every year. Such large amounts of waste leads to various problems, not to mention, a general lack of cleanliness in the neighbourhood.

Characteristics Of Biodegradable Polymers

Inert Permeability Non-toxicity Bio-compatibility Tensile strength Mechanical strength Controlled rate of degradation

Mechanism Of Biodegradable Polymers

BIODEGRADATION

ENZYMATIC DEGRADATION

HYDROLYSIS

COMBINATION

BULK EROSION

SURFACE EROSION

ENZYMATIC DEGRADATION
Enzymatic degradation takes place with the help of various enzymes. The type of enzymes used for degradation depends upon the type of polymer: Fungi Fusarium Moniliformae Yeast- Cryptococcus Enzymes from moulds such as Penicillium

POLYMER DEGRADATION AND

EROSION
Degradation ----- Chain Cleavage Erosion ------- Loss of Mass 1. Bulk Erosion 2. Surface Erosion

Degradation in two Phases

1.-Water penetration (Rate Determining) -Attacking Chemical bonds -Shorter water soluble fragments 2.-Rapid loss of polymer -Enzymatic attack -Solubilisation

EROSION
Type I Erosion : Evident with water soluble polymers cross linked to form three dimensional network. Cross linking still intact. Network insoluble. Swelling. Solubilisation by cleavage of water soluble backbone or crosslinking Type II Erosion : Polymers first are water insoluble but converted to water soluble by reaction with pendant group. Type III Erosion : Polymers with high molecular weight are broken down and transformed to smaller water soluble molecules.

POLYMER DEGRADATION

POLYMER EROSION

FACTORS AFFECTING BIODEGRADATION

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE
(a) Functional Group (b) Hydrophobicity

MORPHOLOGY
(a) Tensile strength (b) Branching

PARTICLE SIZE
Larger the particle size slower the degradation process.

BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS

Biopol
(Polyhydroxybutarate-hydroxyvalerate)

Polycaprolactone Polylactic Acids Polyglycolic Acids Polydioxane

BIOPOL
BIOPOL is a copolymer of 3-hydroxy butyric acid and 3-hydroxy valeric acid.

PRODUCTION : It is produced by fermentation of glucose by Acaligenes eutrophus species.

POLYHYDROXYBUTARATEHYDROXYVALERATE (PHB-HV)
It is a type of Biopolymer.

Molecular Formula: C27H42O12 Monomer Weight: 558.62 amu

Properties of Biopol :
Water insoluble and relatively resistant to hydrolytic degradation. Good oxygen permeability. Good ultra-violet resistance but poor resistance to acids and bases. Soluble in chloroform and other chlorinated hydrocarbons. Biocompatible and hence is suitable for medical applications. Melting point 175C., and glass transition temperature 2C. Tensile strength is 40 MPa close to that of polypropylene. Sinks in water (while polypropylene floats), facilitating its anaerobic biodegradation in sediments. Nontoxic. Less 'sticky' when melted, making it a potentially good material for clothing in the future

POLYCAPROLACTONE
Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polyester.
Preparation of Polycaprolactone:

Properties Of Polycaprolactone:
It has a low melting point of around 60C. It has a glass transition temperature of about 60C.

Uses Of Polycaprolactone:
The most common use of polycaprolactone is in the manufacture of speciality polyurethanes. Polycaprolactones impart good water, oil, solvent and chlorine resistance to the polyurethane produced. This polymer is often used as an additive for resins to improve their processing characteristics and their end use properties. Being compatible with a range of other materials, PCL can be mixed with starch to lower its cost and increase biodegradability or it can be added as a polymeric plasticizer to PVC.

Degradation Of Polycaprolactone:
PCL is degraded by hydrolysis of its ester linkages in physiological conditions (such as in the human body). It has therefore received a great deal of attention for use as an implantable biomaterial. In particular it is especially interesting for the preparation of long term implantable devices, owing to its degradation which is even slower than that of polylactide (or polylactic acid).

POLYLACTIC ACID

Polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) is a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch, tapioca products (roots, chips or starch) or sugarcane. It can biodegrade under certain conditions, such as the presence of oxygen, and is difficult to recycle. The name "polylactic acid" does not comply with IUPAC standard nomenclature, and is potentially ambiguous or confusing, because PLA is not a polyacid (polyelectrolyte), but rather a polyester

Formation of Polylactic Acids: Bacterial fermentation is used to produce lactic acid from corn starch or cane sugar.

Uses of Polylactic Acids:

Mulch film made of PLA-blend Biodegradable PLA cups in use at an eatery bio-flex Due to PLA's relatively low glass transition temperature, PLA cups cannot hold hot liquids. However, much research is devoted to developing a heat resistant PLA.

POLYGLYCOLIC ACID
Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid (PGA) is a biodegradable, thermoplastic polymer and the simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. It is a tough fibre-forming polymer. Due to its hydrolytic instability its use has been limited. It has a glass transition temperature between 35-40 C. Its melting point is in the range of 225-230 C.

It also exhibits an elevated degree of crystallinity, around 4555%, thus resulting in insolubility in water.

Preparation of Polyglycolic Acids:

Polyglycolide can be obtained through several different processes starting with different materials: Polycondensation of glycolic acid Ring-opening polymerization of glycolide Solid-state polycondensation of halogenoacetates

Degradation of Polyglycolic Acids:

Polyglycolide has hydrolytic instability due to the presence of the ester linkage in its backbone. The degradation process is erosive and appears to take place in two steps during which the polymer is converted back to its monomer glycolic acid: 1. First water diffuses into the amorphous (non-crystalline) regions of the polymer matrix, cleaving the ester bonds. 2. Second step starts after the amorphous regions have been eroded, leaving the crystalline portion of the polymer susceptible to hydrolytic attack. When the crystalline regions collapse, the polymer chain dissolves. When exposed to physiological conditions, polyglycolide is degraded by hydrolysis, and broken down by certain enzymes. The degradation product, glycolic acid, is nontoxic. Studies undergone using polyglycolide have shown that the material loses half of its strength after two weeks and 100% after four weeks. The polymer is completely resorbed by the organism in a time frame of four to six months.

Biodegradable Polymers For Controlled Drug Delivery

POLY ESTERS POLY PHOSPHO ESTERS POLY ANHYDRIDES POLY OLEFINS POLY AMIDES

NATURAL POLYMERS
These are the polymers obtained from natural resources, and are generally non-toxic.
NATURAL POLYMERS

PROTEINS

Polysaccharides Ex : DEXTRAN CHITOSAN STARCH

Ex: COLLAGEN ALBUMIN FIBRIN

ADVANTAGES :

1) Readily & Abundantly Available. 2) Comparatively Inexpensive. 3) Non toxic products. 4) Can be modified to get semi synthetic forms.

Reference

S. P. Vyas, Roop K. Khar; Controlled Drug Delivery Concepts And Advances; First Edition, Reprint 2010; Vallabh Prakashan; Page No. 97 154 N. K. Jain; Advances in Controlled & Novel Drug Delivery; First Edition, Reprint 2003; CBS Publishers & Distributors; pg. no. 1 17 Mark Chasin, Robert Langer; Biodegradable Polymers as Drug Delivery Systems; First Indian Edition, Reprint 2008; Marcel Dekker. PowerPoint presentation by Mr. Shrikant Sharma. Internet sites:
www.wikipedia.com www.athurstream.com www.slideworld.com www.google.com