This document discusses various types of biodegradable polymers, including hydro-biodegradable polymers, biodegradable copolymers like graft and block copolymers, and biodegradable composites. It provides details on hydro-biodegradable polymers which degrade through hydrolysis. Graft copolymers are discussed where side chains are attached to the main polymer chain. Block copolymers contain long sequences of different monomers joined together. Common biodegradable composites include those made from polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and thermoplastic starch reinforced with natural fibers.

1. Polymer & the Environment
(KEJ4604)
Semester II 2015/2016
Date of Presentation: 19 May 2016
Group 10
Members:
Ooi Phik Fong UK30717
Chong Shin Yong UK30732
Chua Kim Choon UK30777

2. Today’s Topic
• Biodegradable polymer
o Hydro-biodegradable polymer
• Biodegradable copolymer
o Graft copolymer
o Block copolymer
• Biodegradable composite
o PLA
o PHAs
o Thermoplastic starch

3. What Is Biodegradable
Polymer?
• Biodegradable polymer degrades quickly when
compared to non-biodegradable polymer.
• Their by-products are eco-friendly (𝐶𝑂2, Water,
Methane).

4. Life Cycle of Biodegradable Polymer

5. Types of Biodegradable
Polymer
Types
Photo-
biodegradable
polymers
Photolytic
polymers
Hydro-
biodegradable
polymer
Peroxidisable
polymers

6. Hydro-Biodegradable
Polymers
• Hydro-biodegradable polymers undergo hydro-
biodegradation.
• Hydro-biodegradation is initiated by hydrolysis.

7. Hydro-biodegradation

8. Hydro-biodegradable
Plastics
• It is not applicable.
• reasons:
o It is made from fossil fuel derived polymers and starch.
o It cannot be made from recyclate
o It emits 𝐶𝑂2 rapidly while degrading
o Can be incinerated, but gives lower calorific value
o Four/five times more expensive than conventional plastics
• Therefore, we suggest oxo-biodegradable plastics!

9. Oxo-biodegradable
Plastics
• It will degrade in the presence of oxygen, and the
process is accelerated by UV and HEAT.
• It can be recycled during its useful life with normal
plastics.

10. Why Choose Oxo-biodegradable
plastics ?
Oxo-biodegradable plastics Hydro-biodegradable plastics
Usually made from a by-product of
oil-refining
Made from fossil fuel-derived
polymers and starch
Can be made from recycled plastic Cannot be made from recyclate
Emits CO2 slowly while degrading
and forms biomass
Emits CO2 rapidly while degrading
Can be incinerated with high energy-
recovery
Can be incinerated, but lower calorific
value
Little or no on-cost Four or five times more expensive
than conventional plastics

11. Polymer VS Copolymer
• A long/large molecule
consisting of a chain or
network of many repeating
units called monomer (same or
identical units)
Polymer
• A polymer derived from more
than one species of monomer.Copolymer

12. Types of Biodegradable
Copolymer
Types
Block
Copolymers
Graft
Copolymers

13. Graft Copolymers
• A special type of branched copolymer in which the side
chains are structurally distinct from the main chain.

14. Graft Copolymers
• 3 common methods to synthesis graft
copolymer:
o Grafting-Onto Method
o Grafting-From Method
o Grafting-Through Method

15. Grafting-onto Method
• Coupling reaction between functional backbone and the
end groups of the branch.

16. Grafting-from Method
• Backbone is chemically modified to introduce active
sites.
• These active sites form branch by copolymerization

17. Grafting-through Method
• It is also known as macro-monomer method.
• A lower molecular weight monomer is copolymerized
with a macro-monomer in the presence of an initiator or
catalyst.

18. Applications of Graft
Copolymer
• Membranes for the separation of gases or liquids.
• Hydrogels
• High Impact polystyrene (HIPS)
• Thermoplastic elastomer HIPS

19. High Impact Polystyrene
(HIPS)
• A low cost, plastic material that is easy to fabricate.
• Often used for low strength structural applications.
• It is produced by dissolving elastomeric polymer in
styrene and polymerized it.
• Advantages:
o Good impact resistance
o Excellent machinability
o Good dimensional stability
o Low cost
Polystyrene backbone
Elastomer

20. Block Copolymer
• A long sequence of one monomer/block is joined to a
block of the second monomer.

21. Block Copolymer
Mechanism
Block 1
Block 2

22. Applications of Block
Copolymer
• Example: Kraton
• Kraton is a high performance elastomer.
• Uses:
o It is used as synthetic replacement for rubber.
o It can blends with various other ingredients to improve
the product’s performance.
• Kraton blends with asphalt to make it more flexible
- coating for F1 racing track.

23. Biodegradable Composite
• A composite material form by a matrix (resin)
from and a reinforcement of natural fiber.
• Characteristics:
o Biodegradable
o Renewable & recyclable sources
o Lower manufacturing costs

24. Types of Bio-composite
Types
Poly-lactide (PLA)-
natural fiber
composite
Thermoplastic
starch-natural fiber
composite
Polyhydroxyalkanoates
(PHAs)-natural fiber
composite

25. Poly-lactide (PLA)
• Referred as ‘bio-plastic ‘ because of it
environmentally friendly nature
• ‘processed’ from the starch of plants such
as corn, sugar cane and sugar beet
• Take only FIVE years to decompose
• It decay as it expose to UV rays of sunlight
and O2 and forming C02 and H2O.

26. Examples of poly-lactide
products

27. Polyhydroxyalkanoates,
PHAs
• Linear polyesters produced in nature by
bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids.
• Produced by the bacteria to store carbon and
energy.
• More than 150 different monomers can be
combined within this family to give materials with
extremely different properties.

28. Thermoplastic starch
• Starch based- plastic
• Formation of it requires disruption of starch
granules and their supra-molecular structures,
dissociation of complexes with lipids and melting
of crystals with the assistance of added water.
• Suitable material for the production of drug
capsules by the pharmaceutical sector

29. Advantages
Composite Material
PLA PHAs Thermoplastic Starch
• Low cost
• Abundant resources
• Low density
• High specific
properties
• Lack of residue upon
incineration
• Renewable resources
• Increase tensile
strength
• Increase tensile
strength
• Less humidity
absorbance
• Light weight

30. References
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copolymer
• Antoniou, D. (2010). Hydro-degradable polymers.
Retrieved from http://www.e-telescope.gr
• Green Club Inc. (n.d.). Comparison of Oxo-
Biodegradable and Hydro-Biodegradable
Plastics. Retrieved from
http://www.greenclubinc.com
• Sahari, J., & Sapuan, S.M. (2011). Natural Fibre
Reinforced Biodegradable Polymer Composites.
Journal of Advanced Material Science, 30, 166-174.
Retrieved from http://www.ipme.ru
• http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Core/Organic_Chemistry/Pol
ymers/Copolymers

31. References
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxo_Biodegradable
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graft_polymer
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biocomposite
• Lu, D. R., Xiao, C. M., & Xu, S. J. (2009). Starch-based
completely biodegradable polymer materials.
Journal of eXPRESS Polymer Letters, 3(6), 366-375
• Nzioki, Bernice, “BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER
BLENDS AND COMPOSITES FROM PROTEINS
PRODUCED BY ANIMALS CO-PRODUCT
INDUSTRY”(2010). All These. Paper 817
• Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Association. Types of
Degradable Plastic. Retrieved from
www.biodeg.org

32. ~Thank You~