Polymer Analysis in Restricted Environment
Keywords:
Polymers, plastics degradation, microbial degradation, biofilms, extent of degradationAbstract
Chemical industrial processes have become "business as usual" due to their energy-intensive production methods and unappealing branding. Because of its high energy requirements, polycarbonate (PC) production has grown to be a major industrial operation. Furthermore, many hazardous chemicals are used in the manufacturing process. Polymers provide remarkable performance characteristics that are desired by a wide range of modern society consumers, but the fate of polymers in the environment has become a massive management problem. Polymer applications provide molecular structures that product engineers seeking long-lasting properties find appealing. These properties are also important in terms of polymer or plastic environmental lifetimes. Reports of microbial degradation of polymeric materials have recently emerged, presenting new emerging technological opportunities to reduce the massive pollution threat posed by the use of polymers/plastics. There is a substantial literature from which potential biological technology development directions can be deduced.