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Biodegradation Process: Basics, Factors Affecting, and Industrial Applications

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Handbook of Biodegradable Materials

Abstract

The natural environment is seriously threatened by plastic accumulation due to increasing plastic demand and production. This scenario has driven increased interest in the research of the biodegradation process and the development of biodegradable materials to replace conventional plastics. Nevertheless, the knowledge of biodegradation is limited, and biodegradable materials remain new to the public. Because of this, the current chapter presents the definitions of biodegradation and biodegradable materials stated by different standards and organizations. Besides, an insight into biodegradation with emphasis on abiotic and biotic mechanisms is also included. Understanding the biodegradation process is significant in controlling the biodegradation rate and inventing biodegradable materials with the desired biodegradability. Here, several polymer characteristics and abiotic and biotic environmental factors are reviewed. Moreover, three classification methods of biodegradable materials are discussed, along with the examples, advantages, and disadvantages. This chapter describes industrial applications of biodegradation, focusing on oil bioremediation and anaerobic digestion. Oil bioremediation is imperative for removing oil hydrocarbons, while the latter is widely utilized for organic waste treatment and production of biogas and digestates.

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Abbreviations

ASTM:

American Society for Testing and Materials

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

BPCs:

Biodegradable polymer composites

BTEX:

Benzene, toluene, ethylene, and xylene

CEN:

European Committee for Standardization

CIS:

Commonwealth of Independent States

DIN:

German Institute for Standardization

ISO:

International Organization for Standardization

JBPA:

Japan BioPlastics Association

NAFTA:

North American Free Trade Agreement

PA:

Polyamide

PBS:

Poly(butylene succinate)

PBSTMG:

Poly[(butylene succinate)-co-poly(tetramethylene glycol)]

PCL:

Poly-ε-caprolactone

PCL/TPS:

Poly-ε-caprolactone/thermoplastic starch blends

PE:

Polyethylene

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

PET:

Polyethylene terephthalate

PHA:

Polyhydroxyalkanoates

PLA:

Polylactic acid

PMDI:

Polyisocyanate

PP:

Polypropylene

PTMG:

Poly(tetramethylene glycol)

PS:

Polystyrene

PU:

Polyurethane

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride

PVA:

Polyvinyl alcohol

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Fundamental Research GrantScheme (FRGS) from the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia (MOHE) (FRGS/1/2019/STG01/UM/02/6).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Lai Mun Koh & Sook Mei Khor

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  1. Lai Mun Koh
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Correspondence to Sook Mei Khor .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Department, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt

    Gomaa A. M. Ali

  2. Vice President of Advanced Material Research,, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc, Connecticut, USA

    Abdel Salam H. Makhlouf

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Koh, L.M., Khor, S.M. (2023). Biodegradation Process: Basics, Factors Affecting, and Industrial Applications. In: Ali, G.A.M., Makhlouf, A.S.H. (eds) Handbook of Biodegradable Materials. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09710-2_66

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