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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 April; 59(4): 1242-1246

Biodegradability and mechanical properties of poly-(beta-hydroxybutyrate-co-beta-hydroxyvalerate)-starch blends.

Département de Génie Chimique, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, Québec, Canada.

ABSTRACT

Wheat starch granules and poly-(beta-hydroxybutyrate-co-beta-hydroxyvalerate) [P(HB-co-HV), (19.1 mol% HV)] were blended at 160 degrees C. Increasing the starch content from 0 to 50% (wt/wt) decreased the tensile strength of P(HB-co-HV) from 18 MPa to 8 MPa and diminished flexibility as Young's modulus increased from 1,525 MPa to 2,498 MPa, but overall mechanical properties of the polymer remained in a useful range. A mixed microbial culture required more than 20 days to degrade 150-microns-thick samples of 100% P(HB-co-HV), whereas samples containing 50% (wt/wt) starch disappeared in fewer than 8 days. Starch granules degraded before P(HB-co-HV) did. Aerobic degradation proceeded more rapidly than anaerobic degradation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Imam, S. H., Gordon, S. H., Shogren, R. L., Tosteson, T. R., Govind, N. S., Greene, R. V. (1999). Degradation of Starch-Poly(beta -Hydroxybutyrate-Co-beta -Hydroxyvalerate) Bioplastic in Tropical Coastal Waters. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 431-437 [Abstract] [Full Text]