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Biological recycling of plastics containing ester bonds
Author(s) -
Tokiwa Yutaka,
Iwamoto Akira,
Koyama Masatoshi,
Kataoka Naoaki,
Nishida Haruo
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
makromolekulare chemie. macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 0258-0322
DOI - 10.1002/masy.19920570125
Subject(s) - polycaprolactone , polypropylene , materials science , biodegradation , polystyrene , polyhydroxybutyrate , polyester , raw material , polymer blend , biodegradable polymer , waste management , chemical engineering , composite material , organic chemistry , chemistry , polymer , bacteria , copolymer , biology , engineering , genetics
Biodegradable blend plastics such as polycaprolactone (PCL)‐conventional plastics blends, PCL‐polystyrene blend foams, PCL‐poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) blends, PCL‐raw cornstarch (CS) blends and PCL‐CaCO 3 blends were developed. It was suggested that the thermophilic composting of biodegradable plastics containing PCL was one of powerful technologies for recycling of biodegradable plastics. Furthermore, we tried to get useful products from biodegradable plastics by microbial fermentation processes. Polypropylene (PP)‐CS blend and PCL‐CS blend plastics were aerobically converted into ethanol by Bacillus polymyxa. PHB and PP‐CS blend and PCL‐CS blend plastics were anaerobically converted into some organic acids and methane gas by mixed microbial cultures with a methanogenic bacterium.