Biodegradation Behaviour of Cellulose-Reinforced PMMA Composites in Pond Water
Acrylics and polyolefins are widely used synthetic plastics in daily consumer products which are non-biodegradable in nature. An accumulation of these solid wastes in the environment poses ecological threats and requires novel management techniques. Resea
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astic materials are used widely in our lives. These materials have their sources in petroleum products and are thus environmentally hazardous. Plastic wastes like carrier bags, refused sacks and other packaging materials are mainly buried in soil. S. Sengupta (*) • P. Das • S. Datta Department of Chemical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] S. Sain • A. Mukhopadhyay University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] D. Ray University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland e-mail: [email protected] © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018 S.K. Ghosh (ed.), Utilization and Management of Bioresources, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-5349-8_6
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They are resistant to biodegradation and result in serious environmental pollution. In order to solve this environmental problem, development of biodegradable polymers is the need of the hour. Plant fibres, agricultural and forest products are often used as alternative resources for product development in industries, in order to achieve environmentally sustainable biomaterials (Tudorachi et al. 2000). These cellulosic materials are widely used in the development of various products (e.g. twines, ropes, insulating materials, felts, fleece, non-woven materials, geotextile, fillers in polymer composites, etc.). Cellulose in plant fibres is often used as reinforcing filler in polymers. Cellulose (α-cellulose) is a major component of plant fibres. It is one of the most important natural polymer, a renewable material and a source for development of sustainable materials in industries. Incorporation of natural renewable fillers like cellulose in synthetic polymers is expected to enhance its properties and also improve its biodegradability. As cellulose is susceptible to degradation by microorganisms, its incorporation in synthetic polymers also renders biodegradability to it. Few research works have been carried out on biodegradability of synthetic polymers on incorporation of cellulose as fillers. Among the synthetic polymers, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is widely used for manufacturing of various products, automotive parts, patio roofs, aircraft windscreens, etc (Sain and Khatua 2011). There are also reports on the development of cellulose-reinforced polymer composites having various application potentials. However, studies on biodegradability of the cellulose-reinforced PMMA composites are very few. Isolation of microorganisms is important for more effective degradation of the polymer composites. Specific microorganisms with ability to degrade polymers can be isolated from soil, compost, sewage, sludge, etc., through comprehensive screening and can thereafter be utilised for bioaugmentation in the context of solid disposal. Therefore, disposal of a specific polymer into a field enriched with microorganisms specific for the degradation of that polymer can significantly improve the rate of biodegradation.
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