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Biodegradable Polymers Challenges

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Handbook of Biodegradable Materials

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Abstract

After their intended use, the natural breakdown of synthetic polymeric materials into byproducts has always been regarded as a foremost challenge in recent years from the biodegradation perspective. The current chapter presents a comprehensive overview of the biodegradable polymeric materials that are now considered an alternative to synthetic non-biodegradable materials in terms of their waste management advantages for building an ultimate pollution-free environment. The major benefits of biodegradable polymers are that they can be composted with organic wastes and returned to the environment to enrich the soil, which will not only reduce injuries to wild animals caused by the dumping of conventional polymeric wastes but will also lessen the labor cost for the removal of such wastes in the environment. As they are degraded naturally, their decomposition will help increase the longevity and stability of landfills by reducing the volume of garbage. Recently, tremendous interest has been reported in the academic literature to develop such biodegradable polymers for various applications. Owing to their diverse market value and applications, the biodegradable polymers represent a dynamically growing research field, and organizing the documented academic case studies associated with this research domain is the need of an hour. The future of these materials also seems promising with their potentially significant contribution to the biomedical industry, drug/gene delivery, nanotechnology, agriculture, and an exceptional role in waste management to help protect the natural environment.

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Abbreviations

BPA:

Bisphenol-A

CC BY:

Creative Commons Attribution

DRS:

Deposit Refund Scheme

EPR:

Extended producer responsibility

LDPE:

Low-density polyethylene

P3HB:

Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate

PA:

Polyamide

PBAT:

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)

PBS:

Poly(butylene succinate)

PCs:

Polycarbonates

PCL:

Polycaprolactone

PE:

Polyethylene

PEF:

Polyethylene furanoate

PET:

Polyethylene terephthalate

PHAs:

Polyhydroxyalkanoates

PLA:

Polylactic acid/polylactide

PP:

Polypropylene

PPC:

Polypropylene carbonate

PS:

Polystyrene

PTT:

Polytrimethylene terephthalate

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride

TPS:

Thermoplastic starch

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan

    Sumaira Naeem, Jawayria Najeeb & Hummera Rafique

  2. Hunza Sugar Mills Private Limited (Distillery Division), Lahore, Pakistan

    Sheikh Muhammad Usman

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  1. Sumaira Naeem
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  2. Jawayria Najeeb
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  3. Sheikh Muhammad Usman
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  4. Hummera Rafique
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Correspondence to Sumaira Naeem .

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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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Naeem, S., Najeeb, J., Usman, S.M., Rafique, H. (2022). Biodegradable Polymers Challenges. In: Ali, G.A.M., Makhlouf, A.S.H. (eds) Handbook of Biodegradable Materials. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83783-9_14-1

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