PRELIMINARY STUDY OF POLYCAPROLACTONE MICROBIAL DEGRADATION

abstract

English

Poly( -caprolactone) (PCL) a semicrystalline aliphatic polyester regarded as a nontoxic and hard and soft tissues compatible material has been utilized both for biomedical (Capronor) and biodegradable packaging application (Mater Bi, Italy). In the view of still growing interest of biodegradable plastics, more information about degradation mechanism generating the intermediates which are considered to be assimilated by microorganisms has to been obtained. In this work, the biodegradability of low-molecular weight poly( -caprolactone) (Mn = 12 kg?mol-1) with crystallinity degree of 53 % by bacterial strain Bacillus subtilis was examined. PCL homopolymer synthesized by ring-opening polymerization and thoroughly purified was exposed in the form of melt-pressed films and as a powder. Both squares (10 x 10x 0.4 mm) and neat powder were immersed in brain heart and mineral media inoculated with bacterium for 42 days. The pink colour developed after 14 days in mineral medium indicated that Bacillus subtilis used poly( -caprolactone) as the main carbon source. The cracks seen in confocal (CLSM) and scanning electron (SEM) micrographs of exposed polymer films after 42 days confirmed the surface erosion as a result of biodegradation process in comparison to unchanged surface of the control samples.

poly( -caprolactone), biodegradability, Bacillus sp.

VOBĚRKOVÁ, S.; HERMANOVÁ, S.; OMELKOVÁ, J.; CIHLÁŘ, J.; GRYCOVÁ, A.

7. 10. 2009

University of SS.Cyril and Methodius in Trnava

Trnava

978-80-8105-127-2

Book of Abstracts

43

43

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