Biopolymers and Biodegradable Polymers

Nature provides many polymeric species wihich are essential for life and can be produced by biologically systems such as micro organism, plants and animals. They can also be synthesized chemically. Starch and cellulose, proteins, peptides, R.N. A and D.N.A. control the various life processes are called Biopolymers.

All these biopolymers can be broken into components parts either by enzyme catalysed reaction or themselves during a certain period of time and hence, are biodegradable. They are not toxid and do not caused pollution, hence a better alternative to petroleum based polymers such as plastics which are non biodegradable and are the source of major pollution. In biological systems, biopolymers degrade mainly by enzymatic hydrolysis and to some extent by oxidation. One of the best methods of making a polymer biodegradable is by inserting hydrolysable ester group into the polymer.

Biopolymers have several functional uses, i.e., they act as stabilizers, thickeners, binders, lubricants and adhesives, etc. since, biopolymers are biodegradable and are from renewable sources, they have a major scope in industry such as in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, packing papers and textiles, etc.

In view of the disposal problem of polymers waste and for developing polymers for other safe uses in human system, biodegradable synthetic polymers have been developed. These synthetic polymers mostly have functional group prevalent in biopolymers and lipids.