Abstract
Abstract Biodegradable polymers (e.g. poly(butylene succinate) - PBS) have been used in several sectors such as the environmental area, especially in bioremediation, in biological processes for conversion of pollutants into inorganic compounds. In this study, the foresight methodology for the use of biodegradable polymers, including PBS, reveals a publication rate of approximately 8.74 articles and 30.63 patents per year, between 2005 and 2019. However, the application of PBS, specifically, is still restricted to the environmental area, with only 3.0% of the 1484 works from this period. The results showed a more significant number of papers on the PBS application for synthesis, characterization, and application in the areas of Chemistry, Physics, and Pharmacy. In the area of bioremediation, only three studies related to PBS were found, revealing the lack of research and development to increase the contribution in the area of environmental recovery.
Highlights
From Antiquity to the present days, the demand for oil and its derivatives has been growing largely due to the population increase, the urbanization of large centers, and the value of oil in the international market
The results showed scientific articles and patents, mainly for biopolymers and biodegradable polymers, in the period of 15 years
The search for the major applications of these polymers and green polymers revealed that the five major areas are Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering, Physics & Astronomy, and Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology
Summary
From Antiquity to the present days, the demand for oil and its derivatives has been growing largely due to the population increase, the urbanization of large centers, and the value of oil in the international market. As an alternative to polymers derived from fossil fuels, biopolymers and biodegradable polymers are widely used, having great importance in the biomedical and drug areas, since they are obtained from natural resources, are biodegradable and present a high affinity with biological systems[3,4]. Its application in the environmental area is prevalent and has increased in the recent years. The main objective of this work is to map the evolution of international studies and resulting publications in the environmental sector over a period of 15 years[5,6,7,8]. This work was completed with a case study for PBS, a polymer that might be highlighted as promising for biostimulation exploration, one of the potential existing bioremediation techniques
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
