Abstract
This paper presents a review of the chemical, physical and morphological characteristics, as well as the existing applications and mechanisms forthe production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate). This biopolymer, which isobtained from renewable sources, degrades when exposed in biologicallyactive environments and is biocompatible, that is, it is not rejected by thehuman body in health applications. However, in spite of presenting simi-lar properties with some conventional plastics, the PHB exhibits fragilebehavior and thermal instability when processed. The literature proposesthe use of blends, the development of copolymers or the insertion of addi-tives in an attempt to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of PHB.
Highlights
Throughout history, man has withdrawn from the nature materials and products for their survival and life quality
Wu, Chen and Chen [49] showed that the combination of a new cell growth pattern with a morphologically altered E. coli reduced the time required for the production of PHAs, increasing the efficiency of the process of obtaining these biopolymers
The accumulation of waste from the disposal of plastic products produced with synthetic polymers is a problem, considering the low speed of their degradation
Summary
Throughout history, man has withdrawn from the nature materials and products for their survival and life quality. The use of biodegradable polymers is an environmentally correct alternative that can replace the not biodegradable polymers, in certain applications [8] In this scenario, the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) PHB, is a polymer that has been causing growing interest in scientific and industrial world, because besides having thermoplastic properties and physical and mechanical characteristics similar to conventional plastics, is a biodegradable material, biocompatible and can be obtained from renewable sources [9],[10],[11]. One of the most mentioned characteristics in the literature about the PHB is its biodegradability This only occurs, when the material is exposed to environments biologically active [30] (soils, sea water or fresh water and aerobic and anaerobic composting), which are environments in which the material is in contact with degrading microorganisms [31]. This material is considered chemically recycable, being that the studies evidenced this recycling through experiments performed with the PHB [19],[34],[35]
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