BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS

UTENSILS MADE OF PARAS KUMAR

BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC
M-4 122114803609
 INTRODUCTION

 increase in interest in biodegradable materials in recent years.

 particularly, biodegradable polymer materials (known as biocomposites)

 researchers are trying to modify traditional materials to make them user-

friendly, environment friendly.

 Biodegradable polymers will reduce pollution and produce positive effect

environmentally and economically.

 designed to degrade upon disposal by the action of living organisms.

 can be used in areas such as biomedical areas, tissue engineering and

controlled drug delivery
 POLYMER MATERIAL SELECTION

 various criteria for selection of materials for polymers

 for biomedical areas:

 remains strong till purpose is complete.
 does not produce toxic effect, is metabolized in body
 should be processable as a product & can be sterilized easily
• for mechanical degradation various factors considered are:
 monomer selection
 initiator selection
 process conditions and presence of additives

• these factors affect the degradation of polymers

• biodegradation can be accomplished by synthesizing polymers

with hydrolytically unstable linkages in the backbone.
 PROCESSING

 can be processed by conventional means such as compression

an injection moulding
 moisture must be excluded
 processing temperature should be managed to stop the reverse
formation of monomer
 DEGRADATION

 polymers should maintain mechanical properties until no longer

needed
 occurs in two stages:
 water penetrates bulk faces, attacks chemical bond,

makes them water soluble, this causes reduction in

moleculae wt. but with same properties.
 surface erosion occurs when rate of water penetrating

the polymer is less than its conversion in water soluble

materials.
 APPLICATIONS

 in the biomedical area degradtion of polymeric implants means

that there is no need of a second surgery
• In tissue engineering, these can be used to create a scaffold of
tissue which can withstand stress, promote cell growth and
which can degrade easily.
• In surgical sutures to hold body tissues together after an
accidents.
 SOME EXAMPLES

 Poly(caprolactone) (PCL) undergoes a two stage degradation process. The

first stage is bulk hydrolysis. Lower molecular weight fragments are subject
to intracellular degradation. These polymers are studied for drug delivery.
 Poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) -Used to make biodegradable drug matrices and
sutures for cataract surgery and for repairing inguinal hernias.
 Poly (l-lactic acid) (P l-LA) This polymer has been widely used in
sutures, implants and controlled release systems. It’s low molecular
weights are for drug matrices, but its high molecular weights are for
osteosynthesis (pins for bone repair).