Low-Density polyethylene is subject to biodegradation using a fungal consortium comprising of
Aspergillus niger
,
Aspergillus flavus
and
Aspergillus oryzae
under laboratory conditions. The extent of biodegradation has been compared with the use of potato dextrose broth and czapek dox broth media and also in the presence and absence of Tween 80 additive. Biodegradation was performed replacing the sucrose in czapek dox broth with shredded Low-Density polyethylene as well. The biodegradation was carried out for a period of 55 days. The degree of biodegradation has been analyzed using the loss of weight, FT-IR, and SEM analysis. A maximum weight loss of 26.15% was obtained by using potato dextrose broth over a period of 55 days.
Nanoemulsions, kinetically stable and thermodynamically unstable colloidal liquid-in-liquid dispersions with droplet sizes in the order of 20-500 nm mainly consist of oil, surfactants, co surfactants and an aqueous phase. There are various methods for the fabrication of Nano-emulsions which can be divided based on the energy required-High energy emulsification methods and Low energy emulsification methods. High energy emulsification includes methods like Ultra sonication, high pressure homogenization using either microfluidizers or high-pressure homogenizers. Low energy emulsification has drawn attention since they are soft, nondestructive and cause no damage to encapsulated molecules and includes methods like phase inversion temperature, solvent displacement, phase inversion composition method. Nanoemulsions are best suited for drug delivery systems because of their lipophilic nature, optical clarity and surface area. Owing to their nature to prevent flocculation and inherent creaming, nanoemulsions find an important place in the cosmetic industry also. This chapter provides an insight into the use of nanogels, emulsion based wet wipes and PEG free nanoemulsions in cosmetics. In the food industry, nanoemulsions are utilized for the production of functional foods. Some of the patented nanoemulsions and their commercial applications have also been mentioned.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.