Biological degradation of cellulose acetate reverse‐osmosis membranes

Cantor, Paul A.; Mechalas, Byron J.

doi:10.1002/polc.5070280119

Cited by 25 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…For example, Reese et al [265] showed that cellulose acetates with a low degree of substitution (0.76 sites esterified per anhydroglucose monomer) were fully degraded by esterase while the fully substituted cellulose triacetate showed no sign of degradation. Likewise, Cantor and Mechalas [266] found evidence of esterase activity on cellulose acetate membranes while there was none evident in cellulose triacetate materials. Gardner et al [267] also showed that at a degree of substitution of 2.2, the cellulose acetate had a comparable biodegradability in compost to that of PHBV.…”

Section: Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Other Polysaccharidesmentioning

confidence: 95%

Lifetime prediction of biodegradable polymers

Laycock

Nikolić

Colwell

et al. 2017

Progress in Polymer Science

475

364

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The determination of the safe working life of polymer materials is important for their successful use in engineering, medicine and consumer-goods applications. An understanding of the physical and chemical changes to the structure of widely-used polymers such as the polyolefins, when exposed to aggressive environments, has provided a framework for controlling their ultimate service lifetime by either stabilizing the polymer or chemically accelerating the degradation reactions. The recent focus on biodegradable polymers as replacements for more bio-inert materials such as the polyolefins in areas as diverse as packaging and as scaffolds for tissue engineering has highlighted the need for a review of the approaches to being able to predict the lifetime of these materials. In many studies the focus has not been on the embrittlement and fracture of the material (as it would be for a polyolefin) but rather the products of degradation, their toxicity and ultimate fate when in the environment, which may be the human body. These differences are primarily due to time-scale. Different approaches to the problem have arisen in biomedicine, such as the kinetic control of drug delivery by the bio-erosion of polymers, but the similarities in mechanism provide real prospects for the prediction of the safe service lifetime of a biodegradable polymer as a structural material. Common mechanistic themes that emerge include the diffusion-controlled process of water sorption and conditions for surface versus bulk degradation, the role of hydrolysis versus oxidative degradation in controlling the rate of polymer chain scission and strength loss and the specificity of enzyme-mediated reactions.

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Section: Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Other Polysaccharidesmentioning

confidence: 95%

Lifetime prediction of biodegradable polymers

Laycock

Nikolić

Colwell

et al. 2017

Progress in Polymer Science

475

364

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Chemical modifications include for example esterification and etherification and they can alter the biodegradability of cellulose [13,14]. One of the most extensively studied cellulose derivatives is cellulose acetate (CA) [14][15][16][17][18]. In these studies, it has been shown that an increase in the DS leads to lower biodegradability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enzymatic Degradation and Pilot-Scale Composting of Cellulose-Based Films with Different Chemical Structures

et al. 2019

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In this study, we investigated the enzymatical degradability and pilot-scale composting of 14 cellulose-based materials. The materials analyzed here were cellulose regenerated from ionic liquid (EMIM[OAc]), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) crosslinked by aluminum salt (Al-salt), methyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, butylated hemicellulose: DS: 1, DS: 0.4, and DS: 0.2, cellophane, wet strength paper, nanocellulose, paper partially dissolved by IL, cellulose carbamate, cellulose palmitate, and cellulose octanoate. The aim of the study was to show how chemical substituting and the substituent itself influence the biodegradability of cellulose materials. The enzymatic degradation and pilot-scale composting of these films shows the correlation between the hydrolysis rate and degree of substitution. The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose-based films decreased exponentially as the degree of substitution increased. Modifying cellulose to the extent that it gains the strength needed to obtain good mechanical properties, while retaining its natural biodegradability is an important factor when preparing alternatives for plastic films.

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“…Biodegradation was shown in early investigations, where CA-based reverse osmosis membranes of DS 2.5 were incubated with a variety of microorganisms [11]. Some sources of microorganisms were more successful in attacking the CA membranes than others.…”

Section: Biological Degradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some researchers reported that natural organisms could not degrade CA with a DS of greater than 1.5 [3,9], while other researchers determined that CA with DS of 2.5 had limited utility due to its degradation [10,11]. Later experiments identified that the key mechanism for degradation is an initial deacetylation step by chemical hydrolysis and acetylesterases, thereby allowing the degradation of the cellulose backbone with cellulase [12].…”

Section: Biological Degradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Degradation of Cellulose Acetate-Based Materials: A Review

Puls¹,

Wilson

Hölter³

2010

J Polym Environ

512

321

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Cellulose acetate polymer is used to make a variety of consumer products including textiles, plastic films, and cigarette filters. A review of degradation mechanisms, and the possible approaches to diminish the environmental persistence of these materials, will clarify the current and potential degradation rates of these products after disposal. Various studies have been conducted on the biodegradability of cellulose acetate, but no review has been compiled which includes biological, chemical, and photo chemical degradation mechanisms. Cellulose acetate is prepared by acetylating cellulose, the most abundant natural polymer. Cellulose is readily biodegraded by organisms that utilize cellulase enzymes, but due to the additional acetyl groups cellulose acetate requires the presence of esterases for the first step in biodegradation. Once partial deacetylation has been accomplished either by enzymes, or by partial chemical hydrolysis, the polymer's cellulose backbone is readily biodegraded. Cellulose acetate is photo chemically degraded by UV wavelengths shorter than 280 nm, but has limited photo degradability in sunlight due to the lack of chromophores for absorbing ultraviolet light. Photo degradability can be significantly enhanced by the addition of titanium dioxide, which is used as a whitening agent in many consumer products. Photo degradation with TiO 2 causes surface pitting, thus increasing a material's surface area which enhances biodegradation. The combination of both photo and biodegradation allows a synergy that enhances the overall degradation rate. The physical design of a consumer product can also facilitate enhanced degradation rate, since rates are highly influenced by the exposure to environmental conditions. The patent literature contains an abundance of ideas for designing consumer products that are less persistent in the outdoors environment, and this review will include insights into enhanced degradability designs.

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Biological degradation of cellulose acetate reverse‐osmosis membranes

Cited by 25 publications

References 6 publications

Lifetime prediction of biodegradable polymers

Lifetime prediction of biodegradable polymers

Enzymatic Degradation and Pilot-Scale Composting of Cellulose-Based Films with Different Chemical Structures

Degradation of Cellulose Acetate-Based Materials: A Review

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