Polymer Chemistry

Polymers and the Environment

Even beyond their persistence in oceans and water pollution from their production, synthetic polymers are a significant challenge on land because they are often disposed of in landfills where they will remain for centuries into the future slowly leaking toxins into soil as time passes. Biodegradable polymers are defined as Polymers comprised of monomers linked to one another through functional groups and are broken down into biologically acceptable molecules that are metabolized and removed from the body via normal metabolic pathways. The development of biodegradable polymer composites promotes the use of environmentally friendly materials. Most in the industry use the term bioplastic to mean a plastic produced from a biological source. All petroleum-based plastics are technically biodegradable. Biodegradable Polymers can also use to control the drug release rate from the formulations. Current and future developments in biodegradable polymers and renewable input materials focus relate mainly to the scaling-up of production and improvement of product properties resulting in increased availability and reduction in prices.