Degradable bio-based polymers
Disclosed herein are bio-based polymers, methods to prepare the same, bio-based polymer products, methods to degrade the same, and methods to recycle the same.
1 . A method to biodegrade a bio-based polymer product, the method comprising incubating the bio-based polymer product with a first microorganism, wherein:
the bio-based polymer product comprises a bio-based polymer;
the bio-based polymer is a polyurethane; and
incubation of the bio-based polymer product with the first microorganism degrades the bio-based polymer to subunits comprising a di-carboxylic acid, a diol, or a combination thereof; wherein the diol is selected from ethylene glycol; 1,2 propanediol; 1,3-propanediol; glycerol; 1,3-butanediol; 1,4-butanediol; 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol; 2,3-butanediol; trimethylolpropane; 1,5-pentanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol; 1,7-heptanediol; 1,8-octanediol; 1,9-nonanediol; 1,10-decanediol; or a combination of two or more thereof; and wherein the bio-based polymer product further comprises a rate-regulating compound, and the rate-regulating compound comprises a salt selected from CaCl 2 , Na 2 HPO 4 , KH 2 PO 4 , NaCl, NH 4 Cl, MgSO 4 , NaNO 3 , NaH 2 PO 4 , FeCl 3 , or a combination of two or more thereof.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyurethane is a polymerization product of one or more linear aliphatic polyester polyols, and a diisocyanate.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more linear aliphatic polyester polyols are produced from one or more biologically sourced diols and one or more biologically sourced di-carboxylic acids.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more biologically sourced diols, the one or more biologically sourced di-carboxylic acids, or a combination thereof are derived from algae.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more biologically sourced diols or the one or more biologically sourced di-carboxylic acids are non-branched, or the one or more biologically sourced diols and the one or more biologically sourced di-carboxylic acids are non-branched.
6 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more biologically sourced diols and the one or more biologically sourced di-carboxylic acids are branched.
7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more biologically sourced diols or the one or more biologically sourced di-carboxylic acids have a carbon chain length of 2-4 carbons, or the one or more biologically sourced diols and the one or more biologically sourced di-carboxylic acids have a carbon chain length of 2-4 carbons.
8 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more biologically sourced di-carboxylic acids have a carbon chain length of 5-20 carbons.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the bio-based polymer product comprises a foam.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the bio-based polymer product comprises a thermal plastic polyurethane (TPU).
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first microorganism is selected from the group consisting of Paenarthrobacter nicotinovorans, Pseudomonas oceani, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Alteromonas marina, Bacillus subtilis, Brucella melitensis , and Aspergillus fumigatus.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subunits comprise a di-carboxylic acid, a diol, or a combination of two or more thereof, wherein the di-carboxylic acid is independently selected from the group consisting of oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, and sebacic acid.
13 . A method to degrade a bio-based polymer product, the method comprising incubating the bio-based polymer product with an acid or a base, wherein:
the bio-based polymer product comprises a bio-based polymer;
the bio-based polymer is a polyurethane;
the acid is selected from hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, or perchloric acid, or a combination of two or more thereof,
the base is selected from lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, strontium hydroxide, or barium hydroxide, or a combination of two or more thereof, and
incubation of the bio-based polymer product with the acid or the base degrades the bio-based polymer to subunits comprising a di-carboxylic acid, a diol, or a combination thereof; wherein the diol is selected from ethylene glycol; 1,2 propanediol; 1,3-propanediol; glycerol; 1,3-butanediol; 1,4-butanediol; 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol; 2,3-butanediol; trimethylolpropane; 1,5-pentanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol; 1,7-heptanediol; 1,8-octanediol; 1,9-nonanediol; 1,10-decanediol; or a combination of two or more thereof.
14 . A method of recycling a bio-based polymer product, the method comprising:
incubating a bio-based polymer product under a condition to generate a mixture of subunits from depolymerization of the bio-based polymer;
purifying the mixture to obtain one or more isolated subunits; and
synthesizing a pre-polymer comprising at least one of the one or more isolated subunits;
wherein
the bio-based polymer product comprises a bio-based polymer;
the bio-based polymer is a polyurethane; and
the subunits comprise a di-carboxylic acid, a diol, or a combination thereof; wherein the diol is selected from ethylene glycol; 1,2 propanediol; 1,3-propanediol; glycerol; 1,3-butanediol; 1,4-butanediol; 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol; 2,3-butanediol; trimethylolpropane; 1,5-pentanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol; 1,7-heptanediol; 1,8-octanediol; 1,9-nonanediol; 1,10-decanediol; or a combination of two or more thereof.
15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising isolating the subunits.
16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising isolating the subunits.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the bio-based polymer product further comprises a rate-regulating compound, wherein the rate-regulating compound comprises a mineral, a salt, a vitamin, or a combination of two or more thereof;
wherein the mineral is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, potassium, phosphate, iron, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, cobalt, zinc, and a combination of two or more thereof;
wherein the salt is selected from CaCl 2 , Na 2 HPO 4 , KH 2 PO 4 , NaCl, NH 4 Cl, MgSO 4 , NaNO 3 , NaH 2 PO 4 , FeCl 3 , or a combination of two or more thereof, and
wherein the vitamin is selected from p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), folic acid, biotin, lipoic acid, mercaptoethane-sulfonic acid, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine (B6), riboflavin (B2), thiamine (B1), vitamin B12, or vitamin K, or a combination of two or more thereof.
18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the polyurethane is in the form of a foam, a thermal plastic polyurethane (TPU), or an adhesive.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the bio-based polymer product further comprises a rate-regulating compound, wherein the rate-regulating compound comprises a mineral, a salt, a vitamin, or a combination of two or more thereof;
wherein the mineral is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, potassium, phosphate, iron, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, cobalt, zinc, and a combination of two or more thereof;
wherein the salt is selected from CaCl 2 , Na 2 HPO 4 , KH 2 PO 4 , NaCl, NH 4 Cl, MgSO 4 , NaNO 3 , NaH 2 PO 4 , FeCl 3 , or a combination of two or more thereof; and
wherein the vitamin is selected from p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), folic acid, biotin, lipoic acid, mercaptoethane-sulfonic acid, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine (B6), riboflavin (B2), thiamine (B1), vitamin B12, or vitamin K, or a combination of two or more thereof.
20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the polyurethane is in the form of a foam, a thermal plastic polyurethane (TPU), or an adhesive.