Biodegradable Polymers

These break down when in contact with microorganisms.

Applications:

•  Medical industry (packaging) 
• Carrier bags
• Plastic Bottles
• Detergent sachets

Advantages:

• Take less time to break down

• They are renewable

• Good for the environment (because there is no harm done to the earth when recovering fossil fuels)

• Less energy to produce (need less than half the energy to produce than their non-biodegradable counterparts.) 

• Easier to recycle

• Non- toxic

• Reduce dependance of foreign oil

Disadvantages:

• Need for composters (not all countries will have the proper equipment especially if it's not priority of the government.)

• Engineering Issues (they're plant-based meaning that they come from organic sources from farms such as soybeans and corn, which are often sprayed with pesticides, contaminating the overall finished product.)

• Risk of contamination with non- biodegradable plastics

• Could increase littering by misjudging the label

Examples:

Biopol is a biopolymer and is classified as a polyester and has similar properties to polypropylene (PP). Biopol is compostable, degrading harmlessly in soil, after a few months.

Currently, research is based on producing biopol directly from plants, a simpler process than biomass.

Physical Properties:

• It can be injection moulded and vacume formed

• It has a similar tensile strength to Polypropylene 

• High melting point (175 degrees centigrade)