Downloaded by UNIV ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN on November 20, 2015 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: July 13, 1990 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1990-0433.ch011
Chapter 11
Biodegradable Poly(carboxylic acid) Design Shuichi Matsumura and Sadao Yoshikawa Department of Applied Chemistry, Keio University, 3-14-1, Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223, Japan Poly(carboxylic acid)s containing hydroxyl, carbonyl, ether, ester or glycopyranosyl groups as biodegradable segments were prepared and their biodegradability and builder performances in detergents were compared. It was confirmed that these poly(carboxylic acid)s containing biodegradable segments in the polymer chain showed an improved biodegradablity. Polyvinyl-type poly(carboxylic acid)s, such as poly[(acrylic acid)-co-(vinyl alcohol)] and poly[(acrylic acid)-co-(2cyclohexen-1-one)], were biodegraded, but the microbes utilizing this type of copolymers as a sole carbon source were relatively scarce in the environment. On the contrary, both poly(carboxylic acid) containing ester linkages on the backbone and partially oxidized polysaccharides containing unreacted glycopyranosyl groups were biodegraded well by activated sludge. These poly(carboxylic acid)s showed better detergency builder performances in detergents. Polymeric polycarboxylates containing carbon-carbon backbones and a relating high charge density of carboxylate groups along the chain have been investigated for sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) substitutes, and a number of poly(sodium carboxylate)s, such as poly(sodium acrylate), have been reported which give excellent builder performance when compared with STPP on an equal weight basis (1~4). These compounds; however, are extremely resistant to biodégradation, which is an important criterion for a compound acceptable as STPP replacements (4.5). Therefore, a design to develop a biodegradable poly(carboxylie acid) is needed. As biodegradable poly(sodium carboxylate)s, poly(sodium 0-malate) (6*2)· poly(sodium vinyloxyacetate) (JL9) and sodium polyglyoxylate (ID) were recently reported. In this report, poly(carboxylic acid) containing hydroxyl, 0097-6156790/0433-0124$06.00A) © 1990 American Chemical Society
In Agricultural and Synthetic Polymers; Glass, J., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1990.
11. MATSUMURA & YOSHIKAWA
Biodegradable Poly(carboxylic acid) Design 125
carbonyl, ether, ester or glycopyranosyl groups as biodegradable segments, which are susceptible to biodégradation, were prepared and t h e i r biodegradability and builder performances i n detergents were compared.
Downloaded by UNIV ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN on November 20, 2015 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: July 13, 1990 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1990-0433.ch011
Experimental Materials. Poly[(sodium acrylate) -
