STUDIES ON BIODEGRADATION BEHAVIOR OF POLY(BUTYLENE SUCCINATE) AND POLY(BUTYLENE SUCCINATE-CO-BUTYLENE ADIPATE) BY MICROORGANISMS

The biodegradation behavior of poly(butylene succinate)(PBS) and poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate)(PBSA) films was studied under controlled composting conditions.The ultimate biodegradation percentage revealed that PBS and PBSA films show good biodegradability.The biodegradation process of PBS and PBSA films under controlled composting conditions exhibited three phases.The biodegradation in the first phase was slow,got accelerated in the second phase and showed a leveling-off in the third phase.Aspergillus versicolor was isolated from the compost and confirmed to be the best degrading microorganism for PBS and PBSA in the compost.The biodegradation behavior of PBS and PBSA films by Aspergillus versicolor was further studied.PBSA film exhibited a faster degradation than PBS film.