Biocatalytic Degradation Efficiency of Postconsumer Polyethylene Terephthalate Packaging Determined by Their Polymer Microstructures.

ABSTRACT: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most important mass-produced thermoplastic polyester used as a packaging material. Recently, thermophilic polyester hydrolases such as TfCut2 from Thermobifida fusca have emerged as promising biocatalysts for an eco-friendly PET recycling process. In this study, postconsumer PET food packaging containers are treated with TfCut2 and show weight losses of more than 50% after 96 h of incubation at 70 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicates that the high linear degradation rates observed in the first 72 h of incubation is due to the high hydrolysis susceptibility of the mobile amorphous fraction (MAF) of PET. The physical aging process of PET occurring at 70 °C is shown to gradually convert MAF to polymer microstructures with limi

SUBMITTER: Wei R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6662049 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature