Plant biomass components hydrolysis as universal mechanism for eco safety of natural and synthetic materials

Abstract

Hydrolysis of protein-polysaccharide components of plant materials under basic environmental conditions is the main mechanism of biochemical degradation of biomass in nature. Most modern synthetic polymeric materials do not have the ability to rapidly degrade in the environment after the end of their useful life. The aim of the work was to compare the kinetics of hydrolysis of protein-polysaccharide substances of plant origin and artificially created synthetic polymeric materials with biomarker units. The article studies the kinetics of hydrolysis of the basic constituents of natural materials on the example of model systems — vegetable protein of soy origin and vegetable carbohydrate — starch in comparison with the possible enzymatic biodegradation of a synthetic copolymer used for surface treatment of wood products — a copolymer of glycerol and phthalic anhydride. A methodology for the possible modification of the synthesis of such copolymers by introducing lactic acid fluctuation units into their structure, which increase the bioactivity of the polymer material, is described. The effect of lactic acid units in the composition of synthetic tercopolymer on the rate of its biodegradation has been revealed. The main kinetic constants of the decay rates and activation energies of the enzymatic hydrolysis of the studied objects were determined under conditions simulating their possible biodegradation in the environment. The values of the constants of the maximum rates of pancreatic biodegradation Vmax.102, ranged from 0,24 mg/ml·min–1 for the synthesized tercopolymer of glycerol, phthalic anhydride and lactic acid compared with similar values at the level of 1,43...2,29 mg /ml·min–1 for protein-polysaccharide substrates. It is shown that substances of a protein nature have the highest rate of biodegradation, and a synthetic copolymer of glycerol and phthalic anhydride in the form of glyphthalic resin has a significant resistance to biodegradation. Modification of such a copolymer by introducing lactic acid units into its structure makes it possible to increase its biodegradability. The expediency of modifying the eco-properties of synthetic polymers by introducing lactic acid units into their structure, which increase the biodegradability, has been confirmed.