UC San Diego

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in replacements for typical petroleum-based products due to the environmental strain of fossil fuels. Renewably-sourced and readily-biodegradable plastics have the potential to make plastic production a more sustainable process. The following study analyzes the biodegradation process of a 52% bio-based polyurethane through the identification of organisms associated with biodegradation, an analysis of the chemical breakdown into starting monomers, and physical analysis of degradation. Experiments involved incubating polyurethane in compost and soil environments, adapting organisms to utilize the polyurethane as a carbon source, as well as employing enzymes to break down the polyurethane structure. Several organisms appeared to successfully use the polyurethane as a carbon source. When reacted with commercial esterases, the starting chemical precursors were seen through GCMS and LCMS, indicating breakdown of the polyurethane structure into starting monomers. Through understanding the biodegradation process of the polyurethane, there is the potential to develop a more renewable plastic production system through the recycling of monomers.