Polybutylene Succinate

Based on the disadvantages of nonbiodegradable polymers such as the non-degradability and environmental pollution, it is urged that new effective environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials are required for advanced applications. Polybutylene succinate (PBS), as an aliphatic, biodegradable and bio-based polyester, has seen a rise in demand in recent years.

Polybutylene succinate was first used in 1993 as a biodegradable polymer and is still commonly used in industry. Polybutylene succinate is a versatile semi-crystalline polymer with a semi-crystalline structure which consists of polymerized units of butylene succinate with repeating C₈H₁₂O₄ units (figure 1).

Fig. 1 Structure of polybutylene succinate

Synthesis of Polybutylene Succinate

Bio-based polybutylene succinate is usually synthesized via polycondensation of succinic acid (SA, or dimethyl succinate) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) (figure 2). At least one of the monomers is derived from renewable resources. The benefit of this synthesis method is that it increases thermal and mechanical properties, as well as thermoplastic processability.

Fig. 2 Synthesis of polybutylene succinate

• Biosynthesis of succinic acid

Succinic acid, a member of the C4-dicarboxylic acid family has attracted great interest due to its wide application in food, chemicals, and pharmaceutical industries. It can be obtained from fermentation of microorganisms on renewable feedstocks, such as glucose, starch, xylose, etc. Actinobacillus succinogenes, Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens, Mannheimia succiniciproducens and recombinant Escherichia coli are well-known and well-established bacterial production strains that can produce succinic acid ^[1].

• Biosynthesis of 1,4-butanediol

1,4-Butanediol is a large volume chemical that is currently produced from fossil feedstocks (coal, oil or natural gas). Butanediol biosynthesis from renewable resources is of increasing interest because of global energy and environmental problems. It has been verified that butanediol biosynthesis in E. coli can be achieved by introducing an artificial pathway involving six exogenous genes: cat1 (succinate CoA transferase), sucD (CoA-dependent succinyl semialdehyde dehydrogenase), 4hbd (4-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase), cat2 (4-hydroxybutyryl CoA transferase), bld (butyraldehyde dehydrogenase) and bdh (butanol dehydrogenase), as shown in figure 3 ^[2].

Fig. 3 1,4-Butanediol biosynthetic pathway in E. coli

Applications

Polybutylene succinate has greater biodegradability, thermal properties, melt processability, and chemical resistance than other aliphatic polyesters. With these properties, it is a promising plastic material in the industry, including mulching films, compostable bags, nonwoven sheets and textiles, catering goods, and foams. Polybutylene succinate also can be applied in monofilament, injection molded products, tape, split yarn, textiles industries and biomedical industries. Figure 4 shows a variety of polybutylene succinate applications.

Fig. 4 Applications of polybutylene succinate

Our Bio-based Polybutylene Succinate

Alfa Chemistry provides a range of polybutylene succinates which are based on renewable raw materials.

Alfa Chemistry is a professional supplier of bio-based polybutylene succinate. For high quality products, professional technical service, use suggestion and latest industry news, please feel free to contact us.

References

1. Xu, J., & Guo, B.-H. Poly(butylene succinate) and its copolymers: Research, development and industrialization. Biotechnology Journal, 2010, 5(11), 1149–1163.
2. Wu, M.-Y., Sung, L.-Y., Li, H., Huang, C.-H., & Hu, Y.-C. Combining CRISPR and CRISPRi Systems for Metabolic Engineering of E. coli and 1,4-BDO Biosynthesis. ACS Synthetic Biology, 2017, 6(12), 2350–2361.

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