POLYHYDROXYALKONATES: GREEN PLASTICS OF THE FUTURE

Abstract

Plastic waste disposal is a major ecotechnological problem. One of the major approaches to solve this problem is the use of biodegradable biopolymer. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)
are biodegradable polymers of hydroxyalkonates, which are accumulated as energy storage material in various microorganisms to overcome environmental stress.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates have gained major importance due to their structural diversity and close analogy to plastics and have attracted attention as biodegradable alternatives to conventional thermoplastics and as biomaterials. According to the variations in toughness and flexibility they can be used in various ways similar to many non biodegradable petro plastic which are currently in use. The need is to produce PHAs, which have better elastomeric properties suitable for its various applications. This review gives an overview on biodegradability and commercial reliability of PHA.