Degradable Polymers: Production, Properties & Applications

In this book, the authors discuss the production, properties and applications of degradable polymers. Topics discussed in this compilation include the increasing production and utilization of synthetic polymer materials and the global environmental problem caused by their accumulation in natural systems; biodegradable plastics as an alternative to chemical polymers; polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) polymers of hydroxyalkanoic acids synthesised by bacteria; the biochemical pathways of synthesis of various PHAs; substrates for PHA synthesis; PHA production and the physicochemical properties of PHA; biodegradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates in natural environments; potential areas for PHA application; PHA as a platform for drug delivery; PHA matrices for cell and tissue engineering; and the biomedical potential of PHA.