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Biodegradation of Polyethylene Glycol-Based Polyether Urethanes

Suparna Sarkara; Piyali Basaka; Basudam Adhikaria
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Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

Online publication date: 19 January 2011

To cite this Article Sarkar, Suparna , Basak, Piyali and Adhikari, Basudam(2011) 'Biodegradation of Polyethylene Glycol-
Based Polyether Urethanes', Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering, 50: 1, 80 — 88
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 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering, 50: 80–88, 2011
Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0360-2559 print=1525-6111 online
DOI: 10.1080/03602559.2010.531415
Biodegradation of Polyethylene Glycol-Based Polyether
Urethanes
Suparna Sarkar, Piyali Basak, and Basudam Adhikari
Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India
The biodegradation of polyethylene glycol (PEG of different
molecular weights) based polyether urethanes were studied under soil
burial condition for 180 days under indoor normal hydrothermal
conditions and by cultured bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) for
30 days at 37
C. The biodegradation was estimated from the weight
loss, tensile strength, ultimate elongation and also by FTIR spec-
troscopy, optical, scanning electron microscopy. The weight loss
and losses in tensile strength, elongation at break of the polymer is
maximum in case of PUPEG4000 and minimum in case of PUPEG200
(both in case of soil burial condition and in cultured bacteria).
Downloaded At: 08:30 28 January 2011
Keywords Bacteria; Biodegradation; Elongation at break; Poly-
ether urethane; Soil; Tensile strength
INTRODUCTION
Recently excellent progress has been observed on general
biodegradable polymers, chemical synthesis of biodegrad-
able polymers and microbial deterioration and degradation
of various synthetic polymers[1–3]. Major focus has been on
the synthesis as well as biodegradation mechanism of some
natural and synthetic polymers. The biodegradation in bio-
logical environments including the conditions has been
compared with other degradation processes such as photo-
chemical or thermal degradation of polymers[4,5].
Polymers with hydrolysable backbones, such as polysac-
charides, proteins, polyurethanes, polyethers, polyesters,
polyamides etc are susceptible to biodegradation. In other
words, polymers having ether, ester, amide, urethane, etc.
functional groups in their backbone structures become bio-
degradable. These materials are susceptible to degradation
by acid and=or base, which may be from chemical origin
or may be produced by microorganisms. The main attack-
ing agents in biodegradation are microorganisms, e.g., acti-
nomicetes, fungi and bacteria, which are widely spread in
soil, water and air.
Synthetic polymers can be made susceptible to micro-
organisms through incorporating a biodegradable structur-
al unit into the polymer backbone. Polyurethane has gained
Address correspondence to Dr. Piyali Basak, Materials Science
Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721302, India.
E-mail: piyali_basak@yahoo.com
80
market acceptance as a material for biomedical application.
Chemical modification of polyurethanes via incorporation
of a biodegradable structural unit (i.e., an ester or ether
group) into the main chain is a pragmatic approach of
imparting more susceptibility to microbial attack under
normal hydrothermal usage conditions.
Darby and Kaplan[6] synthesized various kinds of poly-
ether urethanes in addition to polyester urethanes and
examined their degradability. They reported that polyether
urethanes were variably susceptible to microbial degradati-
on depending on the diol and diisocyanate used. Jahangir
et al.[7] synthesized non-radiolabeled and radiolabeled
polyether urethanes by toluene diisocyanate (TDI), polyte-
tramethylene oxide and ethylene diamine by two-step
prepolymer=chain extension reaction. They investigated
the influence of fibrinogen as a simple model of protein
adsorption in order to assess the effect of cholesterol
esterase in combination with protein on polyether urethane
surfaces. Filip[8] reported similar results from soil bacteria.
Jansen et al.[9] reported that some kinds of polyether
urethane (Biomer and Tuftane) were degraded by
Staphylococcus epidermidis strain KH11 but the degradati-
on by this strain progressed very slowly. Degradability of
polyethers has been studied under both oxic[10–13] and
anoxic conditions[14–16]. Their degradability is highly
dependent on molecular weight. Polyethers with molecular
weight higher than one thousand are considered to be
resistant to biodegradation[10]. However, degradation
of polyethylene glycols (PEG) with molecular weights up
to 20,000 has been reported[17].
The ability of a microflora to degrade PEG molecules
with high molecular weights is dependent primarily on the
ability of a syntrophic association of different bacteria to
metabolize the chemicals. For example, Flavobacterium sp.
and Pseudomonas sp. can form an effective association
and mineralize PEG completely. During degradation, one
glycol unit reduces PEG molecules after each oxidation
cycle. The central pathway of PEG degradation is the cleav-
age of an aliphatic ether linkage by bacterial attack. In a
co-culture of aerobic Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas spe-
cies, PEG degradation proceeds through dehydrogenation
 PEG-BASED POLYETHER URETHANES
to form an aldehyde and a further dehydrogenation to a
carboxylic acid derivative[10,13].
It is important to note that either of the two bacteria alone
(Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas species) in pure culture
cannot degrade PEG. Cellular contact between them seems
to be essential for effective activity[10]. In the investigated Fla-
vobaterium sp. and Pseudomonas sp. system, three enzymes,
viz., PEG dehydrogenase, PEG-aldehyde dehydrogenase,
and PEG-carboxylate dehydrogenase (ether-cleaving) are
involved in the complete degradation of PEG[10]. All of the
enzymes are found in Flavobaterium sp., while only PEG-
carboxylate dehydrogenase is present in Pseudomonas sp.
Using PEG 6000 as a sole substrate no degradation was
observed with either of the two bacteria alone. In addition,
the ether cleavage is extremely sensitive to the presence of gly-
coxylic acid. However, Pseudomonas sp. though not directly
involved in the degradation is capable of utilizing the toxic
metabolite that inhibits the activity of the Flavobacterium sp.
This connection appears to be the essential link for their
closely syntrophic association in achieving complete degra-
dation of PEG. Biodegradable polyurethanes containing
hydrophilic PEG soft segments may enhance the biodegra-
Downloaded At: 08:30 28 January 2011
dation. Furthermore, PEG has been frequently used as
comonomer in preparing biodegradable polymers due to
its good biocompatibility and biodegradability[10,18].
We attempted to carry out the biodegradation of PEG
based polyether urethanes by a single bacterial species such
as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and by soil microorganisms in
soil burial condition. This paper describes the biodegrada-
tion of the polyether urethanes under soil burial condition
and biodegradation by cultured bacteria (Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa) at 37
C. The biodegradation of the polyether
urethanes was measured in terms of weight loss, change in
tensile strength and ultimate elongation. Chemical changes
of the polymer during degradation were analyzed by FTIR
spectroscopy. The degraded morphology of the polyether
urethanes was also studied by scanning electron microscopy.
EXPERIMENTAL
Materials
Polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG 200), polyethylene glycol
400 (PEG 400), polyethylene glycol 600 (PEG 600), poly-
ethylene glycol 1000 (PEG 1000), polyethylene glycol
4000 (PEG 4000), E. Merck, India; dibutyltindilaurate
(DBTDL), Fluka AG (used without purification); toluene
diisocyanate (TDI), E. Merck, Germany (used as received);
tetrahydrofuran (THF), E. Merck, India (dried over met-
allic sodium); sodium hydroxide pellet, Qualigens, India;
benzene, Quest Chemicals, India.
Methods
Synthesis of Polyether-Based Polyurethanes. Five
different types of polyether-based polyurethanes were
81
synthesized from a series of polyethylene glycols. These
polyether urethanes were prepared by reacting PEG 200,
PEG 400, PEG 600, PEG 1000, PEG 4000 with TDI in pres-
ence of dry THF using DBTDL as catalyst. The mole ratio
of PEG and TDI was taken as 1:2 in all types of polyur-
ethanes prepared. The reaction was continued at room tem-
perature (30
C) for 2 h with careful and controlled stirring.
During polymer formation air bubbles got trapped in the
viscous solution. The entrapped air was removed by apply-
ing vacuum. This air bubble free viscous solution of poly-
urethane in THF was cast on flat-based glass petridish
and allowed overnight for moisture curing at room tempera-
ture followed by heating at 80
C for 5 h for thermal curing.
Soil Burial Degradation Study
Preparation of Test Medium for Study of Degradation of
Different Polyether Urethanes. For soil burial degradati-
on study the soil, collected from the Indian Institute of
Technology campus, Kharagpur, India, was first dried in
the sun for two days. The dry soil was ground to powder
after removing the coarse aggregates and stones by sieving.
The dry soil was then supplemented with biomass (6 g=kg)
to encourage the growth of an active microbial flora. The
soil was also supplemented with Fungal ribosome, Aspergeli
origae, Pseudomonas species (100 mg=g) and Strepto coccus
(150 mg=g). The processed soil was then placed on a large
tray and 200 ml water was added slowly and the mixture
was allowed to stand for 24 h to allow the water could fully
penetrate the soil. The soil was kept moist with water
and stored in indoor condition under ambient humidity
(36–92%) and temperature (25–32
C)[19].
Soil Burial Degradation Method. In a typical test, each
of the polymer films (PUPEG) to be tested for biodegradation
was dried at 50
C under vacuum to constant weight. Each of
the accurately weighed dry polymer films was then buried
completely into the wet soil of the test medium and left for sev-
eral days. The test medium prepared as above was maintained
at ambient temperature (25–32
C) with daily addition of
water to replenish any loss on evaporation. Test samples were
removed at intervals of 15, 30, 60 120 and 180 days, washed
repeatedly with water to remove the soil adhered onto the sur-
face of the films and then dried under vacuum to constant
weight. The biodegradable polyurethane samples degraded
under soil burial condition for 15, 30, 60 120 and 180 days
are designated as PUPEG200, PUPEG400, PUPEG600,
PUPEG1000, PUPEG4000, respectively. The degradation of
the polymer was then calculated using the formula
ðW0  Wd Þ
% Degradation of polyether urethane ¼  100
W0
where W0 is the initial weight of the dry film and Wd is the
weight of the degraded film under soil burial condition.
 82 S. SARKAR ET AL.

Bacterial Degradation
Preparation of the Culture Medium. The medium for
culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as well as for degra-
dation of polyether urethane samples was prepared by
dissolving 1.3 gm nutrient broth in 100 ml distilled water.
This solution was then taken in 10 bacterial culture tubes
and the culture tubes containing the medium were sterilized
by autoclaving (15 lb=in2, 121
C for 15 min).
Bacteria Inoculation. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCCS,
Pune, India) (100 ml=10 ml media of the each culture tube)
was inoculated in the culture tubes containing the medium
as prepared above under laminar flow of sterilized
condition. Then the culture tubes were placed in the BOD
incubator shaker maintained at 37
C and 140–150 rpm.
Growth of bacteria was continued for 24 h at 37
C.
Degradation Study of the Polyether Urethanes in Cultured
Bacteria. Polyether urethane (PUPEG) samples were cut
into standard dumbbell specimens and the initial weights of
the specimens were measured. Each sample was sterilized
by boiling in water for 20 min. Then the samples were ster-
ilized by 70% alcohol followed by washing with sterile
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thoroughly with acetone, dried and were kept in vacuum
desiccator for 24 h. These films were used for FTIR analysis
in the frequency range of 400–4000 cm1.
Scanning Electron Microscopy. Scanning electron
microscopic analysis of the polyether urethane films
(PUPEG200, PUPEG400, PUPEG600, PUPEG1000,
PUPEG4000) and degraded polyether urethane films was
done using JEOL SEM, model JEOL-JSM 5800. The
samples were prepared and conditioned as done for FTIR
analysis. The polymer films were gold coated before the
study. Photographs were taken at 5000 magnifications.
Tensile Properties. Biodegradation of the polyether
urethane samples in soil burial condition and in cultured
bacteria was evaluated by the loss in mechanical properties
like tensile strength and elongation at break. For testing of
mechanical properties both the original and degraded
polyether urethane film samples were kept in a vacuum
desiccator overnight. Then the films were cut into standard
dumbbell specimens and were subjected to testing for
various mechanical properties like tensile strength and
elongation at break using Hounsfield UTM tensile testing

water 5 times. The sterilized PUPEG samples were put into

machine.
the cultured tubes, which contain the bacteria (Pseudomo-
nas aeruginosa) in nutrient broth medium. For comparison
of the bacterial action on degradation, control sets were RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
prepared, where the culture tubes contained only polymer Soil Burial Degradation
samples in the nutrient broth medium without bacteria.
The soil burial degradation of different polyether
Then both sets of cultured tubes were placed into the
urethane films was carried out for maximum 180 days under
BOD incubator shaker at 37
C maintained at 140–
indoor normal hydrothermal conditions. The degradation
150 rpm. The biodegradation of the polyether urethanes
of the polyether urethane films was evaluated mainly in
in cultured bacteria was continued up to 30 days in the
two ways: First by the loss in weight of the films and second
incubator shaker.
by the loss in tensile strength and elongation at break with
The degradation of the polymer was then calculated
using

ðW0  Wd Þ
% Degradation of polyether urethane ¼  100
W0

where W0 is the initial weight of the dry film and Wd is

the weight of the degraded film in presence of cultured
Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Characterization
Contact Angle Measurement. To have some idea about
the hydrophilicity of the synthesized polyether urethanes
the contact angle of the polymer sheets were measured by
using Rame hart Goniometer (model 100–00-230).
FTIR Spectroscopic Analysis. FTIR spectra of the
polyether urethanes (PUPEG200, PUPEG400, PUPEG600,
PUPEG1000, PUPEG4000) and degraded polyether
urethanes were taken using Thermo Nicolet FTIR, Model FIG. 1. Weight loss of PEG based polyether urethanes as function of soil
Nexus 870. The polyether urethane films were cleaned burial time.
 PEG-BASED POLYETHER URETHANES 83

TABLE 1 indicate that ether groups are less prone to degradation

Surface hydrophilicity of PEG-based polyether urethanes compared to ester groups. Others[6] also noticed this aspect.
In connection with the degradation of PEG Kawai
Contact angle Work of et al.[10,13] have reported that in a co-culture of aerobic
Sample (degree) adhesion (ergs) Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas species, PEG degradati-
PUPEG200 70  1.0 97.6 on proceeds through dehydrogenation to form an aldehyde
PUPEG400 67  0.5 101.2 and a further dehydrogenation to a carboxylic acid
PUPEG600 65  1.0 103.5 derivative and stated that either of the two bacteria alone
PUPEG1000 51  1.0 118.5 (Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas species) in pure culture
PUPEG4000 44  0.5 127.7 cannot degrade PEG.
From our observation, it can be said that Pseudomonas
aeruginosa alone (in cultured condition) or in combination
with Fungal ribosome, Aspergeli origae, Pseudomonas
the progress of degradation. The results of degradation in species and Streptococcus (in soil burial condition) are able
terms of weight loss are presented in Figure 1. to degrade polyether urethane polymers containing PEG of
Although the initial weight loss of the polymer films was different molecular weights from 200 to 4000.
rapid but it became slow at the latter part in all cases. The The changes in tensile strength and elongation at break
polymer degradation occurred due to the presence of of the polyether urethane samples with the progress of
microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi in the soil. It degradation were also measured and the results are
is interesting to see from Figure 1 that the molecular weight presented in Figures 2(a) and 2(b). The same trend of loss
of polyethylene glycol has a vital role on both the rate and in tensile strength of the polyether urethane samples is evi-
extent of degradation of the polyether urethane samples. dent with the progress of degradation as is found in case of
Downloaded At: 08:30 28 January 2011

Both the rate and extent of degradation increased with
the increase of molecular weight of polyethylene glycol in
the polyether urethane samples. As hydrophilicity is one
of the important criteria of degradation, it gradually
increased with the increase in molecular weight of poly-
ethylene glycols.
As contact angle gives a measure of their hydrophilicity,
it is evident from contact angle data (shown in Table 1)
that the hydrophilicity of these polyether urethane samples
increased from PEG200 to PEG4000. However, in contrast
to the higher extent of degradation of polyester urethanes,
the degradation of polyether urethanes is lower, which is in
the range of 12–27% in 180 days (Figure 1). These results
weight loss results. PUPEG4000 has shown maximum loss
in T.S. (57%, Figure 2(a)). With the progress of degradati-
on up to 180 days the loss in elongation at break gradually
increased in each polyether urethane (Figure 2(b)) but such
loss is minimum in case of PUPEG4000 because of its high
elongation property and elastomeric nature.
Each of the polymer films was manually checked
for transparency and brittleness at various stages of degra-
dation. It was observed that the films gradually developed
brittleness and translucency with the progress of degradati-
on under soil burial condition. However, the gradual devel-
opment of physical embrittlement of the polymer films is
indicative of strong bacterial attack[20].

FIG. 2. (a) Loss of tensile strength (T.S.) and (b) loss of elongation at break (E.B.) of PEG based polyether urethanes during soil burial degradation.
 84
FIG. 3. Weight loss of PEG based polyether urethanes during degradati-
on in presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 37
C.
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Bacterial Degradation
The bacterial degradation of all the polyether urethane
films was carried out in cultured Pseudomonas aeruginosa
for maximum 30 days in BOD incubator shaker. As in case
of soil burial degradation, the degradation of the polyether
urethane films in presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was
also evaluated by loss in weight of the films with the progress
of degradation. The results of cultured bacterial degradati-
on in terms of weight loss are presented in Figure 3.
Changes in weight loss of all the polyether urethane
samples have been compared (Figure 3) with those of the
FIG. 4. (a) Loss of tensile strength (T.S.) and (b) loss of elongation at break (E.B.) of PEG based polyether urethanes during degradation in presence of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 37
C.
S. SARKAR ET AL.
control polymer samples, which have also shown some
marginal weight loss due to hydrolytic degradation in the
environment of culture medium without bacteria. Such
marginal loss in weight of the polymer samples without
the influence of bacteria remained almost same throughout
the entire period of degradation (30 days). But it is interest-
ingly observed from Figure 3 that weight loss of all the
polymer samples gradually increased by the influence of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PUPEG4000 has shown maximum
weight loss due to degradation in presence of Pseudomonas
aeruginosa.
Changes in tensile strength and elongation at break of
the polyether urethane samples with the progress of
degradation up to 30 days in presence of Pseudomonas
aeruginosa were also measured and the results are pre-
sented in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), respectively. It is seen
from the figures that loss in tensile strength for all the
polyether urethane samples gradually increased up to 30
days and the loss was maximum in case of PUPEG4000
because it contains higher molecular weight hydrophilic
polyethylene glycol. Pseudomonas aeruginosa releases
esterase enzyme, which is responsible for degradation of
polyether urethane[21,22]. Although we could not elucidate
the exact mechanism of degradation of this polyether
urethane in presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa but
Anderson et al.[23] proposed a mechanism of degradation
of polyether urethane (Scheme 1) by the attack of hydro-
peroxy radical (HOO ) produced by superoxide anion in
presence of activating factor. Attack of HOO  followed
by dehydration produces an ester group in the polyether
backbone. Such ester group is further cleaved by esterases
generated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Probable degra-
dation products of the polyether urethanes are shown in
Scheme 2.
 PEG-BASED POLYETHER URETHANES
SCH. 1. Degradation mechanism of a polyether urethane at the carbon
alpha to the ether bond.
FTIR Analysis
Downloaded At: 08:30 28 January 2011
The synthesized polyether urethanes contain mainly
ether and urethane functional linkages in their backbone
chains. As mentioned earlier that during degradation of
polyether urethanes either in soil burial condition or in cul-
tured Pseudomonas aeruginosaether, ether linkage (C-O-C)
and urethane linkage (-O-CO-NH-) can break to form
alcohol and amine groups. The changes in chemical struc-
tures of the polyether urethanes due to biodegradation
were assessed with the help of FTIR spectroscopy. In
the FTIR spectroscopic analysis appearances of O-H
SCH. 2. Probable degradation products of PEG based polyether urethanes.
85
stretching and bending bands; disappearances of urethane
(-OCO-NH-) linkage, decrease of C ¼ O stretching inten-
sity of urethane linkages etc. as well as decrease of intensity
of C-O-C linkage of ether were analyzed critically.
Frequencies of those bands are summarized in Table 2.
It is observed from Table 2 that although at the initial part
of degradation there was no peak for O-H stretching of
alcohol in PUPEG200 but it appeared and its intensity
increased gradually with the progress of degradation up
to 180 days. Increase in peak intensity of O-H stretching
frequency became more prominent in polyether urethanes
containing higher molecular weight PEGs (Figure 5(b)).
Since urethane linkage also breaks during degradation,
C ¼ O stretching peak intensity of urethane linkage also
gradually diminished (Figure 5(c)). The intensity of the
peak at 1055–1087 cm
1 for ether C-O-C linkage also
gradually decreased with the progress of degradation
(Figure 5(a)).
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Scanning electron micrographs of the control and
degraded samples taken at 5000 magnifications are shown
in Figure 6. It is observed from Figure 6 that the surface
of the control sample is nearly smooth and free from any
irregular surface features. Interestingly the degraded
sample shows numerous irregular grooves on the surface
pointing substantial influence of bacteria on the degradati-
on of the sample. The scanning electron micrographs also
reveal that there is gradual change in morphology of the
polyether urethane films with the progress of degradation
from 15 days to 180 days. Maximum degradation is
observed beyond 120 days of degradation.
 Downloaded At: 08:30 28 January 2011

TABLE 2
FTIR peak assignments for PEG-based polyether urethanes
Characteristic peak (cm1)
15 Days’ degradation 30 Days’ degradation 60 Days’ degradation 180 Days’ degradation
Polymer C=O C-O-C# O-H C=O C-O-C O-H C=O C-O-C# O-H C=O C-O-C# O-H
PUPEG200 1660, 1756 1075, 1190 – 1677, 1756 1055, 1210 3363 1679, 1750 1068, 1210 – 1660, 1756 1075, 1203 –

86
PUPEG400 1705, 1640 1068, 1222 3286 1705, 1634 1062, 1222 3280 1705, 1634 1068, 1210 3280 1705, 1640 1062, 1216, 3286
1139
PUPEG600 1717, 1640 1068, 1222 3286 1717, 1634 1068, 1222 3286 1717, 1634 1068, 1222 3286 1711, 1627 1068, 1222 3286
PUPEG1000 1717, 1634 1081, 1222 3280 1717, 1634 1075, 1222 3286 1711, 1640 1068, 1222 3286 1717, 1640 1075, 1216 3280
PUPEG4000 1705, 1634, 1087, 1216 3286 1705, 1640, 1087, 1216 3280 1705, 1640 1107, 1216 3280 1705, 1640, 1081, 1210 3286
1756(s) 1756 1750 (s)

C=O stretching of –O-CO-NH-. # -C-O stretching of -C-OH.
 PEG-BASED POLYETHER URETHANES 87
Downloaded At: 08:30 28 January 2011

FIG. 5. (a) Change of C-O-C (ether) peak intensity (b) change of –OH (hydroxyl) peak intensity (c) change of C ¼ O peak intensity in FTIR spectra of
PEG based polyether urethanes during soil burial degradation.

FIG. 6. SEM photographs (5000 magnification) of PEG based polyether urethanes (a) before degradation, (b) after 15 days soil burial, (c) after 1
month soil burial, (d) after 2 months soil burial, and (e) after 6 months soil burial degradation.
 88 S. SARKAR ET AL.
CONCLUSION
Biodegradation characteristics of the synthesized poly-
ethylene glycol-based polyether urethanes were studied in
soil burial conditions as well as in cultured Pseudomonas
aeruginosa. The soil burial and cultured bacterial degra-
dation was monitored by weight loss and tensile properties
loss of the synthesized polyether urethanes. The rate of
degradation of the synthesized polyether urethanes in
cultured bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) is faster than
that of soil burial condition. Polyether urethanes synthe-
sized from higher molecular weight PEG (PEG 4000)
shows maximum weight loss and tensile properties loss in
soil burial condition as well as in cultured Pseudomonas
aeruginosa. The results of soil burial and cultured bacterial
degradation indicate its potentiality in agricultural use as
well, used as degradable packaging films and foams.
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