Microorganisms and Microbial Biofilms in the Degradation of Polymeric Materials

摘要

Biodegradation and biodeterioration of polymeric materials affect a wide range of industries includingmanufacturing, aviation and space. Degradability of polymeric materials by microorganisms has been observedand the degree of degradability is determined mostly by the chemical structures of polymeric materials and thepresence of degradative microbial population. Current understanding of polymer degradability has beenadvanced in recent years through the application of advanced detection techniques in both the biology ofmicroorganisms and corrosion science, but the subject is still inadequately addressed. This is clearly shown bythe limited amount of information available on biodeterioration of synthetic polymeric materials. In this review,polymers are treated according to their biodegradability, namely chemically modified natural polymers,synthetic polymers, recalcitrant polymers, and non-biodegradable polymers. One major advance in this area ofresearch and development is the introduction of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) for sensitivedetection of polymer degradation. Examples of the electronic insulation polyimides, fiber-reinforced polymericcomposite and polymeric coatings by natural population of microorganisms have been established using thistechnique. Microorganisms and microbial biofilms are capable of degrading the material and fungi seem to bemore effective than bacteria. During degradation, general EIS spectra indicative of microbial attack occur inseveral steps depending on the chemical composition of polymers.