Chapter

5
Chemical Additives
Organoleptic Agents to Biodegrade Polymers

Author John Allen Lake et al.

Patent Chemical additives to make polymeric materials biodegradable, U.S.

Title Patent Application 20130011906 (January 10, 2013)

Relevant Prior Patents by Author or Coauthors

Chemical additives to make polymeric materials biodegradable, U.S. Patent
8,222,316 (July 17, 2012)
Biodegradable films and sheets suitable for use as coatings, wraps and packaging
materials, U.S. Patent 7,297,394 (November 20, 2007)
Biodegradable polymer blends for use in making films, sheets and other articles of
manufacture, U.S. Patent 7,241,832 (July 10, 2007)
Biodegradable polymeric mixtures based on thermoplastic starch, U.S. Patent
6,235,815 (May 22, 2001)
Product Application
The present invention describes a method to biodegrade commercially available
polymers using non-toxic agents. Its key application is as a method of eliminating
unwanted plastics.
Significance of Current Application
Chemical additives designed to biodegrade plastics using microbes attracted to an
organoleptic agent have been successfully used to degraded polyethylene, polypropylene,
polyvinyl acetate, poly (lactic acid), polycaprolactones, poly (glycolic acid), polyvinyl
chloride, polystyrene, polyterethalate, polyesters, and polyamides. The additive is
particularly useful in degrading selective plastics present in landfills since it remains
active in the presence or absence of oxygen to initiate biodegradation.
Organoleptic Agents
Organoleptic additives designed to attract microbes to digest polymers are illustrated in
(I) through (III).
 Figure 5.1
Organoleptic Carrier Resin Co-Components
Seven carrier-resin co-components were blended with the organoleptic isometric
additives 3,5-dimethyl-pentenyl-dihydro-2(3H)-furanones. The seven co-components are
illustrated in (IV) through (X).
 Figure 5.2
Experimental
1. Preparation of organoleptic degradation additive blend. Twenty percent of the
three isomeric organoleptic 3,5-dimethyl-pentenyl-dihydro-2(3H)-furanone organoleptic
agents were blended with seven co-components, (IV) through (X). Each of the seven co-
components was blended in approximate equal weight percentages. After the mixtures
were thoroughly combined, they were then blended with poly(vinylchloride) foam and
used immediately to biodegrade high-density polyethylene.
2. Degradation of polyethylene using the ten-component degradation additive
blend. A sample of polyethylene was completely coated with the poly(vinylchloride) foam
containing the ten-component degradation additive. The coating remained undisturbed on
polyethylene for 24 hours at ambient temperature. The coating was then removed, and
scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the extent of the polymer degradation.
The same coating process was then repeated on polystyrene.
Testing Results
A. Polyethylene biodecomposition. After a 24-hour exposure to the ten-component
additive mixture containing the three isometric organoleptic additives, SEM identified
cracks, as well as both shallow and deep depressions present in the film. SEM also
identified biofilms and colonies present in large continuous depressions of moderate depth
that were assumed to be both Rhodococcus and B. borstelensis attracted by the
organoleptic agent mixture containing the three isomeric organoleptic furanones.
B. Polystyrene decomposition. Although polystyrene film was moderately degraded
using the ten-component additive mixture containing the three isometric organoleptic
additives, considerably more degradation was so observed when using either expanded
polystyrene foam or polystyrene bubble wrap.
Notes and Observations
1. In an earlier investigation by Lake,1 high-impact-polystyrene nursery plant labels were
degraded using a ten-component additive that contained the isometric organoleptic agent
mixture, 3,5-dimethyl-pentenyl-dihydro-2(3H)-furanones. The extensive degradation of
high-density polystyrene was believed to be a result of the organoleptic agents attracting
the polystyrene degradation microbe, C. violaceum.
2. Otome2 prepared an organoleptic mixture consisting of lemon perfume, curry powder,
ginger powder, cinnamon powder, and an unspecified tea. When polyethylene succinate,
polybutylene succinate adipate, or polyethylene succinate were coated with the
organoleptic mixture, plastic packing material consisting of these polymers was
completely degraded in one month.
3. Narula3 prepared four isomers of 2-oxa-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane, (XI), (XII), (XIII), and
(XIV), which were effective as organoleptic agents. (See Fig. 5.3.)
 Figure 5.3
4. Bastioli4 prepared terpolymers consisting of Ecoflex® 0700, (XV), polybutylene-
sebacate, (XVI), made from sebacic acid and butandiol, and 10% polylactic acid
polymer, (XVII), which when blended together functioned as an organoleptic agent.
(See Fig. 5.4.)
 Figure 5.4
References
1. John Allen Lake et al., Chemical additives to make polymeric materials biodegradable,
U.S. Patent 8,222,316 (July 17, 2012)
2. Shigeo Otome, Packaging material, U.S. Patent Application 20050181157 (August 18,
2005)
3. Anubhav P. S. Narula et al., Organoleptic compounds, U.S. Patent 8,183,200 (May 22,
2012)
4. Catia Bastioli et al., Ternary mixtures of biodegradable polyesters and products
manufactured from them, U.S. Patent 7,067,596 (June 27, 2006)