BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS. PART1: POLYMERS FROM NATURALLY RENEWABLE RAW MATERIALS

At the current stage of science and technology development, the production of biodegradable polymers (BPs) and biodegradable polymeric materials (BPMs) for general industrial, agricultural, or household applications has become highly relevant. These materials retain their properties throughout their service life and, upon its completion, gain the ability to decompose under the influence of natural factors, integrating into the metabolic processes of the biosystem. This review analyzes scientific and technical literature from the past decade on the production of biodegradable polymers and polymeric materials. The classification of biodegradable polymers (BPs) and biodegradable polymeric materials (BPMs) is provided based on the type of degradation: materials capable of complete mineralization, such as natural polymers (cellulose, starch); synthetic polymers prone to biological degradation (polyesters, polyamides); and materials subject to biological erosion, such as blends of synthetic and natural polymers. The types of BPs are summarized according to the origin of their raw materials and the methods of their synthesis. This classification serves as the foundation for the series of review articles dedicated to biodegradable polymers and biodegradable polymeric materials. The first part of the review focuses on BPs and BPMs derived from naturally renewable sources - polymers that are integral to living plant and animal organisms. Emphasis is placed on polysaccharides and proteins. Among polysaccharides, the review provides a detailed examination of cellulose and its derivatives (ethers, acetates, nanocellulose); starch (including thermoplastic starch); chitin and its derivative chitosan; pectins; and alginic acids. Among proteins, animal-derived proteins such as collagen and gelatin, as well as plant-derived protein - soybean protein are discussed. For each of these substances, their molecular structure, physicochemical properties, methods of production, fields of application, and mechanisms of degradation in nature are presented. Using cellulose as an example, a general strategy for creating cellulose-containing biodegradable polymers is proposed based on the correlation between biological degradation and the molecular structure of its derivatives. The review analyzes 98 scientific and technical publications, concluding that biodegradable polymeric materials derived from naturally renewable sources offer an environmentally safer alternative to traditional synthetic plastics made from petroleum and petrochemicals.