Biodegradable Polymers by John Scott Polymers are synthetic and natural macromolecules composed of smaller units called monomers. Many synthetic polymers are produced and utilized because they are resistant to chemical and physical degradation. These polymers resistant to degradadtion present disposal problems when their usefulness ceases. This paper describes current research focusing on the production of biodegradable polymers. Future biodegradable polymers must overcome such physical problems as well as lower their costs of production, which currently limit the economic feasibility of such biodegradable polymers.
Polymers occur naturally and are made synthetically in the lab.
Examples of natural polymers include proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids. Addition polymers form when a radical initiator adds to a carbon-carbon double bond to yield a reactive intermediate. This intermediate reacts with another monomer molecule to yield a second intermediate. Condensation polymers are formed by the reaction between two difunctional molecules. Each bond in the polymer is formed independently of the others.