Biocatalytic Degradation Efficiency of Postconsumer Polyethylene Terephthalate Packaging Determined by Their Polymer Microstructures

• DOI: 10.1002/advs.201900491
• Publication Date: 2019-05-20T09:27:03Z
• Authors: Ren Wei; Daniel Breite; Chen Song; Daniel Gräsing; Tina Ploss; Patrick Hille; Ruth Schwerdtfeger; Jörg Matysik; Agnes Schulze; Wolfgang Zimmermann
• Keywords: Degradation; Polymer degradation

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most important mass-produced thermoplastic polyester used as a packaging material. Recently, thermophilic hydrolases such TfCut2 from Thermobifida fusca have emerged promising biocatalysts for an eco-friendly PET recycling process. In this study, postconsumer food containers are treated with and show weight losses of more than 50% after 96 h incubation at 70 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicates that high linear degradation rates observed in first 72 due to hydrolysis susceptibility mobile amorphous fraction (MAF) PET. The physical aging process occurring °C shown gradually convert MAF polymer microstructures limited accessibility enzymatic hydrolysis. Analysis chain-length distribution degraded by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals rapidly hydrolyzed via combinatorial exo- endo-type mechanism whereas remaining slowly only chain scission causing no detectable loss. Hence, efficient thermostable required overcome competitive complete materials close glass transition temperature