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Fungal Biodegradation of a Hybrid Adhesive Polymer Containing High-Biomass Content

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Abstract

Water-based acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA) are a common component of disposable products such as tapes, labels, and packaging. Such adhesives are generated from fossil-derived monomers and additives and persist in the environment due to their low biodegradability. Furthermore, they can interfere with the recycling and remediation of products they interact with, such as plastic and paper products. Although touted as a promising remedy to these issues, adhesive polymers generated using renewable and degradable monomers tend to fall short regarding performance and cost. This study reports on the fungal degradation behaviors of hybrid PSAs copolymerized mainly from traditional acrylics and lactide-based macromonomers. These structures provide high performance at a reasonable cost and represent an alternative approach to addressing environmental concerns. Evaluating the biodegradability of these hybrid PSAs involved solid and liquid cultures using 53 unique fungal species. Nearly 50% (n = 23) of the screened species showed PSA-degrading capacities of varying degrees, including Trametes versicolor and Pestalotiopsis microspora, providing roughly complete (> 96%) polymer removal in liquid cultures. Fungal degradation of cast adhesive films was monitored using evolved CO2 and mass loss and confirmed through scanning electron microscopy and spectral analysis (FTIR). Enzyme assays, namely laccases, lipases, and proteases, showed a high correlation with the observed biodegradation rates, suggesting that hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes were likely factors driving latex degradation. These results demonstrate that the high-performing hybrid formulation is degradable by fungi. While a portion of the studied adhesive was synthesized using petroleum-derived monomers, this could serve as a bridge technology, hel** to usher in more sustainable disposable consumer products until a time comes when all components are renewably sourced.

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Funding

This work is supported by a University of Minnesota, MnDRIVE Postdoc Seed Grant, Project ID MESG-0000000150. J.Z. was also supported by the startup funds at the University of Minnesota.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2004 Folwell Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Jesus D. Castaño, Drew A. Hauge, Adam Haag, Steven J. Severtson & Jiwei Zhang

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Contributions

JDC, DAH, SJS, and JZ designed research. JDC performed the biodegradation experiments. DAH synthesized the PSA latex and film. AH measured biodegradation rates at different macromonomer concentrations. JDC and JZ organized the data, made figures and tables, and wrote the paper. SJS and DAH revised and commented on the manuscript writing. All authors made comments on the manuscript and approved the final version.

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Correspondence to Steven J. Severtson or Jiwei Zhang.

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Castaño, J.D., Hauge, D.A., Haag, A. et al. Fungal Biodegradation of a Hybrid Adhesive Polymer Containing High-Biomass Content. J Polym Environ 31, 5234–5244 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-023-02938-3

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