Quality Control of a Biodegradable Polymer using A Multivariable Controller, based on Metabolic Pathway Informaion

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Petroleum-based synthetic polymers are widespread used in a variety of plastic articles, which are usually disposable. From the view point of wastes problem, the most disadvantageous points of these synthetic polymers is their non-degradation characteristic in environment The aim of this study was development of control method of for quality control of, a biodegradable polymer, polyhydroxyalkanoates copolymer by means of controlling mole fraction of 3HV units in P(HB -co-HV).A novel mole fraction control was developed, based on metabolic reaction model and combined with the maximum production strategy at a given of fermentation time. The mole fraction of 3HV units successfully reached a desired value and the amount of P(HB-co-HV) was maximized at the final of cultivation time. A model predictive controller (MPC) was constructed in order to control alcohol concentration at a set point. Compared with the conventional PI controller and feedforward/feedback controller, it offers an significant improvement. As a result of developing the novel strategy, a new type of block P(HB-co-HV) was produced. The characterization was carried on using several techniques based on petrochemical-based plastic test methods. It was found that thermal properties such as melting temperature, glass transition temperature and enthalpy of fusion of the block polymer were different from those of random polymer. An enzymatic biodegradability of random and block polymers was compared in a wide rang of mole fraction of 3HV units. It was found that mole fraction of 3HV units affected on erosion rate due to an influence of the degree of crystallinity. The erosion rate of block polymer was higher than that of random polymer with the same mole fraction units.