A study on degradation of palm-based polyurethane by using Escherichia coli / Nur 'Aisyah Othman

Palm kernel oil-based polyol was successfully synthesized in this study by the transesterification and condensation process which the raw palm kernel oil was mixed with the polyhydric compound. The rigid polyurethane was formed from the reaction of polyol and isocyanates with ratio of 1: 1. The issue of non¬ biodegradability of petroleum-based polyurethane can be overcome by substituting with the edible plant oil-based polyurethane such as the palm kernel oil-based polyurethane. This type of polyurethane is advantageous compared to petroleum¬ based polyurethane as the process is relatively safe and also simple. The ability of E.coli to degrade polyurethane was determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis and percentage weight loss. The percentage weight loss was calculated within 2 weeks with 3 days intervals to identify the effect of different bacterial concentration on the rate of degradation of polyurethane. The results showed an increasing percentage of weight loss with increasing bacterial concentration. The FTIR analysis showed a significant decreased in intensity of ester (C=O) bond peak absorb at 1728 cm-1 as ester is susceptible to be hydrolyzed during degradation process by E.coli. The morphological structure analysis of polyurethane was observed using SEM showing a destruction on the surface of polyurethane after degradation proving that E.coli was able to degrade polyurethane.