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The environmental problems caused by petroleum-based plastic and plastic waste have led to an increasing demand for biobased and biodegradable plastics, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). These polyesters are synthesized from carbon sources, e.g. sugar and plant oils, by various bacteria. This book highlights the potential of plant oils, especially palm oil, as a feedstock for PHA production. In addition, new PHA applications are discussed and the sustainability of PHA production from plant oils is critically examined.
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SpringerBriefs in Microbiology For further volumes: http://www.springer.com/series/8911 Kumar Sudesh Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Palm Oil: Biodegradable Plastics 13 Dr. Kumar Sudesh School of Biological Sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang Malaysia ISSN 2191-5385 ISBN 978-3-642-33538-9 DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-33539-6 ISSN 2191-5393 (electronic) ISBN 978-3-642-33539-6 (eBook) Springer Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London Library of Congress Control Number: 2012949126 © The Author(s) 2013 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Permissions for use may be obtained through RightsLink at the Copyright Clearance Center. Violations are liable to prosecution under the respective Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Preface Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are very interesting polyesters synthesized by many types of bacteria. Numerous researchers from all over the world have carried out various studies on PHAs. There is already a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of PHAs in the literatures. In this book, the focus is on the relatively recent efforts to use vegetable oils, especially palm oil and its by-products to synthesize PHAs. Palm oil is the world’s most efficiently produced vegetable oil and Malaysia has been the pioneer in developing palm oil as a sustainable source of edible oil. Because of the high productivity of palm oil it costs less than other commercial vegetable oils. Therefore, it has been the preferred oil by most people from the low-income group. The production of palm oil is expected to increase to fulfill the growing demand. Besides Malaysia, Indonesia is also now a major producer of palm oil. The palm oil