Engineering End-of-Life: Understanding and Controlling the Environmental Biodegradation of PHA-Based Materials

Prof. Luís Cabedo Mas, Full Professor, Universitat Jaume I, Spain

Biodegradation is not a binary property: it is a complex, environment-dependent process governed by material chemistry, product morphology, and microbial dynamics. This talk provides an overview of the key mechanisms driving polymer biodegradation and presents practical strategies to engineer and control it: from material formulation approaches to biofilm-promoting techniques and product design considerations such as thickness, crystallinity, and surface wettability. Case studies based on PHBV-based materials in composting and Mediterranean marine environments illustrate how these levers can be combined to achieve predictable, programmed end-of-life behaviour for PHA-based materials.

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