Enzymatic degradation of Bionolle and Bionolle-rubber blends

Blends of Bionolle with rubber (masticated with TMPT) were treated with enz yme (lipase AK) in the presence of surfactant (MgCl2) and phosphate buffer (pH=7.4) at different temperatures (25-80 degrees C). Amounts of enzyme and surfactant were optimized with particular reference to incubation reaction time. Blends containing only 5% rubber degraded up to 97% at 70 degrees C over 95 h in the presence of enzyme (20 mg/ml) and surfactant (2%). Under s imilar conditions, Bionolle degraded up to 90%. However, electron beam irra diated blends did not show any enzymatic degradation. DSC analysis of the b iodegraded blends indicate that the enzymatic attack occurs at both amorpho us and crystalline regions of the molecule. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.