title: Comparative studies on crosslinked and uncrosslinked natural rubber biodegradation by Pseudomonas sp.
abstract: A comparative study on biodegradation of di-cumyl peroxide (DCP) crosslinked and uncrosslinked natural rubber by Pseudomonas sp. was carried out. Decrease in organic carbon content along with the changes in tensile strength of the treated rubber, both DCP crosslinked and uncrosslinked natural rubber, indicated rubber hydrocarbon utilization by the Pseudomonas sp. A decrease in 60.88% MPa and 41.66% MPa was observed after five month's old treated uncrosslinked natural rubber and DCP crosslinked rubber, respectively. Biodegradation was more pronounced in natural uncrosslinked rubber, which was further confirmed by the formation of aldehydic compounds with decrease in CH2 stretching frequencies.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Biotechnology and Downstream Processing Laboratory, Agricultural and Food Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302, India.
authors.forename: Ram Vinod
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Mithu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Rintu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Anil K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bhowmick
mesh_terms: D001593:Benzyl Compounds; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000378:metabolism*; D012408:Rubber / Q000378:metabolism*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D001593:Benzyl Compounds; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D002244:Carbon; D012408:Rubber; C037517:dicumyl peroxide