الفهرس 
ContentsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 162 |  |  |
| | | from | 162 | | |
Abstract
During the late 1970’s, technology concerned with new concepts
and techniques in large-scale fermentation was undergoing rapid
development and, as a consequence, new and exciting possibilities for the
application of microorganisms in the manufacturing industries emerged.
The use of microorganisms in the manufacture of plastics and synthetic
fibres was therefore considered by the petrochemical industries to be one
possible means of alleviating some of their problems. Although, at present,
no large-tonnage plastics or their polymerization monomers are produced
commercially by microorganisms, a considerable amount of original
research has been undertaken in this area.
The use of microorganisms in the manufacture of plastics and
synthetic fibres may be divided into two categories. The first involves the
microbial biosynthesis of polymers which, by virtue of their chemical and
physical properties, resemble plastics derived by other means and so may
be further processed, by similar methods, into moulded items, films or
fibres. The second employs microorganisms as biocatalysts in the
formation of chemical intermediates or monomers which may then be
polymerized and processed by traditional chemical routes to form plastics
or synthetic fibres.
Several microbial polymers, often referred to as biopolymers, are
known to be produced by microorganisms, for example pullulan, dextran,
xanthan, gellan gum, Zanflo and polytran.