| TECHNOLOGY |
For example, authors have used biocatalysis to modify and improve the properties of polymeric materials. One such material, a water-soluble polymer manufactured by Co. that is used to make paper products stronger when wet. "The polymer is a polyaminopolyamide-epichlorohydrin (PAE)." "PAE resins are the predominant commercial products used to manufacture wet-strength paper." Polyaminopolyamide has an amide backbone with a secondary amine functionality that reacts with epichlorohydrin. After polymerization, Co. uses a combined microbial/enzymatic treatment to remove undesirable chlorine-containing by-products, such as 1,3-dichloropropanol and 3-chloropropanediol, from the resin. The microbial reaction is essentially a fermentation process where specific microorganisms are used to carry out the dehalogenation reactions. The by-products are converted to CO2 and NaCl. IN THE ENZYMATIC reaction, a protease enzyme is used to remove chlorine-containing end groups on the polymer. This reaction ensures that these end groups do not contribute to the formation of more chlorine-containing by-products. "The use of this combined microbial/enzymatic process produces a material that contains less than 10 ppm of undesirable by-products. "As such, it satisfies European regulatory requirements for its use in food-contact paper, such as tea bags, coffee filters, and milk and juice cartons." |
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