BRAINCAKEBiodegradability
A material is biodegradable if it can be broken down by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, into small molecules like carbon dioxide and water.
Poly(alkenes) are non-biodegradable. Their chains are saturated and non-polar: they contain only C–C and C–H bonds, which are strong and have no partial charges. There is no polar bond or functional group for water, acids or the enzymes of microorganisms to attack. The same chemical inertness that makes poly(ethene) and poly(propene) useful means they last for hundreds of years in landfill or in the sea.
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Key terms in this lesson
- polymer
- A long-chain molecule built from many repeating monomer units joined together.
More in Alkenes
- Reaction with COncnetrated Sulfuric Acid
- Asymmetrical Alkenes
- Reaction with Water
- Addition Polymers
- Identifying the Repeating Group
- Identifying the Monomer
- Low and High Density Polythene
- Solutions to Plastic Pollution
All 23 lessons in Alkenes · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics