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Aliphatic Polyester-Based Biodegradable Microbeads for Sustainable Cosmetics.
Hyeong Chan Nam1, Won Ho Park1
1Department of Organic Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, South Korea.
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
|January 18, 2021
Summary
Biodegradable microbeads (MBs) made from polyesters offer a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics in personal care products. While showing promise for reduced environmental impact, their pollutant adsorption capabilities require further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
- Cosmetic Science
Background:
- Marine pollution is exacerbated by non-biodegradable plastic microbeads (MBs) from personal care products, which also adsorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
- Current MB manufacturing relies on wet processes, necessitating greener alternatives for biodegradable options.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate biodegradable microbeads (MBs) using eco-friendly melt electrospraying.
- To assess the degradation, thermal properties, and cleansing efficiency of PLA and PCL MBs.
Main Methods:
- Melt electrospraying of aliphatic polyesters, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), to produce MBs.
- Evaluation of weight loss in aqueous environments, changes in thermal transition parameters, POP adsorption, and cleansing efficiency.
Main Results:
- PLA and PCL MBs exhibited faster weight loss in water compared to controls, indicating hydrolytic degradation.
- Degradation led to decreased thermal transition parameters.
- Biodegradable MBs demonstrated poor POP adsorption due to low specific surface area.
- Cleansing efficiency tests showed potential for these MBs as sustainable cosmetic ingredients.
Conclusions:
- Eco-friendly melt electrospraying can produce biodegradable MBs from PLA and PCL.
- These biodegradable MBs degrade faster in water but have limited POP adsorption capacity.
- Biodegradable MBs show potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic microbeads in cosmetics.
